Free The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi Page B

common,” said Hypnos. “Now, we have even more! Look at us. Two orphaned bastards with colored mothers.” He leaned closer to S é verin. “How strange … Yours doesn’t show up on the skin the way mine does. Mine was the daughter of slaves in a sugarcaneplantation my father owned in Martinique. Once I was born, my French aristocrat of a father left her. But I remember you had your mother. That always made me rather jealous, I admit. She had the loveliest hair … what was she? Egyptian? Algerian? Her name was so beautiful too—”
    “Don’t,” said S é verin, clipped. A muscle in his jaw ticked.
    Hypnos shrugged lightly and turned to Enrique, smiling asif he were just another guest and this were just another day.
    “Has he told you how the Order’s inheritance test works?”
    Enrique shook his head.
    “It’s like this,” said Hypnos, walking up to him. “May I, beautiful?”
    Enrique managed a nod. Hypnos turned over his hand, sliding his brown thumb down his palm before stopping above his racing pulse.
    “In each Babel Ring, there’s a core of the matriarchor patriarch’s blood. The blood fuels the Ring’s ability to House-mark, among other things. When the matriarch or patriarch dies, or if they wish to retire their seat early, a head of House is summoned to administer the inheritance test. First, the Ring that will be passed on is cut into the heir’s hand.” Hypnos dragged one edge of the crescent moon across Enrique’s hand. Through his skin, hefelt a hum of power, like lightning traveling through his veins. “Then, the Ring of the witness is held over the bloodied Ring. If the heir is of the same blood as the matriarch or patriarch, both Rings turn blue. If the heir is not…”
    “You are left with a handsome scar,” finished S é verin coldly.
    Hypnos dropped Enrique’s hand.
    “The Order is not above falsifying the inheritance test,” he said,facing S é verin. “It’s been performed in the past by families wishing to pass over one heir for a different family member.”
    “On what grounds would they deny an heir his inheritance?” asked Enrique.
    Hypnos ticked off the reasons on his fingers. “They might not like how the child’s mind works, or who they love, or—”
    “Or the Order might like their bloodlines nice and neat,” cut in S é verin, hisvoice distant. “Two heirs of mixed blood would not do. An easy solution is to choose one over the other.”
    Hypnos’s jaw tightened. Gone was his lax demeanor. Regrettwisted his handsome features. “If memory serves, you tried to tell me that years ago,” he said quietly.
    “And if memory serves, you didn’t listen.”
    Spots of color appeared on Hypnos’s cheeks. “As you so aptly pointed out, my verybreath has been monitored by the Order since the day my father died and passed the Ring to me. But if you acquire this artifact for me, I will administer the inheritance test myself. No falsifications like last time. I can return your Ring to you … I know where it’s kept.”
    Enrique felt as though all the air had been drained from the room. S é verin refused to look at Hypnos as he spoke. “What doyou want?”
    “A Horus Eye.”
    Enrique sucked in his breath.
    “Where is it?”
    Hypnos hesitated for a moment, then said, “The vaults of House Kore.”
    “No,” said S é verin immediately. “I am not stepping into that woman’s house.”
    And no wonder, thought Enrique. The matriarch of House Kore must have helped falsify the results of the inheritance test that stole S é verin’s title.
    “Just before the auction,she was viciously attacked,” said Hypnos. “Her Ring was stolen.”
    “Probably an inside job,” said S é verin. “We don’t get involved with those.”
    We . Enrique felt a thrill of pride. That’s right! he wanted to say. But he didn’t.
    “I’m not asking you to find her Ring,” said Hypnos. “There are people already dedicated to that search. What I’d like your help for goes