“No. We leave at first light.”
“That’s fine. We can all camp here for the night.”
“No need. We can stay at Lord Bram’s castle.”
Bram’s entire body jerked. “They can?”
“Get your gear,” she told her kin.
“Why are you doing this to me?” Bram demanded once Ghleanna’s brothers had walked away. “Do you hate me so much?”
“You are the one who wants my brothers to like him.”
“No, I don’t. I couldn’t care less if they like me or not.”
“Well, they’ll like you much better if they have a soft bed and warm food—or at least a cow or two—for the night. And what could it hurt?”
“What if they disturb my things? My papers.” Bram began to panic. “My books!”
Ghleanna laughed. “And what, exactly, do you expect my kin to do to your precious books? If they notice your books at all, I’ll be shocked.” She stepped closer, surprising Bram, and brushed her hand against his shoulder. “I won’t let my brothers harm your books or your papers.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.” She grinned, and it was a beautiful thing. “I’ll take very good care of you, Bram the Merciful.” Her grin grew wider. “Trust me.”
Cai’s big boots landed on the table, right on top of the peacemaker’s important papers. So Ghleanna grabbed him by the ankles with one hand and flipped him back, Cai and the chair slamming to the hard earth-packed floor.
“Oy!” Cai demanded. “What was that for?”
“You keep your claws and your big, fat feet off Bram’s books and papers.”
Cai got to his feet and leaned down until they were eye to eye. “And if I don’t?”
That’s when Ghleanna head-butted her younger brother. Since he’d been asking for it and all. And it made her other brothers laugh. She did love making her brothers laugh.
“You mad cow!” Cai yelled, gripping his head.
“You’ll do as I say, little brother, or that lump on your head will be the least of your problems. Now”—she looked at all her kin—“we’re going to eat and sleep like civilized dragons and no one will start anything. Understood?”
When her brothers only grumbled in response, she cracked her knuckles for emphasis. “Understood?” she growled.
“Yeah, yeah,” Addolgar quickly told her. “Understood.”
“Good.” She smiled and walked over to the royal, who stood a few feet away, watching her.
“See?” she asked. “I’ve got it all under control.”
“You head-butted your brother,” Bram noted.
“Aye.”
“Your brother.”
“Sometimes it’s the only way to get through to them. And it’s kind of fun,” she admitted. “Me and Addolgar do it to each other all the time. Since we were hatchlings. Used to drive our Mum insane.”
“I can imagine.”
“Don’t worry about us.” Ghleanna motioned him away with her hands. “I’ve got control of this lot and I can see that you’re desperate to go and do something important with your books.”
“I should stay. I’ve been told enough I’m a horrible host. Great peacemaker—horrible host.”
“You don’t need to be a host with me or my kin. We can take care of ourselves.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“I’d tell you if I did. Go on.”
“All right. But just a few minutes. I just need to write a few letters. I won’t be long. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Sure. No problem.” Ghleanna watched the royal rush off to his study. “Won’t be seeing him for hours.”
“So can we put our feet up on his things now?” Hew asked from behind her.
“No, you lazy git! And don’t test my patience. Head like granite, I have,” Ghleanna reminded him, pointing at her forehead. “Just like our dear Da.”
Bram signed the last letter he needed to finish and leaned back in his chair, stretching his fingers to loosen them up. That’s when he saw Ghleanna sitting in the chair across from him.
“Hello. Is dinner ready?”
One corner of her mouth quirked up on one side, but she didn’t answer.
“What?”
“Four hours.”
“Four hours what? Four hours until dinner?”
“Four hours until the suns come up.”
“What?” Bram pushed his chair back and strode to the window. He looked outside and winced, realizing when he’d first sat down it had still been light out. Now it was pitch black. Even the moon was gone.
“I got up for some water and realized you were still in here. How are you going to travel all day without any sleep?”
“I’ll be fine,” he promised.
“We’ve eaten. My brothers argued over who’d get to bathe in that big tub first.” She grinned. “I won that.”
“Another head-butt?”
“There’s no shame in the head-butt. If it works it works. They all went to bed hours ago. Charles said you shouldn’t be much longer . . . I think Charles lied to me.”
“It’s not his fault. He always reminds me of the time and I just get . . . lost.”
“That’s all right. I find it endearing.”
“You do? Most females have found it rude and intolerable.”
“Stuck up, prissy asses, if you ask me.”
Bram laughed. “I’ve never heard ‘stuck up prissy asses’ before.”
“Because I just came up with it. Look, it’s not like you’re at the pub, feeling up the bargirls. You’re doing important work.”
“You think what I do is important?”
“Definitely. Because when your precious truces and alliances are broken, war breaks out.” Her grin was wide, showing all her teeth. “And then my important work begins.” She stood and walked over to him. “We need you peacemakers. Without you, there’d be no reason for war, now would there?”
“It’s nice to know how integral my job is to your happiness.”
“And my career! Don’t move up the ranks of Dragonwarrior without a war to fight, enemies to kill. So thank you, peaceful dragon, for being ever so helpful.”
