Page 97 of Storm of Fury
Tomorrow, Marduk would stand before theSaduclan and pledge his troth to one of the daughters of King Harald. Tomorrow, if he chose the path Bryn thought he might, then Solveig would seek bloodied vengeance.
And Tormund would be there.
She knew it as well as she knew her own name.
She’d seen him lift his axe many a time to intervene for the helpless. He wouldn’t merely watch matters play out, he would try to stop it, if he could.
Bryn swallowed the lump in her throat, carefully folding the confession and tucking it into the small pouch hanging at her throat.
Try as she might to bury the past between them, she knew, in the depths of her heart, that the pair of themweren’tfinished yet.
Only when Tormund was safely clear of this entire mess could she tip her chin in farewell and walk away without a heavy heart. She owed him that.
Which meant she was once more going to stand in Solveig’s path.
Fuck.
Nineteen
A choice between three daughters.
Marduk bowed his head before the king. Tormund had caught his arm in the hallway outside and told him they needed time. And yet, he was running out of chances to escape. He needed to find Ishtar before it was too late, but it felt like Fate stood before him, blocking his path at every turn.
"Choose," Harald said. "And there shall be no war between our clans.”
The knot in Marduk's gut tightened as he considered the threedrekiprincesses before him.
Sweet Aslaug, with her golden hair and the way she nibbled on her lip as she glanced at him from beneath her lashes. She smiled when she saw she'd caught his attention, and he knew he'd find welcome there.
And a quiet demand.
A mate who would insist upon his presence.
One who would require more of him than he had to give. It made him a little queasy. Marduk’s restless heart yearned to keep moving. He'd never been able to settle, more so now he knew what lay out there in the world. And yet Aslaug bore the look of a woman who desired a hearth and home and littledrekibabies.
Lotsof littledrekibabies.
His lungs clenched in his chest, as if the mere thought could suffocate him.
To her left knelt fair Siv, who studiously avoided his gaze, her red hair knotted into a tight braid. Tension limned her shoulders, but he caught the brief flicker of her gaze, before her eyes darted away again.Not me, not me, not me, her very posture shouted.
And right at the end, Solveig.
Raven of hair and heart—and glaring at him so fiercely he felt thedrekigrowl within him at the challenge he saw in her face. It had always been like that between them; a battle of wills. Defiance. Neither of them able to step away from a challenge. It was what had made him leave in such a hurry, for their last encounter had left him wondering if she was going to kill him, or... something else. He caught himself before he took a step toward her, but the king's eyes narrowed as he noted the shift of Marduk's weight.
The brush of her mind slid over his like the flutter of faint wings. Marduk opened his psychic shields.
"Don't you dare look at me like that. If you choose me, I swear I shall spend the rest of my life making you regret it,"Solveig growled.
He couldn't help himself:"Somewhat arrogant of you to presume I'd even look your way. And I already regret meeting you."
"Trust me. You know nothing of regret. Yet."
He returned his attention to Aslaug.
Sweet. Willing. Gentle.
Practicallybeamingunder his perusal.
