Gods. The arguing.
She slowly faced her cousin. “Aye?”
“What’s this about the Pombray brat?”
“This has nothing to do with you, Talwyn. Stay out of it.”
“I won’t stay out of it.” Talwyn looked to her uncle. “And you’re all right with this?”
“I’ve given my permission.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I have to admit,” Briec said, “I liked it better when you didn’t speak.”
“Back off, Talwyn.” And that came from Talan. Brother and sister looked at each other and Dagmar instinctively leaned back in her chair. Of course Frederik, oblivious as always, leaned closer to the table so that he could study the plate of food one of the servants had placed in front of him. What exactly did he expect to see? Besides eggs and slabs of meat?
“Stay out of it, Talan.”
“Leave her alone, sister.”
“You don’t tell me what to do, brother.”
“If she wants to spend time with Pombray—”
“You may think it’s quite all right to stick your c*ck in anything that moves—”
“What does my c*ck have to do with anything?”
“—but I don’t trust Pombray or his son and I won’t have her spending time with any of them.”
“It’s none of your bloody business, sister. Lay off.”
“Make me.”
Rhi stamped her foot, her frustration evident and clearly growing. Once again, her cousins’ bickering was getting between her and her enjoyment. Something she’d grown less and less tolerant of the last couple of years or so. “Both of you, stop it!”
But it was too late. Brother and sister had locked on each other, both of them getting to their feet, hands moving toward the weapons they kept on them at all times.
“I mean it,” Rhi tried again. “Stop it!”
Dagmar quickly got out of her chair, her papers held against her chest. But as she started to move away, she realized Frederik was still sitting there, toying with some bacon. Completely oblivious. She was reaching for him when a large hand she knew so well reached past her, grabbed the boy by the back of his cotton shirt and yanked him from the chair.
Dagmar stumbled into the wall, nodding her appreciation up at her mate, who still held the boy in his arms.
“I leave you alone for five minutes,” he quietly joked.
She pressed into Gwenvael the Handsome’s side. “I know. I simply can’t be trusted on my own.”
“Tragically weak female.”
He winked at her, but then the twins were up on the table and charging each other, short swords unsheathed.
Rhi slammed her foot against the ground again and screamed out, “Stop it!”
And, her mouth open in shock, Dagmar watched as Talan was flung into the wall and Talwyn flung right across the Great Hall and out the doors.
“Huh,” Gwenvael said. “That’s new.”
Dagmar shook off her surprise and quickly said to Frederik, “You didn’t see any of that. Understand me?”
“Didn’t see what?” the boy asked.
Dagmar wanted to believe Frederik had caught on quickly, but she actually knew he was just painfully clueless.
After they stabled their horses, Brannie had headed off to one of the nearby lakes where many of her dragon kin camped whenever they came to visit or protect Garbhán Isle. According to Éibhear, the three other Mì-runach had stayed in town to spend time at one of the pubs while Izzy and Éibhear walked to the castle.
They were cutting through the courtyard, nearing the steps that would take them to the Great Hall, when Éibhear abruptly stopped, his head tipping to the side. Izzy stopped as well. The dragon had the best hearing she’d ever known and if he thought he heard something—
His arm slipped around her waist and he yanked her out of the way just as a loud bang echoed out from the Great Hall and something exploded through the doorway.
They watched that something shoot past them and slam into one of the nearby buildings. When it landed, Izzy sighed. “Talwyn.”
“Good gods!” Éibhear exclaimed. Then he added, “She’s gotten tall.”
“That she has.”
“Do you think Talan did this?”
“I don’t know. I usually find them entangled in a pit fight, not throwing each other around.”
They became quiet and that’s when Izzy realized that Éibhear’s arm was still around her waist. She looked down at his arm and then up at him. He smiled at her until she murmured, “Someone’s a naughty uncle.” Then he couldn’t release her fast enough.
Izzy was just about to head over to her cousin to check on her when Rhi stumbled down the first few steps of the Great Hall. She took one look at Talwyn and Rhi’s hand covered her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. That’s when Izzy knew who’d done this.
Grateful, for the first time, that she’d come home when she did, she quickly turned and headed toward the Great Hall.
“Rhi,” she called out and her sister looked down at her with their father’s eyes. Bright violet and beautiful, long silver hair framing her gorgeous face, brown skin perfect, soft, and completely unscarred.
“Izzy?” Rhi burst into tears. “Izzy!” She charged down the steps and Izzy met her at the bottom. Her sister dove into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably as Izzy held her.
“It’s all right. It’s all right,” she soothed, patting her back.
“I’ve killed her!”
