Page 31 of Vicious Is My Throne

“Have I ever told you how much I love you?” Tavion tipped his head to the side, and the look on his face made me stop breathing altogether.

“I don’t love you, Anaria. I exist for you. Even now, the distance between us is too far.” He lifted our entwined hands and pressed his warm lips to my knuckles. “My home—the only one that really matters—is with you. Wherever that may be, however far we have to go, I will follow, no matter where you lead.”

I opened my mouth to say…I don’t know what, when Raziel snorted.

“Okay, Montgomery, I see I have to up my game, maybe learn poetry or the lute or some shite. But we have unwelcome company.” He lifted his torch and there, on the ceiling, was the unmistakable gleam of black rot.

A whiff of that foul odor had us moving, the pack mule pressing up against me like he couldn’t get out of these tunnels fast enough.

“What are we going to do with him?” I asked, nodding to the mule, those big, brown eyes staring up at me with such trust. “We can’t leave him here with no escape. And if he stays in the tunnels, there’s no food and more of those creatures.”

“Anaria…” Tavion began, and I shook my head.

I stopped, bracing my feet on the floor. “No, we are not abandoning him when he’s carried all of our shite all the way from Blackcastle. I won’t leave him to die.”

“Are you planning to hold him in front of you on the wyvern?” Tavion asked, not even waiting for my answer before he plowed ahead. “No, and neither can the rest of us. I doubt Tristan can even carry something that heavy.” He scanned the mule with a critical eye, and I swore the nag bristled at the weight reference.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’re just fluffy,” I whispered.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with Tavion.” Raziel admitted through grit teeth. “Unless mules can fly, he has to stay. Maybe the blight isn’t as bad as we think,” he added quickly. “Maybe there’s a clear path into the mountains and he can forage for himself. Otherwise…”

I stroked his fluffy cheek. “Don’t listen to them. We’re taking you with us, no matter what they say.”

“We can stop here.” Raz held up a hand, and we all scanned the walls. No sign of blight, but along with the soft glow from the mouth of the cave was that familiar reek.

Shadows moved in front of the dim light, a deep thud rattled the ground, then Tavion and Raz were brandishing their knives like the weapons had jumped into their hands. A deep voice echoed down the tunnel, followed by the grumble of a wyvern.

Then a very angry Zorander stalked toward us. “You were supposed to stay back until I came for you.”

“Yeah, that was the plan.” Raz lifted the spluttering torch and pointed at the ceiling. “The blight is all around us. We’re assuming it’s right outside?”

“Not yet. Tristan just got back from his recon flight and there are still some pockets of untouched land. One of them is the Wynter Palace. Tempeste is completely overtaken.”

“What about between us and the Wynter Palace?” I asked breathlessly.

“Nothing but a sea of black,” Zor said crisply. “Anaria and I will go first since I’m not leaving her there by herself. Tristan will fly back for you two.”

Raziel took one look at me and grit his teeth. “No, he’ll have to get the mule first, then come back for Tavion and me.”

Tavion went to say something, and I crossed my arms over my chest, daring him to open his mouth.

Zor’s narrowed eyes bounced between us, but when he saw my face, he smiled tightly. “Fine. I’m not wasting my breath on an argument I can’t win. A pack mule will be a welcome luxury when we’re crossing the Pale.” He grinned at Raz and Tavion. “Sorry you two bastards have been usurped by a mule.” Then all humor died in his eyes as Zor stepped to the side, giving me a view of what awaited us.

My beautiful, verdant forest was dying.

Mottled gray leaves littered the ground, branches shriveled on blackened trunks. The lush undergrowth was withered and brown. No sign yet of the wet, sticky rot, but decay was coming. The air tasted foul, every breath coating my mouth with a revolting taint.

“Get on.” Zorander tugged me forward, Tristan’s deep purr rumbling up through me as he lifted me onto the wyvern’s back.

Zor climbed on behind, that deadly, spiked tail slashing back and forth, stirring up dust. My stomach lurched when his wings thundered, then we were engulfed in a reeking cloud, the arches of the catacombs growing smaller and smaller as we gained altitude.

Raz and Tavion became two specks outlined in the dark mouth of the tunnel, then I couldn’t even make them out as we rose above the clouds.

Up here the smell dissipated, the murky air smelling like a chill winter wind from the mountains, fresh and clean.

But the view from up here…

Holy gods.

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