Last Blood

“How did you cover for him?” Chrysabelle asked.

“At the ball, after you two ran out of the suite—that was you two in disguise, wasn’t it?”

“Yes,” Mal said. Figuring that out didn’t take help from the KM. “Go on.”

“When Tatiana went after you, Octavian left through the servants’ quarters. I scattered ashes on the floor where he’d been and, when Tatiana returned, told her that he’d taken his own life out of fear of her.” She drew in a ragged breath. “She would have killed him. It was the only way to get him out safely.”

“What about the other female servant?” Chrysabelle asked.

“Oana? She was Lilith’s wet nurse. With Lilith out of the picture, Oana was no longer necessary. I paid her to go away.” Kosmina glanced at Malkolm. “And she knows I’d kill her myself if she ever spoke a word of what happened.”

Mal eased his grip on the double agent. She was telling them more than she had to. Enough that her story sounded genuine. “Why would Octavian come back here? He’d have to know Tatiana would kill him for what he’d done.”

Kosmina pulled out of his grasp entirely and tugged her uniform back into place. “Not long after he brought me in to replace him as head of staff, I started to see signs that his loyalties were drifting. He truly loved Tatiana. And the life she provided.” She shook her head. “It’s not the first time an agent has shifted sides.”

“More than once?” Chrysabelle asked. “How long have you been KM?”

Kosmina cast her eyes toward the door to the cellar. “All my life. My whole family is.”

“Son of a priest.” Mal’s brows shot up. How deep was the KM in Corvinestri? “And do they all work for nobles?”

She nodded and lifted her gaze toward Chrysabelle. “We do the job the comarré were meant for, but have fallen away from.”

“Don’t look at me,” Chrysabelle said. “I tried to raise a force to help us and got shot down. Also, I’m not comarré anymore.”

“I know,” Kosmina said. “We’re aware you were disavowed.” She started toward the exit. “I have to go. I have things to do before… I have things to do.”

Mal stepped into her path. He wasn’t done asking questions. “Why did you follow me down here?”

Kosmina’s expression shifted into one that was pure soldier. “To determine why you were suddenly on Tatiana’s side, and if necessary, kill you. Which reminds me…” She pulled a snuffbox out of her pocket and handed it to him. “Put a pinch of that under your tongue.”

“You? Kill me?” Mal laughed softly as he took the box and opened it. Fine white powder filled the small metal square. A citrusy aroma wafted up from it. “What is this?”

“The antidote to the solis basium currently coursing through your system.”

The voices stilled completely. They were trying to figure out if what she said was true. “What the hell is solis basium?”

Chrysabelle licked her bottom lip. “Means something like ‘sun kiss’ in Latin, doesn’t it?”

Kosmina nodded. “And without that antidote, you’d find yourself inexplicably drawn to walk outside and greet the dawn tomorrow morning.”

Mal snorted skeptically. “There’s nothing in my blood. I’d know if you drugged me.” Sick sick sick, the voices whined. They believed her.

“Would you?” Kosmina asked. “Because you drank the comarré’s blood without question.”

Chrysabelle looked at him. “What comarré?”

“The one Tatiana provided for Octavian,” Kosmina answered. “Tatiana offered her to Malkolm so he wouldn’t go hungry.”

“I didn’t drink from her,” Mal said. “You know I can’t do that. But I did let her fill a goblet for me.” He could tell this was bothering Chrysabelle. “I had no choice. I didn’t want Tatiana to get suspicious.”

She nodded, but said nothing.

He looked back at Kosmina. “You’re telling me her blood held the drug?”

“Like I said, put a pinch under your tongue and you’ll be fine.” Kosmina gave him a final glance before heading toward the door.

“Wait,” Chrysabelle called. “What about… what you heard?”

Kosmina stopped and met her gaze. “The plan to get Tatiana and the other one to the Garden of Eden? I’ll help in whatever way I can without blowing my cover, but my time here is short. You don’t have to worry about me getting in your way.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Chrysabelle said.

Kosmina shrugged. “That’s all I heard. Now I really must go.” She left, closing the door behind her.

Chrysabelle’s hands shook. “She knows about the baby. She’s going to report to whomever she reports to and the KM are going to come knocking again, expecting something from me.” Her hands went to her belly. “If they think they can use this child for their purposes, they are sorely mistaken.”

Mal nodded. “That’s for damn sure.” He tipped his head to touch hers. “No one is going to lay a hand on you or this child, understand? I won’t let it happen.”

She blew out a breath. “I know.” She smiled up at him. “I’m okay. Hormones, you know?” She laughed softly. “You should be used to my crazy by now.”