Page 51 of Master of Storms
Draco had overthrown his father and twin brother, and Solveig saw echoes of his uncle imprinted in his face. A certain coldness was chiseled about his mouth, and his eyes were glacial.
He was… gorgeous.
Ice-blond hair. Gray eyes. A firm, stubbled jaw that hinted that the male himself would be no easy spirit to tame.
But all she could see was his uncle.
All she could hear was her mother screaming.
Herdrekisurfaced.
Kill him, it whispered.
Not now,she replied, trying to force her knuckles to remain lax on the reins of her horse.
This was merely a habitual reaction to a male who reminded her of her mother’s killer. It wouldn’t rule her. She could contain the hissing snarl within her chest.
“TheZilittucourt offers welcome to its cousins,” called a young woman who sauntered out of the castle to stand beside Draco. Viveka of the Northern Mists, if she wasn’t mistaken. Draco’s younger sister.
A handsome blond warrior moved to stand beside the king. Rune, by her guess. The younger brother. Interesting that the three of them stood together against Scorpius.
And there was their warlord, Talon, scowling moodily at the Blackfrost and Marduk, as they entered the bailey.
A full Stormshadow accompaniment.
“I am Draco,” the king said, moving toward her with eerie intensity as if the rest of them didn’t exist. “Welcome to theZilittucourt,” he purred, capturing Solveig’s hand and lifting it to his lips. “You are most… welcome.”
Once again, the killing edge arose to choke her.
10
Solveig watched the king like a hawk as Draco moved around the dining hall, greeting the members of their party with urbane charm and offering them the delights of theZilittubanquet table.
“Do you want me to fetch a shovel?” Marduk whispered in her ear, deliberately stroking her hand. They sat together in a corner of the hall, and while he’d finished his entire meal, she’d barely had the appetite for hers.
Solveig blinked back into the here and now. “What?”
“The way you’re looking at the king makes me think I might need to start digging a grave for him. I’m not certain whether to be jealous or not. You’ve only ever looked atmethat way before.”
“It’s nothing.” Solveig swiftly glanced down at her plate. The roasted quail had tasted delicious, but she couldn’t for the life of her stir any interest in it, even as she stabbed a piece of it with her fork. “He reminds me of someone I used to know.”
“Someone you disliked?”
There was a hard lump in her throat.
She didn’t want to do this right now. Putting her fork down, she scrunched her linens into a ball and looked at him. “What is this sudden interest in my life?”
“It’s not sudden,” he replied, reaching over to steal a piece of carrot from her plate. “I’ve always been interested in you. You’re a mystery, Solveig. I want to solve it. I always have.”
Oh, that was a lie.“So you can use it against me? I think not.” She smiled coldly. “Knowledge is power.”
He stared at her for a long time.
“Knowledgeisa powerful thing,” he conceded. “To know someone so truly is to understand them. To connect with them. Tell me a secret. Something you’ve never told a singledrekibefore.”
Solveig drained her glass of wine. “Why would I? You’re my….”
And then she stopped, because she wasn’t quite certain what he was anymore.
