Last Dragon Standing (42 page)

“One day,” she went on, “
I’ll
be leading Annwyl’s armies into battle.

But thank you so very much for your faith in me.” She stood and tried to stomp off, but Celyn placed one hand on the lakeside dirt and reached up with the other, catching her arm and holding her there.

Éibhear’s hands turned into fists when he thought his cousin might just be going over the edge from being pushy to downright forceful. He wouldn’t let him force Izzy into anything.

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, Izzy. I didn’t mean to.” Izzy took in several deep breaths before she crouched down next to the lake. “I never lied to you, Celyn,” she said. “I never promised you something I couldn’t give.”

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”

“Both. I won’t let anything get between me and what I want. I told you that from the beginning. You said you understood.”

“I do, but I never said I’d like it.”

“Not liking it sounds like your problem. Not mine.” And the teasing was back in her voice, the smile back on her face.

“You’d think you’d at least
try
to make me feel better,” Celyn complained.

“I thought you were here to make
me
feel better.” 278

“You’re right. That is why I’m here.” Celyn scrambled out of the water, the duke’s daughter gasping a little when she saw his naked human body lit by the moon overhead. But all Éibhear could think was that Celyn was naked and Izzy was alone with him.

Laughing, Izzy made a weak attempt to run, but Celyn caught her and pulled her into his arms, holding her against him.

“You’re getting my gown wet, and it’s not even mine!”

“I’ll get you another.”

“With what? You have no money.”

“I’ll steal some from Brannie.”

“And she’ll rip your scales off.”

“Will you nurse me back to health?”

“No. I’ll let you suffer. It’s wrong to steal from your own sister.”

“Come on, Iz,” Celyn practically begged, and Éibhear slowly rose up, ready to tear the pushy bastard apart for trying to force Izzy to do what she’d never done before when she wasn’t ready to…

“Don’t make me wait any longer. It’s been weeks since we’ve been alone.”

“Days, you big whiner.” She giggled, Celyn nibbling on her neck, while the puppy wandered off to the woods as if to give them some privacy.

A thought that absolutely horrified Éibhear. “We almost got caught that last time too.”

Caught? Caught doing what exactly?

“The last thing I heard,” Celyn said, “was my mother. ‘Iseabail, Daughter of Talaith and Briec, what are you doing out here naked?’ And your fast-thinking reply of, ‘Uhhhh.’”

Laughing hard now, Izzy put her arms around Celyn’s neck and brought her legs up and wrapped them around his waist. “I didn’t know what to say!”

“Well.” He stared at her lips. “We’re alone now, Iseabail, Daughter of Talaith and Briec, and my mother is still miles away. You going to keep me waiting?”

“Not tonight, no.”

She kissed him, and it was definitely not the kiss of some innocent who was desperately trying to hold on to her virginity.

Éibhear turned away, unable to watch a second more. He needed to be away from here. Far away. And he was halfway down the ridge before the duke’s daughter caught up with him. He’d forgotten all about her, and she’d been right next to him.

“Are you all right?”

279

“Aye. Sorry. I need to get back.”

“Oh.” She looked disappointed, but he couldn’t help her with that right now. Instead the most he could do was walk her back to her guest quarters and leave her to the care of her servants.

“Tell me, Lord Ragnar,” Keita said low, as she circled behind him.

“Have you ever had a Southland She-dragon’s mouth on your cock?” Ragnar locked his knees, cleared his throat. “No. I haven’t had that.”

“Would you like to?”

Gods, yes!
“I wouldn’t mind.”

Keita chuckled and backed away from him. “Then you best come for me, my lord. So you can
come
for me.” Her chuckle turned into a laugh, and she walked off into the thinning crowd. Ragnar started off after her, but he suddenly had three long-haired freaks in his way.

“You enjoying our sister, Lightning?” Fearghus asked him.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Do you really think you can hide what you’re doing with our baby sister from us?” Briec demanded.

And Gwenvael tossed in a “Yeah!” But when Ragnar raised a brow, he added, “Just trying to help.”

“We all know,” Ragnar explained, “that there is nothing I can say at this moment that will prevent my pummeling. So I will have to use alternative means.”