“It’s my pleasure, warmongering female.”
They laughed and she caught his hand. “Now off to bed with you. You need at least a few hours if you hope to make it through the day.” She pulled him out of his study and led him down the hall. “Addolgar’s a tyrant when traveling. He likes to go and go and go. The quicker the better for him.”
“Is that my shirt you’re wearing?”
“I needed something to wear. Charles practically fainted earlier today when I got naked in front of him. These humans. . . so ridiculous about their own bodies.”
But what did she expect when her body looked so . . . astounding. Long legs stretched out from under his shirt, while a plump ass moved seductively under the plain cotton. Then they were walking up the stairs and Bram realized she wore no underthings. Gods, the female was torturing him. What had he ever done to deserve such torture?
She stopped in front of his room. “This is your room, yes?”
“It is.”
“I could tell when I walked past. All the books.”
“I read a lot.”
“Don’t have to defend yourself to me. My cave is filled with weapons. Same thing.” She released his hand and gestured him inside. “Need help getting undressed?”
Bram faced her. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
“I was joking.”
“I’m not.” He lifted his hands. “They’re weak from writing.”
“Bed. Sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You shouldn’t offer if you’re not going to deliver, Captain.”
“Yeah, yeah. Like I’ve never heard that before.” She walked away but returned. “Thanks, by the way.”
“For what?”
“Letting my brothers stay. I know you’d rather have yourself impaled, but . . . I appreciate it.”
>
“No problem. Although I don’t know if I’d let them in when you’re not here.”
“That’s probably a good idea.” She winked and walked off.
And unable to help himself, Bram followed her out into the hallway, watching that perfect plump ass move down the corridor until she reached her bedroom and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
Bram blew out a breath and wondered about going down there and knocking.
“You haven’t gotten to bed yet?”
Bram gritted his teeth—all of them sneak!—and said, “I was about to, Captain Addolgar.”
“Just call me Addolgar.” The big oaf stood beside Bram now, staring off down the hall. “My sister . . . you think she’s pretty, yeah?”
Unsure where this was going, and a little terrified, Bram answered, “Uh . . . yes. Your sister is very attractive. A handsome woman and a”—enticing? No. Don’t say that—“a beautiful dragoness.”
Addolgar faced Bram, the two staring at each other. Addolgar was nearly the same height as he, perhaps an inch or two taller, but he was much, much wider. Among most, human or dragon, Bram never considered himself small. But when he was around the Cadwaladrs . . . Honestly, did the adults perform spells to make their offspring so unnaturally large?
The dragon gazed down at Bram for several long seconds—Am I shrinking? Why does it feel like I’m shrinking?—then grunted at him and walked off.
“Get some sleep,” Addolgar called back. “We got a long trip tomorrow and we need to make a stop.”
“A stop? I don’t have time for a—”
The dragon halted at his door and stared back at Bram until Bram said, “Good. A stop. Can’t wait.”
Another grunt and then he was gone, closing the door behind him.
And that’s when Bram knew he’d be lucky if he made it back from this trip alive.
Chapter 4
For six dragons to leave for a time, there was an awful lot going on. She’d seen military campaigns start with less activity.
“Charles!” she heard Bram call from his study. “Have you seen the—”
“Have it, m’Lord.”
“Good. Good.”
“Are we leaving?” Addolgar demanded. “The suns are nearly up.”
“Give him another minute.”
“I’m running out of patience.”
“I can see that, brother. Everyone within a league can see that.”
Bram stalked through the hall, followed by poor Charles, who was desperately trying to keep up with his long strides.
“You remember everything, Charles?”
“Yes, sir. It’ll be taken care of by the time you get back.”
“Good. Good.” Bram stopped in front of them. “Why are we just standing around? We need to be off.”
Ghleanna slapped her hand against Addolgar’s chest before her brother could rip poor Bram’s arms off.
“We’re ready whenever you are, Lord Bram.”
“All right then. Let’s go, let’s go.” He motioned them out and followed behind. They walked past the gates and Bram stopped.
“What are your cousins doing here?” Bram asked her.
“The troops are moving out from Bolver Fields and they have a tendency to pillage everything in their wake. My cousins will ensure that no one touches your castle or, more importantly, poor Charles. And I really think you should give him more money. He earns it.”
Bram turned toward her, gazing into her face. “Thank you, Ghleanna. That was very thoughtful.”
Ghleanna had rarely had anyone thank her before, so she didn’t know what to say and ended up staring after Bram long after he’d walked off.
“What if we get hungry?” one of her cousins asked.
“Cows. In the field.” She pointed a finger at them. “But you leave the human inside alone. He’s not to be eaten. Do you understand?”
“But what if we’re really hungry?”
And by the time she’d pulled her axe, her cousins had already charged back inside the gates, laughing the entire time.
They didn’t make their first stop until late morning, proving Ghleanna right about Addolgar. He was a tyrant about travel. But Bram was unclear why they’d come here. Gods, he hoped it wasn’t to round up more blasted Cadwaladrs.
