Page 124 of Master of Storms
Árdís knelt in front of him. “Do you want her, Marduk?”
“There’s always been lust and longing, but it wasn’t until I was in that cave, listening to her scream, that I realized I would do anything—give my own life—to make sure she survived.” He took a shuddering breath. “Do I want her? Yes. Desperately.”
And he wanted there to be more to it than mere need.
He wanted what his brother and sister had.
Árdís sighed under her breath. “Then be with her, Marduk. There doesn’t have to be anything more to it than that.”
But for the first time in his life, he yearned for it.
* * *
“You were right,”Marduk told his brother, staring into the flames in the hearth. “Mother’s still here.”
And then he explained everything that had happened at the abyss to Rurik and theZinidelegation who had gathered in his room.
There was a solemn silence once he’d finished.
Sirius broke it. “Fuck,” he snarled, kicking the chair he’d been resting his hand upon. “Fuck.” And then he turned to Malin. “You’re—”
“Don’t you even dare,” Malin said, pushing to her feet with her eyes blazing. “That is mysister. I am not going to tuck tail and run, just because the queen bears you a vendetta and will probably do her best to kill me. Elin has been there for me at every moment of my life.” She pressed her fingertips to her temples. “I knew something was wrong with her. Iknewit. But the queen… she played such a good part. Elin always longed to fly, and after I becamedrekiI couldn’t help but feel guilty that she had not. I thought it was just that.”
Árdís wrapped an arm around Malin’s shoulders. “My mother is evil,” she said, squeezing the shorter woman. “But she is also cunning and she knows how to twist anotherdrekiin knots of guilt. It’s not your fault. A great many things have happened to you over the past six months, and along with your transformation, it made sense for there to be resentments.”
Malin’s brown eyes gleamed with unshed tears. “I cannot believe how selfish I’ve been….”
Árdís shot Sirius ahug-her-you-idiot-and-stop-being-an-overprotective-Neanderthalkind of look and then pushed the pretty youngdrekiinto his arms.
Marduk turned back to the fire, where he could just make out his brother’s amber eyes in the flames. “You’re quiet.”
“I’m thinking,” Rurik sighed, and then he turned his attention upon Sirius. “If she’s working with thealfar, then you need to get that key back and get those gates closed. Now.” He swore under his breath, “Marduk?”
“Yes?” Marduk straightened.
“This is no longer a singledrekicourt’s problems. Harald needs to know. And you need to alert Draco. I’m coming to Norway.”
“That is aterribleidea,” Árdís exploded. “TheZilittuare playing games with us.”
“TheZilittuare always playing games,” Rurik replied grimly. “But unless Draco wants to be curtsying to the king of Álfheimr, then he needs to set aside any past grievances and work with me. Organize it.”
Marduk scrubbed at his jaw. “I may not be the bestdrekifor this job. Draco and I….”
“Then become the bestdrekifor this job,” Rurik snarled. “Freyja and I arrive in two days. Make sure our path is cleared.”
* * *
Marduk foundthe king atop the tower.
Draco rested both hands on the battlements and stared down into the evening dusk. He was so absorbed in whatever he was watching that he flinched slightly when Marduk came within reach of him.
“If I was a different sort ofdreki, then you would be dead, Your Highness,” Marduk noted, leaning on the battlements and trying to see what had caught the king’s attention.
Andromeda and Viveka were shooting at targets in the bailey. Viveka—as entrancing as she was—wasn’t what had caught thedrekiking’s attention. Andromeda threw her head back and laughed, and even from here the sound of it floated.
Ah. Marduk’s eyebrows rose. A great many things suddenly made sense. “I see I’m not the only one you’re trying to stir jealousy within.”
Draco cut him a scathing look. “What are you doing here?”
