Chapter 14
SORROW
As well as breaking the glass in my conservatory, your son is responsible for hiding the coronation crown while playing ‘pirates’, using curse words in Evella’s presence during a Blessing Day festival, teaching Princess Enfys a rude gesture, and he drew a phallic symbol on my ancestor’s grave.
I’m happy to inform you, he and the bastard have been beaten for each misdemeanour.
No need to thank me, Isbeth. It’s my duty as his warden.
— LETTERS FROM ROMERO IV TO QUEEN CONSORT ISBETH
Bronzehold Keep was built six hundred years ago to strike fear and awe into the hearts of any who gazed upon it.
Unlike Asmar’s seat of power, this was not intended to be a comfortable home for the royal family.
This was a statement. A warning. A fortress as cold and imposing as the Thornes, who placed brutal crowns on their heads while holding court from the bronze throne.
The dramatic effect lessened the longer one lived in its stone corridors. Servants strode the halls with ease, only lowering their eyes should the royal family or nobles approach. Even with my imperial title, I couldn’t miss the sneers on their lips, the narrowing of their eyes when I passed.
For some, I would forever be the bastard princess.
So, as I stormed through the corridors, a wolf by my side and a murder of crows sweeping and cawing in my wake, fear flooded through the courtiers.
And fuck, did I love it.
A thrill raced down my spine as the blurry guards standing either side of the throne room hesitated before lowering their swords.
The doors flew open, the ebony birds swept past, a tempest of feathers and shadows as the room exploded with shouts and cries.
I entered, my heart thundering louder than the wings.
The birds settled within the rafters as I cast my eyes around the gloom, searching for a head of unkempt blond hair, a wrinkled shirt.
‘My queen?’
I ignored Asher, the confusion and tremor in his voice as Danté came into shaky focus, hiding behind the bronze throne, behind my younger brother. I gripped my skirts as his expression was lost within the blurs and smears of my sight.
Pablo lowered his head, snarls rippling through the now silent space. I blew out a heavy breath, cleared my lungs and stepped towards my brother, praying to Evella that something of Mama still survived inside the child.
His grey eyes widened as I approached and I wondered if the quiver in his lips was a trick of the light or true fear in the youngest Thorne.
‘G… guards.’
I smirked as Danté’s voice cracked. ‘Guards!’
‘Wait,’ Enfys called. I couldn’t even spare her a glance as I focused on the boy king and the man whispering lies in his ear. ‘Sorrow? What’s happened?’
I sent out a thread of silver, my gut clenching as, for a heartbeat, the ribbon became a wisp, escaping my grip. The matriarch of the murder, a crow who’d lost one of her eyes, settled upon my shoulder. A reminder to the enemy of what lurked within the wolf queen.
‘I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news, Duke Lommond.’
I struggled to suppress my smile as he stood, raising his trembling, stubbled chin. I’d have to be mindful of that stubble when I punched the fucker.
‘The Anomaly you sent to kill me?’ Gasps erupted behind me. ‘Dead. Eviscerated.’ I cocked my head; a happiness I hadn’t felt in forever swept through me as his face paled. ‘Gone.’
The duke’s mouth worked, panic rippled through his brown eyes as Oskar turned between me and the duke. It was still impossible to read the boy’s expression, but I had to know if the order for my death had come from Romero’s heir.
‘I…’ Danté barked out a laugh, his eyes darting around the room as Asher settled his hand against my arm. ‘I sent no Anomaly. I’d nev—’
‘Are you truly that stupid?’ I shifted my gaze to Pablo for a second, who padded slowly towards the duke, his hackles high, drool spilling from his snarling fangs.
‘You bound my wrists with Evellum. Locked me in the crypt and left me with an Anomaly stealing every last gasp of air from my lungs. Apparently, all at the bequest of Prince Oskar.’
My shattered gaze connected with my brother’s, my skin crawling as he met me with a blank mask so reminiscent of his father.
Asher gripped his sword, shifting his stance so he stood before me. Enfys rushed before her brother, her hand thrown up to protect him. Did she suspect the accusation to be true?
Enfys rounded on Danté. ‘I should have exiled you the moment I laid my eyes on you.’
The duke’s jaw ticked, so violently even I saw it, but there was still some semblance of sense in the creature as he held her gaze.
‘If I could explain—’
‘No.’ My sister reached back. For a moment, I regarded her steady palm before unclenching my fist and threading my fingers through hers.
