How to Drive a Dragon Crazy (Dragon Kin #6)(98)

“Oh . . . my darling girl. When you’re a mother you’ll understand this better, but if you think for a minute that my blessing their union and telling them that it should have happened years ago would bond those two together for a lifetime, you are a very optimistic girl. Instead, it would only make them go out of their way to do the exact opposite. It’s what children do to their parents.”

“I don’t.” She scrunched up her nose. “But Talwyn and Talan do.”

“Exactly. No, no. This was ugly but necessary. Either I forbid the relationship now or I risk another three or four decades of those two fighting what everyone else can so clearly see.”

“You practically called Izzy a whore, though.”

“There’s no practically there, but I had to make it convincing. But don’t worry. Once I know that idiot and my granddaughter have stopped all this foolishness, I’ll apologize to her.”

“What about Uncle Éibhear?”

“He’s male, darling. It’s best to keep things simple and unadorned for the males. You’ll learn that, too, as you get older. Now”—she leaned in a bit—“would you like to go flying with Grandmum before we take you home, so you can watch her toss cows around for no other reason than her own amusement?”

“Sounds unnecessarily cruel.”

“Exactly!” Rhiannon used her tail to place her granddaughter on her back. “See? Already you’re learning what it means to be part of this family.”

Chapter 30

“Are you not hungry, Princess? Is the food not to your liking?”

Izzy looked up from the food she’d been toying with for the last forty minutes. As Éibhear had feared, Izzy seemed to be taking his mother’s words hard. Then again, not really surprising. Not only did Izzy adore his mother, she respected her. So what Rhiannon had said bothered Izzy more than if it had come from one of the Cadwaladr aunts who’d mostly ignored her over the years.

“No,” she said. “Everything’s fine.”

“Then what troubles you?”

Izzy glanced at the other three dragons who’d come to dinner in the king’s privy chamber: Lord Amsi, a duke from the outer regions of the Desert Lands; Bani, the king’s personal healer and friend; and Kafele, the king’s head magi.

“Nothing,” Izzy finally said.

“Now, now, Princess Iseabail. I want you to feel you can be honest with me. And these”—he gestured to the three other dragons—“are my closest confidants. Anything you say to me, you can say to them with no fear that it will spread beyond my chamber.”

“I understand, but—”

“No, Princess. Feel free to express yourself here. You are among friends.”

An eyebrow peaked. “Really?”

Uh-oh. “Izzy—” Éibhear warned.

“Fine,” Izzy went on, ignoring him. “You want me to express myself? Then that’s what I’ll do.”

“Izzy—”

“It’s all right, Prince Éibhear. I’m eager to hear Iseabail’s thoughts.”

At that point, all Éibhear could do was roll his eyes and sit back in his chair.

“Go on, Iseabail,” Heru said congenially. “Tell me your—”

“What the battle-f*ck do you want with us?”

The duke sat up straight, his glower dark and dangerous. “Perhaps you forget your place, Southland human.”

“Keep your mouth shut,” Izzy warned, voice low. “Or I’ll split your spine.

“Now”—Izzy focused back on Heru—“I’m in no mood to f**k around about this anymore. You came, you got me . . . why? And don’t give me any centaur shit about feeling benevolent, or just in a mood, or gods-damn premonitions. All I care about at this point is what you want from me.”

Although Heru looked amused, the duke was definitely not and he seemed unable to keep out of all this.

“Look, human,” the duke sneered, “you may think you’re safe with your barbarian Mì-runach sitting at this table, but I can assure you—”

“I don’t need Éibhear’s help to kill you. I’ve killed dragons greater and stronger than you can even begin to dream of being. So hold your tongue or I’ll make it part of my wall decoration, along with the horns of Olgeir the Wastrel and the spine of Overlord Thracius!”

Éibhear studied Izzy a moment and asked, “You’re the one who took Thracius’s spine?”

“I was the one who split it.”

“But I was the one who finished him.”

“Only because I’d destroyed his ability to fly away!”

“Excuse me,” Heru cut in. “As fascinating as it is to hear the violent lifestyle of the Fire Breathers and their human kin, I’m sure Iseabail would prefer to hear the truth of the matter.”

“Aye. I would.”

“It began a few months back. The conversions.”

“Conversions?”

“To the Cult of Chramnesind.”

Izzy and Éibhear looked at each other, back at Heru, and said together, “The Cult of Who?”

“The Cult of Chramnesind is a blood cult. We don’t know where they came from or why they’re here, but it’s not just those from the Desert Lands who have joined their ranks.”