Page 132 of Clash of Storms
Adrekiloyal to the queen saw him coming and started sprinting toward him. Sirius simply brushed him aside with a flick of his hand, crushing thedreki'sheart in his chest. Strain burst through him and his ears rang, but he forced himself to keep moving, glancing back only once to find Malin scurrying in his wake.
He didn't want her here, but he couldn't leave her behind, where she'd be vulnerable.
Lights flashed and smoke churned as the dreklings threw all manner of alchemical weapons at the coterie ofdrekimercenaries who strove to cut them down. The rebels had the numbers, but they were weaker. Mortal. He could just make out Malin's father leading them in a charge.
Anotherdrekiswung a sword at his head, but Sirius simply ducked it and drove his own blade through thedreki'sheart.
Smoke parted, revealing the queen and her daughter, and there was an odd hush over the battlefield as if Fate looked down upon them.
Árdís climbed to her feet, her golden hair clinging in sweaty ringlets to her skin. Blood dripped from her nose.
"I'm coming,"he told his former betrothed.
"What's wrong, sweet child?" Amadea's skirts slid behind her with a metallic rasp, lashing like adreki'stail as she advanced upon her daughter. "Can you not hold the spirit form? Is there something—"
Her green eyes locked on him through the smoke, and the sneer slid off her face.
"Aunt," he said with soft menace, weighing the sword in his hand. "It appears you and I are long overdue a reckoning."
Her eyes darted behind him.
"If you're looking for Roar, you might be too late. I fed him to Jörmungandr." He started toward her, blood dripping off his sword. "The last time we met I made a vow, aunt. Do you remember?"
Fear filled her eyes.
Amadea drew her hand back, a green spear of Chaos forming within her grasp. His eye barely had time to widen before she threw it at him.
Sirius flung his arms up, but something shimmered into life in front of him. Chaos magic slammed against the invisible shield and imploded. A whirlwind of green fire arced over him, but something kept it from burning him alive. Sound screamed around him, the impact hammering him off his feet.
He came to, flat on his back on the ground, ears ringing.
What in Tiamat's name?
"Malin?" He scrambled upright, but she was right beside him in the dirt, her face smeared with dust.
What had happened?
"I believe my rune worked," Malin gasped.
Sirius examined his chest. The shivery feeling was evaporating, the dried blood crumbling off his skin. One time use only, by the look of it.
Smoke curled around him. The ground at his feet was scarred and pitted. Every singledrekiand drekling on the field lay in disarray, as if the explosion had smashed them all aside. The battle had fallen silent, leaving only startled warriors looking around in shock.
Over Amadea's shoulder he could just make out Rurik and Stellan climbing to their feet.
"Stay with Árdís," he told Malin. "She'll keep you safe."
"Elvish magic," Amadea spat, dragging herself to her feet, though she looked at him warily. "You dare risk waking the Ljósálfar?"
"They've been gone from this world for years." He pushed to his feet as Malin scurried to help the princess stand. "And you're the one wielding magic directly from the Chaos dimension. I don't believe you have the right to cast aspersions upon anyone else."
The queen's hair rippled behind her in the wind, her eyes glowing green, as if she fed directly upon the energy siphoned from that other world. "You're beginning to irritate me, Sirius."
"Your magic won't work against me," he taunted, needing her to believe it. Sirius stepped forward with his sword held at a ruthless angle. "No magic. No brother to shield you. Just you and I."
Amadea drew the rapier at her side, wielding it with a practiced hand. "Did you think all I had was my magic?"
He advanced upon her. "Oh no. I just needed to have you face me steel to steel."
