Talaith covered her face and sighed. What exactly did her mother tell her the seven signs of madness were? Well, a dragon talking to his own shaft had to be one of them.
* * *
“Are you going to answer any questions this evening?”
“No.” She wouldn’t even look at him. For her, he’d shifted to human when they’d first arrived and had remained that way ever since. Yet still she wouldn’t look at him. If she didn’t like him human and she didn’t like him dragon, then what exactly did that leave?
“I don’t understand—”
“Please,” she sighed. “I am so tired. Can we not simply go to sleep?”
He gazed at her across the campfire and she did truly appear worn.
“Of course.”
He patted the ground next to him. “Come. You can sleep here.”
“Oh, you must be joking.”
“No. I’m not. I don’t have blankets for you. My body will keep you warm.”
“I just bet it will,” she muttered to herself. She seemed to do that a lot. Talk to herself. He found it…odd. To him she said, “Do I look that stupid to you?”
“You don’t look stupid at all. I don’t waste my time on stupid people.”
“Well that gives me ease.”
“I’ll make a promise to you. You’ll sleep here and I promise nothing will happen except sleep.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
Briec, for the first time in a very long time, became a little angry.
Slowly, he pulled himself up and walked across the burning campfire, enjoying the warm flames briefly surrounding his body, until he stood over her. Brown eyes stared up at him, and he no longer saw any fear. Most likely because now she spent most of her time hating him instead.
“Are you questioning the word of a dragon, little human?”
She stood, looking much less fierce in her now filthy nightdress. “No. I’m questioning the word of you. You just happen to be a dragon.”
“My promises are much more reliable than some human might make.”
“You took me from my village…”
“I rescued you.”
“…and now you won’t let me go.”
“I break no laws, m’lady.”
“Dragon laws, which don’t affect me.”
“They affected you as soon as I saved you from those villagers.”
She stared up at him for several more moments then, growling, she turned from him and stepped away. “Thank you, but I’ll be fine on my own.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
“It’s my right, or have I lost the ability to make all my own decisions?”
“Fine. Freeze in the night then. I don’t care.”
He turned from her and walked off into the woods, allowing his body to slowly shift back to dragon as he did so. He’d watch her and keep her safe, but he’d do it from a nice, respectable distance.
Briec didn’t understand this woman. Not at all. Even for a human she seemed damn strange. Was it not a mere hour or so ago she’d been laughing and smiling at his jokes? And now she’d returned to treating him like he’d wiped out her whole family.
He stopped in mid-stomp. Wait. Did I? He thought long and hard, then finally shook his head. No. He’d never damaged any villages or towns in Alsandair. So, he realized, he could be quite righteous in his anger and started walking again.
He didn’t have time for damn difficult women. Especially beautiful human ones. Perhaps the queen was right. Perhaps it was time to settle down with a nice dragon female. Pick a mate. Breed some hatchlings, if he absolutely must. He truly thought his older brother and heir to the Gwalchmai fab Gwyar throne would have taken care of the future heir situation for him so he wouldn’t have to worry one way or the other. But choosing a human as his mate, Fearghus resigned himself to a life without offspring. Of course, Fearghus seemed to like so few beings, perhaps that was in everyone’s best interest. Who knew what nightmare his brother would raise?
Briec settled his big body down and watched the woman from the trees, surrounding them both with a strong protection spell. She couldn’t see him. He was too far away for her human eyes. He didn’t know what he expected to see once she believed herself alone. But what he didn’t expect was for her to sit on the ground, her knees pulled up under her chin, her long arms wrapped around her legs. Then she turned her head and rested her cheek against her knees. She made no sound. She didn’t call for help. She didn’t try and leave.
Still, even from this distance, he could see her tears. He closed his eyes and fought his desire to return to her. His desire to shift back to human and to get her to stop crying the only way he knew how. It was a hard fight, but somehow he won.
As he watched her, looking so alone and so despondent, he tried to figure out what this feeling was he suddenly had. Deep in his chest, burrowing its way up his body.
It was something he’d never felt before and hoped to never feel again—the feeling he’d done something wrong. And that somehow he should feel bad for it.
He shook his head. No. He’d done nothing wrong. He was a dragon and this was how things were.
His sweet little human would simply have to learn to live with it.
* * *
She knew he watched her. Even from this distance, she could feel his eyes on her. Tears streamed down her face, but she refused to wipe them. To show him any of her feelings. He’d merely think she was sad anyway. That was far from the truth. Leagues away, in fact.
No, sadness wasn’t her problem. Frustration. Pure frustration was her problem. Exactly how many others would take her from where she lived and order her to do their bidding? How many others would use her like she were some barwench awaiting their next ale order?
