Page 59 of Storm of Fury
“Do you ever grow weary of being so sanctimonious?” Elin curled her lip as she swished past Malin. “I know I do.”
Malin gaped after her. “Elin!”
Elin slid her hand along one of the glass cases, staring at the jewels a little dreamily. “Ever since you mated with that overgrown piece of filth, you’ve changed.”
“I’vechanged?” This was not the sister she’d grown up with. Malin drew herself up firmly. “And Sirius isnotfilth. He’s the very reason this court broke free of Amadea’s poison.”
“Mmm.” Elin’s smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. “I’ll have to thank him for that one day. And the role he played in Amadea’s death. The Blackfrost. Theheroof the court.”
Malin stared after her helplessly. She’d known Elin remained wary of Sirius, but she’d hoped that her sister’s feelings would have softened by now, once she came to know him. Therealhim.
“Go back to the fancy chambers you share with the Blackfrost,” Elin told her coldly. “And don’t worry about Father. I think I’ll have a little chat with him myself. He does tell me everything, after all. Maybe I can discover the new queen’s little secret?”
Malin stared at her sister, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “Don’t bother. I wish I’d never mentioned it.” Turning around, she snapped her fingers and extinguished the fire ball, plunging them into a near darkness so Elin couldn’t see her tears. “And take Amadea’s necklace off. You’re even beginning to sound like her, and I’d much prefer to have my sister back.”
* * *
Sirius stared into the night.
“You’re bothered,” Tormund said. “By what Marduk said about his mother.”
“Marduk was always slightly strange,” Sirius replied, his dark hair fluttering in the breeze. “Rurik was his father’s son, but Árdís and Marduk held some of their mother’s gifts. And now Árdís can wield Chaos magic, and Marduk can hear its call.”
“And he thinks he can still hear Amadea’s magic calling to him.” Tormund sank down onto his haunches. He didn’t entirely understand what had happened during the coup within theZiniclan—there’d been far too much magic being slung around, and he’d been sent to rescue Sirius from the bowels of the court dungeon. He hadn’t seen Queen Amadea die, though he’d heard of how Sirius dueled her. “Could it be possible she survived?”
Thedrekiwarlord’s face hardened. “No. I killed her. I know I did. I stood over that bonfire and warmed my hands while her body burned. It was the second-best moment of my life.”
“Every now and then you say something that reminds me of how dangerous you are.” Tormund shook his head. “Even if you’re mostly as soft and cuddly as a child’s bear.”
Sirius shot him a hard look, but he was clearly troubled for his gaze returned to the horizon. “If there’s even a chance shedidsomehow survive, then she would want revenge.”
Malin.
Sirius was thinking of Malin.
“She’s safe,” Tormund replied. “She’s at court, with Rurik and Árdís to watch over her.”
“When has that ever stopped Amadea?”
“You’re the one who says she’s dead. I’m fairly certain death would stop her.”
“Not necessarily.” Sirius stared bleakly into the night. “Amadea was a powerful practitioner of Chaos magic, and there are few of us who truly understand the limits of such power. If we’re lucky when we die, the mother goddess allows our spirits to ride the horizon each night for the rest of eternity, though the rest of us are absorbed back into the colossal body. If anyone’s spirit was going to escape the goddess’s judgement, then it would be hers.”
Tormund clapped a hand on his back. He didn’t believe in borrowing trouble, but he was fairly certain Sirius wouldn’t sleep at all until he’d investigated. “I don’t understand Chaos magic ordrekimyth, but I do know that bitch wouldn’t hesitate to curse you with her dying breath—or do anything to take revenge upon her son, Rurik. If it’s possible she could have somehow survived, then I think you need to investigate.”
“We’ve just found the prince.”
“And the three of us can get him home,” he told thedrekiwarlord. “We don’t need you watching over us for the rest of our journey like some mother hen, albeit one with excellent hair and an evil smirk. ”
“Trying to get rid of me?” Sirius sneered.
“You’ve grown on me, I’ll admit.” Tormund sobered. “My cousin spent seven years in the depths of hell, pining for the wife he thought he’d lost. If anything happens to Árdís now, he may never recover. And I like your wife and her sister and your brother…. I don’t know why, but I just feel that there’s something more to Amadea’s death than there appears.”
Sirius stared toward the north-east. “So do I. I’ll leave in the morning.” He sighed. “You’re an annoying little gnat, but you have a good heart, Tormund.”
“Did you… just admit that you like me?”
A baleful glare almost incinerated him. “Don’t push your luck,” the prince snarled, shoving to his feet.
