Page 49 of Storm of Fury
“Leave her alone. She’s suffered enough.”
“God’s piss, you sound just like your brother. I’m not going tohurther.” Sirius shook his head, then turned back to the volcano. “You have his talent for throwing yourself headlong into trouble too. Look.”
There on the horizon were dozens of shapes soaring toward them. Behind them, fire spurted from the volcano in gushes.
“I think they took exception with us destroying their home.” Tormund shook his head. What the hell were they going to do now? There had to be at least twelvedrekion the winds, and only two at his side. Without the ballista he and Haakon had once used to hunt dragons, they were practically defenseless.
“We didn’t destroy the court,” Marduk replied. “Drekicourts exist within Chaos-bubbles that are reached via a portal. Didn’t you feel us pass through the portal when we burst through the opening?”
Tormund shuddered. “I think I was concentrating on trying not to shit my pants. I didn’t think we were going to fit.”
“It felt like water splashing over my skin,” Bryn admitted. “A shock of icy water.”
“The court is fine,” Marduk said. “I think they’re taking exception to our presence within it, and our extraction of Ishtar.” He spread his arms. “Sirius and I will—”
“You’ll do nothing. You’ll only be a hindrance. Get your sister and these other fools out of here,” Sirius snapped, golden light shimmering around him as he spread his arms. “I’ll deal with this mess.”
Behind him, distant thunder rumbled.
And with a flash of golden light, Sirius erupted intodrekiform and launched himself into the skies.
“Well, fuck,” Haakon muttered. “Those were his last pair of trousers.”
“I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about who’s going to cover his bare ass,” Tormund muttered. “Twelve against one? He’ll never survive.”
“Don’t discount him,” Marduk called, watching the storm brewing in the distance. “My cousin once cut twentydrekiwarriors from the skies by himself. If there is anyone they might fear, it’s the Blackfrost.”
* * *
A storm rolledacross the skies, thunder shivering through the air as the Blackfrost flapped his way toward his enemies. It seemed like madness. And as much as Tormund didn’t want to admit it, he was a little worried about the bastard.
“He’ll be fine,” Bryn told him, hauling their packs into the center of the clearing. “I’ve heard rumors of his might. The Bavariandrekiclans whisper tales of him to their kits, warning them never to stir his wrath.”
“Of course, he’ll be fine,” he scoffed. “Who would worry about the Blackfrost?”
The slightest smile touched her lips. “Only a mother hen.”
“I am a dangerous warrior. Renowned for my might and feared in battle.”
Bryn rolled her eyes. “Cluck. Cluck. Cluck.”
Ash began to rain down, obscuring their vision. But as Sirius cut like a scythe through the approaching battalion, Tormund saw severaldrekipeel off from the flank.
“Shit.” His hand settled on his axe. “I think we’re going to have company very shortly.”
“Can we outrun them?” Haakon called to Marduk.
“Maybe.” Marduk’s features tightened in a feral mask. “I’m fast, but the four of you will weigh me down. And carrying you will prevent me from any aerial dynamics. They’ll shred my wings if they’ve any sense, and I won’t be able to stop them.”
And then all four of them would be nothing more than a smear on the rocks.
“I vote we stay right here on good, solid ground,” Tormund called.
Bryn looked around. “There,” she said, pointing to a jumble of rocks. “We make our stand there, where they can’t come at us from behind.”
“I like the way you think.” He pushed her toward the rocks. “I’ll get the princess. Haakon?”
His cousin was tearing through the packs, hauling out the enormous crossbow he carried with him. Snapping the limbs of the bow into place, he inserted the grappling hook and attached a wheel that was wound with thin steel cord. “I’ll cover the skies.”
