Page 7 of Throne of the Wolf Queen

I jolted as the fresh tattoo itched deep in my skin.

‘Sounds lovely.’

‘The empress had her destroy it all. A fire Anomaly burned it to the ground. She wanted Eira to grow crops for her armies. But the tattoo poisoned her. Her gift deviated. Her crops withered away.’

‘But,’ I twisted the chains binding me, ‘Vyrium doesn’t affect Anomalies? My… my Sorrow came out of a rogue fog without a single mark. Why would the tattoo have poisoned Queen Eira?’

‘Do you think the empress halted her experiments at ink and Vyrium alone?’

Musa remained silent for a few minutes. If I hadn’t been conscious of his rasping breaths, I’d have thought myself alone again.

‘There’s a reason I’m still alive.’ He snorted. ‘Just. And as soon as these cuffs are off, she’ll insist I tell her all I’ve told you.’ I turned my head, met Musa’s steady gaze. ‘You know the myths and tales, Matthias. The greedy kings who took Vyrium in their desire to become a blessed one. Their almost instant deaths. And yet, here we are. Tattooed with Vyrium and still breathing.’

I narrowed my eyes. He was right. How the hell were we still alive? What could he share? ‘Our esteemed empress has visited many temples, not only in Vlanael, but the Southern lands. She acquired many… holy relics, antiquities, artifacts that no longer exist.’ He nodded in the direction of my back, and my heart stilled. Was she mixing relics from the other gods with Vyrium? Was she mixing Evella’s relics with the metal? Our Goddess of protection, gifting me a fleeting reprieve from the Vyrium. I shuddered. Who knew what was flooding my bloodstream? Which god’s holy relic had poisoned Eira’s gift?

‘So, we’re doomed no matter what?’

‘My brother,’ Musa turned slightly and lay his trembling hand on mine, ‘we are so badly fucked we should be praying to Vyrus to help us.’

I shook my head. Dragged the too-long strands of hair from my eyes. I must have done something major to piss off Evella. Scrunching my eyes tight, visions flooded my scarred mind. The myriad of tattoos my brother bore. Eiriulf’s greedy eyes on my unbranded flesh. The knowledge that every new mark on my skin forced me further into the empress’s clutches and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

‘No, I can’t just sit here and let her put tattoo after tattoo on me,’ I said, standing and sucking in a huge breath against the tight sting of the fresh brand. ‘I… I’ve lost too much as it is.’ I dragged the shirt from my back, grunting as it pulled away the fresh scabs. I stared around the cell, panic settling like a viper in my chest till I spotted the rusty bars between Musa and me. ‘My wife… my home… my own fucking free will.’ I settled my shoulder against the bars. I’d rid myself of this stain. Anything to give myself a chance to escape the empress’s claws.

‘Matthias?’

Clenching my jaw, I dragged my back down the bars. The barely healed flesh split open, and blood, hot, sticky ran in a slow track down my burning muscles. Groaning, I pressed harder, lifted my back up and down the bars. Screams broke through my cracked lips as my flesh tore.

‘Matthias!’ Musa’s sharp call pierced my ear, but I couldn’t stop. ‘Matthias!’ Musa grasped my shoulders, failing to gain a hold through the bars. I wouldn’t stop till I reached bone. Wouldn’t falter till⁠—

I crashed to the floor. My body convulsed as I glared over my shoulder. Musa stood at the bars, his eyes wide, trembling hands coated in my dark blood as he shook his head. The damn king had pushed me off my feet. As I panted, my vision clouded. How dare he stop me? A mist of red covered my sight and, roaring, I threw myself at the bars, my fingers grasping for Musa. His throat. His eyes. I didn’t care.

‘I tried, Matthias. I tried it too,’ he screamed, flinging himself out of my reach. He lifted his sleeve. A blotch lay upon his bicep. Puckered and green as the forest floor. The sight made me still. ‘I tried too. Thought I could… slice it from me. But it won’t cure you; it just spreads faster. Kills quicker.’

A sob caught in my throat and I slid back down the bars. Fire burned across my bloody back. My brother had signed my death warrant. I gripped the Evellum chains, pulled them taut. If my time was limited, there was no way I was leaving this plane without taking the empress with me. I’d keep my Sorrow safe.

Only one woman on Eusis owned me, and it wasn’t that bitch empress.

CHAPTER 5

SORROW

I know I’m supposed to do the right thing. I was bred to be his queen, to marry Romero and provide him with heirs assured to be gifted, but I can’t. I miss you. Every heartbeat without you breaks me and I find myself adrift.

​— ​AN UNDATED ENTRY IN MERCY VILLENTE’S HIDDEN DIARIES

I squint at the painting of Mama and Enfys. Something is different. Off. I’ve been warned to never mar the Thorne’s portraits with my touch, but the paint is brighter than I recall. Rubbing my fingers together, I realise Enfys’s cerulean gown is still wet. The paint is fresh. I glance down at my cotton dress, narrowing my eyes as the hem ends at my knee, just as it had when I was a child. This isn’t the keep I finally found sleep in. This is the Bronzehold of my childhood, all those years ago. My pulse thunders as I realise that if I’m a child within these walls, then so might…

I turn and spot him. My Matthias, looking like the child I grew up with. Giggles burst out of us – the girl and her boy. Suddenly, his warm hand grips mine, and our feet are pounding the ground, as we race past Romero, eager to reach the stables. After a morning of lessons, we’re both aching for the wind in our hair, the thunder of hooves. The freedom to simply be us. Matthias clutches my hand, a glint of mischief lighting up his eyes as we narrowly miss colliding with Mama. She calls out a warning, but there’s no real anger in her tone. There never is. Romero’s bellows are lost to us as we trip over a rug, our laughter bouncing off the walls, and Matthias grips me as we tumble into the stone. Tears roll down my face and I’m not sure if they’re from the pain from falling or my inability to stop laughing. I don’t remember the last time I laughed this way, my whole chest aching, my heart singing. My lungs burn as a guard cries out.

The steps to the great hall spread before us and I let go of his hand. The fierce desire to best him, to show him I’m not some weak little princess takes over. I won’t walk down the stairs. I eye the ground, some distance away, preparing to land. Some servants are already tripping over themselves to move out of our way, knowing how we were too far gone to avoid landing on them.

I speed up, conscious of a scraping sound around me, claws down the wall, but I don’t falter. I drag in a breath and leap from the top of the steps, arms pinwheeling as I land on the ground, stumbling but grinning wildly as victory surges through my body. My chest heaves and I turn to grasp Matthias’s hand, knowing he’d leap with me, but my hand meets nothing, only cold, empty air.

‘Matthias?’

The smile slips from my face, panic grips my chest as I turn slowly, brow furrowed to find the hall empty. An ache consumes me as I call for him again, my only answer the scrape, scraping of claws.

Then I find him. He’s taller now, and my breath catches to see the man I left behind on the beach. His green eyes are wide, his face pale as he stands at the top of the steps, his body frozen. I call him again as he jerks and the whole keep creaks.