About a Dragon (Dragon Kin #2)(62)

Briec rolled over, resting his dragon head on his scaled forearms. “I’m not his errand boy. Nor am I the errand boy to his bitch.”

His sister, still in human form, crouched beside him. He knew why Fearghus sent her instead of coming himself—Briec had a harder time saying “no” to his little Keita. Especially when she said, “What’s wrong, brother? You’re never this surly to me.”

He sighed. A big, long sigh. “She left me, sister.”

“The female you had here? Why? Was she unhappy?”

“I didn’t think so. But I guess she was.” Briec sat up a bit, his claw to his chest. “What is this unbearable feeling in my chest? It’s driving me mad!”

Fighting her smile, his sister reached over and ran her hand through his hair. “That, my sweet brother, is called heartbreak.”

He glanced down at his chest. “Will that be a physical deformity?”

Now his baby sister punched his shoulder. “Briec, you fool. I mean she broke your heart. You cared for her.”

“A human? Broke my heart?”

“Deny it if you want, but I can see it in your eyes.”

Briec pushed himself up. Even still sitting he towered over his sister’s human form. “Good gods, the witch has hexed me!”

“No, brother. You simply fell in love with her.”

He glared down at her. “Now you’re just pissing me off.”

Sighing deeply, she said, “As you wish, brother. I’m in no mood to fight you.” She stood in front of him. “Now, Fearghus needs you.”

“To run errands.”

“No. He found one of Lord Hamish’s spies at Garbhán Isle. He was planning to kill Annwyl upon her return.”

For a moment, he did not forget Talaith, but he pushed thoughts of her back for something a bit more urgent.

“When is her return?”

“She actually should have been there by now, but a messenger came and told Fearghus she and her guard were delayed. Although her army finally made it back about three days ago.”

“The spy?”

“Fearghus killed him…when he was done.”

“And we know it’s Lord Hamish?”

“Aye. He’s always hated her, but no one ever thought he’d be stupid enough to go this far.”

“So what does Fearghus need of me?”

“He wants you three to go into Lord Hamish’s lands. Find out anything you can. Especially if his troops are moving out.”

Briec nodded. “Aye. I’ll go.” Annwyl was hardly his favorite human, but once she’d mated with Fearghus, she became kin. Which meant, if one chose to be her enemy, they brought the wrath of the House of Gwalchmai fab Gwyar down on their head. “But I’ve already been there. I found nothing.”

Nothing but the woman who made him insane with lust.

“Look deeper. That’s why Fearghus wants Gwenvael to go with you. If there’s one thing our brother does well, it’s get information.”

“True. I’ll see what we can find out.”

“Good.” She pointed to her passed out brothers lying across his cave floor. “Now help me wake these two idiots.”

* * *

“Perhaps you can poison him. Something that will make his eyes pop out and his tongue grow too large for his mouth.”

Talaith again looked at Morfyd. She’d been doing that the last two hours they’d been riding toward Madron. Annwyl would say something particularly odd, and Talaith would look to see if Morfyd found it odd as well. Clearly the witch did, but it seemed she’d gotten used to it.

For once, Talaith found someone who made her speechless.

“I can poison him, if you wish. I’ve been trained to handle all sorts of poisons.”

“I want to see him suffer before he dies.”

“Annwyl,” Morfyd sighed out. “Seeing him die rather defeats the purpose of getting in, taking the girl, and getting out. I think our goal should simply be that we are not seen. Not how much more violent we can make the man’s death.”

“Morfyd’s right. Hamish has been shoring up his army for quite awhile now. With only three of us, we should err on the side of stealth.”

“Shoring up his army? For how long?”

Talaith reached back in her memory to when she began seeing more and more young recruits traipsing through the village on their way to Hamish’s castle. “Two years. Maybe a little more.”

“Interesting.”

“Well, what did you expect him to do, Annwyl?” Morfyd asked. “Wait for you to come and kill him? He knows you hate him.”

“I know. I’m just tired of waiting. I still say we should strike now.”

“You need more reason than theory.”

Annwyl rolled her eyes. “You and your bloody logic.”

“It’s why you have me around. That and no one else will put up with you.”

Pulling tight on her reins, Annwyl suddenly dragged her horse to a stop. She cocked her head to the side. “Do you hear it?”

Morfyd, briefly silent, nodded. “Aye. I do.”

“Where?”

“Annwyl, maybe we should—”

“Where?”

With a sigh, “There.” Morfyd pointed into the trees. “I think there’s a clearing on the other side.”