Chapter 33 #2
Where had Sorrow gone? Surely the wolf had eaten his fill by now? I leapt onto a chair, gripping the column, craning my neck and searching for the most beautiful woman on all Eusis.
I huffed. She still hadn’t come back.
‘I can’t have pissed her off already,’ I said, hopping down and making my way through the revellers. ‘Can I?’
I scanned the courtyard. My gaze narrowed on the shadows leading towards a dingy pathway. It was a place I’d never been, but something tugged me towards it.
I jogged across, slowing as hissed voices – the low growl of a wolf – reached me. My pulse spiked and I raced across, my feet sliding to a halt as Sorrow called out.
‘I swear, I’ve not told Matthias anything.’
‘You sure, sweetheart?’ I’d level him for that patronising tone. ‘He knows nothing? About us? About what we are to each other?’
I stumbled, a rock slamming into my chest, driving the air from me. What we are to each other…
The fucking Deviant snorted as my fist clenched. Sorrow wouldn’t… I know she wouldn’t.
‘There’s a slight problem, though, Villente.’
Sorrow huffed. ‘Just the one?’
I hung back in the shadows as Hawk chuckled, his tone lowering. ‘I can’t trust one word you say, can I?’
‘I’m not the one deceiving an entire world.’ Her voice shook and I stepped closer, realising the wolf had stopped his growling. Did he know I was there?
‘I’ve just had a rather interesting conversation with that pretty little sister-in-law of yours?’
‘And?’
‘You weren’t lying when you said she was a little wonder, were you? We had such a giggle as she told me about how she couldn’t get you to wear any colour. Except when she put you in red.’
I furrowed my brows. Where the hell was all this going? Sorrow remained silent as her Deviant’s voice lowered so much I had to crane my neck to pick up his words.
‘And placed a ruby necklace around your neck. A necklace with a matching ring.’
Sorrow gasped. ‘I married a king. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but royal families are rather fond of collecting expensive jewels. We can’t keep track of every item in our collection.’
Gravel crunched and my heart pounded as the wolf snarled. ‘The empress has the necklace, but where is the fucking ring—’
I rounded the corner, red misting my vision as the Deviant had his damn hand over my wife’s throat.
I dragged his collar back with one hand, my fist slamming into his jaw with the other.
I cried out, cradling my hand as he turned his head my way, his brow creased.
I’d punched him with all my might and he hadn’t flinched.
Whereas pain sliced through me. His fist flew towards me. My arm blocked and—
Sorrow grabbed him. For a heartbeat, I thought he’d strike her.
Fuck, this man was about to breathe his last, Deviant or not.
Anger rattled through me, my chest heaving as Sorrow’s words were lost to the rushing through my ears.
He lowered his hand, his body shaking as Sorrow threw herself between us.
‘For the love of Evella, no, Matthias, no.’
‘I’ll kill him,’ I said, trying to sidestep her.
‘No. Are you mad, man. He’ll kill you.’ She placed her palm over my thundering heart. ‘Matthias?’
‘If he lays one finger—’
‘He won’t. Will you?’
She rounded on Hawk, and my guts churned. There were flames, raging, burning and flaring where his eyes should be. Grabbing Sorrow’s arm, I tugged her back. She shrugged free.
‘What’s going on?’ I cried. ‘I don’t care if he’s a Deviant, he—’
Lights exploded from his hand, a rainbow snaking, twisting and expanding.
‘I’m no Deviant, little king. I’m not blessed by her.’
The lights extinguished and I tugged Sorrow against my chest, against my hammering heart. The guests in the courtyard cheered at the spectacle, unaware the bride and groom lurked in the shadows. The candles flickered, lit, extinguished, faster, brighter, on, off, till I couldn’t see.
Hawk’s voice spoke directly into my mind.
‘Evella didn’t create me, you fool. I created her.’
Ice spilled through every fibre of my being. What was he saying? How could it even be possible? The man before us raised his hands and blades, Vyrium blades, spun around his palms, whistling through the air and I froze, all reason stolen from me.
The blades halted, so close to my eyes I couldn’t blink without fear of being sliced.
Realisation stole my senses. He was right. There was no way this man was a Deviant, blessed by our Goddess of protection. I flicked my eyes to the grinning God.
The empress didn’t need to summon our ruin.
He was already here.
‘I created her.’ His voice warped, cut into my brain, slicing into the marrow of my bones.
‘And she left me for you. Destroyed my heart, while I’ve searched this festering hole for a thousand years.
It’s the only way I can ever leave.’ He snapped his gaze onto Sorrow.
‘And your fucking family have been wearing my heart like some trinket!’
Sorrow grabbed the dagger before me, threw it to the floor. My chest exploded as I exhaled.
‘Are you always so dramatic?’ With her hands on her hips, she rounded on the God.
‘S… Sorrow?’ What was she doing?
Hawk – Vyrus – turned, narrowed his gaze. ‘I’m the God of Creation. That tiny’ – I moved to my wife’s side as he pushed his face into hers, his thumb and index finger almost touching just to hammer his point home – ‘teeny, little show was a fraction, a sliver of what I can do, sweetheart.’
She crossed her arms, her jaw quivered, but she was calm. Too calm about Vyrus’ revelation.
‘You knew,’ I whispered. She turned her head slightly to face me, but said nothing. ‘Did you not think to mention we’d inadvertently invited a God intent on destroying the planet to our wedding?’
She turned, her eyes searching mine but failing to lock on them in the gloom.
‘I wanted to, but it all sounds so very…’
‘Mental?’
She nodded, still unable to find my eyes in the dark, before she turned back to the God.
‘We had a deal, sweetheart.’ His eyes flicked onto mine as I tugged Sorrow behind me. ‘Perhaps I could add to your beloved’s tattoos?’
‘You dare and I’ll find every fraction of that heart and crush them into dust.’ I swallowed, my grip loosening on Sorrow. She’d never hide behind me anyway. And this woman, this incredible creature, had made a deal with the most powerful God in existence to save me.
Vyrus raised a brow as something like pride shone in his eyes as he stared my wife down. He crossed his arms, nostrils flaring.
Sorrow exhaled, threaded her trembling fingers through mine, and I squeezed tighter.
‘I’m not lying about the ruby in Asmar,’ she said, her voice steady as she faced the God who detested us. ‘How was I supposed to know? I’d practically forgotten about it till Raine mentioned it back there. I swore I’d return your heart and I will. Just help us end the empress and—’
‘Deals off,’ he said, a muscle twitching in his face. ‘Thanks to Raine, I know where half of my heart is. I don’t need a little Villente. Deal. Gone.’
‘No.’ Sorrow raced to grab him, but this time I held her arm. Anger flashed through her eyes as she rounded on me, ebbing as I shook my head. She may possess the gall to take on a God, but I wasn’t certain we’d survive. Her shoulders slumped as she returned to my side.
This woman, the bravest soul to ever walk Eusis, was barefacedly lying to the God of Vengeance in return for my freedom from the tattoo.
She was still hiding the ruby Mother had placed in her bloodstained hands.
We both knew what would happen were she to give it back to the God. But to lie, defy Vyrus?
Hawk – Vyrus – nodded, turned, and disappeared into the night, leaving us with a final warning.
‘If you tell a single soul who I am, I’ll know. I could be an ocean away and I’d still tear your brains out.’ I stumbled into Sorrow. She clutched me, kept me from falling.
‘I think,’ I said, rubbing my pounding temples, ‘we need to talk.’