Chapter 5 #2
‘My thoughts exactly,’ said Lord Elias as we all turned from Oskar. ‘Which is why I think we need to secure an alliance. Has anyone thought of Obaithe in the South? My queen, they have not one but three eligible princes—’
‘And a deep-seated hatred of Evella,’ Enfys said, a sharpness entering her tone. ‘I will not be courted by them.’
Elias let out a long breath. ‘But their armies are incredibly well-trained.’
‘And rather adept at hunting down Anomalies, or have you forgotten how they despise the blessed?’ I shook my head.
‘Do you think they’ll overlook the fact that Enfys is a Villente?
Perhaps their books are out of date and they missed the bit where Evella blessed Chastity Villente in thanks for her battle against Vyrus?
Made her a saint. Perhaps they can ignore how each and every Villente since was born destined to be an Anomaly whether they want the damned honour or not. ’
‘I still think we should marry her to someone closer to home.’ Danté approached the table. My mouth twitched as I took in his dishevelled hair and wrinkled clothes. Now he no longer had Romero’s boots to lick, he was unravelling at a rather pleasing rate. ‘My family is one of the oldest and—’
‘And I will not be getting married.’ Enfys slammed her hand on the table. ‘Not now, not ever. So could we please try and formulate a plan to protect us and rid our continent of the empress?’
Lord Elias cleared his throat as Danté walked down the stone steps to stand at the table, where a huge map of Eusis was spread before us. ‘At this present moment, there are exactly eighty-seven Anomalies in service to the Drufaeran crown.’
Asher sat straighter. ‘And we managed to escape with only one.’
All eyes turned my way and a blush spread up my throat. Our attempts to keep knowledge of my gifts under wraps weren’t going particularly well after my fiery display in the hall during the early hours, so we’d decided to leverage that fact instead. ‘What range of skills are we talking about?’
Elias set his glasses on the table, reminding me that I really needed a pair of my own soon. ‘We have a handful of the usual, fire wielders, storm bringers, water weavers. One is impervious to arrows and swords.’
‘Very useful,’ Enfys said, scribbling down notes.
Elias murmured his agreement. ‘One can affect emotions, and a recent emergent who can… create bad smells.’
I raised an eyebrow.
‘Any Deviants?’ Skye asked, her shoulders slumping as Elias shook his ancient head.
‘We should put all the Anomalies at the front. Give that bloody wolf queen a chance to make up for the mess she’s made of everything,’ Danté barked.
Asher leapt over the table, Pablo on his heels while Skye’s chair crashed to the floor. The room erupted. Enfys crying that I’d faced enough fighting for one lifetime. Danté desperately protecting himself as the wolf snapped at the Duke’s crotch.
I blew out a long breath, rubbed the bridge of my nose. I’d known this would be a day of arguing. However, I’d harboured a pathetic flicker of hope that we could make at least one decision before we battled amongst ourselves.
My chair scraped as I stood. Asher had Danté by the scruff of his neck, while my sister vowed no harm would come to me within her keep.
I should stay where I was relatively safe, surrounded by these people, but the noise flooded my pounding head.
I needed air. Quiet. The wolf sneezed against my hip, his little punishment for walking away from everyone who would protect me from harm.
The mariner stood eavesdropping outside the door, chuckling away as he took a drag from his bottle. If he was hoping we’d finally repay him for his services to the Asmaran throne, he was about to be rather disappointed. A fierce rash flared across my chest as his eyes fell upon me.
‘Want some company, sweetheart?’
I shuddered at his gravelly tone as I swept past. I’d prefer the company of a band of diafols, but then he had come to my aid… again.
‘Thank you, but if you put that bottle down for a moment, you’d realise I have a wolf for company.’
The Gods-awful man barked out a laugh as Pablo slipped from my grip and leaned his great head against the man’s hip. My chest pinched as the sailor scratched the wolf’s head. What did Pablo see in the creature?
‘Do you, now?’ he said, his dark eyes meeting mine. ‘After that little fire incident last night, I’d have thought you’d appreciate my presence?’
I exhaled deeply as he scoured my features. I should thank him again, but as the skin on the nape of my neck prickled, the words died.
He turned back to the room as Elias cried for calm and Oskar issued a stream of curses most eight-year-olds would be severely punished for. A sneer split across the sailor’s face as glasses smashed, and I took advantage of the distraction, grasping the wolf and tugging him away.
We took a turn to the left, the sounds of chaos slowly fading when Pablo dived away.
‘Pab?’ I cried, my voice too high. ‘Pablo?’ I despised how fear clawed its way up my spine at the thought of being alone so soon after the assassination attempt. Vulnerability didn’t suit me.
I groaned as his claws skittered away. What was he playing at now? I peered back over my shoulder, wondering if I should take the sailor up on his offer, before I shivered. No. Something in my guts told me I couldn’t trust that man, even if the stupid wolf did.
I wanted a bath, my chambers. Blessed silence.
I could trace these corridors like the lines criss-crossing my palms. There was nothing else for it.
I’d just have to make my own way there and pray to Evella there were no more assassins lurking in the shadows.
I tugged faintly on the silver threads, blowing out a long breath as they twined round my intent.
Despite knowing the layout of the keep, I trailed my fingers along the walls.
The guards in their scarlet uniforms approached and my chest tightened as they walked past. Was there anyone I could trust here?
The familiar padding of heavy paws sent a small sliver of comfort into my chest. My relief evaporated as Pablo dropped a brown rat at my feet with a sickening thud.
Its back leg gave a final, pitiful twitch before stilling.
‘Damn dog,’ I muttered. ‘Why would you bring me a dead rat? As if this day couldn’t get any worse and you bring me your lunch—’
Hissing, I clutched my chest as the still uncomfortable sensation of violet awoke within.
Pablo whined and pushed the dead creature towards me with his snout.
The threads slithered through my chest, anticipation sparking a tempest in my veins.
I glared at the wolf. Then sighed. I needed to balance, needed to practice.
At least a rodent corpse wouldn’t set the keep on fire.
I hoped.
‘Fine,’ I hissed through gritted teeth, unfurling the thick ribbons and forcing them towards the rat. My chest opened and I heaved in a deep breath. The rat twitched once more, its eyes flickering open. I knelt, keeping my hazy gaze focused on the little rodent.
It leapt forward, its sharp incisors locking onto Pablo’s snout. He yelped and I reached forward to snatch the vermin away. The wolf slammed it against the dark stone of the wall, as I wrestled the reluctant threads back and the rat slipped to the floor.
‘Eugh.’
I jumped at the cry behind me, meeting the confused glare of Asher. My shoulders slumped at the thought he’d followed me. I rubbed Pablo’s snout. ‘I’m unsure why you’re still walking these halls alone, Sorrow.’ He peered at the rat. ‘That was…’
‘Fucking unnerving?’ I finished.
‘I was thinking of incredible, but yeah, we’ll stick with unnerving.
’ He offered me his hand. I shook my head, instead clutching the still-trembling wolf.
Poor Pab. It didn’t matter what I did. This side of me seemed intent on misery and disaster.
I couldn’t do this on my own – not without Glesni. A mentor.
Asher fell into step. ‘How do you plan to train, then?’