With her other hand, she took hold of our brother, her stare boring into the duke.
‘You’ve forever been a simpering, self-serving waste of human flesh.
My father, Evella bless him, may have accepted your sycophantic breed of flattery in his ear, but believe me, your grace, I will not. ’
Danté’s eyes darkened before he bowed. ‘Apologies, Your High—’
‘Your grease-riddled words will not work on me, Lommond.’
As Enfys spoke, her hand gripping mine, I sent a message to the crows.
Slowly, deliberately, they flew down on near-silent wings.
Settled their dark claws on the throne. Oskar shuddered as one rested upon his shoulder.
Each set of beady dark eyes trained upon the duke.
‘Even now, you’re determined to turn my brother against his sisters.
My reign will be short – my path lies within the halls of Evella’s convents – but I will not entertain the likes of you within my court, pouring your lies and anger into Oskar’s young mind.
He’s my brother, and one day he’ll be my king. ’
I glanced towards the rafters, praying Mama could see the queen her golden-haired daughter had become.
‘And he will lead with integrity, honesty, empathy and, above all, kindness. As these are attributes you are sorely lacking, I have no choice but to strip you of your diplomatic duties and banish you to your lands.’
I turned my good eye to my sister. ‘We could always strip him of his lands?’
Or his life. No one would miss him.
His glare snapped onto me, and a wide smile spread across my face as his burned with anger and shame.
Enfys shook her head. ‘As I said, kindness. I believe the Lommonds have suffered enough over the last decade.’ I bristled, recalling how his older brother had fallen in with Raul.
One of the few titled rebels to be executed.
‘But if you attempt to meddle with the crown again, I will not hesitate to heed my sister’s advice. ’
Danté’s face shook. He inclined his head, voice breaking as he spoke. ‘As you wish, Your Highness. I’m eternally grateful for your… benevolence.’
He avoided my eyes as he straightened his spine and strode down the steps towards the door.
‘And Danté,’ Enfys called. ‘The truth, please. Was… was Oskar implicated?’
The child stiffened as Danté turned. Whatever emotion lay on his face was lost to me at this distance.
‘Not at all. I feel your sister misheard me.’
He bowed once more and fled from the throne room. We started as a low laugh echoed, the crows suddenly sweeping away in a thunder of beating wings.
Hawk.
His hazy form rested against the doorway.
‘Great show, Villentes. Great show. Perhaps now we can get back to planning so we can all move on with our lives?’
Enfys squeezed my fingers before letting go, and Oskar slumped back into the throne, his eyes boring into me.
The sun had long set, the table littered with Vyrium lamps and the remains of the supper Enfys had called for, but we finally had a plan.
Asher exhaled and slammed his fist onto the table. I rubbed my throbbing temple.
We almost had a plan.
‘Rebels, Sorrow?’ Skye sighed from her chair as Asher continued the same argument we’d been waltzing around for the last hour.
‘If you could just explain to me why the rebels, why you and then…’ He crossed his arms, glared across the table to Hawk, who was feeding a rather content Pablo the scraps from the supper.
‘Why should he accompany you and not me?’
‘Sulking is Oskar’s thing,’ I said. The prince had fallen asleep a while ago, refusing to leave. Enfys had called for cushions and blankets, tucking our brother in with a tenderness Evella would envy. ‘We’ve been over this countless times, Asher.’
‘Humour me, then.’ He turned to face me and even in the gloom I couldn’t fail to miss the way his jaw twitched. ‘First of all, rebels? You’d willingly go to Raine and ask for help? After all that happened to Raul?’
I squirmed before explaining. ‘We need to unite everyone, every man, woman, person on this continent if we’re to stand a chance against the empress.
’ I held back the part where I admitted it might be our only way to free Matthias.
I wasn’t certain I’d be capable of saying his name without falling apart.
‘If we merely align ourselves with the remaining monarchs and all that’s left of The Alliance, we’ll fail. ’
‘You truly believe it’s worth risking your throne, though?’ Asher took a large sip from a tankard.
‘At this present moment, I no longer have a throne.’ Or a husband.
‘Sorrow.’ I stared over at Skye as she leaned over the huge map, her fingers skimming the coast of Asmar.
‘The Alliance’s verdict was watertight. Not everyone will think like you.
If we win this… this war, then Matthias and Asmar have enemies who’d love to strip him of his crown.
