Page 118 of Storm of Desire
He rubbed his arm. "I had initial doubts, but if you promise not to hit me again, then I'm sure we can come to some sort ofarrangement."
Árdís burst into a nervous laugh. "Thankyou."
Rurik kissed her forehead. "Of course I'll protect you. You can always come tome."
She'd been so long without an ally that there'd been a part of her that had wondered. "And Marek? He's adreklingfrom the court who swore his loyalty toyou."
Rurik's gaze sharpened as he made out the angry 'T' on Marek's forehead. He would know what it meant, and looked troubled. "You seekasylum?"
"If you would have me, myprince."
Rurik hauled thedreklingupright when he made as if to bow. "If you are loyal and true, then I shall shield you. But you shall not grovel before me. Not with this mark uponyou."
Clasping both hands around Marek's face, power spilled over his hands in a heated shimmer. The scab flared with gold light, and then vanished, revealing smooth, unblemished skin. Marek gasped, and pressed his fingersthere.
"My healing abilities are limited," Rurik said, stepping back from thedrekling. "You're lucky the scab hadn't begun toscar."
"My prince," poor Marek whispered, as if he'd seen a god land upon theearth.
Rurik chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest. "A prince in exile, Marek. Nothingmore."
And nothingless.
"He's going to worship you forever,"Árdís said, as she connected with her brother."You'll beinsufferable."
"Not with Freyja to keep my feet firmly upon the ground."Rurik held out his hand to her. "Come. You can fly on my back. I want you to meet mymate."
"What about Haakon and the others?" She lookedback.
"They can follow," Rurik said curtly. His eyes met Haakon's. "I might have to warn Freyja he'scoming."
"Why would you have to warnher?"
Rurik's grin widened. "Didn't he tell you? Haakon was trying to lure me out of my volcano. So he tied Freyja to a stake and offered her as my monthly tithe. As you can imagine, she wasn't very happy withhim."
Árdísgasped.
"I apologized," Haakonsaid.
"And then you saved her life," Rurik said, his eyes glittering. "Which is the only reason you're still alivetoday."
"You're not the one I was scared of," Haakon replied coolly. "And I am trying to makeamends."
"Freyja is dangerous?" Árdísasked.
"She shoots lightning bolts from the sky, and rips the earth apart with a thought," Haakon muttered. "She broke my ballistatwice."
"Fierce," Rurik said, with somesatisfaction.
* * *
Árdís steppedinside the small farmhouse, feeling a little nervous. It was one thing to meet her brother after so long—quite another to meet his mate. His fierce, dangerous mate, who had a powerfulmagic.
She ran a hand over the wooden paneling on the walls. The house was small, with grass on the roof, and goats in the yard. It seemed incongruous that her brother—adrekiprince—could find his happiness living here, but Rurik had already told her this house belonged to Freyja's father, and Freyja insisted on spending several nights of the week here, rather than in Rurik's Chaosbubble.
It reminded her a little ofViksholm.
Perhaps the pair of them were not so different, afterall.
