About a Dragon (Dragon Kin #2)(99)

“I need Morfyd.”

Annwyl leaned her head back and let out a blood-curdling war cry that had the dragon turning in mid-flight and returning to them.

She landed beside Annwyl. “You bellowed?”

“Arzhela’s taken Izzy,” Talaith barked as she strode toward the white dragon. “I need your help.”

“Come.” Morfyd lowered herself so that Talaith could grab her mane and haul herself up.

“And Hamish?” Annwyl asked, although it no longer sounded like she cared.

“He’s still up there. In about two hours, his body will begin to decay…four hours after that he should die. It’s up to you if you want to end his suffering sooner.”

Annwyl raised an eyebrow. “He can stay up there and suffer. Maybe I’ll sell tickets.” She reached up and patted Talaith’s foot. “Good luck, sister.”

Talaith nodded, holding onto Morfyd’s mane as they took to the skies.

* * *

Briec caught the spear in his hands seconds before it would have slammed into his shoulder. He glared down upon the soldiers who fired it at him. They used a similar device Annwyl used to throw boulders at castles. He saw the men stare up at him and, with a snarl, he headed toward them. The spear still tight in his grasp. As he got close, he threw it, impaling the closest one to the device, then he sprayed row after row of the enemy soldiers with white flame.

When an entire battalion was no more than ashes, he landed on solid ground and Fearghus landed next to him. His older brother surveyed the damage he wrought and turned to him.

“Subtle.”

“They almost wounded me,” he growled.

“Don’t be weak, Briec. I’m sure if you’d been hurt Talaith would have kissed it and made it better.”

Gwenvael landed in front of them. He spat out a pair of soldier’s boots—actually several pairs—and burped.

“I love a good meal.”

Fearghus rolled his eyes. “You’ll be hacking all that up later tonight.”

“No, I won’t. Because I cooked them. I only get ill when Morfyd cooks. Speaking of which…” Gwenvael’s gaze traveled up and he frowned. “If I didn’t know better I’d swear that was Talaith riding on our sister’s back.”

Briec’s head snapped up. Gwenvael saw true. Talaith, who’d rather eat nails than ride a dragon anywhere, clung to his sister’s back as they headed off away from battle.

More of Hamish’s troops took that moment to attack, but Fearghus motioned him away. “Go. Find out what’s wrong. We’ll take care of them.” He sneered at the soldiers before letting loose a stream of flame. Briec wasted no more time. He took to the skies and followed his sister to one of the many lakes that dotted the lands of Dark Plains.

He landed as Talaith slipped from Morfyd’s back.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

Talaith glanced at Morfyd. “Get started,” she ordered. Then she walked over to Briec. “I have to go,” she said to him, so calmly it made his blood run cold.

Behind them, Morfyd began chanting, calling on the most powerful of Magicks. He didn’t want to know why. He wanted to grab Talaith and take her home. Back to his den where he could keep her safe.

“Go? Go where?”

“She’s taken Izzy, Briec.”

He knew Talaith meant that bitch goddess, Arzhela. Briec shifted and, as human, grabbed Talaith by the shoulders. “You can’t face her alone.”

“I can. And I will. You can’t protect me from this, Briec. No one can.”

“Just listen—”

“Shhh.” She placed her hand gently against his mouth. “There’s nothing to discuss. Not when it comes to my Izzy. We both know that.”

Gods, he was going to lose her. Again. “Talaith, please…please don’t do this.”

She smiled and he felt his heart rip apart in his chest. “I want you to promise me something.”

“Anything.”

“Take care of Izzy for me. No matter what happens, protect her.”

He cupped her cheek in his hand. “She’s my daughter as you are my mate, little witch. She’ll always be protected by me and my kin. You’ll never have to worry about that.”

She nodded. “I know.” She removed the necklace he’d given her, unable to take it with her, and pressed it into his palm. Then she said the words he never thought he’d hear from her. “I trust you, Briec.”

He kissed her, pouring every ounce of feeling he had for this difficult woman into that one kiss, hoping she’d understand how much she meant to him. How much she’d always mean to him. Her kiss back was just as strong, her hands desperately clinging to him.

He held on until she abruptly pulled back, taking several shaky steps away from him. “I love you, Briec,” she choked out. “I’ll always love you. Never forget that.”

She turned and walked away from him, into the middle of a circle his sister had drawn in the wet, lake-side dirt with the tip of her tail. Talaith quickly removed her clothes, tossing them out of the circle.

She stopped briefly to take her dagger from its sheath. Then she kicked her boots and the sheath away from the circle as well.

Naked, Talaith knelt in the sand and raised her arms above her head. Morfyd walked around her three times, chanting. When she stopped, the circle roared to life with flame.