Page 104 of Clash of Storms
"Nobody's coming to save you."
Sirius ripped the shield from his hands and threw it behind him. Rathgar crumpled beneath the weight of it as Sirius lunged at Banquo. The Scottishdrekitwisted and ducked each blow, like lightning on his feet.
Blood rushed through his veins. He had two swords. He knew how this ended.
And so did Banquo.
Desperation widened those eyes, until there was more white than iris. Step by step Banquo retreated, until they stood before the throne room doors.
"Nowhere to go," Sirius whispered, breathing hard.
Sirius spun, whipping both blades across the throat of thedrekimercenary in front of him. Blood welled and thedrekiclutched at his throat with a gurgle.
The battle fury surged within him.
He slammed a boot into Banquo's chest. The impact drove Banquo off his feet and he slammed into the golden doors leading to the throne room, flinging them open.
BOOM.
The doors smashed against the walls, driving the queen to her feet. His father held a hand out toward her, lips thinning as his gaze lowered to thedrekidrowning in his own blood in the middle of the floors.
More steel rasped. Twelve warriors circled the chambers; the best of the best. He'd never get near his father or the queen.
"Hello, Father," Sirius purred, as he stepped inside the throne room. "You seem surprised to see me."
23
Morning brought no further clarity.
Malin slumped in a chair around the kitchen table as the rest of them argued about what was to be done about Andri and Sirius.
For all her dreams of one day meeting the prince, Malin felt a stranger here, without Sirius at her side. Árdís was fluttering over both her and Haakon like a broody hen, and the prince's mate, Freyja, was almost as quiet as she, but the prince's presence was quite overwhelming.
It was far too easy to fall back into old ways; lowering her eyes and her voice, speaking only when spoken to. Malin hadn't realized until Sirius was gone, how much courage he gave her.
How much she'd dared provoke him.
"This isn't going to be solved with a duel," Rurik stated flatly. "You saw what happened on the battlefield. My mother and uncle know nothing of honor. All we can expect is treachery."
"We could offer a bargain." Árdís clasped her hands in front of her as she leaned against the fireplace. "We have something Mother wants."
The prince's gaze slid to Haakon.
During the battle, the dragon slayer had locked a svartálfar forged manacle around the queen's wrist, trapping her in mortal form and suppressing her magic. Haakon was the only one who could remove it.
"The queen will never hand over both Sirius and Andri. You have a bargaining chip to use against her—if I remove the manacle binding the queen into her mortal powers, then she might grant you one of your cousins," Haakon said, leaning back in his chair.
"At what cost?" Rurik demanded. "You trapped her. She'll not forget that in a hurry.Andyou had the audacity to mate with my sister. The only thing stopping the queen from demanding your head is the fact you alone can remove the manacle."
"It was always a stalemate tactic at best," Haakon replied. "If we don't offer the queen terms, then I'm sure she'll find some way to force us to remove it." A wolfish smile softened his hard face as he glanced at Árdís. "Though I would dearly like to see her try and kidnap one of us."
"Aye. I always thought my brother's mother-in-law was an evil, conniving bitch," his cousin, Tormund, added. "But she's got naught on yours. Beggin' your pardon, my prince. Princess."
The bearded giant had decided to stay at Haakon's side in the wake of the battle. Something about Haakon "almost getting killed" and Tormund "never hearing the end of it" from Haakon's mother.
The five of them threw suggestions back and forth, but there was no further mention of Sirius.
Malin stayed very small and very still, barely daring to breathe.
