Page 14 of Master of Storms
“Not now,” he whispered. “You’re right. I feel like someone just dipped me in slime, and my magic’s never reacted like this before.”
Those dark eyes considered him.
And then she nodded and stopped biting him.
“If I let you go, will you promise not to attack me?”
The arch of her brow held shades of condescension.
“Until morning,” he amended. “Or until we’ve discovered what just entered this building.”
“I promise I won’t kill you until morning breaks,” Solveig purred.
And adrekicouldn’t lie.
Marduk took his knife from his hip sheath and sliced through her ropes. They fell to the floor in a slithery rasp, and Solveig stood, rubbing at her wrists. He tossed her the pair of leather leggings that she must have kicked off before she slipped beneath her blankets.
Her fist balled, but he caught it, leaning close enough to whisper in her ear. “Don’t think I didn’t notice the precise implications of your statement. Later. You can hit me later. Right now, I’m the only ally you have.”
3
Marduk slipped down the stairs ahead of Solveig, his broad shoulders blocking the light. For such a large male, he moved with a silent grace that surprised her.
Must have been all the bedrooms he’d stolen out of over the years.
Solveig followed him like a wraith on the prowl. She couldn’t sense whatever was making his skin crawl, but the way the intruder had tripped her alarms made her wary enough to work with him.
For tonight.
Tomorrow…. She was going to work her way through the implications of his apology tomorrow.
“Where is thedreki?” someone crooned, and the sound of that voice lilting up the stairwell made her skin tingle. “We know he came in here. We saw him enter. We just want to know where he is.”
“D-dreki?” The innkeeper stammered. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We are good, honest Christian folk in here and—”
A scream echoed.
Solveig caught Marduk’s wrist, and he flashed her a heated look over his shoulder.
“Someone you know?” she mouthed.
He shook his head.
“How many?”
Marduk flashed a white smile. His shrug said it didn’t matter, and then he was tearing his wrist free of her grip and jogging down the stairs as if he had not a care in the world.
Cursed maledrekididn’t know the benefits of subterfuge. There was some sort of innate battle within them that dictated that slipping out the back window until they could discover just what they were facing was impossible. They were all rage and full-frontal assault, alpha males who waded into uneven odds as if the concept they might be the prey here was simply unthinkable.
“I swear…,” she whispered under her breath as she drew the knife he’d returned to her.
And then she followed him, because someone had to save his neck.
Nobody was going to steal her kill.
“Now, what were you saying?” the stranger laughed. “Something about… he went upstairs and he’s—”
“He’s standing right here,” Marduk called, as he sauntered with all the arrogance he could muster into the common room of the inn. “Who are you? And what do you want?”
