Chapter 30
MATTHIAS
The heart of the deity is a strange thing. Tangible, monstrous, each God’s heart carries a unique rhythm within its curse. To own the heart is to possess the God.
— THE HISTORIES AND PROPHECIES OF THE STAR-CROSSED GODS; BOOK OF PROVERBS
I could have stayed in that cave till the end of time.
Holding Sorrow, touching her as she came again and again, was a bliss nothing could ever come close to.
We stayed till our groaning stomachs demanded our departure, only walking a short distance before Sorrow closed her eyes and called a single Carushan horse, smiling as she suggested we share a ride for old times’ sake.
The wind whipped stray strands around her face as we finally approached The Alliance, and I reached across, grinning as she shivered against my touch.
Sorrow raised a brow, side-eyed me. ‘Is it worth thinking they’ve sorted everything while we were gone? No more empress and we’re about to enter a new age of harmony and peace?’
My heart stuttered as I recognised the man shouting and tearing through the mismatched guards towards us. Gods, how I’d missed him.
‘We were only gone a few days, Sorrow.’ I dismounted, opened my arms, ready to greet one of my greatest friends. My smile slipped as he didn’t even glance my way. Asher stood by Sorrow, immediately enveloping her in a huge hug while I watched.
Sorrow froze for a moment before wrapping her arms around my captain.
‘Thank Evella,’ he said, a sting twisting my heart as he moved away, gripping her shoulders, still refusing to look my way.
‘That Raine arrived. Said you’d gone missing.
’ He bent down, took the wolf’s face between his hands, kissing the damn thing on the head.
Still he refused to meet my stare. ‘Only knew you were alive as we couldn’t find this one.
At least we know he’ll never let you down. ’
I exhaled. There was no point trying to pretend his remark didn’t wound.
‘Ash, I’m—’
He gripped Sorrow’s hand tight. ‘There’s about to be a meeting. The likes of which we’ve never seen. There’s a… development. You need to hear this. It changes everything.’
‘Asher,’ she said, glancing my way and crossing her arms. ‘Have you not noticed your king?’
My heart wrenched at the expression on his face. A muscle ticked in his jaw. ‘The man you’ve arrived with is not my king.’
‘Matthias.’ She held her hand out. My fingers laced with hers. ‘This ends. Now. Explain what happened to your captain, or I may be forced to knock your heads together. As much as I’d enjoy it, I think you both need your capacity to wield the single brain cell Evella gifted you.’
‘Asher.’ He wore a thin-lipped smile as he finally met my gaze. From the moment I’d met Asher, he’d been nothing but wide grins and a mischievous glint. The face glaring at me contained nothing but ice. I rubbed the back of my neck. ‘I should have said something—’
‘No shit.’
I closed my eyes while Sorrow huffed.
‘At least let him speak,’ Sorrow begged.
He shook his head. ‘Sorrow, you’re my queen and he…’ He looked away, and I bit back the pain of knowing there was another person I’d failed. ‘He’s my king. But he’s also my friend. He might have won you over with that damned smile of his, but me… I can’t trust him. Not with that thing on his back.’
He turned away, shoulders bunched under his white shirt as he stormed up the marble steps leading to The Alliance. Sorrow gripped my arm, holding me back.
‘He just needs some time.’ She laced our fingers together before leaning in. ‘But I think we need to keep quiet about… the ruby.’
I narrowed my gaze. Now I was certain Sorrow had secrets lurking in that clever little head of hers.
‘But if Asher knows you control me, won’t he forgive me?’ A bit.
She turned to her wolf. ‘I just think… we’ll have the upper hand. Can we really trust everyone we meet? What if they stole it? I don’t think I could go through losing you a third time.’
My stomach knotted at her expression. The knowing glint in her eyes, the tilt of her proud chin. But as Skye squealed and grasped us both, my questions would have to wait till later. The raw pain of grief stabbed me once more at the knowledge I was about to shatter Skye’s world.
I’d never seen so many souls in the debating chambers of The Alliance, even when we represented the ten nations of the Northern lands.
Skye took her seat next to mine and I gripped her hand.
Her eyes were practically scarlet as Asher placed his hand on her shoulder, standing behind her, squeezing gently.
Queen Amala had offered her rooms to rest in when I’d delivered the news of Mother’s death, but Skye refused.
When Skye had become who she was meant to be, she’d clung to my hand, terrified to tell Mother.
But Mum, our wonderful Mum, had simply smiled.
