How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(92)

“I understand,” he said quickly before his comrades could argue the point. “We’ll go with you.”

Branwen shrugged, headed back into the cavern. “Whatever.”

Once she disappeared inside, Uther grabbed Aidan around the throat.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“I’m not going anywhere with her,” Caswyn said in a desperate whisper.

“We’re Mì-runach,” Aidan choked out.

“That doesn’t mean we’re stupid.”

“No.” Aidan knocked Uther’s claw off. “But we are loyal to each other. And we’re not about to leave Éibhear alone with Izzy and her.”

“She’s his cousin. I’m sure he’ll be safe.”

“Loyalty,” Aidan reminded them. “Until death. Remember the commitment we made to the goddess of war and death, Eirianwen?”

“Weren’t we drunk at the time?”

“That’s not the point!”

A Sand Eater’s head bounced out of the cavern and across the tunnel floor.

“Sorry,” Branwen called out. “Lost me grip!”

“But that big blue bastard will owe us for this,” Aidan vowed. “He’ll owe us big.”

Chapter 28

Coughing and shaking her head, Izzy tried to get all the damn sand off her.

“Sorry about that.”

Izzy dragged her fingers through her hair, still trying to get all the sand out. “Where the hells am I?”

“Safe.”

“Would you stop saying that. It’s bloody annoying!” She lifted her head and was finally able to open her eyes.

Izzy gasped. “It’s beautiful.”

The dragon who’d taken her smiled. “I’m glad you like it.” He moved around the cavern of the underground cave. “Our ancestors built this place eons ago and it still holds strong.”

Standing in its center, Izzy could see that the cavern went on for miles, with tunnels and chambers shooting off from that.

What she really loved, though, was how open and wide it all was, with light coming not from the few torches attached to the walls here and there, but from the giant colored crystals scattered about.

The dragon seemed to notice that her gaze was focused on the crystals and he explained, “Leagues beneath is a lava river that feeds into the volcanic mountains in your Southlands. The light from that lava comes up through these crystals and illuminates these caverns.”

“It really is beautiful.”

“This is the true land of your people, Iseabail. It’s not surprising you’re drawn to what we have here.”

Another dragon came around Izzy and over to the one who’d taken her. “We should go,” he said low.

“Of course. Please,” he said to Izzy, “this way.”

She followed after the dragons for several minutes until they turned down a tunnel. They traveled a few more minutes until the tunnel stopped at a huge chasm. The other dragon wrapped his tail around her waist and plopped her on his back.

“Hey!”

He didn’t answer, simply took flight over that chasm and kept flying until they reached a well-populated area filled with Sand dragons. Izzy stared with her mouth open. She saw the same colors of dragons that she saw among her own kin, but again, the Sand dragons had that bronze overlay. To her eyes, they all seemed to sparkle, laughter and conversation adding to the moment.

Izzy knew she was dazzled, but she couldn’t help herself. They were all so beautiful.

As the two dragons moved through the crowd, the others grew silent and openly stared at Izzy. She realized that this was a throne room. They were taking her to meet with their king.

A small dais jutted from the rock wall and that’s where the dragon carrying Izzy stopped. Her kidnapper, however, kept walking until he’d stepped onto that dais and faced the court of dragons. That’s when everyone around Izzy kneeled, heads bowed. It was something even Rhiannon didn’t bother getting her subjects to do, the Southland dragons notoriously difficult about basic court etiquette. But these Sand dragons all kneeled without question . . . to Izzy’s kidnapper.

Chewing her lip, she looked up, shrugged. Sorry, she mouthed at him. When he winked back, Izzy felt a little relief knowing she hadn’t brought down her grandmother’s alliance with a few snotty words. But that feeling of relief was all too brief when she heard war cries from outside the chamber.

The guards immediately pulled their weapons, but the king held up his claw. “It’s all right. Allow him entry.”

“My lord?”

“Do as I instruct.”

Izzy tapped the shoulder of the dragon she rode. “You may want to put me down now.”

“You sure you’ll be all right?”

“Safer than you, I’m afraid.” The dragon lowered himself to the ground and Izzy easily slid off. Good thing, too, because Éibhear came in just then, two axes out, sand still covering his hair, looking quite homicidal. She definitely found it sexy.

Gods, I’m pathetic.

“Éibhear,” she called up to him, worried he’d start killing all these frightened royals. “I’m fine.”

“We leave now,” he ordered, silver eyes watching everyone.