Page 101 of A Reign of Malice
But I know the truth, even as I lie to myself.
Because somewhere beneath all the chaos, beneath the bloodshed and divine strategy, one of those fleabags looked me in the eye and showed mekindness.
And the part of me that didn’t laugh in their face?
That’s the part that terrifies me most.
The clouds shift, pulling me from my own madness.
It’s subtle, barely a ripple in the sky, but I feel it.
She’s back.
I turn slowly, already bracing myself for whatever dramatic flourish she’s about to appear in.
But there’s no burst of light, no swirling vortex, no thunderclap.
Just Elyn—calm, quiet, newly divine in a way that feelsearnedrather than bestowed. She steps onto the balcony, her robes catching the breeze like they’re stitched from the light of dawn. Her eyes, once a soft violet, now gleam with an energy that mirrors my own.
“You’re late,” I say, because I don’t know how else to start.
She smiles like she’s humoring a child. “And you’re pacing.”
I scoff and turn my back to her, pretending to find something deeply fascinating about the sky. “Just stretching my legs. Definitely not waiting around like some lovesick mortal.”
Elyn steps beside me, her presence quiet but firm. “You were worried.”
“No,” I lie. “I’m annoyed. That’s different.”
She says nothing, which is somehow worse.
I sigh. Loudly. “Did they win?”
She nods. “Aeson is dead. The castle is rubble. Sloane and Julian live, as do the other royals.”
I hate the rush of relief that floods my chest. It’s uninvited and undignified.
“I assume you offered them the choice?” I ask, voice carefully neutral.
“I did. They’re staying. But not as rulers of Venaris.” Elyn’s gaze flicks toward the horizon, thoughtful. “Julian asked to unite the two kingdoms under Alcaris.”
I blink at her. “That was his idea?”
She nods again. “You were right about him. He just needed to remember who he was.”
“I’m always right,” I mutter, crossing my arms.
This time, Elyn laughs deeply, and it echoes off the clouds like music.
“I told them about the curse,” she continues after a moment. “That it died with Aeson. Their water will run clean again. Their lands will thrive.”
I nod, feeling the tightness in my chest ease just slightly. But there’s one more thing I have to do. Just as I did before with Asher’s father.
When one of my wolves turns too dark, they don’t get a second chance to redeem themselves in the next life. Nothing, not even pesky mutts, will ruin what I’ve created.
“Elyn,” I say, still watching the clouds churn with a low, silvery glow. “Feel like taking a detour with me?”
She inclines her head, curious. “Where to?”
