Page 41 of Throne of the Wolf Queen

Hawk peered at it before putting his half-eaten hare to the side, revulsion written onto his face.

‘Was it supposed to do that?’ he asked, standing up and taking a swig from his bitter-smelling bottle.

‘Not entirely,’ I said, casting my shaky gaze across the small camp we’d made in the crook of a towering cliff face. ‘My corpses usually go on a mindless spree of bloodshed and violence before falling apart.’

‘Quite the talent.’

I heaved in a deep breath, kept my eyes on the repulsive mole.

‘I’m sure my gifts are nothing compared to the great Hawk’s.’

‘If only you knew, sweetheart. If only you knew.’

‘My sentiments exactly.’

He groaned, and I forced my gaze onto him. He turned, swaying in a circle, his ankle clipping the small fire he’d made. He turned his head to the stars. I glanced up, a small knot twisting in my gut as I squinted into a blanket of shimmering onyx. I’d lost the constellations long ago. Mama had known all the great stars; Evella’s tree, Vyrus and his bandolier, Aren and his great wolf, whom he’d slain, mistakenly believing the creature had killed his children. I ran my fingers across Pablo’s head. He closed his amber eyes, an almost satisfied grin on his face as I peered back at the heavens. Then we had the Gods the Northern lands had long abandoned. The almost-forgotten Enja and her journal of secrets. Talesis, Oarae and Cobus. The three lovers, perpetually trapped in separate galaxies by a jealous Vyrus.

My gaze swept over to Hawk as I recalled the Goblet of Ades, the God forever faithful to Vyrus. The God still revered in the kingdom of Obaithe, where Evella was viewed as a demon, sent to tempt the God of Vengeance. The tales I’d learnt at Mama’s knee. The ones Matthias adored too. It was one of the few times he ever sat still. I swallowed at the memory of him and Mama sitting in the garden, Enfys asleep on her shoulder and Matthias enraptured, hooked on every word that passed her lips.

A swathe of desperation clamoured in my chest. As much as I needed Hawk to guide my journey towards balance, he was also the only beast I believed could truly help me get my husband back. A Deviant with more powers than any could hope for.

I grimaced as my salvation took another huge swig, wind rumbling in his chest as he rubbed it. An all-powerful, painfully rare and blessed Deviant. He belched, a satisfied smile spreading over his face, and I had to question Evella’s sense of humour.

But my time to convince him to help me was running out. I had to try once more.

‘How many days till we find the insurgents?’ I asked.

‘With you for company? Too many.’

‘If I remember rightly, you chose to accompany me.’ Damn it, Sorrow, diplomacy.

He barked out a laugh, opening his tattered notebook and pulling out a short pencil before scratching in his notes. I’d tried to peer in once or twice, but his script was far too small, too swirled for my eyes to make sense of his secrets.

‘Lucky old me.’ He strode over to his half-finished hare, tossing the remains to Pab, who gladly lay down and gnawed his extra meal. Hawk sat awkwardly in the grass, scowling at his book as he took another swig. ‘You lot have been nothing but a pain in my ass since you stole my boat.’

‘Ha,’ I laughed, prodding the mole with the toe of my boot. My meagre tea threatened to reappear. ‘We didn’t steal your boat. We commandeered it in an international crisis, and you’ve been promised a rather significant reward for your troubles.’

It was Hawk’s time to laugh. ‘I think you and I have very different ideas about what counts as a significant reward.’

‘Perhaps you could help me, then. I know you don’t have any gifts.’ He swore under his breath. ‘But you’re well-travelled. You’ve probably picked up a few things in your time.’

‘One or two.’ He eyed me over the flames and my pulse skittered. ‘You’re different to the other Deviants I’ve known. Surely if you just listen to those gifts, you’ll balance? Put a bit of faith in who, what, you are?’

I rolled my eyes, opened my mouth before he interrupted me.

‘If I help, will you shut up?’

‘Possibly.’ He was always a step ahead of me. If I could just pluck some crumbs of advice from him? He was also strong enough to subdue my threads should they deviate once more. ‘My mentor, Glesni Grace, a Deviant, died before she could teach me how to balance and despite Pab’s best efforts… I’m not doing too well.’

Hawk narrowed his dark gaze at me. ‘If I had to mentor you, I’d choose death too.’

‘Not funny.’

He offered me his bottle and despite the temptation to take a swig, numb the agony pulsing within my chest, I shook my head.

‘I can access both gifts. Claim them and set them free, but something isn’t working.’ I looked at the mole. ‘It’s like there’s some… key, some knowledge I’m missing out on.’

He shrugged, taking another chug. ‘I don’t know much about it,’ he said, peering at something he saw in the twinkling skies, ‘but I reckon you might need something a bit fresher than a week-old rat.’