About a Dragon (Dragon Kin #2)(100)

Ignoring the fire surrounding her, she cried, “I give you my life’s blood!” The winds suddenly whipped up, pushing Briec’s hair across his face as he watched his woman slash her forearm. Her life’s blood poured down her brown skin, pooling in the sand.

“Take me!” she screamed to the howling wind.

And then she was gone.

Briec sat hard on the ground, his head in his hands. But he could hear his sister’s soft words through the dying wind…

“Peace go with you, my sister.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Izzy pushed herself as close to the tree as she could manage as Arzhela walked closer to her.

She was beautiful, Izzy’d give her that. Especially here in Arzhela’s natural home. If she weren’t terrified, Izzy would roll in the tall grass or climb the enormous trees with the thick branches overloaded with green, gold and red leaves. She’d swim in the rushing river or lie under this place’s one sun and sleep like her old dog Gruffy used to—belly up and snoring.

But she wasn’t with her Protectors, safe and cared for. Or torturing the blue dragon she thought so adorable. And she definitely wasn’t safe with her mother and her dragon love, Briec.

Izzy was very much alone with a very angry goddess who hated her mother beyond reason.

I could definitely be in a better place at the moment.

Still, she reminded herself to be thankful for the little things…at least she was fully dressed since she came to this beautiful world with the goddess herself. Being naked now could be quite awkward.

Especially with Arzhela kneeling in front of her. Her gold waist-length hair hung in thick ringlets and she wore a garland of yellow and white flowers. Izzy didn’t think she was evil, simply a god who existed in fear. And that’s why she ruled with fear. It was all she knew.

“Tell me, little one, all these years I could not find you. Why?”

Did she really expect her to answer that question? Lying. Yes, at the moment, lying was her best friend.

“I don’t know, my…my goddess.” She stammered over the words because Arzhela would never be a goddess she worshiped. Not ever.

The goddess’ Crystal blue eyes narrowed on Izzy’s face. “Lie to me if you’d like, little one. It won’t stop me from destroying your mother.”

“Why do you hate her so much?”

A small white hand reached out to stroke Iseabail’s cheek. Somehow she managed not to cringe away from that touch. Instead she focused on something else. She thought of Briec and his brother Gwenvael. Yesterday, they’d caught her trying to mount one of the warhorses. After warning her how dangerous it was—especially with dragons around, which often led to unsteady horses rearing—Briec grabbed her under the arms and swung her around. Then he tossed her to his brother, and Gwenvael threw her in the air. She laughed and screamed until her mother came and almost took off poor Gwenvael’s head. Even funnier was how Briec lied and said he was just telling Gwenvael to put her down.

There she was safe. There she would be again. She had no doubt about that. She would believe it until the Old Ones of Alsandair called her home. As long as she believed it, Arzhela couldn’t touch her.

“She’s coming for you. Nothing you can do about it,” Arzhela gloated.

Izzy already knew that. She knew it like she knew the depth and dimensions of the scar on her leg she obtained when she found herself nearly impaled on a fence when she was ten.

Her mother would come for her. And when she did, Izzy would hide until the battle was over and her mother took her home.

* * *

“You are bleeding to death.”

Slowly, Talaith rolled on her back. “I know.”

“Why would you cut yourself like that?”

“I had to get your attention.”

A black talon passed over her body. A black talon as big as her. Normally something she’d cringe about and at, but nothing scared her at the moment. Nothing but the thought of losing her daughter.

“You can get up now.”

Talaith pushed herself up. The weakness she’d been feeling when she cut the vein in her arm was gone. She felt strong. Powerful. She stood and raised her eyes to the awesome being before her.

“My Lord,” she greeted while bowing her head in respect.

He snorted. “You couldn’t make that sound right if you tried.”

Damn. Even worse…she had been trying.

“Please. My daughter…”

“I know, Talaith. I know. I always know where my Izzy is.”

She lost her ability to look contrite and fearful in front of a god. Her eyes snapped up to Rhydderch Hael’s and she no longer bothered to hide her anger.

“Then why the hell did you let her go? Why did you let Arzhela take her?”

Rhydderch Hael revealed rows and rows and rows of fangs. A smile, she now knew. “Now where did my scared little god-fearing mouse go?”

“She trusts you.”

“She trusts you more.” She wondered if that upset him, but he didn’t seem upset.

“What do you want from me?”

Rhydderch Hael sat his black dragon body back on his haunches. She’d thought Briec and his brothers were enormous. Not even close. She couldn’t even see where his body ended. She’d glimpsed the tip of his tail, which resembled a spiked broadsword created for a giant. She also noticed that unlike the dragons she now knew, he didn’t have two horns, but twelve. His hair, although primarily black, had every shade she’d ever seen in nature rippling through it. But his eyes…his eyes were thoughtful and wise beyond the ages. They were also a bright violet. Just like her Briec’s.