“You have not.” Izzy glanced back and saw that Éibhear had gone over and scooped up his niece, carrying her back to the stairs. “See? She’s fine.”
Rhi lifted her head and Talwyn waved a little, smiled. “I’m fine. I promise.”
But Rhi only sobbed louder, resting against her sister.
With a shrug, Éibhear carried Talwyn back inside. Once they were alone, Izzy asked her sister, “What is it, Rhi? She’s fine.”
“She’s not fine.” Rhi looked up at her sister with all that painful earnestness she couldn’t hide. “She smiled. Izzy . . . Talwyn smiled!”
Inconsolable, she gripped Izzy harder, sobbed louder, and all Izzy could do was pat her sister’s back and sigh.
Éibhear walked into the Great Hall but stopped when he saw Briec sending a wounded male off with one of the servants. And if that wounded male was Talan . . . well, like his sister, the boy had matured into quite the human specimen.
The girl in his arms suddenly tensed, green eyes looked up at him and narrowed . . . dangerously. Just like her mother.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“Don’t you know?”
“If I knew, I’d not have asked.” She sniffed. “Dragon.”
Impressed, he answered, “I’m—”
“Éibhear?”
He looked up, smiled at Dagmar Reinholdt. “Hello, Dagmar.”
“Éibhear!” She dropped papers onto the table and ran to his side, throwing her arms around his waist.
“You can put me down,” Talwyn muttered.
“You sure?”
“I’m sure.” He could hear that sneer in her words. He wondered if she sneered at everything. Something told him that yes, she did.
So Éibhear released her. She landed on her feet, but then she stumbled back and dropped butt first to the floor. Instead of helping her, he hugged Dagmar.
“I’m so glad to see you.” She stepped back and looked him over. “Although I’m not sure about this look you’ve got going here.”
“I’ve been in the Ice Lands for ten years. What did you expect me to look like?”
“Not like this. But we all work with what we have access to, I guess.”
“What are you doing here?” another voice barked.
Éibhear looked to Briec, who stood glowering at him. “And I missed you, too, brother.”
“I didn’t miss you.”
Éibhear crossed his eyes. “Of course you didn’t.”
“Where’s Rhi?”
“With Izzy. We came here together.”
Briec glanced over at Gwenvael, stared, then looked back at Éibhear. “Oh,” Briec said. “Great. She’ll be fine with Izzy.” Then he walked off, heading farther into the castle.
Dagmar reached for Talwyn. “Why don’t I get her to Morfyd?”
“Thanks, Dagmar.”
“Of course. I’ll let her know you’re here. She’ll be so happy to see you.” She smiled up at him. “I’m so glad you’re home, Éibhear.” And he knew she meant it. Meaningful, since she rarely meant anything she said when speaking to royals.
“So am I.”
Éibhear watched Dagmar take Talwyn up the stairs to the bedrooms before he moved to Gwenvael’s side. “Hello, brother.”
“Éibhear.” Gwenvael looked him over. “Nice hair.”
“Thank you. I do try.” Éibhear motioned to the human boy who was walking back to the table and picking up his plate.
“Who’s that?”
“Dagmar’s nephew from the north.” They silently watched the boy head off . . . somewhere. Éibhear had no idea where.
“Not the brightest thing, I’m afraid,” Gwenvael muttered when the boy was gone. “But I guess he’s family.”
“True. True.”
The brothers faced each other, smiled; then Éibhear caught hold of Gwenvael’s hair and rammed him head-first into the wall.
“Let’s go find the rest of the bastards, shall we?” Éibhear asked, as he dragged his unconscious brother down the hallway by what the idiot insisted on referring to as his “long, luxurious golden locks.”
Chapter 11
Izzy knew that walking would calm her sister down, so she took her to one of her favorite places. A stream surrounded by trees and large boulders.
She sat Rhi down on one of the smaller boulders and took out a clean cloth from her travel bag. She wiped the tears from her sister’s face, then held the cloth to the girl’s nose.
“Blow,” she ordered.
After a few hiccups, the girl did as she was told.
“Now what happened?” Izzy asked her.
“They just wouldn’t stop bickering. Either they’re bickering out loud or in my head, but it’s constant. And Daddy just told me I could go shopping with Albrecht and—”
“Who’s Albrecht?”
“Lord Pombray’s son. He gave me flowers the other day and Daddy nearly burned his hand off.”
Izzy’s laugh was out before she could stop it and violet eyes flashed in anger.
“It’s not funny, Iseabail! He was terrified!”
“I’m sure he was,” she said around the laughter, unable to stop.
Rhi stood and began to pace. “You’re as bad as Daddy! The two of you!”
“You know how Daddy is.”
“He won’t let any man near me if they’re not family.”