Page 139 of Storm of Fury
“We have to stop her.” Marduk cut through the air beside him indrekiform.
“Agreed.”
“Where did the Keepers go?”
“If they’re lucky, they have fled.”
“And if not?”
“Then I’ll kill them.”
* * *
They landed justoutside the circle, taking care not to startle thedrekiprincess inside as they shifted back into mortal form. Sirius caught a glimpse of his mother soaring in slow circles above them with herdrekicohort, but as long as she didn’t interfere, she wasn’t his problem.
Ishtar traced shimmering green shapes in the air in front of each of the twelve rune stones with her finger. As she finished each figure, it flared a brilliant green for a second, before the corresponding rune carved deep into the stone lit up.
They weren’t the only ones there.
Both Keepers stalked the outside of the circle, as if they too were wary of entering. The largest one saw him, and Sirius smiled. “This one is mine.”
“Can you take them both?” Marduk demanded. “I’ll stop Ishtar from opening the circle, before she links both worlds.”
It was a surprisingly smart option from the reckless prince. “Get her out of here. I’ll take care of the Keepers.”
The prince stepped between the stones with a hiss of sparks coruscating over his skin.
Sirius’s knuckles cracked as he flexed his hands. In the distance, thunder rumbled as the storm answered his mood. Any conflagration of power from alldrekiinvolved could set off a monumental storm of epic proportions if they weren’t careful.
The two warriors spread out, spears held low. He needed no weapons. Hewasthe weapon, and as the storm clouds brewed behind him, he saw it in their faces.
Opening his Third Eye, Sirius focused in on their hearts, beating like gold drums before him. Thin gold filaments spun away from their chests, carrying life through their veins. All it would take would be a single thought to start freezing those pumping organs and—
The flows merely parted around the otherdrekiand unraveled into the winds. He couldn’t feel their hearts, couldn’t taste the ice on his tongue. It was as if his magic ceased to exist.
Voids.
The youngest Keeper shot him a savage smile. “Something wrong, Blackfrost?”
So be it. Sirius settled into a defensive stance. He’d always wanted to fight a Void. “Nothing particularly bothering. We’ll just have to do this the old-fashioned way.”
“Be careful,” his mother warned. “Vadim has never been beaten in combat, and he’s twice as ruthless as his brother, Illarion. But they work together. Always. And that is where their strength lies. Take down one and you will beat them both. Vadim is the eldest, and he favors his right side slightly.”
It wasn’t as though he needed her help.
“I can defeat anyone,” he snapped, before dissolving the psychic link.
The one he assumed was Vadim lunged forward, his spear snaking to the right. Sirius dodged, but Illarion was slicing in from the left. He whirled, capturing the shaft of Illarion’s spear and driving it toward his brother. It narrowly missed Vadim’s chest.
The pair of them broke away, sharing a glance.
“Did you think I earned my reputation purely via my magic?” he sneered, holding out his hand, palm up, and then mockingly encouraging them with his fingers.
“I’m going to spit on your grave,” Vadim said, and the pair of them moved forward together.
This time they didn’t underestimate him. This time they both struck at once, and it was all he could do to keep himself from bleeding. He twisted and spun, using his forearms to divert their blows.
But Vadim snuck under his guard, the blade of his spear slicing through the muscle in his thigh. And as Sirius grunted and staggered, Illarion’s spear glanced off his ribs.
