About a Dragon (Dragon Kin #2)(92)

“Talaith, I don’t think it was anything he could control.”

She stalked up to Morfyd, ignoring the fact the female towered over her. “Are you saying if the kitchen maids were with him last night, he would have done the same? Are you telling me this is meaningless?”

“No. That’s not what I mean at all. What I think is that Claiming you was something he’d already planned. Knowing Briec he’d planned to wait. To discuss it with you first. At the very least tell you he was going to do it.”

“Really? Is that what you think, sister? How fascinating your load of centaur shit is.”

“Perhaps you should calm down.”

“Perhaps you should f**k off!”

Talaith stalked over to the open archway of the Great Hall and stared out over the courtyard. Trying to get control of her enormous panic. He’d Claimed her. Gods, what did that mean? Exactly what would he expect of her? She wouldn’t lie to herself, if Briec had asked her, she would have said “yes” and stayed with him forever. Not hard, because she loved him. But, more importantly, it would have been her choice. That’s all she wanted these days. To have a choice. But he’d taken that from her.

Trying desperately not to cry, she watched the soldiers prepare for the presence of Lord Hamish and his army in a few weeks time.

Talaith stared and debated what she would do. And that’s when they came around the corner. Éibhear in chainmail shirt and leggings and Iseabail in the leather leggings and the soft oversized cotton shirt she’d been wearing the night before.

Iseabail, talking non-stop as always, followed behind Éibhear like a puppy. They reached the steps of the Great Hall entrance and Éibhear stopped, turning around to grab Izzy by her shirt and pulling her onto her tiptoes.

“Please. For the love of all that’s holy, woman—stop talking!”

“Well you don’t have to yell at me. I was merely saying…”

Éibhear, growling like an enormous bear in the woods, released her daughter and stalked up the stairs. Izzy still behind him. Still talking.

As Éibhear walked past her, muttering, “Good day, Talaith,” she briefly wondered when everything turned a bright, blood red.

Thoroughly branded, thoroughly f**ked, and thoroughly pissed off, Talaith let the full range of her anger loose…and she let it loose on Éibhear.

Talaith grabbed Éibhear by the front of his chainmail shirt and, using the strength of her ancestors, swung him around and slammed him against the wall.

One hand shoved against his throat, she pinned him to the spot, while retrieving her blade with the other and placing the point of it against his jugular.

“What did you do?” she shouted in his face.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“To Izzy! What did you do to Izzy?”

“Nothing.” Éibhear stared at Talaith, his silver eyes desperate. “I swear!”

“Mother, let him go!” She could hear her daughter pleading with her, but barely. The rushing in her ears drowned out almost all other sounds.

This…this was the final straw. If these dragons thought they’d get her daughter too—not in her lifetime.

“Tell me what you did!”

“He only took me flying last night,” Iseabail fairly screamed.

Talaith glared at Éibhear. “Is that what you told her it was called?” she yelled in his face.

“No!”

Morfyd stood on the other side of her, “Woman, get your hands off my brother.”

“Not ‘til he tells me what he did to her. This way I’ll know whether to cut off only his balls or the entire bloody thing!”

Éibhear’s eyes darted to his sister’s. “Morfyd…”

She sighed. “Éibhear, tell us what happened.”

Éibhear kept his focus on his sister, then spit it all out in a rush: “I was out flying last night when I saw this one alone, far from the castle. I was going to make her come back here, but when I looked I saw the moon and it just didn’t look right and it was hovering over the castle as if suspended there. I was afraid to bring her back here, so I took her flying. I showed her around Dark Plains until I grew tired. We were near Dark Glen, so I took her to Fearghus’ den, because I knew it would be safe. We stayed there the night, but I swear I never touched her!”

“It’s true, mum,” Iseabail pleaded. “I swear it.”

He spoke true. She could see it and sense it. But she still hated all dragons at the moment. “Then you best keep it that way, dragon.”

Finally she pulled away from him, lowering her blade to her side.

Talaith turned and took several steps away, when she heard the pair arguing in hushed whispers.

“See what you got me into? I’m never helping you again, brat.”

“I should have let my mother skewer you.”

Without looking at them, she snapped. “You two stop that. Right this minute.”

They both stopped.

She motioned to the stairs with her head. “Iseabail get up to your room and take a bath. I’ll be up in a few minutes to discuss why you left the safety of this castle in the middle of the night.”

“But, I—”

“Move!”