How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(134)

“What is this?”

“Don’t blame the boy.” Lord Pombray walked around his guards and looked down at Rhi. “It’s truly not his fault.”

“What are you doing?”

“You’ll be coming with us.”

“You don’t really think my kin will let you get away with this, do you?”

“If they want to get you back alive . . .”

“Father—” Albrecht began.

“Shut up!” He smiled at Rhi. “Now, your father, uncles, and all those other dragons are away from here today, so there won’t be any flying lizards to help you. So let’s not make this difficult. All right?”

“Please don’t do this,” Rhi begged.

“We won’t hurt you, girl. I promise.”

“It’s not herself she’s worried about, I’m afraid.”

Pombray glared down at Frederik.

“What do you know of it, barbarian boy?”

“I knew what you were planning. Your men are chatty when they’re drunk in the pubs. And I like wandering around pubs . . . because of drunks who are too chatty.” Frederik stood. “My Aunt Dagmar already knows of this. Even now Rhi’s dragon kin are heading this way.”

“You little bastard.”

“But even if they’re not quick enough, I’ve already learned that Lady Rhianwen is never truly alone. Not really.”

“And what the hells is that supposed to—”

The sword tore through Pombray’s back and out his stomach, blood spraying across Rhi’s face.

The blade was yanked out and the twins walked around Pombray. Talwyn’s sword dripped with blood. She, like most of her dragon kin, was a fan of the sneak attack. While Talan was more like his mother. He hefted a battle axe and swung it, removing Pombray’s head from his body.

“My lord, no!” one of the guards screamed.

Rhi looked at Albrecht. “Run,” she told him. “Run and don’t look back. Run!”

The boy took off, tears coursing down his cheeks as Talwyn kicked Pombray’s head aside.

“Now which one of you is next?” she asked, smiling.

“Don’t do this, Talwyn,” Rhi implored her cousin. “Please.”

“Don’t be weak,” her cousin snapped. “The line was crossed. They die.”

The guard holding Rhi grabbed her hair and yanked her head back. “But not before this bitch dies first, monster.”

Fear and panic swept through Rhi like a firestorm and, before she could stop, the power of it exploded out of her like an active volcano.

When the sky suddenly darkened Izzy pulled her horse to an abrupt stop as her father dropped to the ground in front of her.

“Daddy?”

“Izzy! Your sister! Where is she?”

“I don’t—”

Éibhear’s head tipped to the side. “Iz . . . what’s that sound?”

“Oh, gods,” Izzy whispered as a terrible roaring sound reached her ears. Though she’d never heard the sound before, she could easily guess where it had come from.

“Éibhear,” Briec ordered. “Take Izzy out of here. Now!”

But Izzy grabbed Éibhear’s arm before he could shift to dragon and watched as Elisa and the other Nolwenns they’d been escorting dismounted their horses and focused their collective attention deep into the forests.

Chanting, they all raised their hands, and Izzy felt the power they unleashed explode from them into the forests. The roaring coming from inside rammed into the power coming from without. The powers collided, the ground beneath their feet shaking, the sky above them darkening. Their horses began to panic and Izzy released Éibhear so that they could both get control of their animals.

The war between those powers raged, then abruptly . . . died.

The shaking stopped. The sky returned to its brilliant blue.

Elisa lowered her hands but then stumbled back, the Nolwenn sisters catching her. Izzy’s great grandmother had been weakened by all this, but she and the Nolwenns had been able to do what no one else had managed. Stop Rhi before she destroyed all that she loved.

“I’m fine,” Elisa said weakly. “Or I will be. I need food. Wine.”

Izzy held her arms out. “Give her to me.”

She lifted her great grandmother from the witches’ arms and easily hauled her onto her saddle. “Hold on.”

Then Izzy took Elisa straight to Garbhán Isle.

Once the shaking stopped, Talaith picked herself up off the floor and charged down the stairs, through the Great Hall, and out onto the hall steps. But before she could make it down the stairs, she saw her daughter riding into the courtyard. A woman in witch’s robes sat in front of her.

“Izzy?” Knowing her daughter was alive and well, versus seeing her in the flesh alive and well was something that could not be compared. “Thank gods, Izzy.”

“I’m all right, Mum. So’s Rhi, I think. Daddy went to get her.”

“Good. Good.” Talaith started down the steps but stopped, her eyes widening. “Elisa?”

Exhausted from what Talaith now realized was an unleashing of immense Nolwenn power, her grandmother nodded at her. “Talaith. You’re looking very . . . Southlander.”