We should have burned King Raul Elmswood when we had the chance. His ideology is dangerous and if the common masses get wind of his plans for equality, we’re fucked.
— KING ROMERO IV’S CORRESPONDENCE WITH KING CAI OF TRESPIA
Lying in the haven of his arms, I shivered as the frigid air bit me. Matthias noticed, tutting.
‘We’d best get dressed,’ he said, laying another kiss on my temple.
‘Can’t we stay here?’
‘We could,’ he said, passing me my clothes. ‘But I’m afraid wewilldie. I’m quite keen to find out how you taste, and if I simply let Evella take me, I’ll never know.’
Heat rose up my neck at his words as I gathered his shirt, throwing it at him.
‘What’s the plan, then?’
‘At this point, all I’ve got is follow the wolf…a phrase I never thought I’d say. Where did he go anyway?’
‘Poor thing’s got incredibly good hearing. He could be halfway back to Drufaera by now.’
Matthias chuckled, and I couldn’t hide my smile as he wrapped his hands around my bare stomach, standing behind me, kissing the delicate spot on my nape.
‘I, for one, really enjoyed those little noises you were making. In fact, I’d quite like to…’ his hand swept lower down my abdomen again, as I turned my head to kiss him, when the sound of claws on the rocky floor forced me to drag myself out of his embrace.
‘Yep,’ Matthias said, helping me dress. ‘I’m starting to dislike him again.’
‘Perhaps wait till he’s got us out of this place.’
‘Hmm,’ he said, placing a kiss on my knuckles.
Pab nipped my other hand, as though he were annoyed I’d given Matthias a chance.
‘Probably a good idea. Let’s go.’
It turned out Pablo hadn’t merely left us for the sake of his sanity. He’d been an incredibly busy wolf.
My breath caught as I craned my neck, and Matthias spun in a rather slow circle, taking in the huge cavern Pablo had dragged us to.
I ran my fingers through his fur.
‘I might give that wolf of yours a huge kiss right now, but I suspect he’d bite my face off if I tried.’
‘Oh,’ I said, reaching down and lifting a chunk of Vyrium up to my eyeline. ‘He’d definitely bite your face off for that. I’d say he’d earned himself quite a few steaks for finding this, though.’
Matthias snorted. ‘I’ll buy that damned wolf a whole cattle farm. He’s done it. He’s found the lost Vyrium mine.’
I dropped the rock, the thud echoing around the huge cavern filled to the brim with Vyrium lying hidden for millennia. From what I made out, it went on for a few miles, deep into the hill. The ground we stood on glittered with bronze flecks, reflecting down on us from the high ceiling. If this was a fragment of the meteor Vyrus had tried to destroy our planet with…I shuddered at the thought of how much destruction the whole thing would have caused if Evella hadn’t intervened. I gazed towards the heavens, sending a quick prayer of thanks to the Goddess.
‘How come you’ve never sent scouts into these hills before?’ I asked as Matthias traced his fingers close to the rough walls.
‘My great-grandfather did. And others have. They’ve always come back empty-handed.’
‘Till now.’
He grabbed my hand.
‘We have to get back. Now. We can start excavating by the end of the month, maybe sooner. It might give us enough time to build up an arsenal the likes of which have never been seen. I need to bring in more Vyrium smiths, protective equipment…and there’s enough here for us to help people. Really help, for centuries to come once the war’s over. I might even be able to realise my father’s dream!’ He pulled me in, kissing me hard. ‘This is it, Sorrow. We’ll be unbeatable. I love you. I love that damn wolf.’
Pablo growled deeply.
