Page 31 of Throne of the Wolf Queen

‘The professor thought it could be used, perhaps to free diafols from the curse, or maybe assist any emergent, who doesn’t wish to be blessed. They created a way of testing it – embedding it into the skin of an animal – and learnt they held sway over its mind. Why it behaved that way? Well, that she couldn’t say for certain. The professor did, however, know that… that your father possessed a matching fragment.’

I ran my fingers through my hair. Did Mother truly have a fragment of the vengeful God’s heart around her neck? Or, more likely, one of the ancient relics from the Southern lands? And if the empress knew? If her desire to discover this ruby had led her to destroy my palace?

‘Does the empress know?’ I nodded in the direction of the ring.

She lifted it to her eyeline, her gaze softening. ‘This was my engagement ring. It’s rather small. Smaller than the piece your empress has. Raul, he was quite the romantic.’ She halted for a second, her gaze flicking over to the red-haired rebel, who was now signing to the man next to them. I narrowed my eyes, an image of Father signing in a shadowy corridor, my desperation to understand the swift, harsh signals that flew between two figures. ‘He told me it was only fitting I wore the heart of a God while I owned the heart of a king.’ Her smile faded.

I closed my eyes, my chest clenching at the memory of the destruction the empress had wrought on our home. On me. My brother. ‘The animals they tested Vyrium on?’ I swallowed. Mother dragged in a tattered breath.

‘They died, quickly.’

A lump lodged in my throat. Mother grasped my clenched fist tightly. ‘She’s experimented, though. Crushed up the Sacred Shields of Evella. Created an alloy she calls Evellum⁠—’

‘Evellum?’ So, she was the source of that too. Mother nodded.

‘She’s added it to the Vyrium. The tattoos. It’s had… mixed results.’

I darted over to one of the fallen guards and emptied their pockets, desperate to locate a pair of the cuffs that freed me from her will. I went to the next, and the next, cursing to find not one had brought any Evellum with them.

‘She forced me to wear the cuffs in… in my dungeon.’ I looked to Mother, her forehead scrunched as I explained how Evellum impeded the effects of the tattoo.

‘When we’ve got you… settled, we’ll find something. Something to keep you safe. But for now,’ she tugged her ruby, ‘I get to control you.’

Mother’s eyes darkened. ‘We think she intends to find as many fragments as she can.’

My heart thundered. ‘But why? Why waste so much time searching for a myth when she could just take the whole continent? What’s she really up to?’

Mother shrugged. ‘She’s scouring old texts. Raided the temples of Ronin, Ades. Crushed the bones of Saint Myrddin. Her and the abbot are searching for something, something else. Perhaps the key to possessing Vyrium or channelling the power of the God through his heart.’

I blew out a breath, peering through the waves of my hair as the flame-haired rebel sat next to Mother. They ran a pale hand through their short hair, fixing their icy gaze on me. There was a curve to their freckled nose, as though it had been broken at some point. We took the measure of each other for a moment before they held out a strong hand for me to shake. I glared at them, memories begging me to look closer. I crossed my arms.

‘You’re right,’ they signed to her. ‘He is an idiot.’

Mother laughed, nodding, while I clenched my fists.

‘He is,’ she signed back. ‘But he’s fluent in sign language. Insisted on it.’

Their eyes widened as I clenched my jaw. ‘Should have realised,’ they signed. ‘My apologies.’ I wondered if Mother would clip me across the head if I gave them a signal universally known to be rude. ‘We’ve got riders ready. They’ll take you to the boat.’

‘Boat,’ I signed, panic rippling through me. ‘What boat?’

The rebel raised a pale brow as they looked at my mother.

‘I was getting to it. There’s a lot to cover.’ Her smile wavered. ‘This is… Raine.’

Raine. The blood surged from my face. That was where I’d seen them. The rebel leader who’d destroyed Father in order to keep their grip on the Midnight Insurgence. They’d been part of the group that had spent countless hours at the Palace of Solace. Their words encouraged Father to stand up and speak for them. Then they’d fled to The Void, leaving Father to face the ire of The Alliance alone, when Romero and his fawning supporters called for his head. My mother read the rage flowing through me and placed her hand on my arm.

‘They’re helping, Matthias. They have a plan.’

I turned to my mother. ‘Helping?’

Raine tapped my knee, and my fists shook as I glared at them. ‘You’re a liability.’ They signed, the corner of their mouth twitching at my obvious anger.

‘I am not being rude, Matthias,’ they continued. ‘We need to get you away from the empress. She can use you. While you’re away from her, with Isbeth, you’re safe.’ My lip curled as they spelled out my mother’s name. ‘Your mother said you can be… reckless. We’ll send you to⁠—’

‘No.’ Flames coursed through my blood, my hands jerking as I signed. ‘You think I’m leaving my land? Leaving my wife when I know… I…’ The words died on my lips. I shivered. Even this close to another ruby the poisoned oath controlled each declaration. I could still be the one to bring about Sorrow’s demise.

‘Matthias,’ Mother talked to me with the same tone she’d used the day I’d clung to her dress, the day they sent us away and Francis had to wrench each tiny finger from her silks. ‘This is for your own good.’