Page 133 of Storm of Desire
Árdís stared at her mother, swallowing herfear.
"A challenge?" Rurik called. "I haven't heard anyone here offerchallenge."
"Oh, but that's not true, is it, Árdís?" Her mother's smile widened. "Go ahead and tell them the truth. How many nights ago was it when you sent your spiritdrekito me? And now I am here to fight for mycrown."
The blood drained out of her face. "But I didn'tmean...."
A green glow began to ignite in the queen's eyes. "You stupid kit. Did you think I would merely hide in Hekla and wait for you to grow instrength?"
She'd barely begun to master hermagic.
But she'd told her mother she'd kill her if she ever touched Haakon again. A wince went through her as she remembered what else she'd said.You are not the only one with power, she'd hissed.I'm waiting for you, Mother. Come and getme.
Technically a challenge. She slid her sword back into its sheath. Her breath hitched. This wasn't the fight she'd expected, but she could dothis.
Shehadto dothis.
"Árdís," Haakon said, his facegrim.
"This is my battle," she whispered to Haakon. "If I fall, then remember theplan."
"You're not going tofall."
She pressed a gentle hand to his arm. "I loveyou."
"I love you too." He bent and kissed her cheek. "And I don't think she'd be here if she wasn't a little afraid of you, Árja. I also think she's going tocheat."
"She can't. If she breaks her word, then the entire court will turn onher."
All her life she'd been too afraid to take what she wanted. She was no longer that young woman, sheltered and alone, looking for someone to fight her battles forher.
This washerfight.
And she was no longerafraid.
"Árdís?" Rurikcalled.
"I challenged her," she said, striding to the middle of the ground between both groups. "She has the right ofit."
Amadea stood before her, weaving wisps of electric green light to life. A net of shimmering, incandescentgreen.
Excellent. Who knewwhatthat coulddo?
Árdís planted her feet, and reached down deep withinher.
Just as she drew her breath to delve into her new power, a sudden shocking slam of anotherdreki'smind lashed against hers. A blow of psychic proportions, that she narrowly turned away with a psychic shield.Stellan.
"Árdís!" someonebellowed.
She was on the ground, on her knees, and her magic evaporated through her fingers. The net flared wide as her mother cast it at her, filling hervision.
Move!Árdís threw herself aside, still trying to blink through the shock of the assault. She splashed through hot mud, and the net sizzled as it hit the ground where she'd been standing, and vanished into the earth, leaving behind a carvedgrid.
Behind her, swords clashed as Stellan leapt forward to drive her brother back. Árdís staggered to her feet as her mother'sdrekicharged forward, cutting her off from the others. Amadea had vanished behind them, taking her dangerous magic withher.
What was happening? This wasn't howdrekifought. The challenge had been accepted by her mother, which meant the fight ought to remain between the pair of them. Árdís drew her sword as two of thedrekiadvanced. Behind them, she could just make out Haakon, advancing upon Roar with his sworddrawn.
He was cut off from her by the twodrekicircling her. She recognized Lor, one of her mother's pets, and Florian, who generally preferred to keep to theshadows.
