About a Dragon (Dragon Kin #2)(64)

Instinctually, Talaith snatched her hand back, dropping hard on her ass. Through wide eyes, she watched the girl pull her hood off her face and those eyes…the eyes of Talaith’s first love and lover looked at her.

“He promised you’d find me,” the girl whispered. And Talaith saw all her hopes of the last sixteen years reflected back to her from that face. “He promised you’d never stop until you had me back.”

With that, the girl threw herself at Talaith, wrapping her long, strong, warm arms around her.

At first, Talaith had no idea what to do. Not merely because her mother had never been affectionate, nor any of the Nolwenn witches who helped raise her, but because this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Not in a million lifetimes.

“I’d really like it if you hugged me back.”

It was such an innocent statement. And an honest one. Tears welling in Talaith’s eyes, she wrapped her arms around her daughter and hugged her so tight she feared she may break her in half. But the girl didn’t complain. She said nothing, actually, but the tears falling against Talaith’s neck told her all she needed to know.

* * *

The brothers landed outside of Madron, their baby sister right behind them. She’d already arranged to have clothes and supplies awaiting them. They would travel into Madron human, hiding who they really were until necessary.

“Are you coming with us?”

Since she had yet to shift, Briec somehow doubted it. “No.” Her lip turned into a nasty snarl, which meant only one thing. “Her Majesty has summoned me.” Ah, yes. Only the Dragon Queen could annoy Keita this much. Mother and daughter did not get along like father and daughter.

Briec, still recovering from his nights of excessive drinking, tried to figure out how to put the blue surcoat on over his chainmail shirt and leggings. “What happened to those knights you were with?”

Keita burped and all the brothers quickly turned to her in surprise.

“Oh, Keita…you didn’t.” Briec charged.

“You know the rules, Keita. You either eat them or f**k them…you don’t do both,” Éibhear added.

“Not unless you do it right.”

Keita and Gwenvael laughed but when Briec and Éibhear merely stared at them, they stopped.

Keita shook her head. “Of course I didn’t eat them. I sent them on their way. Sadder but satisfied.”

“I don’t need to hear this about my baby sister,” Briec muttered.

Even as dragon, he could see his sister giving him her adorable little pout. “You’re still sad.”

“He’s miserable,” Gwenvael offered as he struggled into his chainmail shirt. “He’s starting to remind me of Fearghus before Annwyl.”

“None of us are having this conversation.” Briec wrapped a cape around his clothes, pulling the hood over his head to hide his silver hair. “She left me. It’s over.”

Because it was over. Even if he wanted to find her, he had no idea where to start. But he didn’t want to find her. She’d left him. Without a word. Without a thought. She’d left him and now he had feelings.

For that alone, he’d never forgive her.

Chapter Seventeen

Talaith opened her mouth again to answer her daughter’s question, and again the girl cut her off.

“Because as I see it, the gods brought us together. I knew you’d find me. I always knew. I never knew you’d be so pretty, though. I wish I was as pretty as you. But, I’m not. I’ve had to face that fact and move on with my life. It hasn’t been easy. Of course, nothing the past nine years has been easy, but it has been interesting. We’ve been everywhere, we have. The mountains of Brandgaine and the mines of Maledisant. You see, we’ve always kept moving. Always on the go. Never stopping except for a few weeks at a time. Except for my Protectors, I’ve had no friends. Although I think I see them more as uncles as opposed to friends. I think I need friends. Now that we’ve found each other perhaps I can actually have friends.”

Talaith became tired just listening to the girl. All these years, they’d accused Talaith of being too talkative, too chatty. But this…this was amazing.

From what she’d been able to glean, her daughter’s name was Iseabail. And she intended to keep it and she hoped that was all right. True, Talaith didn’t give her that name but she was used to it now and didn’t want to give it up. Her Protectors—and that’s exactly what she called them—referred to her as Izzy the Dangerous. Apparently while growing into her tall body, she had a tendency to be awkward and clumsy. And there was an incident with a horse she suddenly refused to finish telling.

Talaith still didn’t know how these men came to protect her daughter because Izzy hadn’t taken a breath long enough to allow Talaith to ask. Glancing at Morfyd and Annwyl, who led them back to Annwyl’s elite guard, she could see them looking back at her and laughing hysterically. Evil cows.

“How did you learn to fight like that, anyway?”

“Well—”

“You see, I want to learn to fight like that. Achaius has taught me a bit, haven’t you, Achaius, but mostly they tell me to run and hide when danger is near. But I’m sixteen winters now and running and hiding seems awfully unseemly, don’t you think?”

“Um—”