Chapter 31
SORROW
Who did Evella think she was? For he had created her. Ripped his heart from his chest and bore her into the universe. She was his and he’d not suffer the agony of her absence for another beat of his shattered heart.
— THE HISTORIES AND PROPHECIES OF THE STAR-CROSSED GODS: CHRONICLES OF VYRUS
‘Pablo!’
The wolf raised his head, his snout wrinkling. A sure sign he was about to sneeze on me as I tugged on his fur.
‘I’m not the one threatening to put a suit on you.’ Jagged teeth snapped as he set his amber gaze on me and he sat down. I pulled again, desperate to locate Vyrus before the wedding. The wolf simply yawned, and I swear he raised a brow. It was no good. I crossed my arms as we glared at each other.
He’d been like this since Skye had forced a rather bemused Asher to measure him up. Apparently, she’d set her heart on adjusting a pale blue page boy jacket to fit Pablo. By the way his teeth had narrowly missed a tender part of Asher’s anatomy, I don’t think he was keen on the idea.
‘Fine,’ I said, ‘I’ll break Skye’s heart and tell her you’re not going to put on the suit. Will you please find him for me now?’
He cocked his head before settling beneath my fingers and we set off through the corridors in search of the God.
‘But don’t blame me if you end up as a bridesmaid instead.’
Pab snorted and a wry grin tugged up the corner of my mouth as we avoided the eclectic mix of rebels and courtiers, Sisters and hunters milling about The Alliance.
My smile faded as my pulse thundered, and I pressed my free hand to my pocket.
My heart stuttered as I patted the comforting weight of Isbeth’s ruby.
As Matthias and I rested on the lake’s shore, he’d explained how his mother had discovered how it worked.
There was no question in my mind of this being one of the fragments the God had tasked me with hunting down.
I wanted to make a deal. My fragment for Matthias’s freedom.
Vyrus would remove the Vyrium from the tattoos and have half his heart.
He already knew the empress wore the other half after the meeting, but he’d dived out before I got a chance to talk to him.
My mind played out the words I’d use to convince him. I had all my arguments sorted when Pab tugged me towards the sounds of raucous laughter.
I peered into a room too poorly lit to make out who was in there, but I couldn’t miss the gravely tone of the God.
‘I had no choice. Had to leap out of her window completely starkers.’ He paused, probably to have a sip of whatever this evening’s tipple of choice was.
I placed the most amiable smile I could on my face.
‘Two floors up, and just threw myself out. But don’t worry, I landed on something soft. Her husband.’
The room exploded into guffaws and laughs as I cleared my throat. Judging by the way the God crossed his arms and inclined his head, he’d spotted me.
‘I was wondering if I could have a word?’ I said.
He snorted and my guts churned. ‘I bet you did, sweetheart.’
He stalked forward, my skin prickling as his dark gaze narrowed on me. Pablo leapt up, licked his cheek as the god chuckled and pushed him down. I couldn’t be certain, but I think the wolf may have winked as he settled under my free hand and I led Vyrus to an empty room.
The curling edges of yellowing pages littered every surface and I shivered at the lack of flames in the hearth. Raising my chin, I turned as Vyrus took a long drag from a green bottle, wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
‘So…’ We both spoke at the same time. He raised a brow and, with thin lips, inclined his chin for me to speak.
My heart hammered as I tried my sweetest smile. By the way his brow furrowed, I wasn’t sure my grin had the same effect on people that my husband’s did.
‘Have I ever told you how… vengeful you are?’
Pab whined, placed his paw over his snout. But this damn God was always so stubborn, so grumpy. I had to sweeten him up before I made my request.
‘And that beard.’ Vyrus’s lip curled as Pablo hid behind my leg. ‘It’s so… very… beardy.’
Vyrus shook his head. ‘I don’t even think that’s a word, sweetheart.’
The ruby burnt against my thigh and I resisted the urge to place my hand against it.
I was more than willing to give it to him; it was his after all, but I needed to keep it from Vyrus for now.
Handing it over would be on my terms and my terms alone.
Pissing off a God was nothing compared to losing Matthias.
‘So, my little Villente. Please explain this pathetic attempt at flattery. Wouldn’t have anything to do with the God’s heart that little king of yours had lying around his palace? The one now in the empress’s hands?’
I clenched my jaw. I’d had the feeling he might use that against me.
‘I didn’t know. Surely you saw Matthias’s face? Skye’s? Not one of us knew that a part of your heart lay amongst the Elmswood’s collection.’ Something like resignation slipped across his features. ‘And believe me, if anyone was going to know about that piece of jewellery, it would be Skye.’
Rolling his brown eyes, he took another swig.
‘But I did want to talk about our deal.’
My pulse thundered as Vyrus sighed.
‘Back out if you want, but—’
‘I’m not backing out. I never give up. I’d like to—’ Vyrus glanced down to where my hand gripped his as I held him in place. I let go quickly. ‘I’d like to… adjust the deal. A bit.’ I swallowed against the rising panic.
‘Adjust it?’
I nodded. ‘I’ll still find your heart. Still give it to you. But surely you can see that presenting you with the whole thing is an impossible task?’
‘We shook.’ He crossed his arms across his thick chest. ‘The deal is sealed. There were sparks, Villente. Sparks.’
Shit. My body suddenly felt offside, as though the ruby in my pocket had increased in mass.
‘But you’re a God. Immortal. All powerful and I’m…’ my hands slumped to my side. ‘This. If you’ve spent a thousand lifetimes searching and only found one piece, how on Eusis do you expect me to do it in a few weeks?’
The light flickered against his eyes. The harsh lines softened.
‘Because, sweetheart, I have been here for a thousand lifetimes. And I’ve watched you.
Mortals. How you breathe, love, hate, simply exist within the little bubble granted to you.
