Chapter 45
I grow so insanely bored of waiting for your response, Asmar.
Do you know, I recently acquired an Anomaly who can slit a throat from a distance of three feet?
I can’t wait to introduce him to your wife.
I’m not sure it’ll be a pleasant experience for you, though.
So, for the final time, I await your response.
Tick. Fucking. Tock. Tick. FUCKING. Tock.
— UNREAD NOTE FOUND BY KING ROMERO IV ON KING MATTHIAS’S PILLOW
Ifan dropped to one knee, head bowed, dark hair billowing.
Blinking, I took in the blurry form of the Empress of Carush, ignoring the way my chest crumbled as she came into hazy focus.
Her almost white hair flowed down her slender back in snowy waves.
Bouncing on her toes, wringing her pale hands, she reminded me of an excited child on their birthday eve.
Her lilac cotton dress was far too simple for an empress.
A simple ruby glittered across her breast bone.
Was this the woman who’d slaughtered and clawed her way through each of the three other kingdoms on her continent, before casting her doe-like brown eyes across the sea?
‘I’m waiting, Asmar.’ Her head cocked as she stared at Matthias, her guards stepping in line behind her. ‘Tick, tock, tick, tock.’
Matthias threw his sword to the sand, grabbing my hand and steeling his spine. Realisation settled in my gut like a millstone. We’d expelled every ounce of energy defeating Romero. She must have watched from her ships. Waiting for the perfect moment to attack. The moment we had nothing left.
Refusing to bow to the empress was a death sentence.
I scanned the heavens, cursing the Goddess.
I swore once my life was forfeit I’d ensure Evella would suffer as she’d forced us to do.
Unless we bowed, lay down our throne and allowed her access to every land, we truly would die.
Turning my head, so my good eye could see her, I expected rage to flare across her features, but instead, she giggled and clapped her hands.
‘I knew he’d do that. I told you, didn’t I, Ifan? I told you Mr I’m-so-very-noble-I’ll-die-first wouldn’t kneel.’
Ifan stood, expressionless, next to the queen who’d taken him in as a child, when the three siblings had been split apart in order to punish their rebellious father.
The empress released a settling breath, splashing in circles through the incoming tide to stand before Glesni’s lifeless form.
I reached in for my gift, seeking the violet, but found Glesni’s power completely spent.
My only chance was to take the other corpses.
I closed my eyes. Could I do that? Could I control multiple limp bodies without harming those I loved?
The empress jumped in the water, giggling before splashing a few more times.
‘You know, Asmar, little Ifan used to tell me all about this precious beach when those annoying nightmares kept him awake. You’ve no idea how I despised him. Sitting with a rather snotty prince on my lap, pretending I wasn’t a monster just to shut him up. But I did like his stories about Asmar.’
She gazed about her, humming a lullaby, before releasing a long sigh. ‘I’ll be honest, I don’t get it, Ifan. It’s all so terribly… grey?’
She stepped forward, and Matthias’s fingers dug into mine. Pablo whined, lowering his head.
‘I told you what I’d do the second I stepped on – ooh, a puppy!’
Her knees sank into the sand before Pablo, the wolf averting his gaze from the empress.
‘Can I stroke him?’
She looked up at me, wide-eyed, and I glanced at Matthias, who shook his head.
‘He’s not… not exactly a pet,’ I said, fighting to keep the fear out of my tone.
Her bottom lip stuck out as she stared forlornly at the wolf. She leapt, and I almost screamed at her sudden movement.
‘He may not be a pet… but you are.’ She turned to Ifan, slapped his arm.
‘He didn’t tell me you could do that, Queen of Asmar, and I’m very cross with him.
It’s not often I’m impressed, Mrs Asmar, but that little display?
Bringing a dead Anomaly to life and blasting through your evil stepfather?
’ She shivered dramatically. ‘It gave me chills. Honest. Look.’
She stuck her arm out in front of me. Matthias took a small step before me.
‘You’ll be very useful in my army,’ she said. ‘I already own Mr Asmar.’
My head whipped in Matthias’s direction. Confusion swept across his features, before he set his jaw.
‘You may own my brother, but you’ll never possess me.’
The empress kicked the waves as they rolled ever closer.
My chest cleaved as they nudged Glesni, knocking her lifeless form into the empress’s ankle.
I reached out, praying my mentor could protect us one final time.
I swallowed. I hadn’t practised with the gift.
It had limitations. If only I’d heeded Glesni’s advice, if only I’d practised…
‘Ouch,’ she cried, before stepping backwards, never once taking her eyes from Matthias. ‘Oh, poor Mr Asmar. Let me tell you a secret.’ She placed her hands either side of her mouth as she stage whispered. ‘It was Ifan putting my notes on your pillow.’
I glared at him, his cheeks flushed with rage as he gripped my hand tighter. Notes? He hadn’t mentioned any notes. I pulled my fingers from his, but Matthias held on.
‘I think I’ve already worked that one out.’
She nodded solemnly, still increasing the distance between us till her features became a blur, and a chill raced down my spine.
‘Of course you did. You’re such a clever boy. Just not clever enough. Give me your wife, Asmar.’ The singsong lilt vanished. ‘Give her to me. She’ll live, Asmar. She’ll live.’
Matthias shuffled, and terror raced through me at the thought of what he was about to do. I squared my shoulders. He may be my husband, but I wouldn’t let him make my choices. I’d had enough of that.
‘He’s my husband, not my master. I decide my future. And it will never contain you.’
