Malrik POV
“I need you both to stay calm,” I said, my voice even but edged with gravity. “We need to think carefully before we act.”
Vladan and Ashuriel exchanged a look subtle but telling. They could already sense this wasn’t just a routine matter.
“Dravina told me everything last night,” I began, watching their expressions shift. Vladan’s curiosity sparked immediately.
“I was right. Her mate isn’t dead. She’s running from him. The money she brought with her she stole it from him. It was the only way she could give herself a chance to survive.”
Neither of them spoke, both processing the weight of what I’d just said.
“She’s endured more than either of you know,” I continued. “He isolated her. Controlled her. Broke her down piece by piece. She had no one not a single soul to turn to.”
