Page 25 of Storm of Desire
Nodrekishould live in fear, the way the courtdid.
Deep inside her lurked a secret fury that boiled up, as if someone had set a match to oil. She rounded on her mother, and it no longer mattered if this was dangerous or unwise, or could possibly get herkilled.
A line had beencrossed.
A decisionmade.
"I willnotdo this," she whispered hoarsely. "You ask too much ofme—"
Amadea lashed out, and Árdís went to her knees as a whip of burning Chaos magic lashed around her throat. It choked the breath out of her, searing through her nerves. She screamed, pain obliterating every thought, on and on, until she didn't think she could bear it any longer, and the noose finallyvanished.
When she came to, she was on her hands and knees on the floor. Spit dribbled from her lips. Snot bubbled from her nose. She was surprised her head was still attached, for it had felt as though the lash burned right through her spinal cord, but when her palm wrapped around her throat there was not a single markthere.
"I wasn't aware I wasasking."
Árdís panted, her rage burned to ash in her throat. How could she ever fight that? How could she ever escape? She smelled again the stink of burningflesh.
She might have little recourse against her mother's powers, but she would not crawl on the floor and beg for forgiveness. Wiping her face with her sleeve, Árdís lookedup.
It took her long seconds to gather her weight beneath her, mocked by shaky knees. Árdís's palms scraped the wall, and she hauled herself to her feet, every inch thedrekiprincess as she stared her mother in theeye.
"Be very careful," Amadea said. "Both of your brothers defied me. I willnothave another traitor who shares my own blood. I willnot."
Don't be unwise, screamed her sense of self-preservation.
She will killyou.
Orworse.
Árdís forced herself to bow her head, but her fists curled at her side, so tightly her knucklesached.
"This court is full of rebellious hearts," Amadea warned, and her red skirts swished into the field of Árdís's vision. "Some say your brother is still the rightful heir, despite your father'smurder—"
"He didn't do it. I know Rurik would neverhave—"
A cruel hand caught her chin, forcing her to look up. Fingers dug into the flesh of herjaw.
"You were a kit, Árdís. You know nothing. Do you think Rurik looked back once he left this court?" Amadea's eyes glittered. "I know you think he loved you—I know you think Marduk loved you—but did they ever offer to take you with them? Or did they leave you behind, like the refuse sailors throw overboard their ships? Vanishing without a singlegoodbye...."
Her heart absorbed the blow. They loved her. Her father had loved her, before someone in this wretched court ripped his heartout.
But that didn't negate the fact she was alone here, with not a singleally.
Or that they had left her behind, knowing what their mother waslike.
Claws dug into her skin, and Amadea's glittering green eyes became the center of her vision. "I will crush this rebellion if it is the last thing I do. I will not allow your father's lawlessdrekifanatics to bring mutiny to my court. Word swims of Rurik's power and might following Magnus's death, and each whisper is melding together to become a roar that shakes the foundations of thiscourt."
"That's why you did that?" A public punishment to whip the court into line, and a mating ceremony to offer afuture.
"Weneedto look strong in the face of these rumors. We need Sirius named as heir. If there is one thing that can counter the might of their golden prince, then it is the Blackfrost. And you will do your duty to protect this family, this court. You will mate with him, Árdís, so I can name him heir and weld this fractured court together again. I will not allow your selfishness to ruinus."
Amadea held her there for another brutal second, seeming satisfied with what she saw in Árdís'seyes.
Then she let her go and strode away, leaving Árdís gasping behindher.
5
Árdís slippedthrough the portal that led to her chambers, her ears stillringing.
