Page 90 of Clash of Storms
Every inch of him tensed."You're bringing the fight to Rurik."
This made no sense.
All these years they'd avoided a direct confrontation. The court would be in an uproar. The risk was too great. No, something must have stirred this.
"The princess sent a spirit form to challenge her mother. She's somehow learned to wield Chaos magic. Árdís cannot be allowed to develop her strengths, and Rurik will never allow us to take her. We will demand Árdís's return and if it is not granted, then we will fight. You knew this day was coming. We've all known."Stellan's thoughts bled through. "It's time to deal with this mess, once and for all."
Sirius dwelled in silence. It felt like his heart hadn't beat since his father first spoke. If the princess was seen as a threat...."You're going to kill Árdís."
"It's time for them both to die."
The queen's rare magic was the only thing that allowed her to keep her throne. Of course, she'd see her daughter as a menace that needed to be dealt with.
"What if I can get her back?"There had to be some way he could avert the princess's death. "If Árdís can wield Chaos magic then her bloodlines should not be squandered. I will mate with her.There are means to control her; the queen has an entire treasure trove of svartálfar-forged weapons. I know she has at leastone of their collars there. If we collar Árdís and trap her magic inside her, then there is no need for her to be thrown away like this."
"Last chance, Sirius. If you don't bring her back, then Árdís must die."
Stellan broke the connection.
Sirius sucked in a lungful of air.
"What is it?" Malin demanded.
Everything had changed.
The faint hopes he'd carried.... Gone. "The queen is striking out for Krafla and she's flying in force."
"They mean to fight? I thought you said your father feared to stand against the prince. This could be a good thing, Sirius. If the prince kills him...."
It won't be my father who faces him.
And everything he'd been trying to avoid—to sidestep the moment when he would have to make stand against Rurik—seemed to come rushing at him.
"Rurik doesn't stand a chance," he snapped. Had she not been listening to him? "Stellan and Amadea don't intend for this to be a battle. It will be a trap."
"Then what are we going to do?"
He yanked his belt loose and snapped open his trousers. "We need to beat them there. If I can bring Árdís back, then perhaps we can avert this. They mean to kill her unless she is... brought to heel."
"Mated, you mean," she whispered.
"There is no other way."
If only there was.... Sirius reached for her, but Malin withdrew subtly. Sirius's outstretched fingers curled into a fist. He'd lost her, before he'd ever truly had a chance to have her.
"I'm sorry."
Malin drew a steady breath. "I know. I know you don't want this either." She bit her lip. "If only we'd made a decision earlier."
But they hadn't.
He needed to make Árdís listen to him.
He needed to convince her to accept their mating contract.
No matter what the cost.
20
