Light My Fire (Dragon Kin #7)(54)

“My mother probably just wants information.”

“And you are the queen’s spy.”

“I’m the Protector of the Throne. There’s a difference.” Keita pointed at Annwyl. “Are you aware you’re bleeding onto the steps?”

Annwyl looked down and saw that a small puddle had formed beneath her. “Oh. I didn’t think the cuts were that bad.” She returned her gaze to Keita. “That explains why I’ve suddenly begun to feel light-headed.”

“You’d best get that stitched up before Fearghus finds you dead where you sit.”

Aunt and niece then disappeared into the Great Hall, and Annwyl gave them a wave. “Thank you for your concern,” she said after them.

Ragnar of the Northland dragons and his cousin Meinhard, both now in their human forms and in dark grey leggings and black leather boots, stood in front of her.

“Hello, Ragnar,” she said.

“Queen Annwyl. Need some help?”

“Normally I’d tell you to piss off, but . . . I probably do.” Since she was sure that if she stood, she’d most likely pass out where she was.

The males looked around, and Ragnar asked, “Before I do this, is Fearghus nearby? I don’t relish the fight I’ll have if he sees me carrying you.”

“Oh . . . I don’t know.” Annwyl studied the purple-haired male and asked, “Aren’t you Fearghus?”

“All right then.” The dragon quickly came to her and lifted Annwyl up into his arms. “Go find Morfyd or another healer,” he ordered his cousin. “I’ll get her inside and try to stop the bleeding.”

“You’re very kind,” Annwyl said.

“Thank you.”

“For a purple-haired barbarian who was once the sworn enemy of my mate’s people.”

“We have come a long way.”

“And you’re very handsome. I see why Keita chose you. She does like her males handsome . . . and kind of stupid.”

“Annwyl?”

“Hmm?”

“Perhaps you could stop talking now.”

Annwyl nodded. “That’s probably a very good idea. You know, you’re surprisingly smart for a purple-haired barbarian that Keita actually cares about.”

“And unbelievably tolerant.”

“I can see that as well.”

Atop his stallion, Gaius Lucius Domitus, Iron dragon and the one-eyed Rebel King from the west, stared down into the valley outside Garbhán Isle. His twin sister, Agrippina, rode her horse to his side.

“This is definitely one of your stupider ideas, brother.”

“And I love you, too.”

Aggie glowered at him. “I’m serious. She’s unstable. Drastically so.”

“While I’m in the Southlands for the next few weeks, I’ll need to know that you’re safe if I hope to focus on anything else. Garbhán Isle is the one place I feel I can be assured of that. Besides, I don’t see what you still have against Queen Annwyl. She’s always helped us when we’ve needed it before. That human queen is blindingly loyal.”

“She’s also blindingly mad. She should be chained up in a room in some tower until she finally dies. Not leading a nation. And look—” Aggie pointed. “It seems they’re building that tower as we speak.”

“Your life’s in danger, Aggie.”

“So the never-ending rumors say. But you bring me here? To stay with those ridiculously spoiled Southland dragons and that crazed female? That truly seemed like a good idea to you?”

Gaius thought on that a moment, shrugged. “Perhaps I didn’t think it through.”

“Clearly,” she complained, pulling her fur cape tight around her shoulders.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine, Gaius. You know I’ve always found the winters in the Southlands unpleasant. That does not mean, however, I’m about to have some sort of emotional breakdown.”

“I was just asking. No need to bite my head off.”

“I’m sorry. But you know that I hate it here.”

“It’s not that bad, and I can’t honestly think of any place where you’d be safer.”

“Well, that doesn’t say much for the world we currently live in.”

“Times have changed, sister.”

“I know. But I still want to go home.”

But that wasn’t an option. Not when his sister’s life was in danger.

Gaius had almost lost Aggie once before. That’s how he’d met Annwyl. The Southland queen had needed the help of his army, and he’d needed someone to rescue his sister from the Emperor’s Palace and his bitch cousin Vateria Flo-minia. It was a rescue that had happened years ago, but it was a debt Gaius felt he could never repay, since freeing his sister had been impossible for him. Vateria and her guards had known Gaius and his men on sight and would have killed Aggie before he could have even hoped to track her down. So Annwyl and her friends had gone instead and had given Aggie back to Gaius.

So Gaius wasn’t as concerned about bringing his sister to Garbhán Isle as Aggie. Because the one thing he could say about the Mad Queen was that she was loyal to both human and dragon, which meant the queen would make it her business to keep Aggie safe.