Last Dragon Standing (Dragon Kin #4)(26)

With the sound of mighty hooves pounding against rock-hard ice still ringing in her ears, Keita awoke to find Ragnar the Cunning staring down at her.

She squeaked in surprise and called out, “Evil rises from the pit to destroy me!” He frowned, but it seemed more out of confusion than rage, and Keita turned and buried her head against the scale-covered chest behind her. Ren stroked her back with fur-covered claws, and said, “Now, now, little one. It’s nothing to fear. Just a scary North Dragon with plans to destroy all that you love.”

She shuddered and whispered loud enough for all to hear, “He frightens me. Make him go away.”

“Shoo!” Ren said, forcing Keita to bury her snout deeper into his chest to prevent the burst of laughter bubbling up her throat. “Shoo!”

“We leave in five minutes.”

“We’ll be ready,” Ren promised.

When the Lightning had stomped off, barking orders at his kin, Ren snorted a laugh, and Keita giggled into his chest.

“Would you two cut it out?” Éibhear chastised, busy cleaning up the campsite. “You’re being intolerable.”

Keita rolled onto her back and frowned at her talons when she realized one had a crack at the tip. “Who? Us?”

“Yes. You. This could only be worse if Gwenvael were here.” Both Keita and Ren sighed. “Ahhh, Gwenvael,” she said.

“Good times,” Ren added.

“Aye. That they were. The three of us together, causing mayhem wherever we went.” Keita sat up, one forearm draped over her knee. “He’s not really mated, is he?”

“He is. And she’s amazing,” Éibhear said.

Keita glanced at Ren, gave him a little wink. Éibhear was at the stage where everyone was amazing or interesting or beautiful. Of course, Keita had grown out of that stage less than a year after hatching and, if she had been told correctly, her eldest brothers, Fearghus and Briec, never went through that stage at all. So perhaps Éibhear was making up for all of them.

Except, of course, Morfyd. Perfect, untainted, loving Morfyd.

“She’s ever so smart. Extremely smart.”

“Reads a lot, does she?” Ren asked, prompting Keita to elbow him in the ribs.

“She does. But it’s not just that. She’s insanely logical. Not like you at all, Keita.”

Ren, who’d been sitting up, fell back laughing while Keita threw her claws up.

“I’ll have you know I’m extremely logical.”

Scattering the bones left over from their dinner the previous eve so that the local predators could use what they hadn’t, Éibhear shook his head and stated, “I can assure you that Dagmar Reinholdt would never have ended up on the wrong side of an execution.”

“Are you still harping on that?” Keita demanded.

“You could have gotten out of there at any time, but you always have to play your little games.”

“You’re bloody amazing. If I’d allowed myself to be executed, you’d have been angry. But if I’d burned down the town, you’d have been angrier.” Keita got up, making sure to slap Ren’s face several times with her tail since he was still laughing. “I can never win with you!” Éibhear stared at her over his shoulder. “You wouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place if you hadn’t killed the man.”

“What part of ‘It wasn’t me’ are you not grasping?”

Her baby brother tipped his head to the side, and Keita bared her fangs before yelling, “It wasn’t me!”

Éibhear pointed a talon. “But did you plan to kill him?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I’m sorry,” Ragnar cut in. “But exactly what kind of answer is that?” Keita glared over at him. Gods he was big. Completely blocking out the two suns with that big body and even bigger head! And all that purple.

What an annoying, strange color! “And at what point did you feel you were invited into this conversation, cretin?”

“Keita!” Éibhear snapped and immediately stood by the Lightning.

“That was rude. Apologize!”

Keita was about to tell Éibhear what he could do with his bloody apologies when Ren whispered in her ear, “Have you already forgotten our wager, my friend?”

Dammit. She had forgotten. But that, like most things, was not her fault. It was early, and she hadn’t eaten yet. “Besides, we do have to put up with all of them for a few more days. It couldn’t hurt to be nice,” Ren added softly.

Knowing her friend was right, Keita loosely waved her claws in the air. “Gods! I am sorry, Lord Ragnar. As you can see, I’m not a morning dragon, and I get a bit snappy before first meal. My sincerest apologies.”

“We’re all that way,” Meinhard muttered while he packed up his travel bag.

“No worries,” Vigholf tossed in.

“I can and always have been able to speak for myself,” Ragnar said, his gaze still on Keita.

“Well, you do forgive me, don’t you, my lord?” She walked up to him, her tail swinging out behind her until she was close enough that the tip could move up his chest. “It would be awful if you were still angry with me.”

Ragnar stared at her tail while his brother and cousin stood up straight, their attention locked on her…which was about the time her brother grabbed her tail and dragged her into the forest.