Light My Fire (Dragon Kin #7)(129)

“Yes, really.”

“All right.” The Rider shrugged. “So I guess you are here to discuss that alliance between our people and—”

“No,” Annwyl cut in, her gaze still sweeping over the other tribal leaders.

“Pssst,” Brigida called out. “You kind of are.”

“I don’t care about f*cking alliances,” Annwyl shot back. “I’m here for Glebovicha Shestakova. Where is she?”

“I am Glebovicha Shestakova,” the Shestakova tribal leader called out. “What do you want, imperialist dog?”

Annwyl placed her hands on her hips. “You owe your daughter an eye.”

Grinning, Glebovicha slowly got to her feet. And she kept getting to her feet as she surpassed Annwyl to eventually tower over the human queen.

“Then,” Glebovicha snarled down at a suddenly pale Annwyl the Bloody, “come and get it for her.”

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Celyn tracked down the off-duty Queen’s Guards and instructed them to spread out and look for anything unusual. If his uncle was worried about the day, then Celyn would take him seriously. Though to his face, he’d rather mock his uncle a little. There was just something about Bercelak that begged for a bit of mocking.

Once he’d sent the guards on their way, Celyn cut through town, stopping at a few of his favorite places to chat with the owners.

“Everything all right here, Stenam?”

“Quite well. Business is good. I’ll have to start getting my youngest son up to speed with his brothers and sisters so he can help with the new workload.”

“Where is young Robert?” Celyn asked as he drank water from the jug Stenam kept for that purpose.

“Off with his friends.”

Celyn grinned. “Playing spy again?”

“Of course. Although when I was their age, I liked to play soldier. But these little bastards are a sneaky bunch. So they play spy. And with these new people cutting through town the last few days, their interest has been caught, but good.”

Celyn, with a mouthful of water, stared at the blacksmith as he pounded a sword blade into submission.

Finally gulping that water down, Celyn asked, “New people? What new people?”

“Don’t know. They’ve been cutting in and out of town for the last few days. I just figured they were more workers that Harold the Stonemason hired. He says the queen has been pushing him a bit to get her tower done before the first snows. So I know he’s hired some outside people.”

“And they just started arriving?”

Stenam shrugged. “I guess. Maybe in the last week or so.”

“Do these new people know each other?”

“Not so’s I could tell. Don’t see them talking or traveling together.”

Celyn put down the water jug. “Thanks, Stenam.”

“Everything all right?” Stenam called after him as Celyn strode away.

“Aye. Everything’s fine. Thanks.”

But Celyn was lying. He didn’t think a damn thing was fine.

Briec found Fearghus standing outside the tower in progress staring off into the distance.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Annwyl’s gone missing.”

Briec threw up his hands. “I warned all of you she wouldn’t—”

“Quiet, quiet,” Fearghus said softly before forcing a grin.

Princess Agrippina walked past them. “Prince Fearghus. Prince Briec.”

“My lady,” the brothers said together.

“Off for a walk?” Briec asked.

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t have guards?”

“I have no intention of going far.” She faced the two dragons. “I promised my brother I’d stay. And stay I will.”

“Stop acting like you’re doing us a bloody favor—ow! Those are my ribs you’re banging with your pointy elbow, brother.”

“What my brother Briec means to say, Princess, is that all we care about is your safety.”

“Of course you do. But I’m sure that . . .” Agrippina’s words suddenly faded away and she wrapped her fur cloak tighter around her human shoulders.

“Princess? Are you all right?”

She glanced up at the sky. “Yes. Of course. I just . . .” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine.”

Fearghus watched the Western royal walk off, wondering what she’d sensed.

“You want to go look for Annwyl?” Briec asked.

“You’ll come with me?” Fearghus couldn’t help but be surprised by the offer.

“Gods know, you can’t drag that woman back here by yourself.”

Fearghus laughed. “Good point. Should we tell the others?”

“No. They’ll just panic. And we shouldn’t be too long. Doubt she got far.”

Talaith walked through the Great Hall, stopping to look around. The room was unusually empty and everything was so . . . quiet.

Talaith walked back to the big front doors and stepped out onto the steps. A servant was walking up, smiling and nodding at Talaith.

“My Lady Talaith.”

“Hello, Jenna. Is something going on?”

“M’lady?”