For sixteen years now, Talaith waited. Waited for the day when the goddess who claimed Talaith as her own would come and tell her exactly what she wanted from her. That’s why she’d lived with that dullard she’d called husband all this time. That’s why she stayed in this land that was not of her people. And why she’d lost her power. Because she had a price to pay.
Yet she never saw this dragon coming. And Talaith would bet all the gold in the universe her goddess never saw him either.
The dragons had their own gods and their gods protected them with a fierceness bordering on rabid. The gods of humans were less protective but there were many more humans to go around. Since one great battle eons ago, human gods and dragon gods could never fight each other because they could never enter the other’s plane of existence. So they used their loyal worshippers to fight their battles for them, then sat back to enjoy the carnage.
Still, a very uneasy alliance had developed among humans and dragons over the last thousand years or so. It used to be if you left the dragons alone and ignored the occasional stolen cow or destroyed battalion, they stayed away from the villages and the humans. Those humans looking for glory, who broke the unspoken pact, usually brought the dragons’ brutal wrath swiftly on some poor kingdom and king’s head.
In the last few years, however, rumors had begun to spread through the small towns and villages. Rumors of more and more dragons seen taking to the skies. Although still no talk of any destruction or violence, fear had taken root and spread. Especially in Madron where Lord Hamish ruled with a brutal fist. The few rumors he allowed in her tiny village was that the dragons were once again killing randomly, destroying towns, villages, anything that may annoy them. But the armies of Madron were preparing for some kind of war against dragons…as if the humans could win. All humans truly had in their favor was their number. One of her teachers back in Alsandair compared humans and dragons to fleas swarming over a wolf. Enough could cause unbearable torment, but usually a good bath would wash them off.
Talaith never thought she’d ever see a dragon much less be taken by one. Taken so he could bed her. Clearly he didn’t get out of his cave much if she was the best he could do. Perhaps she should speak of commitment and really scare him back to his lair. She almost smiled at the thought, but she knew her tongue would get the better of her.
He irritated her. Greatly. And when anger ruled her head that meant her mouth took over. Woe to those who ended upon the wrong side of that.
But who knew a being could be so bloody arrogant? And demanding? And rude? And gorgeous? And so well-endowed, he reminded her of a warhorse?
* * *
Lord Hamish roused his best men before the two suns rose. He had them dressed in travelers’ robes, their weapons hidden, and divided into several groups so they could cover more area in the shortest amount of time.
“I want the little bitch back before the next full moon. Am I clear?”
“Aye, Lord Hamish,” they answered as one.
“We’ve failed our goddess once. We’ll not fail her again. Not if you hope to live.”
They had failed her. Nine years ago. They’d failed her and he’d been attempting to make it up to her ever since. What surprised him was that she didn’t kill him when she discovered his failure. Instead, she’d forgiven him and told him if he continued to do her bidding, she’d reward him with more power than any human could ever hope to obtain. Since then she’d protected him from the Mad Bitch of Garbhán Isle. He shuddered to think he almost wed that demon-stain. She probably would have slit his throat while he slept. He never thought he’d meet anyone more insane than her brother. But she was more insane and the last three years of her rule proved it.
No. He’d never fail his goddess again. If for no other reason than Arzhela would be the only one who could protect him from the Blood Queen of Garbhán Isle.
“And the dragon with the woman, lord?” one of his men asked.
He didn’t hesitate. “Kill it. But she lives.”
And that’s all he had to promise his goddess. He didn’t understand what She needed this woman for. A peasant, from what he knew. A peasant and nothing more. But the goddess wanted her back and that’s all he needed to know. So his men would bring her back alive.
What they did with her between Dark Plains and here…not really his concern as long as she returned breathing.
Chapter Five
Talaith thought for sure the goddess would come for her during the night. Of course, the sad truth remained she couldn’t decide which was the lesser of two evils—the goddess or the dragon.
She wouldn’t worry about that now, though. The suns had begun to rise and she knew the dragon would want to leave soon. Still, she felt safe and warm. Of course, now that she thought about it, that seemed strange. Because she fell asleep the night before with chattering teeth and her body pulled into a tight ball. It got so bad she almost called out for the dragon, but she couldn’t. Her pride simply wouldn’t let her.
Talaith forced her eyes open. Trees swayed over her as the wind blew. A storm was coming, she could smell it. Then why wasn’t she freezing—or already frozen—to death?
She glanced down and realized a thick, shiny mane of silver hair covered her entire body. Her entire nak*d body. Glancing to her left, she saw the human form of the dragon stretched out next to her. Stomach down, one big muscular arm thrown over her waist; he’d pushed his own body right up against her side, his handsome face even more so in sleep.