I opened my eyes and turned to Enfys. No, I thought, an unbidden sob rising up my throat. It couldn’t be Matthias. The rumours of his impending engagement to Princess Enfys had reached even the quietest corners of the library. Romero had already fortified his position in Asmar with that union. I doubt I’d even be able to face Matthias after he’d abandoned me. After he’d chosen Enfys.
A whine jolted me from my thoughts and I exhaled, long and slow, my cheeks flaring. To escape the inferno, I faced a lifetime bedding a stranger. Pablo sat on his haunches as King Romero faced him.
‘You might be best releasingthatinto the woods before we leave,’ Romero said pointedly. ‘Your husband won’t accept a wild beast roaming his palace.’
Pablo sneezed. The king jolted, a sneer lifting up the corner of his mouth.
‘But surely Sorrow should be able to keep him? There’s so much space, even a wolf as big as Pablo could go unnoticed,’ Enfys said, though she too stayed away from the wolf’s muzzle. ‘And King…’
Her voice died as Romero’s eyes narrowed. Fucker. Denying me the name of the man he expected me to bed was another barb for him to twist.
‘Iamkeeping him,’ I declared.
Pablo closed his eyes as I scratched the fur behind his ears, holding the king’s gaze despite how my vision shuddered. Mylife was nothing but a trickling stream to him. A mere snap of his fingers changed its course regardless of how hard I fought. He may force me to marry, but the wolf stayed with me. ‘Pablo is not to be negotiated on. You know one day I’ll lose my sight completely. He’s my guide.’
‘You could use a stick instead. It wouldn’t need feeding and certainly smells better.’
I straightened, returning Romero’s glare.
He took another step towards me. ‘You must realise how unusual this situation is. You should be my Tribute. A personal sacrifice. Imagine how it looks. Me, coming here and relieving you of your honour, denying Vyrus what’s rightfully his. You’ll obey your husband, Sorrow. If he insists the wolf goes, you cast him out without a moment’s hesitation.’
I clenched my jaw as he took another step forward, flooding my senses with the scent of sandalwood, so reminiscent of my childhood.
‘It’s imperative I remain in The Alliance’s good books, for now anyhow. Your husband and I have come to an agreement. If I get the slightest hint you’re embarrassing me or my kingdom, I won’t hesitate to have you returned here. Even if the ceremony has passed, I’ll ensure Vyrus gets what he deserves.’
Enfys squeezed my trembling arm, shaking her head. As children, she’d smiled sweetly when her father took his birch cane to my backside, and I’d realised too late she’d prodded and poked me for that very outcome. My cheeks heated. She’d always trailed behind me and Matthias, desperate to be part of our games. Perhaps this entire charade had been created as a dagger to twist in my spine. She got Matthias, while I…
Pain sliced into my temple and I grabbed the bridge of my nose. Not a damned headache. Not now.
‘Sorrow!’ Enfys, her voice cracking, pulled one of the wooden chairs from the table and sat me down. ‘What is it? Can we get her some water, please?’
The Sister of Evella grumbled, before shuffling from the room. Gasping, I closed my eyes. Not this. The lengths I’d gone to, hiding my ailment from Romero, fighting back tears whenever pain slammed into me. If he suspected anything more than mere throbbing temples, he’d drag me back to Bronzehold. After the accident I swore I’d never return there.
‘A headache?’ The throb increased at Romero’s clipped tone.
I nodded. ‘It’s my eyes…In the dark I have to strain and?—’
The Sister thrust a glass of slightly off-colour water at me. From the moment I’d been pushed over the threshold, they’d been unimpressed with Romero’s choice of Tribute. I took it, holding it to the light. Even the water in this place was trying to kill me. I hissed as pain lanced through me and knocked the liquid back. My cheeks flared as Romero’s stare bored into me.
‘Are they frequent?’ He took a step forward, his head tilted.
‘No,’ I lied, placing my hand onto Pablo’s haunches to help me rise. ‘Only when I’ve been straining and the light is low. I was reading before you came?—’
‘I thought you were exploring?’
‘I was…I took a book. You must remember how much I love to read.’
The king raked his cold gaze over me. I swallowed as his eyes sought out a book on my person. The silence stretched on as though he waited for my confession.
‘Of course.’ He broke out a smile that failed to reach his eyes. ‘You’ll be pleased to learn your new husband has an adequate library. It’s nothing to rival mine, as you’d imagine, but at the speed you read these days, I’m sure you’ll find it sufficient.’
‘Is…’ Enfys clutched the back of the chair, her voice trembling. ‘Is it true? The headache? It’s just from reading?’
Forcing a weak smile to my face, I nodded towards the flickering candles. ‘It’s the light. I promise. And I should wear glasses for close-up work. I’m forever losing them.’
I looked away, silently pleading with her to leave it be.
‘Well,’ she said, ‘I’m sure once you reach?—’