Told Skye she was grateful to have her children back, sons, daughters, whoever.
All she wanted to do was love us. Protect us.
I blew out a breath so harsh the candle on the table flickered.
Before I’d arrived, a decision had been made to ration Vyrium, hence the scent of wax and dancing shadows.
I took in the representatives from the remaining five free nations as they eyed up the rebels.
Raine, their jaw clenched, sat with their eyes cast away from me.
Sisters of Evella sat primly. Apparently, Enfys was on her way to represent Drufaera after securing their support.
Even hunters from high up in the guild gazed around warily, especially after Sorrow demanded their expulsion.
Pablo seemed to revel in taking in loops of the chamber, snarling as he passed the guild. The Brotherhood was notably absent.
I leaned into Sorrow, my stomach knotting at the thought of the speech I was about to make. ‘Do you think this will work?’
She placed her hand on the wolf’s head. ‘Who knows. But if it does all go to shit, I imagine the fight we’re about to witness will be legendary.’
I chuckled, sitting straighter before I stood.
‘My money’s on the rebels,’ she whispered. ‘Though I suspect the Sisters may have a myriad of hidden weapons under their habits.’
I barked out a laugh, just as the room quietened. Amala cocked her head. The bronze flecks of Vyrium in the coils spiralling around her head, glinting in the light.
I stood, my fists flexing by my side. I doubt I’d ever make a more vital speech. I may not be completely within her thrall, but we truly needed a force like no other to defeat the empress. I broke out my widest smile before speaking and signing to what was the very first true Shuteran Alliance.
‘We thank you all for coming to the historic meeting today. As you’re aware, the empress is no longer just a tenuous threat from across a storm-swept horizon, a horror story in a pamphlet, but a living nightmare, right here on our shores.’
‘On Asmaran soil,’ a hunter shouted, a smirk on his broad face. A spark of anger lit inside. A gentle slip of Sorrow’s hand against mine, soothed it. I wouldn’t be the one to tip this mismatched group into anarchy. Francis’s voice echoed in my head. Diplomacy.
I raised my palm to the hunter, an acquiescence of what we all knew.
‘I’ll admit, Romero’s attempts to usurp my throne and execute me, distracted me from the threat of the empress.
’ His smile slipped as I refused to accept his bait.
‘And if we allow our squabbles, our feuds and disputes of the past, to blind us to the real threat now, it won’t be long until it’s not only Asmar being crushed under her twisted heel. ’
I cast my gaze around the room, at the begrudging shuffles and muted ayes.
‘For the time being, Raine and I have put aside our differences.’ I met their gaze, ‘They’re still there and if, Evella bless us, we’re the victors in this war, those differences won’t suddenly vanish.
But at least then we’ll have the opportunity to reshape Asmar, Shutera and The Alliance.
The world will be a clean page, the words written ours to mark it.
But we need to hear the Insurgence out.’ I met Raine’s stare, inclining my head.
‘Raine has learnt of some developments. You’ll notice the absence of the Brotherhood. There’s a reason for that.’
Raine stood, their jaw tight, glancing around the chamber before meeting my gaze. I nodded. Ready to speak the words, they signed. If we did survive this, I’d ensure signing was taught to every child so Raine wouldn’t be beholden on someone to translate their words for them.
‘For the last few months, we’ve suspected the empress had more… detestable aims.’ Someone grumbled as Hawk pushed through. I glanced down quickly, frowning as Sorrow sat coiled, her hand slipping to rest on her thigh. Raine tapped the table.
‘Sorry,’ I signed. ‘We have eyes and ears in as many places as we can. The Brotherhood, under Abbot Eiriulf, refuses to work with us. As the abbot has clearly aligned himself with the empress, we warned Queen Enfys against speaking to them, eliminating the risk of alerting the abbot to our plans.’
I raised a brow. I may still blame them for my father’s demise, but my judgements of the Insurgence were constantly shifting.
They clearly had a finger on the pulse of politics, and their intel was valuable.
Perhaps I should have listened to Mother.
Perhaps, there was a place for them in the new Alliance.
‘Our spies, in both the Brotherhood and Asmar, have worrying reports. On the outside, she appears to be a tyrant, intent on destruction. Wiping the culture, history, records of each nation from existence. But our spies look deeper. They’ve noted her interest in certain areas of our world, The Chronicles.
She’s tortured religious experts, those with interest in mythical antiquities of the Gods.
We feel she’s on a path intent on our destruction. ’