How you’ve no knowledge of those who made you exist within their own bubble.
Their challenges and heartbreaks. Because, sweetheart. You are different.’
I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
‘Different to the other Villentes.’ His voice dropped and he opened his palms between us, my breath catching as a scene opened up. Snow swirled around a young woman, her blonde hair sweeping across her face as she fought to hold her shawl over her face. Behind her, a man stomped through the snow.
Vyrus.
‘Why do you Villentes always breed Anomalies, eh?’
I shuddered at his whisper as the woman collapsed into the snow, the tiny Vyrus grabbing her in his arms, cradling her as he led her away.
‘We…’ I jolted as he closed his hand, the scene fading in a single blink. ‘Chastity Villente fought you, defeated you, or so the legend states,’ I added as he rolled his eyes. ‘Evella rewarded her, blessing her and those who followed her.’
I narrowed my gaze as he smiled.
‘Well, me and your great-great-oh-so-many-greats granny tussled all right, sweetheart. But not how the Sisters recorded it. A year after I met her, we had a daughter, Hope.’
My fingers curled into the security of Pablo’s fur. A child? Vyrus and Chastity had a child?
‘You…’ I cleared my throat. ‘You had a child? A daughter?’
He nodded as my eyes widened. Chastity had borne only one child. A gift from Evella, or so we’d been told. I shook my head, my mind spinning with his tale. His truth.
My gaze snapped onto his. If she’d only had one child, then that meant…
‘Fuck,’ I whispered.
He spread his arms wide. ‘Want to give your great-grandpa a hug?’
His face broke into a huge smile as I recoiled.
‘Only, you sweetheart, you’re another breed entirely.’
I met his gaze. All those stares, all that time, he’d known who he was to me and he’d kept his mouth shut.
‘You’ve no idea,’ I hissed.
‘No, sweetheart.’ He cocked his head. ‘It’s you that’s got no idea. Your father, your sire. What’s his name?’
‘I told you I don’t know—’
Vyrus clicked his tongue.
‘I may be able to help you there.’
My mouth floundered as Pablo nuzzled my fingers. Romero had told Mama she couldn’t tell me papa’s name. With both of them dead, I’d all but given up hope of learning who he was. I barely breathed as I met the smug look on his face.
‘Well, just his surname. I’ve no idea about his first name. But I’m not the only God to tussle with the mortals. We’ve all had a few dalliances.
‘Even Evella.’
‘Evella?’ Gods, I heard rumours of redacted chapters. The ones the Sisters labelled as heresy. That Evella had taken a lover, borne a…
I couldn’t even swear as Vyrus laughed.
‘She begot the Blythe line. That third line of Anomalies no one’s even certain exists.’
I swallowed, my fingers gripping the wolf’s fur.
‘Blythe?’
‘Yeah,’ he wrinkled his nose. ‘You practically reek of them.’ He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘That’s why I… smelt you. You smell just like her. Probably why you carry two gifts.’
‘But… but I thought Evella chooses who is gifted, grants us her gifts.’
‘She chose your gifts, shit as they are. It’s why I can’t help you balance. Evella destroyed my meteor. Changed the intent. Placed her own unique brand of protective magic into the Vyrium, channelling the threads to grant gifts.
‘It’s thanks to me you’re a Deviant. Thanks to her, you talk to ducks and zombies.’
A laugh bubbled up. Was he truly telling me I was descended from two Gods? I shook my head. It mattered not. The only thing that mattered to me now was Matthias.
A wicked grin spread across my face. Vyrus grimaced.
‘We’re family, then.’
He eyed me warily, as though he could see the thoughts running through my mind.
‘And as I’m about to marry Matthias—’
‘Again.’
‘Hmm,’ I nodded. ‘So, you really owe me a present. A gift.’
He held out the bottle. I shoved it aside, ignoring his chuckle.
‘You owe me, Vyrus. The tattoos. Please, gift me the one I love. As your blood, your kin, grant me the gift of love.’
His nose wrinkled in disgust.
‘We made a deal, Villente.’
I shivered at the darkness that entered his tone, but steeled my spine. A damned God or not, I refused to balk.
‘An impossible deal.’
‘But.’ He leaned in, his eyes boring into mine as I glared back. ‘One that we sealed.’ He raised his hands, flickers of gold shimmered at the tips of his fingers. ‘Remember?’
I grabbed his arm. ‘A section then—’
‘Nope.’ Vyrus peeled my hand free, began stumbling towards the door. ‘And shouldn’t you be getting ready?’
‘Please.’ I grabbed his damp sleeve, ignoring his frustrated huff. ‘We’re family. Surely that counts for something?’
Flames flickered in his eyes as he faced me once more, his jaw set.
‘I’m not sure what Chronicles you’ve been reading, Villente, but I’m not famed for my benevolence.’
He pulled himself free, placed his hand on Pablo’s head.
‘I haven’t shared tales of your bloodline as a way of reaching out.
You wanted to know why I chose you. Why your own heart still beats even though you know my name.
’ He walked to the door and I clenched my fists; fought the urge to call the prick every name under the sun he’d created.
‘Now you know. Chastity kept it a secret for a reason, Villente. What do you think will happen to you if people know you carry my blood? Leave me alone, unless you have my heart, or suddenly you’ll find a bunch of Sisters at your door with pitchforks and torches.
You might survive, but what about Enfys?
Your little turd of a brother?’ He moved further away. ‘Congratulations, by the way.’
With that, he closed the door and a lone tear tracked down my cheek. Clutching Pablo, I heaved in a huge breath. I still kept my powerful secret. I still had the ruby and control over Matthias.
Only with the empress owning half of the ruby, was this tiny fragment enough to secure the man I loved and keep him safe from her control?