How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(135)

“What are you . . .” Talaith took a step back. “Is Haldane with you?”

“Did you really think she’d let me come here to meet you alone?”

Her grandmother had a point.

Once on the ground, Elisa pushed Izzy’s hands away. “I can walk without you, child.” She made her way up the steps. “Is there food inside?”

“Aye. And wine.”

“Good.” And, without another word, she walked into the Great Hall.

“Izzy . . . what the battle-f*ck?”

“I’ll explain everything. Later. Just . . . prepare yourself.”

“Prepare myself for what?”

“Well, from what I can tell, your mother hasn’t changed.”

“Sweet girl, I could have told you that.”

More horses rode into the courtyard. Talaith saw some of the sisters she’d grown up with, but she had no desire to speak with them.

“I’m going in,” she told her daughter. “I’ll deal with this later.”

“Mum . . . wait.”

“Izzy, please. I just don’t want to deal with my mother—”

“Forget her,” Izzy cut in. “This isn’t about her.”

“Then what is it?”

Izzy stepped back and Talaith watched the protective guard that had ridden with the Nolwenns. Not surprising. One of the duties of the Sefu Imperial Guard was to provide protection when necessary for the Nolwenns.

Several of the guards dismounted and strode toward the stairs. Helms were removed and heads lifted to look directly at Talaith. She blinked, her head tilting to the side. Something seemed . . .

“Talaith?”

Talaith took in a breath and looked past those younger guards to the powerful older man behind them. A feeling she hadn’t known for more than three decades now hit her in the chest, her hands covering her mouth.

“Zachariah?” she asked when she had her voice back.

The blacksmith walked up the stairs, those light brown eyes that were so like his son’s sweeping over her. “Still a beauty, I see.”

Unable to wait for him to reach her, Talaith ran down the stairs and right into the blacksmith’s big arms.

“Zachariah,” she whispered before sobs racked her body. She held him tight, remembering how kind the man had always been to her. And now, she realized, how kind he’d been to Izzy. Otherwise Izzy would never have brought him or any of Sethos’s kin here.

“Talaith, thank you so much,” Zachariah whispered back. “For sacrificing so much for my grandchild. This amazing warrior you’ve bred. You’ve managed to give me my son back. Thank you. Thank you.”

And, holding the old man close to her, Talaith finally allowed herself to mourn the first love she’d ever known, the man who’d managed to give her one of the two greatest gifts she’d been allowed by the gods to receive.

Chapter 44

The most entertaining thing for Éibhear was watching Rhianwen hug her grandmother and great grandmother over and over again, even though they clearly detested being hugged and truly felt it was an inappropriate display of emotion for a Nolwenn witch. Or any witch who planned to study under them.

They sat at the dining table in the Great Hall. Talaith, Briec, and Izzy on one side. Elisa and Haldane on the other. Éibhear at the very end and sweet Rhi constantly moving around the table. What probably could have been the worst day of her life had turned into the best because of Elisa and Haldane. So she was willing to overlook what she’d begun calling “their unfortunate past mistakes regarding my mother.”

Izzy and Talaith however . . . not so much on the forgiving.

“So,” Talaith began, “heard about the welcome you gave your first granddaughter.”

“I was trying to protect myself. I’d assumed you sent someone to kill me,” Haldane tossed back.

“Of course, I didn’t send someone to kill you. Because I’d planned to come and kill you myself. At least that was my dream.”

“Mum,” Rhi said. “Please.”

“It’s all right, Rhianwen. Your mother was always a ridiculous whiner.”

“What’s ridiculous,” Talaith shot back, “is how wide you let your ass grow.”

“Mum!”

“Quickly, Rhi,” Izzy gleefully urged her sister. “Hug grandmother before she gets too angry! Your hugs soothe her so.”

“No, no, Rhianwen, I—” Haldane gritted her teeth, glowering across the table at Izzy while her younger granddaughter hugged her around the neck.

“I’m so glad we’re all together!” Rhi cheered, kissing Haldane’s cheek.

“So am I!” Izzy clapped her hands, her smile bright.

And when Izzy saw Éibhear watching her, she winked at him. That’s when he knew he had to get her alone. Just for a little while. For days they’d been traveling with an entire entourage of humans and dragons, so there had been no time for them to just talk or do anything else they’d enjoy that might involve their being naked.

Éibhear tried to think of a good excuse to get Izzy away from this table, but he never had a chance as Gaius, the Rebel King, and his twin sister Agrippina entered the hall, Uncle Bram behind them. It had been decided that he’d be the one to inform the Irons about their cousin since he was known among the family as the peacemaker.