Briec, another who had, at least for a time, walked the path of Magick, cracked his knuckles. He most likely looked forward to a good mage battle right here in the Blood Queen’s hall.

Too bad for them he had other options. “Talaith?” Ragnar called out.

“You bastard,” Briec hissed at him, and Gwenvael laughed.

“He’s good.”

The beautiful human witch walked over. “What’s wrong?” He leaned in and whispered, “I’m off for a secret rendezvous with Keita, but her brothers blocked my way. Can you help me?” Fearghus stared at him with his mouth open. “Gods, you are
such
a bastard!”

“What is wrong with all of you?” Talaith demanded. “Why can’t you leave him alone? He’s so sweet!”

“Gods, Briec,” Gwenvael noted, “she’s been drinking.”

“Not really,” Talaith argued. “I only had two glasses of wine.” But she held up four fingers when she said that. To help her, Ragnar folded down her pinky and ring finger. “That is sooooo sweet. You are sooooo 280

sweet.” Then she turned on the three Fire Breathers blocking his way. “
You
leave him alone!
”

Eternally grateful to Dagmar Reinholdt for the helpful tip on how to handle Keita’s brothers, Ragnar walked around them and headed out the way Keita had. Once outside, he sniffed the air and caught her scent. He started off after her, tracking her past dog kennels and horse stables. He knew when he neared Keita, her wonderful scent growing strong. But he stopped short and quickly stepped back into the shadow of an empty guard house.

She was hugging two older dragons in human form, both wearing long brown cloaks. One was a Blue, the other a Red.

“Elders Gillivray and Lailoken! How good to see you both!”

“My lady, please,” one said. “Keep your voice down.”

“Oh.” Keita briefly covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry.” She stepped closer. “Is there a problem?”

“Not a problem. Not really,” one said.

“Although we are glad to have you back at home. Where you belong.

With your people.”

“And I am glad to be back.” She glared at the castle. “Although my mother doesn’t make it easy for me to stay.” Her face a study in concern, she caught the hand of each Elder and said, “I heard about the unfortunate event with Elder Eanruig. I am
so
sorry.”

“Thankfully, neither of us was there to witness it, my lady.”

“Nor I.” She shook her head. “Still.
Such
a tragedy. He’s always been so loyal to our kind and the House of Gwalchmai fab Gwyar.” Ragnar’s eyes crossed. Gods! Did the royal Southland names have to be so complicated? “I was shocked and, I must admit, disturbed when I heard what happened.” She took a deep breath. “I’m afraid to ask, but…was my mother behind it?”

“There is no evidence of that, my lady,” one of them said in a low voice.

“I didn’t ask if you had evidence, Elders. What does your gut tell you?”

“What does your gut tell
you
, princess?” the other pushed.

She let out a breath and briefly gazed off. “You both know me well enough to know what
I
think. My mother’s loathing of Elder Eanruig was known to any in earshot, and as you know, Elder Gillivray”—she motioned to the old blue dragon—“I’ve never understood that. He was always so sweet to me. So honest and sincere. And quite protective.”

“The blood in you, princess, clearly flows from your grandmother’s veins.” The red dragon—Elder Lailoken, Ragnar supposed—grinned. “She would have adored you more than words can say.” 281

“It hurts me I was never able to meet her. From what I’ve heard, she and I would have much in common.”

“You do, princess.” Lailoken stepped in closer. “And that is something that you’ll need to remember in the coming months. Something that you must never forget.”

“Why?” Keita asked, her eyes wide in apparent confusion.

The two Elders looked at each other, Lailoken nodding at Gillivray.

“It’s time, princess,” Gillivray explained softly, “for you to start thinking about your future among your people—and claiming your rightful place on the throne.”

Keita’s head lowered the slightest bit while her brown gaze swept the empty courtyard around her. When she was done, she leaned in a bit, her fingers carefully brushing her dark red hair behind her ear. “My
royal
blood connection to my grandmother is something that I never have and never will forget, my great lords. But I do have grave concerns over the safety of my father and my brothers—”

Lailoken raised his free hand to stop her. “There is no need to fear there. In fact, if your mother understands that change is for the better, I’m sure something beneficial to all can be worked out.”

