Page 20 of Heart of Fire
A good thing Haakon looked away, for Rurik’s face tingled just enough to know he’d not been quite human in thatmoment.
“There are two of them,” Rurik said, gesturing to the south. “They went thatway.”
Toward hishome.
Fury caused the vein in his temple to throb. His gold, his lands, his volcano. If they thought for one second he’dtolerate—
“Two?” Haakon met his gaze. “Mother of God.” He crossed himself, then turned for the stables. “I need to get thehorses.”
Rurik was seconds away from tearing the dragon hunter’s throat out and simply erupting into flight when he caught sight of Freyja, peering through the stabledoor.
It swayed his intentions as nothing elsewould.
This was not done betweenthem.
She’d surrendered to his touch, moaning beneath his kiss in a way that made his blood run hotter thanlava.
But the second he revealed his hand, her wariness would return and he would lose all chance at claimingher.
Rurik let his power ebb until he could feel the rain stinging his skin onceagain.
“Have care, Haakon,” he said quietly. “You know not what youface.”
A twisted plot that threatened to sweep innocents into its midst, for the arrival of twodrekicould mean nothing more than war, and he was certain he knew who sent them. Amadea wouldn’t care if humans were killed. But he did. There were rules—drekilaws—he abided by, and they were innate to his nature. The queen and her brother cared little for moral restraint, but there were enoughdrekistill at court whodid.
Honor and honesty were vital todrekinature.
“Perhaps it is the wyrms who don’t know what is coming,” Haakon growled, swinging up onto his black Friesian when his man brought it out for him. Haakon reined the beast into a tight circle, shooting a look at hismen.
Rurik caught the reins. “I doubtthat.”
The two men stared at eachother.
“This is not your fight, scholar,” Haakon spat. Tension knotted in his clenched knuckles. “And I will not yield to pleas norempathy.”
“Nor sense, so itseems.”
Haakon’s lips thinned. “The last time I saw a storm like this was the day I first laid eyes upon my wife. She was lost in the forest, and the clouds brewed like this above me. I swore then I would have her, and I would protect her forever.” He tugged the reins free of Rurik’s hold. “And I failed her. If thedrekihas her, then I will take her back. If he has killed her, then I will have vengeance, pure and bloody. And nothing you say can swayme.”
There was one thing Rurik could say, but he did not know enough of the story to speak of what he knew. This was Árdís’s secret. Wasn’tit?
“Gunnar, get the men ready! We’ll lose them if we wait too long!” Haakon yelled over hisshoulder.
“What about the ballista?” called the man he’d addressed asGunnar.
“Leave it.” Haakon whirled his horse, but it balked as Rurik’s grip tightened on the bridle. “Here,now!”
“You’re a fool to leave your machine here,” Rurik told him, with strangely glittering eyes. “You face twodreki, and you have not the ability to defend yourself without it. Don’t let vengeance blind you. Or all you shall do is see your men dead, and your bones blistered withdrekifire.”
Haakon bared his teeth. “Let go of my horse,scholar.”
Rurik considered him for a long moment. He let go of the reins, stepping out of Haakon’s way. “Let their deaths be on your headthen.”
“Bring the ballista, Gunnar! You can join me at Krafla,” Haakon snapped, and drove his horse into the dying beats of the storm. But he glanced over his shoulder toward his men as he went. “Hyaah!”
“So be it,” Rurik whispered, still full of doubt about whether he had done the right thing. He believed in fate, and nodrekishould pit his will against that capricious entity. He had done his best to sway theman.
Let Haakon ride into his destiny. Rurik had other matters toresolve.
