Chapter 32
SORROW
King Phillip III Thorne became a laughing stock after he bought Katherine. The fool had truly believed he’d bought himself a Villente. Imagine his horror when Romero turned sixteen and still hadn’t emerged. The realisation he’d tied his line to a bastard Anomaly!
— A brIEF MODERN HISTORY OF DRUFAERA, VISCOUNTESS ARINNA VILLENTE
‘Bad wolf,’ I said, turning from my reflection as Pablo spat the ravaged garland onto the floor moments after Skye had slipped from the room where she’d helped dress me. ‘You’re supposed to be my sweet, little bridesmaid.’
He opened his mouth, a soggy, bedraggled daisy slipping from his tongue in response. He sneezed on the flower crown, his steady gaze on mine, and I huffed a laugh, turning back to the dressing table mirror and blowing out a long breath at the swirling reflection.
‘What are you doing, Sorrow Elmswood?’ I could almost hear Glesni’s chuckle, see the thin line of her lips as her beady eyes bored into mine. She always had a way of glimpsing whatever secrets I concealed beneath my armour.
Distracting myself, you damned woman. I reached up, pushing a stray lock behind my ear and tracing the blurry mass of lavender amongst the gypsophila and oversized daisies crowning my head.
Pretending that Hawk – Vyrus – is a rather powerful Deviant with more gifts than sense and not the actual God of Vengeance, who’s also apparently my great-great- whatever grandfather.
A God I’ve made a deal with to find his shattered heart, which I’ve hidden in this drawer, and he’ll possibly destroy everyone I love if he finds out.
Everyone believes the empress is bringing him back to destroy us when he’s already here.
Oh, and I carry the blood of Evella, but even with that, I’m still not balancing.
My gifts are nothing but curses. And my unruly threads have inadvertently led to the death of my mother-in-law.
But I do have Matthias back. We’re still smitten and I’m going to make the most of every moment we’re granted in this fragile world.
Vyrus had vanished as soon as I’d stormed from that room.
The heart he’d spent eternity searching for was finally within his grasp.
All he had to do was destroy the empress.
I glared at my reflection. As long as I kept this fragment, maintained my hold on Matthias till we’d neutralised the threat of the empress and could give Vyrus his whole heart again, all would be fine.
Our goal was the same: to destroy the empress.
How could we fail with the God of Vengeance standing within our numbers?
I stood back, twirling slightly, a little smile sliding across my face.
Amala had presented us with what seemed to be a thousand dresses.
The cream gown I wore was one of them. Skye’s face had turned grey at the sight.
It was too simple, too plain for a queen.
Maybe, I’d said. But it’s perfect for me.
The v-neckline sat just above my breasts.
Floating short sleeves reminded me of butterfly wings when I twirled, as the few layers of satin and lace spun like snowflakes.
I stopped my twirl as a stab of guilt twisted my guts.
Before lunch tomorrow, everyone would reconvene.
Monarchs, rebels, the clergy, even the gods-awful hunters would come together to decide how we’d prevent the empress from summoning Vyrus.
I snorted as the twist expanded, flooding my senses. Vyrus was already here, the words of The Chronicles warning us he wore our skin and walked amongst us more true than we’d ever dared imagine.
And I couldn’t tell a single soul.
Not even my husband.
I straightened at a rapid knock at the door. They wouldn’t believe me anyway. I cast all thoughts of the God aside. Tonight, I’d marry the man I loved… again.
‘Come in.’
The door opened a crack.
‘Looks like we arrived just in time.’ A blurred mix of blonde hair and blue silks crept through the gloom.
‘Enfys!’
She swept in. I dragged her into me, her slim arms clutching me tight enough to bruise my ribs, before I heard a little sniff behind her.
‘And Oskar…’
‘Our brother has something to say,’ she said, breaking apart as Pablo clawed at her, demanding some of her attention. ‘Don’t you, Oskar?’
These dark candlelit rooms were a nightmare. I could barely see him in the shadows.
The child approached. The grey eyes of his father stared at me from features that were wholly Mama. A twist of resentment sparked in my chest as he held out his pale hand.
‘Congratulations, Sorrow.’ He flicked his gaze to Enfys, who nodded at him. ‘And sorry… sorry for all the fuss.’
‘You were going to kill me,’ I said, as his eyes lingered on Pablo.
‘I didn’t.’ His features scrunched as though he’d cry. Gods, I couldn’t handle a snivelling child. ‘That was Lommond. I wanted to tell Enfys, but he told me it was what Papa wanted. I really am sorry.’
‘Oskar,’ Enfys said, tugging me towards the candle. ‘I’m giving Sorrow her gift. Go play with the wolf, would you?’
‘Play with the wolf?’ I said. Did she honestly think Pablo was a family pet? But as the wolf huffed, stood face to face with a rather pale Oskar, I decided it might be fun. ‘Don’t let Skye see him, though. There’ll be a war if she sees he’s eaten his garland.’
Enfys watched as the door closed before bringing a book from behind her.
Taking it, I smiled and turned it to the light so I could see it better. ‘A book. The perfect gift for—’
I traced the gilded initials on the cover, my heart thumping as the words dried in my throat.
‘I went through some of Papa’s personal items. Journals, letters, that sort of thing and found this.’