’ She turned to Asher, wringing her hands.
‘It clearly states that if there is any evidence suggesting the Elmswood line is associated with the Midnight Insurgence, we’d lose all rights over our own throne. ’
Asher nodded. ‘It’s a threat that keeps Matthias awake at night. He’s terrified of failing Asmar, the people he’s sworn to protect.’ The captain slumped in his chair, dragged his hand down his face. ‘He loves you, Sorrow. But he loves his people too. Don’t make him choose between you both.’
I raised my chin, fighting back the serrated edge of heartbreak.
‘We both know who your king would choose.’ I inhaled the cool air, recalled the blurry image of the tattoo on Matthias’s back.
The tattoo I’d begged him not to get. I’d shed no tears over that man in this room.
‘And isn’t it more important we unite Shutera?
Fully unite our continent. Isn’t that more important than a single family’s claim to a throne they no longer occupy? ’
‘I…’ Skye’s head dropped, her expression lost within the flicker of shadows. ‘I agree with Sorrow, Captain.’
‘Skye?’ Asher’s eyes widened as though Skye had struck him. ‘But The Alliance’s verdict? The threat—’
‘Is far less important than the lives we’ll lose in this war. So yes, Asher. We need all the help we can get.’ She looked my way, nodded slightly. ‘So, we’ll send Sorrow with the… the…’
‘Hawk.’ The man raised his glass from the other side of the table, and my stomach flipped.
‘Yes,’ Skye’s tone rang with confidence. ‘Sorrow and Hawk will locate Raine and the rebels. Come to an agreement in order to ensure their assistance.’
‘And if we can get the other nations to agree to work as one, as The Alliance stipulates they must,’ I said, ignoring Asher’s frustrated huff, ‘then it’ll be each nation working alongside the rebels, not just Asmar.’
‘That’s why we’ve requested an emergency summit, where I’ll represent both Asmar and Drufaera.’ Skye turned to Asher, who kept his gaze firmly on me.
‘And as Skye isn’t an Anomaly, she needs the finest guard Asmar has to offer to help keep her safe,’ I added.
‘Flattery isn’t going to work, Sorrow.’
‘Apologies,’ I said. ‘Next time I’ll add how handsome, intelligent and clever he is and pray that works.’
‘You forgot humble,’ he said, a lopsided grin playing on his lips.
‘There’s a number of Anomalies serving under the Sisters of Evella and the Brotherhood. I’ve been communicating with Mother Ignatia for years,’ Enfys added. ‘I’ll go to personally seek support.’
Hawk snorted. ‘You think that lot will get off their backsides and help?’
‘It’s in their best interests. And as someone prepared to lay down my life in service to Evella—’ An even louder snort escaped him.
Enfys clutched her necklace where the many-branched tree of the Goddess lay.
‘My dream was to be a healer and serve Evella. I can confirm they’ll want to do the right thing. ’
‘But why him?’ Asher inclined his head towards Hawk.
‘Because,’ I couldn’t hide the exhaustion any longer, ‘you carry a huge amount of resentment towards the rebels. And, as you’ve pointed out, Hawk has already proven he can defend me. As he has no ties to any throne, he can speak for those of us not blessed with money or titles.’
‘I know how much your queen means to you, Captain. You don’t need to fear for her.
I’ll guard her like the treasure she is.
’ Hawk pushed his long, dark hair away from his face.
I still wasn’t entirely sure why he’d agreed to accompany me, but his eyes had lit up when he’d learnt of our intended destination.
‘Join me for a drink. We’ll devise a plan together. ’
My brows knitted together as I shook my head. ‘I’ll also have Pablo.’
Hawk obviously wanted to keep his gifts secret.
Anomalies were often forced to work or serve as guards.
A Deviant would never have a moment’s reprieve.
Enfys only had a fraction of say in her future as she was royalty.
Hawk wouldn’t want a room full of advisors and military leaders knowing his secret.
A secret I was willing to keep, as long as he came with me and I could persuade him to admit what lurked under his skin.
This was my chance, my opportunity to be alone with him. So why did my skin still prickle as I sensed the heat of his stare on my face?
Asher rubbed his jaw. ‘If anything happens to her, I’ll kill you myself.’
Hawk snorted. ‘I’ll drink to that!’
I dragged my gaze away from him. In the morning we’d be off. One step closer to Asmar. One step closer to Matthias.