Page 34 of Throne of the Wolf Queen

He bowed once more and fled from the throne room. We started as a low laugh echoed, the crows suddenly sweeping away in a thunder of beating wings.

Hawk.

His hazy form rested against the doorway.

‘Great show, Villentes. Great show. Perhaps now we can get back to planning so we can all move on with our lives?’

Enfys squeezed my fingers before letting go, and Oskar slumped back into the throne, his eyes boring into me.

The sun had long set, the table littered with Vyrium lamps and the remains of the supper Enfys had called for, but we finally had a plan.

Asher exhaled and slammed his fist onto the table. I rubbed my throbbing temple.

We almost had a plan.

‘Rebels, Sorrow?’ Skye sighed from her chair as Asher continued the same argument we’d been waltzing around for the last hour. ‘If you could just explain to me why the rebels, why you and then…’ He crossed his arms, glared across the table to Hawk, who was feeding a rather content Pablo the scraps from the supper. ‘Why should he accompany you and not me?’

‘Sulking is Oskar’s thing,’ I said. The prince had fallen asleep a while ago, refusing to leave. Enfys had called for cushions and blankets, tucking our brother in with a tenderness Evella would envy. ‘We’ve been over this countless times, Asher.’

‘Humour me, then.’ He turned to face me and even in the gloom I couldn’t fail to miss the way his jaw twitched. ‘First of all, rebels? You’d willingly go to Raine and ask for help? After all that happened to Raul?’

I squirmed before explaining. ‘We need to unite everyone, every man, woman, person on this continent if we’re to stand a chance against the empress.’ I held back the part where I admitted it might be our only way to free Matthias. I wasn’t certain I’d be capable of saying his name without falling apart. ‘If we merely align ourselves with the remaining monarchs and all that’s left of The Alliance, we’ll fail.’

‘You truly believe it’s worth risking your throne, though?’ Asher took a large sip from a tankard.

‘At this present moment, I no longer have a throne.’ Or a husband.

‘Sorrow.’ I stared over at Skye as she leaned over the huge map, her fingers skimming the coast of Asmar. ‘The Alliance’s verdict was watertight. Not everyone will think like you. If we win this… this war, then Matthias and Asmar have enemies who’d love to strip him of his crown.’ She turned to Asher, wringing her hands. ‘It clearly states that if there is any evidence suggesting the Elmswood line is associated with the Midnight Insurgence, we’d lose all rights over our own throne.’

Asher nodded. ‘It’s a threat that keeps Matthias awake at night. He’s terrified of failing Asmar, the people he’s sworn to protect.’ The captain slumped in his chair, dragged his hand down his face. ‘He loves you, Sorrow. But he loves his people too. Don’t make him choose between you both.’

I raised my chin, fighting back the serrated edge of heartbreak.

‘We both know who your king would choose.’ I inhaled the cool air, recalled the blurry image of the tattoo on Matthias’s back. The tattoo I’d begged him not to get. I’d shed no tears over that man in this room. ‘And isn’t it more important we unite Shutera? Fully unite our continent. Isn’t that more important than a single family’s claim to a throne they no longer occupy?’

‘I…’ Skye’s head dropped, her expression lost within the flicker of shadows. ‘I agree with Sorrow, Captain.’

‘Skye?’ Asher’s eyes widened as though Skye had struck him. ‘But The Alliance’s verdict? The threat⁠—’

‘Is far less important than the lives we’ll lose in this war. So yes, Asher. We need all the help we can get.’ She looked my way, nodded slightly. ‘So, we’ll send Sorrow with the… the…’

‘Hawk.’ The man raised his glass from the other side of the table, and my stomach flipped.

‘Yes,’ Skye’s tone rang with confidence. ‘Sorrow and Hawk will locate Raine and the rebels. Come to an agreement in order to ensure their assistance.’

‘And if we can get the other nations to agree to work as one, as The Alliance stipulates they must,’ I said, ignoring Asher’s frustrated huff, ‘then it’ll be each nation working alongside the rebels, not just Asmar.’

‘That’s why we’ve requested an emergency summit, where I’ll represent both Asmar and Drufaera.’ Skye turned to Asher, who kept his gaze firmly on me.

‘And as Skye isn’t an Anomaly, she needs the finest guard Asmar has to offer to help keep her safe,’ I added.

‘Flattery isn’t going to work, Sorrow.’

‘Apologies,’ I said. ‘Next time I’ll add how handsome, intelligent and clever he is and pray that works.’

‘You forgot humble,’ he said, a lopsided grin playing on his lips.

‘There’s a number of Anomalies serving under the Sisters of Evella and the Brotherhood. I’ve been communicating with Mother Ignatia for years,’ Enfys added. ‘I’ll go to personally seek support.’