Page 114 of Storm of Desire
"We found the princess," he said, wincing as his lips pulled against the burn scars marking his cheek. "She was with a mortal man, and she refused to come withus."
Árdís.Again.
Amadea's fingers curled over the ends of her throne. "I don't believe I suggested you shouldrequestherreturn."
Roar looked up, revealing the full horror of his face. "We didn't. We were forced to the ground. The man had some sort of weapon that nearly tore me from the sky." He swiftly filled in the details. "And then your daughter unleashed some kind of green fire upon me." His breath caught. "It won't heal, even with the shift. I've tried everything. I can still feel it eating away at myflesh—"
"Do you mean to tell meÁrdískilled Ylve in single combat, and then forced you and Balder to flee?" Amadea found her feet, her voice trembling with rage. "Three of my finestdrekiwarriors couldn't handle a spoiled princess just past her first cycle and ahuman?"
"She had some sort of magic!" Roar snarled. "We couldn't fight it. And it burned right through my shields. We had no choice but toflee."
Amadea gave a twist of her hand and a ball of Chaos fire sprang to life in the air above her hand. "Did it look a little something likethis?"
Roar fell back on his hands, his face paling. "Yes! Sweet goddess, what isit?"
Amadea advanced upon him, the ball of fire burning a sickly green that lit his face. She rarely wielded it in front of the court. Just the threat of it was enough. "Chaos magic. Tell me, how did my daughter wield it? Was it a pale green? Or hot and burning like this? Did she have full control overit?"
He flinched, shielding the ruined side of his face with one hand. "It was bright green, like yours. But it wasn't fire, it was a flamingdrekithat soared above her. It attacked me, and I could feel its fangs and claws rip through me as if they were solid, but there was nothing to fight. Nothing but air, when I lashed out. It wasn'treal."
Amadeafroze.
"A spirit form," she whispered, half toherself.
Stellan caught her eye and she knew they shared the exact samethought.
The spirit form had eluded her for years, no matter how many times she'd tried to master the art ofit.
But her grandmother had known how to createone.
"How long did she hold itfor?"
Roar shook his head. "I don't know. It felt like forever. She was tearing meapart."
"Seconds at most, my queen," Balder said from theside.
How long had her daughter been meddling with Chaos magic right beneath her nose? How much did Árdís know? What could she do withit?
Did she have the instinct for it, or had she been keeping secrets all along? Was there a reason Árdís had chosen Norway for her exile? Did she know that was where the roots of herZillittuancestry came from? Or had she been looking for something else? A mentor? Someone to trainher?
None of theZilittuclan would have helpedher.
Their loyalty belonged to Amadea and her brother, but there were otherdrekiout there. Outcasts. Loners. Some mystics who could no longer survive at theZilittucourt.
How had Árdís learned to cast a spiritform?
"How much of a threat is she?"Stellan murmured in her mind, linking with her as if he sensed herunease.
"I don'tknow."
And the unknown scaredher.
"Where was the girl going?" Stellan asked. "Do you think she means to join with her brotherRurik?"
"She was heading for the north coast," Balder said. "They were on foot for some reason, and she never tookwing."
Interesting. Amadea mapped Árdís's path in her mind. "She was trying to hide on land," she murmured, straightening to her full height. "Now she's on a ship. I didn't expect this level of subterfuge from her. She could have been at Rurik's side within a day if she'd taken wing, and we'd never have been able to stopher."
"It's the human," Roar spat. "It wasn't until I threatened his life that she formed her wretchedattack."