I glanced up. ‘Mama’s journal?’
My sister nodded, the glint of a tear appearing in the corner of her eyes. I flicked through the pages, a stone settling in my stomach. Mama’s script was too small, too cursive for my eyes. Smiling, I met her gaze and shrugged.
‘I can’t… can’t read it.’
Enfys sniffed as she took it, turning the yellowing pages to a section in the centre as though she already knew what lay there.
‘It’s from before she married Papa,’ she said, her voice barely a whisper. ‘From the months when she was missing. When she carried you while on the run with your papa.’
A sob caught in my throat. Papa, my papa. The forever blurry shape, the name I’d been denied.
Enfys closed the book and placed it in my hands. ‘We haven’t time to read it now. But I’ve read it, Sorrow. She loved him.’ I swiped a stray tear from my cheek. ‘She loved him so much. I’ll tell you the details later. It’s quite the story. Do you know he wanted to call you Joy?’
I shook my head, fought back the tears before I faced Matthias with a blotchy face.
‘His… his name? What was Papa’s name?’
Enfys smiled before placing the book on a shelf.
‘Gabriel.’ A sob escaped at the sound of Papa’s name. ‘Gabriel Blythe. Only Mama always called him Gabe.’
I closed my eyes and forced those damn tears away. Gabe. My papa was called Gabe.
‘As Mama can’t be here, or your Papa, would you allow me to give you away?’
My hands flew to my mouth. I nodded. ‘Please…’
She swiped a tear from my cheek. ‘Come along then, Sorrow Villente. Let’s get you two hitched. Do you think you’ll ever do this a third time?’
I shrugged, blowing out a long breath. ‘That depends on how many times Matthias pisses me off and I divorce him.’
Enfys giggled, her strong grip steadying my shivers as I descended the stairs to where we’d exchange our vows. I knew I would mean them this time.
As we’d only had a few hours to transform The Alliance’s cobbled courtyard into a venue worthy of a Royal wedding, I’d pictured a cold, dark space.
I wouldn’t have cared. All I wanted was to tell everyone Matthias Fucking Elmswood and I adored each other.
I wanted those who were our whole world to bear witness to this exchange.
A ceremony that meant something rather than the few minutes we’d spent in front of a sweaty priest who skipped the majority of the vows – my relief when he’d forgone our first kiss.
So when I clutched Enfys’s arm and left the gloom of the corridors, I swallowed my gasp, blinking away the swirls and glistening shadows.
A myriad of glowing, buttery lights cascaded down from silvery ropes, rose-scented candles flickered on every surface, illuminating the cobbled square.
I squinted at the flowers placed in what seemed to be anything that might contain them, dotted around the space between the mismatched chairs, where the guests turned to see the wolf queen.
The full red moon hung low in the indigo night.
I exhaled a steadying breath as my heart hammered.
Enfys lay her hand on my arm. I glanced across, fighting to keep the grin from my face.
‘I really don’t want to make you cry.’ I side-eyed her. ‘But the stars are so bright tonight. Remember how Mama used to tell us about them? And your Matthias learnt to trust her, to curl up on her lap as she told him the tales?’
Damn Enfys, she really was trying to make me cry. I’d forgotten how hard it had been for him to trust Mama.
‘She’d be so proud,’ Enfys whispered.
I held back the tears. ‘It’s just like you to upstage the bride by making her cry. It’s rather rude, you know.’
She shook her head and, offering her arm, we walked down the aisle as a lone fiddler played in the shadows.
The last time I’d approached Matthias, my insides had swarmed as though I’d eaten wasps.
Sharp, complicated pain, confusion and ire had writhed within.
As he came into focus, the smile, the green eyes, the way Asher tugged the sleeve of his simple white shirt to warn him it was untucked, I couldn’t stop my heart from thundering.
I glanced over to Asher, grinning as he slapped Matthias on his shoulder and whispered something in his friend’s ear that forced an even greater smile on Matthias’s face.
Gods, seeing them as friends once more almost did force the tears from my eyes.
I clutched Pab tighter, certain I heard Skye’s disappointed groan to see the wolf had abandoned his flower crown.
Matthias’s throat worked as I stood before him.
My cheeks burned as the eyes of all those gathered bore into me.
The flickering light shone across his high cheekbones, the amber flecks in his green eyes bursting as he pushed the waves from his eyes.
They didn’t quite fall back and I smiled, realising he’d had a much-needed trim.
The stubble that had been so delicious between my legs, gone.
Heat rose up my neck. Shame, I’d been hoping for a repeat later on.
He reached out, ignoring the growls of the wolf, to take my hand, lifting it and brushing the softest whisper of a kiss across my trembling knuckles.
‘Villente?’
‘Elmswood?’
He grinned and damn if my heart didn’t swell at the sight.
‘Ready to marry me again?’
‘Why not? I’m famous for my abysmally bad choices.’
Matthias chuckled, shaking his head and, heaving in a deep breath, he turned to face the Sister who’d join us together.
I nudged his shoulder.
‘And I have to admit, out of all the mistakes I’ve made, you’re my favourite.’
Under the watchful eye of a shivering moon, with the love of those rare souls whose presence warmed the chill late autumn night, Matthias and I spoke our vows with broken voices and whole hearts.
This time, there was no chance we’d miss our kiss.