A silent growl builds in my chest as he turns back to Fenryr. I said don’t fucking touch him!

Malice sighs, turning back to me with a sour expression. “Must you be so dramatic? Your shouting is giving me a terrible headache, and I need to focus.”

Focus on what? What are you going to do to him?

He brings a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose as a sigh blows past his lips. “If you would shut the fuck up for a single moment, I could show you.”

Malice reaches into a secret pocket on the side of his hip, pulling out something small and white, curved and cresting to a needlepoint tip just like…

Another arachnyx tooth.

Curiosity overwhelms me as Malice turns his body to the side, allowing me to see each one of his movements clearly. First, he snaps the pointed end of the tooth off, exposing a vein of clear liquid resting in the center of the bony structure. One by one, he dips the tips of his claws into the pool of venom, coating each thoroughly without making contact with the skin.

Once he’s done, he crouches to Fenryr’s level, his glowing red eye tracking each of Fenryr’s movements, waiting for a chance to strike. The moment Fenryr turns his head, Malice lashes out, sinking his claws deep into Fenryr’s arm.

It happens instantly—one second, Fenryr is yowling and flailing, and the next, he’s perfectly still. The paralytic flows through his system, freezing his muscles and nerve endings and forcing him into a calm state. His eyes, once crazed and swirling around his skull, are now sitting in one place, staring blankly at the far wall.

“Much better,” Malice murmurs, retracting his claws and wiping them off on Fenryr’s tattered jacket. He turns his head to face me, his smile threatening to split his face in half. Now you know what to do.

I blink, confused as to why he’s speaking directly into my mind. Is he not supposed to be here? Is Slaine listening?

What are you talking about?

Malice sighs, pushing to a stand. That was a demonstration, you sweet, smooth-brained creature. His smile drops as he faces me fully. You do still have the tooth I gave you, don’t you?

My eyes narrow, flitting toward the corpse in the corner of the room, where my treasure is hidden. I do.

Excellent! He claps his hands together, his grin returning tenfold. Now you know how to use it when it’s time.

Time for what?

Malice’s eye twitches, but his demented smile never fades. I have neither the time nor the energy to explain my plans to such a bumbling imbecile. You’ll just have to trust that it’s in all our best interests.

Rage lights my veins, heating the air around me. I’ll never trust you again.