Matthias was in his face, and I tugged his arm back. He’d clearly forgotten the threat of Romero. Gods, his heart had always fractured with a reckless spirit. It was his chaos that had drawn me to him as a child. But we were children no more. He was a king.
‘Believe me,’ he said as I dragged him back, ‘you’re lucky I didn’t break your face. I couldn’t give a shit what Romero says, I want you gone. Tonight. No one,no onespeaks to my wife like that.’
Danté spat blood. ‘Not even her husband, eh, Matthias?’
He stilled beneath my fingers. ‘What does that mean?’
Danté shook his head, glaring at Matthias.
‘It’s amazing what you hear from the common servants if you listen carefully enough.’ He took another step back, shaking out his fist. ‘Sorrow isn’t really your wife, is she, Matthias? What’s the matter, Asmar? Not got the balls to fuck your own?—’
‘Matthias!’ I cried as his fist crunched into the side of Danté’s head again, and he fell to the ground. Matthias lunged forward, his body tensed.
‘Asher, stop him. He’s undoing everything!’
The captain groaned before grabbing his king, pulling him away from the sprawled duke.
Dragging in ragged breaths, Matthias watched as Danté pushed himself up. ‘Get out of my castle. Get out of my land and do not ever come back.’
Danté smirked. ‘As you wish, Asmar. Enjoy your wife, while you can anyway.’ The duke limped two steps before turning. A chill settled across my skin. ‘And you’ve told her all about the tragedy that’s befallen our beloved Queen Sarus?’
My head whipped around. A muscle ticked in Matthias’s jaw; his eyes refused to meet mine.
‘Sarus?’
‘I thought not.’ Danté gave a mock bow and limped away.
‘Matthias?’
He pushed his hair back, his eyes closed.
‘What…what happened? Why wouldn’t you tell me?’
He remained silent, flexing his hand.
‘I told you to tell her,’ Asher said, offering me his arm.
‘What happened?’ I said, refusing to move. I could picture the proud Queen Sarus, how she’d welcomed me to The Alliance.
‘It’s a mystery illness.’ Matthias’s throat worked. ‘It’s struck her and her household, her husband, children, everyone.’
‘How can a whole household be struck down?’
Matthias tried to take my hand, but I snapped it away.
‘We think Romero is behind it. He’s already stepping in toaidSarus. The healers say they’ve never seen anything like it. It’s as though everyone is trapped in a perpetual sleep – a coma. The whole castle has been quarantined, but not a single person from outside has been affected. It has to be Romero.’
I glared at my husband. Even in the dark, the guilt was written all over his face.
‘And I’m only hearing this now because…’
‘Sorrow, I…’ His arms fell by his side.
‘Don’t worry, Elmswood,’ I hissed. ‘I think I completely understand this.’
‘That’s what I was worried about.’
Rage flared through me. Pablo growled close by.
