How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(40)

“I’ve missed you too, Mum. So much.”

“Did you miss me too, boy?” Éibhear could hear the sneer in that voice, his own lip starting to curl in annoyance as he spotted his father in the doorway.

His mother quickly pushed him back and asked, “And who is this young lad?”

Father and son snarled at each other until his mother shoved Éibhear’s shoulder. “Introduce us, son.”

“This is Frederik Reinholdt. Lady Dagmar’s nephew.”

“Ohhh, well aren’t you a strapping lad!” his mother exclaimed. She motioned Frederik closer. “I’m Queen Rhiannon, but you can call me Queen Rhiannon.”

Gazing at Rhiannon, his mouth slightly open, Frederik took the hand Rhiannon offered and bowed low from the waist. “My . . . my lady.”

Rhiannon’s smile was wide as she leaned in and said, “Aren’t you just adorable! I could just eat you right up!”

“Mum!”

“Well, I don’t mean literally!”

Izzy took the stew off the fire and placed it in the middle of the table, while Brannie put bowls and spoons out and Celyn poured the ale. It was an old routine that they’d started a few years back.

Hard to believe, though, considering all that had happened.

Although Izzy knew many didn’t believe her, she’d never planned for things to end up as they had among her, Éibhear, and Celyn. She’d been young and she’d been . . . curious. There had been a few among her fellow soldiers who’d offered to satisfy that curiosity for her. Some politely and some with an outright, “I’ll f**k ya proper,” which did nothing but cause Izzy to reach for the closest weapon or simply throw a punch. But it was Celyn who’d kept her interest merely by being sweet, funny, and confident. He didn’t offer anything because he didn’t need to. And, one night, alone in the woods, they took the next logical—at least to her—step.

But it had never occurred to Izzy that things would turn out so badly. Then again, she’d never thought Éibhear would find out. And if he did find out, she hadn’t thought he’d really ever care. And although the sixteen-year-old Izzy, who’d fallen hard for the dragon from the first time she’d seen him and his blue hair, had wanted to believe that he’d cared about her, that he’d been jealous, the more jaded, realistic nineteen-year-old she’d been at the time knew better. Knew it was more about ego and competing with his cousin than it was about Izzy.

Thankfully, though, that was a long time ago and much had changed. At least for Izzy it had.

“So have you seen my cousin?” Celyn asked, after he’d finished his stew, pushing his now empty bowl away and leaning back in his chair, long legs stretched out, hand around a cup of ale.

“He escorted us home.”

“And how did that go?”

Izzy tried to drag her fingers through the tangled, dirty mess of Macsen’s fur. It wasn’t that she didn’t groom him. She actually groomed him often, but by the time she was done combing through the back end, the front end was already a tangled, dirty mess again. But since the dog didn’t seem to mind . . .

“Why do you ask?”

“Because I’m pathetically curious.”

Izzy laughed. “At least you’re honest.”

“As one of the chosen Dragon Queen Personal Guard, I am bound in blood to be honest.” He glanced off and added, “Unless the queen tells me to lie . . . which she has.”

“Shocking,” Brannie muttered, reaching for the bottle of ale to refill her cup.

“Ahhh, the jealousy of a sibling. So bitter about my assignment, dear Brannie?”

“No. Just tired of hearing Mum go on and on about it.”

“Oh, little sister, you shouldn’t be so sensitive. You know Mum just loves me more than she loves you—ow! That’s my shin, human female!”

“I know!” Izzy snapped, sorry she’d gone barefoot for the evening because Celyn’s shins were like granite.

“You may not realize this, brother, but Izzy is loyal to me. So don’t make me unleash her on you.”

“And now you’re making fun of me,” Izzy complained.

“No. It’s a serious threat,” Celyn admitted. “Used by many in the family. Especially Briec. He loves threatening those who annoy him—”

“Which is everyone,” Brannie stated while grabbing the last loaf of bread and tearing it into three pieces.

“—with his beautiful eldest daughter who will rip the scales from your back and tear the still-beating heart from your chest before spitting on your corpse.”

Izzy put her hand to her chest, her voice trembling as she fought tears. “That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“He adores both his girls.”

“I needed to hear that.” She took the chunk of bread from Brannie. “I’ve been feeling a little . . . bad today.”

“Bad?” Celyn’s teasing expression changed to one of concern. “About what?”

“Éibhear told me that the family has been keeping him away because they didn’t want him around when I was. And Daddy and Fearghus say that’s mostly true. But they also said that Granddad forced Éibhear to join the Mì-runach and for the last ten years he’s been stuck in the Ice Lands. No one should be stuck in the Ice Lands. No one.”