Symbols Malice Heather Walter

The Medallion in Malice: Symbol of Imprisonment and the War of the Fae

What the Medallion Is and Where It Appears in the Story

The medallion is a palm-sized pendant Kal wears on a chain beneath his high-necked doublet. Its jewel resembles a rough-cut smoky emerald, but unlike any ordinary gem, light and shadow churn within it like tangling snakes. Alyce first discovers it in Chapter 23 when she notices a red line on Kal's neck and insists on seeing what he is hiding. Kal reluctantly reveals the medallion and explains that it is what binds him to the tower. The magic inside the pendant is the same as the shadows that coil around him—it functions as a collar, holding him inside the black tower far more effectively than iron chains ever could. When Kal attempts to step into sunlight or leave the tower's confines, the medallion burns him. His palms bear a lattice of silvered burn scars from centuries of trying to remove it.

The medallion recurs at key moments in the narrative: Alyce's discovery of it in Chapter 23, her failed attempt to break its enchantment in Chapter 27, her successful breaking of the binding in Chapter 37, and Kal's destruction of the medallion in Chapter 38. Each appearance deepens its meaning, moving from a mysterious object of secrecy to a relic of the War of the Fae to the vessel of Mortania's trapped spirit.

The Medallion as Prison

The medallion is, first and foremost, an instrument of imprisonment. It binds Kal to the tower, punishing any attempt at escape with burning pain. But its function as a prison extends beyond Kal himself. In Chapter 38, Kal reveals that the Etherians imprisoned him in the tower for centuries and that Mortania's spirit is trapped inside the medallion. The same object that cages Kal's body also cages Mortania's soul. This dual imprisonment is significant: the medallion is a tool of the Etherians, the Fae who won the War of the Fae and who used the medallion to contain both a Shifter and a Vila.

Alyce's attempt to break the enchantment in Chapter 27 reveals how deeply protected the binding is. She describes the enchantment as bred from magic, and when she reaches out to find it, she encounters a wall of black stone—protections put in place to guard the spell. She pushes against these protections with everything she has, but the effort throws her backward, leaving her battered and nearly unconscious. The enchantment's brittle heart remains intact, and Kal warns her not to make promises she cannot keep.

The Medallion and the War of the Fae

The medallion is a relic of the War of the Fae, a physical remnant of the conflict that shaped the world of the novel. Kal explains that he loved a Vila who started the war, and that he helped her curse Aurora's family. The Etherians, in response, imprisoned him and trapped Mortania's spirit in the medallion. The object thus carries the entire weight of the war's legacy: the Vila's near-extinction, the curse on the royal line, and the centuries of imprisonment that followed.

The medallion also connects to the theme of magic as a commodity and the exploitation of power. The Etherians used the medallion as a tool of control, much as the king uses Alyce's magic for his commissions. The medallion is a weaponized object, a way of turning magic against those who possess it.

The Medallion's Transformation

The medallion's meaning shifts dramatically over the course of the novel. When Alyce first discovers it, it is a mystery—something Kal hides and refuses to explain. It represents secrecy and the hidden costs of Kal's imprisonment. As Alyce learns more, it becomes a symbol of her own helplessness: she cannot break the enchantment, cannot free Kal, no matter how hard she tries.

In Chapter 37, Alyce finally breaks the enchantment binding Kal, freeing him from the tower. But this freedom is illusory. In Chapter 38, Kal reveals the medallion's true purpose: it has been holding Mortania's spirit. When he smashes it with his boot, the medallion shatters with the sound of glass crunching, an unholy wail, and everything goes dark. The destruction of the medallion releases Mortania's spirit, which enters Alyce.

This transformation is crucial. The medallion begins as a symbol of imprisonment and ends as a vessel of liberation—but the liberation it enables is not the freedom Kal promised. Instead of freeing Kal, the medallion's destruction frees Mortania, whose magic merges with Alyce's own. Kal expected Mortania's soul to enter Alyce's body, and while Alyce denies that the Vila has taken her over, she senses that something has changed within her. Mortania's magic strengthens Alyce's power, enabling her to break free of Kal's shadow bonds and ultimately to kill him.

Character Connections

The medallion connects several characters:

  • Kal: wears the medallion, is bound by it, and ultimately destroys it. His relationship to the object is one of hatred and desperation—he has spent centuries trying to escape it.

  • Alyce: discovers the medallion, tries to break its enchantment, and ultimately inherits Mortania's magic when it is destroyed. The medallion is the instrument of her transformation.

  • Mortania: trapped inside the medallion for centuries, her spirit is released into Alyce. The medallion is her prison and her legacy.

  • The Etherians: used the medallion as a tool of control, imprisoning both Kal and Mortania within it.

Theme Connections

The medallion connects to several of the novel's central themes:

Study Questions

1. How does the medallion function as a symbol of imprisonment for both Kal and Mortania, and what does this reveal about the Etherians' methods of control?

The medallion imprisons Kal's body and Mortania's spirit simultaneously. Kal is bound to the tower, burning if he attempts to leave or touch sunlight. Mortania is trapped inside the jewel itself, unable to act or influence the world. The Etherians used a single object to contain two threats, demonstrating their willingness to use magic as a weapon of control. The medallion reveals that the Etherians' power is not just military but also magical and bureaucratic—they create tools that enforce their will long after the war itself has ended.

2. How does Alyce's relationship to the medallion change over the course of the novel?

Alyce's relationship to the medallion evolves from ignorance to discovery to attempted liberation to inheritance. She first notices it as a hidden chain beneath Kal's collar, then learns it binds him to the tower. She tries to break its enchantment in Chapter 27 and fails, leaving her feeling powerless. In Chapter 37, she succeeds in freeing Kal, but the medallion's destruction in Chapter 38 releases Mortania's spirit into her. The medallion transforms from an external object of imprisonment to an internal force that shapes her identity and power.

3. In what ways does the medallion connect to the theme of betrayal and trust?

Kal hides the medallion from Alyce, and when she discovers it, he is reluctant to explain its purpose. He tells her it binds him to the tower but omits the fact that it also contains Mortania's spirit. This omission is a betrayal of trust—Alyce believes she is helping Kal escape, but she is actually being used as a vessel for Mortania's magic. The medallion is the physical symbol of Kal's deception, and its destruction reveals the full extent of his manipulation.

4. How does the medallion's destruction complicate the novel's treatment of freedom?

The medallion's destruction appears to be an act of liberation—Kal smashes it, freeing himself from the tower and releasing Mortania's spirit. But the freedom it enables is not what it seems. Kal's freedom is short-lived; he is killed by Alyce shortly after. Mortania's freedom is also ambiguous: she is released from the medallion but enters Alyce, becoming a presence within her rather than an independent being. The medallion's destruction thus raises questions about whether true freedom is possible, or whether the legacy of the War of the Fae simply takes new forms.

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