Flashback ( PDFDrive )

“You’d better hope that’s true. Otherwise you’ll be the next bodies
left sliced up and drugged in an abandoned cell.”
“Is this your attempt to trick us into revealing why Alvar was cast
out of our order?” Gethen asked. “Because you really needn’t bother.
He was simply no longer useful.”
“You expect us to believe that?” Fitz shouted, and Sophie’s knees
nearly collapsed with relief as she watched him struggle to his feet. He
looked sweaty and pale, but his legs held steady and his eyes were
clear and focused.
Sandor and Grizel had recovered as well and were busy trying to
tunnel out of their force fields—but the energy kept stretching with
the shifting sand, keeping them sealed inside.
Sophie pressed her panic switch again, trying not to worry about
why Dex was taking so long to get there.
“I don’t really expect anything from you,” Gethen told Fitz. “But I’m
telling the truth—and I erased your brother’s mind personally, so I
would know. I’m sure you’ve both seen how thorough I was.”
“That doesn’t mean his memories won’t trigger,” Fitz snapped
back.
“Actually, it does. My washing skills are the reason I was recruited
to the order. Do you think we would’ve released him if there was any
chance you could learn something?”
“Why release him at all?” Fitz countered. “If you’re really done with
him, why not just kill him?”
“You sound as if that’s what you would’ve preferred.” He smiled
when Fitz didn’t deny it. “Clearly no love lost between the Vacker
brothers—though I suppose that was always the problem, wasn’t it?
Families are so gloriously complicated. Which also makes them