‘Sorrow…’
‘No, Matthias. I don’t want to live if I haven’t got you. You can’t force me to serve her. I’ve been shoved from one person to the next my whole life. I won’t allow you to do this to me.’
A tear rolled down his cheek. Setting his jaw, he nodded and clutched my hand tighter.
‘Ooh, you two are so sweet.’ She halted, an immobile Ifan at her side. ‘I like you, Mrs Asmar. I really like you. And so, let me tell you a little secret.’
My fingers twitched in Pablo’s fur.
‘Actually.’ She’d retreated so far I couldn’t make out her features. ‘I’m lying, it isn’t my secret. It’s your husband’s.’
‘She’s lying,’ he said, under his breath. ‘Everything she says is a lie.’
‘What’s that, Asmar? Speak up. It’s so rude to mumble. Ifan walk forward.’
Matthias let go of my hand and scooped up his sword, the water lapping our calves.
‘My king?’ Asher hovered behind us, his voice trembling.
‘Now… stop!’ she called to Ifan, who stood a few paces ahead of us, his eyes set on his brother.
‘Take your top off, Ifan.’
‘What the fuck?’ I asked as Ifan obeyed, shirking off his tunic, which disappeared under the growing tide.
‘Show off that tattoo of yours.’
Ifan spun.
I turned to Matthias. The blood leached from his features.
‘Now.’ She clapped her hands. ‘Here’s the good bit. Eat the sand, Ifan. Don’t spit it out.’
Without a second of hesitation, Ifan fell to the ground, shoving handfuls of sand into his mouth. I cursed as he didn’t flinch or gag, swallowing the sodden grains.
‘See, he does everything I ask of him. Everything,’ she shouted as she stepped further back into the waves.
‘He’ll slice his own throat without question.
Kill you or Mrs Asmar. And it’s not because I wiped his snotty nose for six long years.
Can you guess why, Asmar? Why does your little brother do every despicable thing I ask without question, even when he loathes it? ’
‘The tattoo,’ I whispered.
‘The tattoo,’ she shrieked, turning in a circle, kicking up the spray. ‘I control the tattoo. Let me prove it.’
‘Run,’ Matthias said, shoving me aside.
‘What?’
‘Run, go to Asher, run.’
‘What?’ My heart hammered as he jerked away from me. ‘Matthias? Why?’
‘GO!’ he screamed.
‘Sorrow.’ Asher splashed through the waves, and something in Matthias’s expression forced me to grab the captain’s hand.
‘Remove your shirt, Asmar.’
I glanced back, grabbing my skirts in my clenched fists as I fought my way through the rising waves.
Matthias tugged the tattered remains of his shirt over his head.
He hadn’t? Surely, I’d have seen it when we made love?
But he’d kept his back to the wall. He’d killed hunters, carried me miles and then, he’d deliberately kept his back to me.
‘Turn around!’
Slowly, Matthias turned.
I wanted to race forward, pummel my fists into his reckless chest, at a mark nestled at the base of his back, slightly to the left. What the marks said meant nothing to me. It was what the tattoo was made of that mattered.
Vyrium.
He’d gone against me and tattooed the Vyrium onto his body. Despite my worries, he’d seen his brother’s strength and chosen that over me. Over us.
Asher grabbed me. ‘Come on. The boat.’
‘Matthias,’ I whimpered.
‘He’s made his choice. We can’t do anything now.’
‘Ah, ah, ah,’ the empress cried, her voice carrying away on the wind. ‘You’re going nowhere. Asmar. I want your wife.’
‘No,’ his voice ripped as he screamed, his body twitching.
‘Tough. Shit. Asmar. Get her.’
Matthias’s head twisted in our direction.
Asher grabbed my arm. ‘C’mon.’
‘I can’t… we can’t leave him.’ I wrenched my arm from the captain’s grip.
‘Sorrow.’ Pain ran through his eyes as they flicked over my shoulder and back to me. ‘I’ve lost my king, my friend. If you don’t come now. I’ll lose my queen too.’
Smaller boats rowed towards us from the empress’s ships anchored out at sea.
‘We have to go, now.’
I grabbed him and we turned, tearing up the beach to where our boat lay.
The splashing got closer. Matthias screamed my name; I glanced back, and he gained with every step.
‘We can’t… outrun… him.’
‘Then I’ll fight him,’ Asher said.
And Matthias would kill him. The guilt would destroy him. I had to stop this getting even worse than it was.
We dodged a body, floating face down as it was swept out to sea. Purple threads sprang forth. I had no choice but to trust them.
Matthias grunted. My lungs burned as we tore around the rocks and bodies to the boat.
There was only one way we were going to escape.
I dug deep down, calling to every limp form lying rent on the sands.
I sent dark, shimmering threads out. Behind us, the water churned as those alive screamed.
I let them take control; yet, as Asher threw me onto the deck and Pablo fell on top of me, I sent out one request. Let Matthias live. No matter what, let him survive.
Asher screamed as he pushed out the boat, guards slamming into the incoming tide to help him. Skye let down the sails as Enfys and a guard went to the helm.
‘How will we outrun the ships?’ Skye cried. ‘The mad bitch has a whole armada out there. We’re done for.’
Pablo nudged me.
‘Get us out a bit further. I’ll call help.’
‘Help?’ Asher asked.
I withdrew them, shuddering as the violet threads settled within their nest in my soul, switching for the familiar cool of the silver and called out across the sea, almost crying as the beasts of the water answered, swarming our boat to aid us.
I peered out to the hazy dots on the horizon, desperately seeking out my husband.
I fought back the urge to scream his name as tears tore down my cheeks at the thought of what he’d done to us.