“What are we doing here, Addolgar?” Ghleanna demanded once her talons touched the ground.
“You know why. Did you think you could leave the Southlands without coming here first?”
“As a matter of fact, I did,” she snapped back.
“Well, you can’t. An hour here. A bit of food. And then we’ll be on our way.”
“But—”
“No arguments, annoying female!”
Ghleanna stamped her back claw. “Worthless bastard!”
“Whiny harpie!”
“This is your parents’ home.”
The siblings faced Bram and Addolgar asked, “How’d ya know that?”
Bram gazed at them all. “I used to visit. Quite often. Even stayed here for a while.”
“You did?”
With a sigh, he walked off until he could comfortably shift and put on clothes. Once he’d done that, he headed toward Ailean the Wicked’s castle. Eventually, Ghleanna caught up to him. She’d shifted and changed into clothes as well.
“I remember you visiting.”
“Remarkable. Since you were rarely here back then.”
“But when I was here, I remember you. You were always chatting with my father.”
“I came to him for advice quite often. He was a great help to me when I was first starting out.”
Ghleanna slowed to a stop. “My father?”
“Your father,” he said while he kept walking.
She caught up with him again. “My father helped you with that . . . that thing you do?”
“Yes. Your father helped me with that peacemaking thing I do that keeps you happily killing for a living.”
She caught his arm and brought him up short. “He helped you do what?”
“Many things.”
“What things?”
“Different things.”
“Like what?”
“Things.”
“Now you’re pissing me off.”
“Then my goal’s been obtained!”
Frustrated but, it seemed, unwilling to beat the answer out of him, Ghleanna stomped her foot as she’d stomped her back claw earlier and said, “Tell me!”
“No. I will tell you nothing. It’s between me and your father.”
“What’s between you?”
Bram shrugged. “Things.”
Laughing, she tugged at his arm as Addolgar walked up behind them.
“Would you two pack it in. I want to—”
Addolgar’s body lifted and flew into a nearby tree. Sent there by very strong arms and a total disregard for acceptable father-son boundaries.
“Still not paying attention, boy!” Ailean the Wicked bellowed good naturedly. For an older dragon, he still had a healthy set of lungs.
“You mad bastard!”
“And watch your mouth, boy,” Ailean ordered.
The three youngest siblings stood beside their embarrassed older brother, laughing. Until another dragon crept up behind them, unseen, and slammed his shield into them, sending Cai and Adain flying and Hew screaming like a little girl in surprise.
“Weak!” Ailean bellowed. “The whole lot of you.” He suddenly pointed at Ghleanna. “Except her. Except my beautiful daughter who saw me all the way over there.”
“You saw him?” Addolgar snarled, dragging himself to his feet. “And you didn’t warn me?”
“I was talking to—”
“Bram!” Ailean held his arm out and Bram gripped it.
“Ailean. How are you?”
“Fine, boy. Fine. Notice you didn’t jump either.” He glared at Hew. “Unlike some others.”
“Weak,” the older dragon with the shield said. “All your sons, brother. Weak as n
ewborn babies.”
“Uncle Arranz!” Ghleanna ran over to the older dragon and threw herself into his open arms. “It’s been ages.”
“It has.” He put her down, looked her over. “You look good. Solid. Like your mother.”
“Why are you here?” Ailean asked Bram. “I thought you were on your way to Alsandair.”
“I thought Ghleanna should see Mum before we left,” Addolgar explained, while he brushed dirt and leaves off his clothes. “I heard from her last night.” Being able to talk to each other with their minds was the way immediate kin kept in touch. Very important when having to communicate with parents or siblings when a long distance off, but also a way for some kin to nag. Something that Bram was sure annoyed Ghleanna—at least at the moment.
“I’m glad she did.” Ailean looked at his daughter. “She was worried about you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Tell her that then, so she’ll stop pacing the floors.”
Ghleanna’s mother wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her tight. Ghleanna closed her eyes and buried her nose against her mum’s neck. She loved her mother’s scent. It always made her think of home, made her feel safe—and very loved.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, Mum. Really.” Ghleanna pulled away and saw the tears in her mother’s eyes. “Oh, Mum. Please don’t cry. I’m fine.”
“I know. I know.” Her mother wiped at her eyes, smiled. “You know how worried I get, though. About all of you. I’m just glad you stopped by.”
“Can’t stay long, though. Just an hour or two.”
“You can eat, though, can’t you?”
“Food!” her brothers cheered, pushing past her and going into the castle they’d been raised in.
“How long are you going to be on the road with that lot?”
“Too long,” Ghleanna told her mum and they laughed.
“Lady Shalin.”
Her mother’s smile was warm. “Bram!” He leaned down and hugged Shalin the Innocent, Tamer of Ailean. “Oh, Bram. I’m so happy to see you. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, my Lady.”
“Well come in, come in. There’s enough food for all of you.” She took their hands and pulled them into the hall. Like a pack of ravenous beasts, her brothers had already descended on the food that had been put out.