How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(124)

Izzy snorted, shook her head, and said, “Come on, Bran. I fell for that idiot when I was sixteen. Now I’m in love with him!” Izzy grabbed a pillow and began to rip it into shreds, feathers flying all over the room. “Because apparently my life isn’t ridiculous enough!”

“Well,” Brannie reasoned, stopping to blow a white feather off her nose, “as long as you’re handling it well . . .”

When the knock came, Uther scrambled across the room—ignoring the fact that he was stepping on actual chests in the process—and snatched the door open.

One of Izzy’s aunts held a tray piled with food and drink. Although she looked ready to bolt at the sight of Uther’s overeager face.

“Is that for us?” he asked; then he smiled.

That didn’t seem to soothe her.

“Uh . . . thought you all might be hungry. And my father wanted to make sure you wouldn’t turn on us in the middle of the night because you hadn’t been fed enough.”

“Good plan!” Uther said, taking the tray from her.

Éibhear quickly stepped to the door and gave his warmest smile. “Thank you so much for this. We appreciate it. And you can tell your father he need have no fear of us.”

“Yeah.” She looked them over. “Right.”

Éibhear watched the woman walk away before he closed the door and rounded on his comrades. “Is there something wrong with all of you?” he demanded.

“Now that we have food . . . no.”

“You’re an idiot.” Éibhear stomped back across the room and, still fully clothed, dropped facedown onto the bed.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m trying to ease the discomfort of these people, but you lot aren’t helping.”

“Why bother?” Caswyn asked around a mouth full of food. “It’s not like we’re staying here forever.”

“They’re Izzy’s kin.”

“She seems to get along fine with them.”

“Yeah, but . . . I’m just saying . . .” Éibhear growled. “Forget it. I don’t know why I bloody bother.”

“I have no idea what you’re trying to tell us, but you sound particularly pathetic.”

“What he’s trying to say,” Aidan offered, “is that he wants Izzy’s human kin to like him. Unlike his own kin, who can barely stand the sight of him.”

“Thank you for that. That was very nice.”

“What do you care if they like you or not?” Uther asked.

“Because it matters.”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

“By the gods of piss, blood, and death!” Aidan exploded. “Because he loves her!”

“Oh.” Uther stared at Éibhear. “Why didn’t you say that then?”

Éibhear pulled the linen bedsheet over his head and he was quite proud of himself for not tearing Uther’s head off when the idiot pushed, “Well . . . why didn’t you?”

Chapter 40

It was the blade sliding under her chin that woke Izzy up. Otherwise, she didn’t hear a thing.

With the blade resting against her neck, she slowly rolled onto her back. A Sand dragon in human form stood above her. She could tell by the hair and that bronze overlay. With the curved sword under her chin held in one hand, he raised the forefinger of the other and placed it against his lips.

It wouldn’t have mattered to Izzy. She’d risk a cut throat before she’d let someone drag her anywhere. But the Sand dragon wasn’t alone. He had another dragon, also in human form, with him, and that one held a sword over a snoring Brannie’s chest.

And that was something Izzy wouldn’t risk. So she slowly got up, that blade never far from her throat, and let the Sand dragons lead her out into the city.

Éibhear sat up and as soon as he was awake, the other Mì-runach woke up as well.

“What?” Aidan asked.

“Thought I heard something.” He slipped off the bed and eased the door open. He listened again, but this time Éibhear didn’t hear anything. Yet he knew what he was feeling. Threatened. He just didn’t know why.

Stepping out into the hallway, Éibhear listened again. Still nothing, but he decided to check it out. He eased down the hallway, heard a creak, and stopped. Holding his hand out, Aidan placed Éibhear’s short sword in his hand. With a nod, he proceeded forward. As he reached the turn into the next hallway, he readied his weapon before he strode around that corner—and ran right into Brannie.

“Gods.” He lowered the sword he’d almost skewered her with. “What the hells do you think you’re doing?”

“Looking for Izzy, and, Éibhear—”

But Éibhear didn’t wait for his cousin to finish, simply pushed past her and stalked down the hall to Izzy’s room. He threw the door open and went in.

Izzy was gone, but her weapons were still there. Izzy wouldn’t even go out to take a piss without a weapon. Suddenly Éibhear realized the true value of that damn dog that was still at the Imperial Guards dog kennels—Macsen would have alerted them all to any threat near Izzy.

Éibhear sniffed the air. He scented Izzy, Brannie, and . . .