Page 128 of Storm of Desire
But not forhim.
The truth choked him. "Malin." He stroked his thumb over her knuckles. "I cannot. I am bound by an oath I swore myfather."
"Burn your oath," she snapped, her eyes flashing with heat. "You say you're not a hero? You could be. You could break this entire vicious cycle. You could be the key to your father's destruction. I know you have no love of him. You could free Andri, and return the court to the hands of its rightfulheir—"
"Damn it, Malin. Now is not thetime."
He could hear wings beating through the airnow.
"But you won't." She tore her hand free from his. "You won't do the right thing, willyou?"
Curse her. Looking at him as though he had all of the answers in the world. As though hewasa bloody hero. "It's not thatsimple."
He made to grab Malin's hand, but a sudden screech of fury battered at him. Sirius leapt out of the way as a goldendrekiswooped. The raking claws missed, and he slowly lowered his arms from over his head, his heart hammering in his chest. Being in this mortal body left him feeling remarkably vulnerable, but he'd known Rurik would be curious, and see it as less of athreat.
However, Rurik wasn'talone.
"I wasn't going to hurt her, Árdís!" he bellowed as thedrekiprincess swooped in a tight circle, as if she were coming back around to take another swipe at him. So much for being trapped in humanform.
The otherdrekilanded behind him, and Sirius turned to face the prince. Hot breath snorted over him, and he could see the hard amber glare as Rurik bared his teeth. Holding his arms wide, he stared back, channeling every ounce of arrogance heowned.
"Surprise,"he mocked, sending the thought to theprince.
Rurik's lungs expanded, and Sirius's eyes widened. The prince could breathe pure fire if he willedit.
And so it ended, not in battle, but in a gesture of goodfaith....
"No!" Malin darted in front of him before he could stop her, arms spread wide as if to protecthim.
His heart jacked into histhroat.
Sirius grabbed her around the waist, sweeping her out of the way before he could even think, using his body to shield herfrom—
—a blast of fire that nevercame.
Sirius released the breath he'd beenholding.
A flare of golden light washed over Rurik, and then he shrank dramatically, until he was kneeling before them with his armsspread.
If Stellan were here, he'd take the chance presented to attack Rurik while he was disorientated with theshift.
But I am not myfather.
Sirius held his hands up in surrender, backing away from Malin as the princestraightened
Thirty years flashed past in the blink of an eye. They'd been raised as cousins, and though they'd never been close, he knew this man. Thisprince.
He owed the prince a debt he could neverrepay.
"You dare walk these lands?" Rurik said, his eyes still cat-slit, as if thedrekirested uneasily beneath hisskin.
Sirius tipped his head toward the standing stones that marked the borders. "I'm not in yourlands."
Rurik picked up the bag he'd dropped and dragged out a pair of leather trousers. He was an inch taller than Sirius, though not quite as broad through the shoulders. And his eyes never shifted from Sirius as hedressed.
"Semantics," he snapped. "You had better have a damned good reason for beinghere."
"Couldn't I have simply missed mycousin?"
