Page 110 of Master of Storms
She was almost trembling with fear.
Marduk rested his hands on her shoulders. “Malin is fine. Solveig’s working with Andromeda to see if she can convince Draco to release them.”
“Don’t trust him.” Elin grabbed his sleeve, wearing her heart in her eyes. “He’s planned all of this! He’s trying to get rid of his queen, and if he plants the seeds then he can have her murdered and lay the blame on our court, with none of her family the wiser.”
Marduk drew back. “Draco’s planned this?” He frowned. “That’s ridiculous. His wife and sister are—”
“Chaos-wielders,” Elin snapped. “Do you think it a mere happenstance? He and his sister are behind everything. They wish to rid themselves of Andromeda. You know it’s a mating forged by political means. Neither of them wish to remain handfasted after the terms of their mating contract is over, but to strike the mating asunder means Draco must return what her family gave him as dowry, and he wants to keep the key.”
“Where did you hear all of this?”
Elin gave a little shrug and a bitter smile. “I’m but a drekling, my prince. I’m invisible to the eyes of thedreki, in this court and any other court. Nobody ever looks at drekling for long enough. You hear all sorts of things.”
He scrubbed at his mouth. He’d sent Solveig there in good faith, certain that her father’s name would grant her safety.
What if he’d made a mistake?
She’s fine. If there’s anyone who can handle themselves in this treacherous court, it’s Solveig.
Still…. “It can’t be Draco. Why would he let his people die?”
“I don’t know.” She bit her lip. “But doesn’t it seem too much of a coincidence?”
Maybe it wasn’t his mother, back from the dead.
Maybe it was nothing more than some unfathomable plot dredged within theZilittuking’s mind. Draco had overthrown his father, uncle, and twin brother, after all.
Or maybe he wanted to think that.
It would be far too easy to let his emotions toward thedrekiking sway him, but as he’d claimed to Solveig, he wasn’t ruled by his urges to kill.
And that didn’t explain the death of Marthe.
Or the shattered emerald necklace.
“Solveig can handle herself,” he said, more to himself than to Elin. “We’ll wait and see what Draco has to say to her. Have you seen Andri?”
“If we wait, then it’s too late,” Elin said, her eyes darting over her shoulder as if she was afraid to say anything too loudly. “Andri knows where the key is. He’s gone to secure it. I think that was what he wanted to tell you. He sent me back to tell Malin and Árdís, and then this all happened.”
“The key?” That changed everything.
“Please, Marduk.” She bit her lip. “We have to help him. If we have the key, then we can rescue the others.”
Fuck. If Andri truly was housing his mother’s spirit, and she got her hands on the key…. “Where is it?”
“It’s not in the castle. Ishtar said she could feel it pulling her toward the north. There’s a set of caves nearby. They call it the Abyss, and it’s where their Chaos-wielders go to worship the goddess and their magic. It’s a sacred place, forbidden to mostdreki. Nobody goes there.”
To rescue the key—a creation that could win the war against thealfarbefore it was begun? Or his sister and their company?
Damn it. He could handle Andri by himself. His magic was far superior to his cousin’s.
He needed to get his mother’s wraith as far away from the others as he could, before she could hurt anyone else. Amadea wouldn’t know about his connection to Ishtar. And she’d think Solveig would leave him there to die.
“Solveig will find me,” he murmured as he picked up the glowing emerald. “Where is this Abyss?”
20
One of Draco’s warriors entered the throne room, passing a slip of paper to the king.
