Page 73 of Storm of Desire
A chuckling rumble shivered through the air. "You've brought me a worthy dinner, littleman."
Sleipnir slammed into him, and Haakon went down flat on his back in the middle of the narrow track as the stallion galloped past him, bucking and kicking. Árdís screamed and then Snorri was following, narrowly missing Haakon's hand, but delivering a fierce kick to hisribs.
He flipped onto his hands, watching them race up the cliff path. They reached thecrest.
Which made two ofthem.
"What the bloody hell is that thing?" he gasped, trying to catch his breath. The blow had windedhim.
It was four times the size of Rurik. He doubted its wings could even lift it into the air anymore, and a swift glance showed calcified stretches of granite and gravel along its wing-spars. His sword lay on the ground, but was there any point in grabbingit?
How could you kill amountain?
How could you pierce a hide made of solid stonescales?
"A pity," growled thedreki, in a voice like thunder. Its head turned toward Haakon, and a long tongue slithered over its lips. "Now you must pay my tithe for disturbing myrest."
Árdís leapt between them, her arms outspread. "You cannot eat him," she cried. "Remember the treaty! You swore an oath, great lord. He'shuman."
"He's in myterritory."
"But he hasn't raised a hand againstyou!"
A long slow blink of its translucent eyelid. Haakon's heart slammed to a halt as it bared its teeth at her. He'd never reach her in time. He'd never be ableto—
Fáfnir's nostrils flared as he sniffed at Árdís. Her shirt blew back in the gust. "You." This time, the rumble sounded like a volcano erupting. "You smell liketreachery."
Árdís went to her knees, and pressed her face to the ground. "I am his daughter," she admitted. "Blood of his blood. But I am also your great-granddaughter. Blood ofyourblood."
Fáfnir's lip curled back off his teeth as they gnashedtogether.
"Do not move," she ground out, and Haakon realized she meanthim.
He knelt on one knee,frozen.
It was the first time in his life he'd felt truly helpless. There was nothing he could do to protect her. Their odds of surviving this relied on Árdís'swits.
Árdís suddenly cried out, digging her fingers into the mud as if some sudden pain pressed down upon her. Fáfnir's eyes gleamed as he flipped her onto her back with his nose, baring herbelly.
"You stink of dwarven magic," hehissed.
"It's the bracelet," Árdís gasped. "It traps mydrekimagic within me, so I must wear this form. I do not wear it bychoice."
"It keeps me out of yourhead."
Árdís's mouth twisted in a rictus of pain. "Then ask me what you want toknow!"
"What are you doing here? Why have you disturbedme?"
"I fled from court," she cried, curling her fingers into claws as if to fight the pressure. "My mother wishes me to mate with adrekinot of my choice. We were forced to cross your lands to escapethem."
"And thisone?"
Haakon stifled a yelp as the enormous head swung toward him. Hot wet breath gusted over his face as he stared into a nostril the size of a boulder. He didn't dare wipe his face dry.Mother of fucking kraken. Every instinct screamed at him to run—or attack—but he didn'tdare.
"He's my husband," Árdís gasped. "We aremarried."
"Yourmate."
