How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(44)

Talwyn hefted a huge sword, but her right shoulder was too low. The Kyvich saw that as well and rammed her maimed hand against it. A hit that would have broken the shoulder of a strong human male.

“Straighten your shoulders, idiot! I’ve told you before!”

Talwyn readjusted her shoulders. The Kyvich walked around her, punched her in the back of her thigh. “Strengthen that leg or I’ll bleed you again.”

Without even looking away from Talwyn and her trainer, Éibhear reached out and caught hold of Izzy’s arm, yanking her back before she could clear the fence.

“Leave it,” he ordered her.

“That’s my cousin she’s slapping around,” Izzy snarled, trying to yank her arm away.

“You’re exhausted, you haven’t eaten, and you’re still mad at me, even though you lied and said you weren’t. You’ll just take it out on that poor, deformed witch.”

“She’s not deformed. She lost those parts of herself in battle. And I am not still mad at you. Just let it go already.”

“Rhi, you’re an excellent judge of liars. Has your sister forgiven me or is she just mollycoddling me while planning to beat up some helpless witch trying to assist my young niece?”

Rhi looked back and forth between them and said, “Why don’t I get you both some bread. You must be fairly starving! Be right back.” Then she was off toward the castle, moving more quickly than Éibhear had thought she’d be able in that long dress.“Release me,” Izzy ordered, not bothering to try to pull her arm away.

“Not unless you promise to play nice with the mortal enemies of your mother’s witch sisters.”

Izzy reached for the gold dagger she had tucked into her sword belt and, laughing, Éibhear released her. She didn’t pull the weapon, but she also didn’t try to go over that fence again. Instead, they stood next to each other and watched.

“She’s good,” Éibhear finally admitted, after watching his niece for nearly half an hour.

“She’s been good since birth. But she wants to be the best.”

“And her brother?”

“He just wants to be good. His father seems to think f**king is all he aspires to”—like his Uncle Gwenvael, remained unspoken—“but I don’t think he’s remotely as straightforward as he likes to pretend. Kind of like your sister—”

“Good morn to my beloved family!”

“Keita,” Izzy and Éibhear said together, and then laughed.

Izzy faced Keita.

“Oh, my sweet girl,” Keita said, embracing Izzy. “Don’t you just look beautiful?” She stepped back, gripping Izzy’s hands, and looked her over. “Just, just beautiful.”

Nodding, Izzy asked, “What do you want, Keita?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all.” She pulled Izzy close, slinging one arm around her shoulders. “I’m just so glad to see you. It’s been ages!”

“It was ten months ago. You wanted something then, too.”

“Aren’t you going to greet me, sister?” Éibhear asked from behind them.

“I’m still not talking to you.”

“Still? When did you start? The not talking, I mean, because usually I can’t get you to shut up.”

Snarling, Keita pulled her arm from Izzy’s shoulders and spun around, pointing an accusing finger at her brother. “I have nothing to say to you. In fact, I’m sure I’ll have nothing to say to you for the next several centuries!”

“And yet words keep spilling from your lips . . .”

Knowing well how ridiculous and pointless this could get, Izzy moved between the siblings and asked, “Keita, can you tell me who sent for me? Éibhear didn’t seem to know.”

“Well, I didn’t tell Éibhear to do anything. I told him not to come get you. That was for me and Ragnar. So that way we could have spent some time with you, talked, and simply enjoyed—”

“Keita,” Izzy cut in. “Who sent for me?”

“I did, which is why I was planning to come for you.”

Izzy shook her head. “Why would you send for me? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing’s wrong. Nothing at all.” Again Keita put her arm around Izzy’s shoulders, pulling her in close. “I’d just like you to meet someone I think you’ll find really . . . interesting.”

Izzy yanked away from the dragoness. “Are you telling me you summoned me from a gods-damn war so that I could meet some male?”

“Not just any male. A royal human!”

Afraid she’d smack her own beloved aunt in the mouth, Izzy started to walk away, but Keita yanked her back with a surprising amount of strength for a dragoness known for her physical weakness.

“Now, now. I know what you’re thinking.”

“You really don’t. Or you’d get your hands off me.”

“You’re thinking that I’m talking about just some random, useless male that could barely give you an orgasm, much less beautiful jewels.” Izzy tried to walk away once more, but again she was yanked back. “But I’m talking about a male with much more potential than that. And he likes your type.”

Izzy was about to make another attempt at escape, but she stopped and looked at Keita. “My type?”