Page 52 of Throne of the Wolf Queen

His eyes widened. ‘You dare to barter with the great Vyrus?’

I grinned, holding out my own hand and he barked out a laugh.

‘My heart, my whole heart, for your husband.’ He raised a brow as I tried to argue. If he’d been searching for a thousand years, how did he expect me to locate it in time to save Matthias? ‘Or when I get you to the Void, I’ll go. I don’t need—’ The God’s horse lowered his head, bucked as Vyrus swore. Mine stamped once more and through the gloom Pablo snarled, snapped his jaws.

The reins slipped through my fingers as my ride whinnied, her head twisting, nostrils snorting. Ahead, the God battled with his own steed. I reached within to send out a thread of silver, to discover what spooked the creatures. My breath caught as I found nothing but a mass of swirling smoke. What was happening? Was this the consequence of my failure to balance? The horse’s flanks heaved as she slammed into the grasping branches. She reared, my fragile grip faltered and I slipped, crying as I landed within a tangle of brambles. Cursing, I reached in again, almost sobbing as a thread answered my call. I didn’t have time to worry about how slight the thread was, as though it were ready to dissipate and vanish. It slithered slowly towards the horse, her answer sending a harsh spike of fear into my chest.

Fog.

As one of Evella’s blessed, I was impervious to its deadly effects. We’d learnt Pablo too escaped death within the bronze-flecked clouds. I imagined the God who’d created the meteor that first contained the toxic fragments was immune as well. But our horses? There was a reason they were so keen to flee.

Scrambling to my feet, I sent out another ribbon, a request for her to calm long enough for me to mount and guide her away from the poisonous mist. Pablo slipped beneath my hand, leading me towards the still-skittish beast. She leapt, slightly, snorting as I settled in the saddle.

‘Keep up, sweetheart. The Void is just⁠—’

A roar, broken and riddled with pain, shattered the forest and I turned, eyes wide and head spinning.

‘Diafol,’ I cried. ‘Please tell me you can kill a diafol?’

The God sighed. ‘I’m a fucking God.’ He went quiet for a moment. ‘It’s gone.’

‘Gone?’

Clicking his tongue, his horse set off, mine following a heartbeat later.

‘Commanded it to go the other way. I’ve blown that fog off course too.’

Another reason why I had to get this God onside, fighting for me. For Matthias.

‘Come on, The Void is just down this path.’

CHAPTER 20

MATTHIAS

Sisters, Brothers, I understand your reluctance. I am a Son of Ades, after all, and I imagine you still consider me a trickster, a liar. But please, I beg you to heed my warning. The man who washed up on our shores bearing one of her tainted brands was a demon. The poison corrupted whatever remained of his frail soul and he was nothing more than a diafol wearing the cloak of mortal skin.

​— ​A WARNING FROM THE ARCH CARDINAL OF ADES IN OBAITHE TO THE SISTERS OF EVELLA AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF VYRUS

‘Fog!’

The cry wiped the smile from my face. I’d forgotten that there was something other than Sorrow able to generate such an immense scale of panic. I raised my eyes towards the gloom above, suddenly aware of the birds and bats swooping away. The rogue fog was rolling in, and here we were, our backs to a sheer, sodden cliff face and the empress’s forces beneath us.

‘Fuck.’ I glanced at Mother, her lips still forming the curse, while the moonlight illuminated the first wisps of swirling mist in the east. I turned on the narrow ledge, cursing as my fingers slipped on the rock.

‘Are there caves? Crevices? Anywhere we could⁠—’

The words died on my lips. Raine signed calmly, rebels coming forward and signing to each other. There was no panic rippling through them, despite the lethal threat we faced. I held my breath as a line of figures scampered up the sheer rock face, closely followed by another line a few moments later.

‘How…’ Raine tugged my sleeve, nodded towards the figures scaling the slippery rock as sure as the sun seeking lizards on a summer evening. At first, I wondered if they really did have some army of Anomalies, then my eye caught on the first glint of silver.

‘Look close,’ they signed, and I focused on one figure, disappearing over the ledge above. The toes of their shoes, even the palms of their gloves, were covered in sharp blades splitting the slate. ‘You have to find other ways to keep up when you’re not blessed… or dripping with Vyrium.’

Sighing, I ignored their taunt as ropes were flung down. Raine tugged on one, tested the strength, while the other rebels clambered up the ropes. They held it taut and nodded to Mother, my breath catching as she grabbed it and dragged herself up.

‘Mum!’ She cursed as her hand slipped. Raine was beneath her, their hand out, brows scrunched, before her feet found their grip and, with a quick scowl over her shoulder, carried on.

‘After you,’ Raine signed.