How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(55)

“That’s a good job for you then,” she said after a moment of quiet.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re a chameleon. You can move around without being detected in the dark or during the day, yeah? But all that armor makes quite a bit of noise, which would defeat the purpose of being able to blend into your surroundings.”

Shocked, Éibhear stuttered, “Wait . . . what are you . . . I don’t know what you . . .”

She waved his attempted lie away. “I know, Éibhear. I’ve always known.”

“How could you know? Who told you?”

“No one told me. I can see you.”

“Wait.” Éibhear took a breath, confused. “What do you mean, you can see me?”

“I can see you. I’ve always been able to see you.” She chuckled. “The first time, I thought you were mad. You were creeping around, stepping around everyone. You looked absolutely insane. But then I realized it wasn’t that the others were ignoring you. . . . They couldn’t see you. But I could. Don’t worry, though,” she added. “I’ve never told anyone. About you or Gwenvael.”

“Gwen—Gwenvael’s a . . .”

“Oh, shit. You didn’t know?”

“Does he know you know?”

“No. And please don’t tell him I know.”

“Why?”

“It’ll just embarrass Dagmar.”

“Why would it embarrass . . . ohhh.” He didn’t bother to hide his disgust. “He does things to her when no one can see him, doesn’t he?”

“They’ve got a whole thing going. You don’t want to know.”

“I really don’t.”

“But,” she said, suddenly smiling, “he does love her. It’s so sweet!”

“Ech.”

“Ech? Is that even a word?”

“It’s not. But I think it encapsulates my disgust quite nicely.” He pointed at the still unopened bottles of ale. “Dessert?”

“Is this the next step in your grand plan to get me to talk? Getting me drunk?”

“It’s worked before with other humans.”

“Éibhear,” she said, taking the mug from him. “I drank Aunt Ghleanna under the table.” She held up two fingers. “Twice.”

“Oh.” Éibhear put the bottle down, sighed. “Uncle Addolgar?”

She shook her head. “Can’t keep up with me. Still hasn’t forgiven me since I wrote ‘I love humans’ on his forehead after he passed out once.”

Éibhear laughed, a sound Izzy hadn’t heard in ages. “I don’t blame him!”

She laughed with him. “It was Ghleanna’s fault. She told me to! Gods, I was functional, but I don’t know how many bottles of your father’s ale we went through that night.”

“My father’s ale? You can drink my father’s ale?”

“I love your father’s ale. Clears me lungs of smoke after we’ve burned an army fort down.”

“You’ve become quite a woman.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“Not at all. Even I can’t drink my father’s ale. While it clears your lungs out, it just burns mine.” He shook his head, stared at her a moment. “You really can see me? And Gwenvael?”

“Aye.” She gestured to her shoulder and the brand burned into her arm from a bastard god so many years ago. “I just assumed it was something from Rhydderch Hael.”

Éibhear poured himself a mug of ale. “What else do you think you got from him?”

“Don’t know. I used to think my strength, but Mum figures that was from the Magicks not used when I was born.”

“I don’t understand.”

“When a Nolwenn is about to have a girl, she performs spells and sacrifices to direct the Magicks she’ll be born with.”

“Direct them where?”

“I don’t know. Maybe to her soul or whatever. Anyway, my mother was unable to do this with me at the time and it seems any Magicks I might have had dissipated and instead became bound up in my muscles, my strength. I guess it makes sense . . . but it doesn’t explain Annwyl, and she’s as strong as me.”

“Nothing explains Annwyl.” He placed the bottle on the table. “But I’m sure her strength comes from her anger. There’s no god or Magicks that can fight that.”

“Very true.” She held up her mug. “To kin.”

Éibhear nodded, touched his mug to hers. “To kin.”

They each drank deep. When Izzy lowered her mug, she wiped the back of her mouth with her hand. “Not bad. Very smooth.” She glanced at Éibhear. “What do you think?”

He didn’t speak, just shook his head.

“You all right?”

Another head shake.

Izzy reached across the table and touched his hand. “What is it?”

“I think I’ve gone blind,” he finally gasped and coughed.

Laughing now, Izzy took the mug from Éibhear and poured the rest of the ale into her own. “Yeah. Right. You were going to get me drunk enough to tell you anything.”