“But how?”

“Don’t worry about that. We’re not in this alone, you see. And we’ve made sure our…friends are well aware of what your concerns and demands might be.”

“And who are these friends, my lords?”

“That will come out in time. For now, my lady, you simply need to understand that your chance for true glory and power is nearly upon you.

Are you ready for that?”

Keita nodded her head and stepped back. She glanced around again before saying, quite simply, “Proceed as you wish, my lords. I am ready for whatever the world has in store for me. Now go…with my blessing.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

The two males bowed low before the princess, and she returned the gesture with nothing more than a small bow of her head. Without another word, she walked off, heading toward one of the fields surrounding the human queen’s stronghold. Once she was gone, the two Elders stared hard at each other before they turned away and headed off in opposite directions.

Keita stood and stared off at nothing but trees and more trees, her hands tight in front of her, her breath coming out in short pants. When Ragnar found her, he didn’t touch her.

282

“Keita?”

“They dare approach me so close to my kin? They dare come
here
to do it? I thought they’d send for me. Or send some messenger.”

“They’re feeling safe.”

“They shouldn’t. They shouldn’t feel safe at all.”

“Keita—”

“I should have struck them down when I had the chance. I should have alerted Fearghus. He would have torn them to pieces before they could ever hope to fly away.”

“And what purpose would that have served?”

Keita closed her eyes, trying hard to control her rage. “They approached me
here
, Ragnar, with my kin no more than a few hundred feet away.”

“You need to get control,” he said calmly. “You need to remember why we’re doing this. Why we’re taking this risk.” Ragnar was right. If she let her rage loose now, she could ruin everything. Gillivray and Lailoken were minor players in this game.

Puppets, who would probably be killed long before any real fighting began.

She didn’t think they wanted war either, but that’s what would happen before Queen Rhiannon ever gave up her throne. Yet Keita still held out hope that she could stop a war. That she could stop the Irons. That she could stop them all.

It took her a moment, but she realized her breathing had returned to normal, her hands no longer clenched tight, and her body no longer shaking.

Ragnar also held her now, his arm around her waist, his cheek pressed into the back of her head. He’d soothed her growing rage with only that.

“You need to tell your mother,” Ragnar reminded her.

“Not yet.”

“Keita, you promised.”

“I know, but I was actually lying to her.”

“You’re going to test her patience.”

“My mother has no patience. But I do. We wait to tell her. This has not played out yet, warlord. Not yet.”

Finally smiling, she reminded him, “I made you promises for tonight.”

“And they can wait.”

Understanding deep in her soul that time was short, she knew that nothing that could ever mean anything to her could wait.

283

Keita turned in his arms, her body much too close. Too close if he was going to be the bigger dragon here.

“That’s very sweet of you,” she said.

“I’m known for being very sweet.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I could be.”

“No, you couldn’t.” She giggled. “But I like you despite all that.”

“Thank you. That’s good to know.”

Her hands slid around his waist, her leg wrapping around his calf.

“You hold yourself back from me.”

“I do.”

“Why?”

“Why give you everything when you made it clear you will not take it?”

She shook her head. “I don’t understand you Lightnings. The first female you meet, you’re ready to settle down and have little hatchlings with.”

“No, Keita.” He brought his hands up and cradled her face. “It’s not that easy. You are hardly the first female I’ve met. Definitely not the first female I’ve bedded. But you are the first who’s truly caught my interest.

Who’s truly enticed me.”

“It won’t last. Every male gets bored.”

“For Lightnings, life is too hard to allow for boredom. And only a fool would get bored around the females we’ve been known to choose. One gets bored, one lets one’s guard down—and wakes up the next morning with a throbbing headache and a missing back claw.”

“That’s a lovely story.”

“Tragically, for one of my cousins…it’s a fact.” She snorted, briefly buried her head into his chest. “As entertaining a fact as that is, I’m thinking of you.”

“Are you?”

She patted his shoulder and stepped over to a nearby tree. “I can’t do it, you see.”