Seth continued to shake his head, jowls wobbling. ‘I’m saying no. Not that it matters. You’ve got your majority, Matthias. I’ll send the guards you need. Now let’s pray to Evella your new wife isn’t the failure Romero thinks she is.’
I ignored the sting as Romero stood abruptly and swept from the chamber, his retinue speeding after him.
‘And to think I was going to send you home to Asmar.’ Matthias cupped my face. His thumbs traced over my cheeks while his glinting eyes searched mine. ‘Your first time at a summit and you manage to save The Alliance and my kingdom. I’d forgotten what a brilliance you are. I could kiss you.’
For a moment, I stayed there, wondered if I could close the gap, before I tugged myself away.
‘I’d wait till I actually uncover a mine first.’
‘I’ll do more than kiss you when you find one.’
My retort died on my lips as Pablo pushed his snout between us, Matthias backing away as the wolf locked his eyes on my husband.
CHAPTER 12
To be blessed by Evella, to become an Anomaly, is a joy mortals will never taste. Imagine the exultation for those who find themselves doubly blessed. A mortal gifted with two abilities! How fortune favours the Deviant!
— THE HISTORIES AND PROPHECIES OF THE STAR-CROSSED GODS: CHRONICLES OF EVELLA
As the horses clattered along the road from Motresh to Asmar, I closed my eyes, relishing the wind whipping my face, bringing colour to my cheeks. I breathed it in. This was an all too brief reprieve from the ever-tightening knot in my gut. I’d sworn I could unlock the location of another Vyrium mine. What the fuck had I been thinking? The greatest scholars and Anomalies had long searched for them without turning up more than a few small sites – mainly in Drufaera. And here I was; a new bride, slowly losing her sight, claiming she could save Asmar, save the whole Alliance from the threat of an empress with an army ofenslaved Anomalies. There was even a rumour the empress had found an elusive Deviant, an Anomaly carrying a second gift.
If only I had my notes. I clicked my tongue. A strong voice within knew Romero hadn’t burnt my information. He liked to belittle me, but he also knew I’d located one new Vyrium mine and was on the brink of discovering more.
I’d seen victory in his eyes the day he chose me as his Tribute. Unknown to me, then, each letter I sent from the library was read by his spies. So when I sent a second letter to The Alliance, informing them of a potential mine, he’d decided I’d served my use and had the perfect way to finally rid himself of Mercy’s bastard. With me gone, he had complete access to my research; and my death ensured his deception went unmarked. Romero was probably reading through my notes right now. All that hard work at his fingertips, and he’d never share any discoveries with the other rulers. My only blessing was my tangle of abbreviations and scrawling handwriting which confused the hell out of others.
Queen Amala had hugged me tightly when I’d refused her offer of a comfortable carriage for our journey to Asmar. Hope swam in her eyes. Hope that she gazed upon the key to defeating the empress, and I didn’t want to dwell on the impossible task I’d given myself.
The night before, Amala had given us the finest chambers the seat of The Alliance possessed. My skin had prickled as we found ourselves alone, before Matthias grabbed a spare blanket and, after brief hesitation, retired to the chaise longue in the room beyond the sleeping chamber. Despite curling up with Pablo on the softest bed I’d ever known, I’d tossed and turned all night, acutely aware of the man yards from where I rested. Judging by the bags beneath Matthias’s eyes, he’d found sleep elusive too.
Blurred figures lined the dusty roads, craning their necks as news of the royal procession of King Matthias and his new brideswept through the towns. I stared ahead to where my husband rode with his captain. I couldn’t make out much from this distance – they practically merged into one hazy mass – but I was certain their heads were tipped together.
As though he’d heard my thoughts, Matthias looked back over his shoulder, holding his horse steady. Features, reminiscent of a god carved by the old masters, came into focus and the butterflies within me took flight. The late afternoon sun shone, illuminating his green eyes as he raised his hand, shielding himself from the rays. We’d kept a respectful distance since we left Ostos. Asher kept me company, but I was happiest riding alone.
Soon enough, my body fell into the rhythm of the horse. Now, as my horse closed the distance to Matthias’s, his tanned skin glistening in the golden rays, there was the barest hint of a smile on his face. My lips involuntarily returned the gesture, and Matthias’s grin widened. Damned man could probably hear the thumping of my disloyal heart every time he flashed that smile. It was one of whole, untainted joy. My weakness as a child. I steeled my spine to prevent it having the same effect on me as an adult.
‘I’m afraid I’m going to have to apologise,’ he said as my horse drew parallel with his and he nudged his steed on.
‘And which of your many, many failings are you apologising for now?’
Matthias snorted. I whipped my head round to face him, praying the blush spreading up my chest and neck wasn’t as visible as I feared.
‘On this occasion, I’m going to apologise for my suggestion you travel in a carriage. You were always a fine horsewoman. I fear I’ve underestimated you, Sorrow Villente.’
A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, which I quickly suppressed.
He squirmed in his saddle. ‘It shouldn’t be too much longer,’ he said, tipping his chin in the direction we were headed. ‘We’ll set up camp once we’re over the border. Then, I can show you your kingdom. Your home.’
His hand reached across the space between us, but I nudged my horse away, keeping my gaze set ahead.
‘I’ve never even set foot beyond Drufaera’s borders. Asmar isn’t my home, Matthias.’
He exhaled hard. ‘Is-is that how you truly feel?’
I nodded, feeling the weight of his scrutiny on me. I’d encased myself with the sharpest thorns, not only to protect myself, but those who surrounded me. The mere presence of the boy I’d adored was enough to clip each carefully cultivated stem from my heart. Every smile, each time he coaxed my scowl into a grin, he fractured a barb. It would be the work of a lifetime to cling on and keep myself safe.
‘Right.’ Disappointment laced his tone.
We continued in silence. The hooves on the dusty road, the chatter of soldiers carrying on the breeze the only sounds. The houses of the small Motreshan town thinned to a trickle, and I shivered as the sun tugged a blanket of cloud over herself.
