The Dragon Who Loved Me (Dragon Kin #5)(102)

With her swords tied to her back, Annwyl walked back to her home, an arm thrown over Izzy’s shoulder. They didn’t say anything because there was nothing to say. Not between them. They’d been through too much together, seen too much . . . gods, they’d done too much to worry about what to say.

They entered the castle gates and Annwyl wasn’t surprised to see Talaith and Briec wel in the middle of an argument. It was like they had to make up for the last five years of no proper fighting. But as soon as Talaith saw her daughter, tears sprang to her eyes and she ran to her, Izzy moving away from Annwyl to meet her mum. They threw their arms around each other, both women sobbing and laughing, holding on to each other.

Annwyl winked at Briec, his smile warm as he watched the women he loved, and she patted his shoulder, stopping a moment to kiss sweet Rhian on the cheek. But Annwyl was nearly knocked on her ass when Gwenvael stormed past her, shifting from dragon to human in seconds, not bothering to put on leggings or even a robe.

Dagmar already stood on the Great Hal steps, but the welcoming smile faded from her lips when she saw Gwenvael, her eyes growing wide with a panic she rarely showed anyone.

Gwenvael took the stairs three at a time, picking Dagmar up along the way and dumping her over his shoulder like a sack of so much grain before he disappeared into the Great Hal .

Annwyl glanced up at Briec, but the Silver shook his head. “I won’t discuss it. But let’s hope it makes him less of a bastard. Because he’s been a right bastard.”

Shaking her head, Annwyl headed toward the Great Hal , but she slowly came to a stop when she saw them walk out the doors. She swal owed, feeling such a jumble of emotions at the moment, she simply couldn’t suss one out from the next.

Unlike Fearghus, Annwyl had not been home since the day she’d headed into the west with her army. Then, her children had just turned two.

They’d been cute and impossible, and she’d adored them like the suns.

But now they were five years older and scowling at her from the stairs, her daughter looking more like her grandfather now than any of them would want to admit and her son looking like . . . wel , like Annwyl.

When neither moved, Annwyl did the only thing she could think of. She crouched down and opened her arms and, to her great relief, both her children ran to her, throwing themselves into her arms as if pitched by a catapult. She caught them and pul ed them tight into her body, hugging them with al her strength. They put their arms around her shoulder and buried their faces into each side of her neck.

The twins had grown into a right pair of little brawlers, just like their mum. Strong arms held Annwyl, little scars from fights and hard play littered any exposed flesh she could see. They were dirty and probably even worse nightmares to deal with than they had been.

And they were hers. They were hers.

Annwyl didn’t even realize she’d begun to cry until Fearghus’s thumb wiped the tears from her cheeks. He now crouched in front of her and smiled at her with such love, she didn’t know what to do, what to say. Al she knew was that she was home, she was safe, she had her family, and the heads of Overlord Thracius and Lord Laudaricus had been planted on spikes outside her gates. Although that was temporary, since the troops she’d be sending off to help the Rebel King Gaius claim his empire would bring those two heads with them.

Standing, Fearghus took Talwyn and Annwyl kept Talan. Together, they carried their children inside their home and Annwyl knew that final y, she could get some sleep.

Chapter 37

Rhona wrapped her arms around her father and hugged him tight. “Hel o, Daddy.”

“My girl. I’m so glad to see you. I’m so glad you’re home.”

“Me, too” She sighed. “But . . .” She pushed her father back from the flap and farther into his tent. “Mum’s on her way in. She’s not happy.”

“This isn’t the Dragonwarrior thing again, is it? Because I won’t listen to any of that centaur shit yet again.”

“No, no.” She looked away from her father’s dark gaze.

Sulien chuckled. “Let me guess. It has something to do with that Lightning.”

“He says he loves me.”

“Of course he does. You couldn’t tel ?”

“Wel —”

“Forget I ask. As bad as your mother.” He kissed her forehead. “Wel , you know I’l have to terrify him at least a little.”

“I know. I think he’s expecting it.”

“That takes the fun out of it.”

“Daddy,” she laughed.

Her mother walked into the tent and Rhona stammered, “Wel . . . uh . . . must go.”

“Like a rat from a sinking ship!” her mum yel ed after her.

“Made a run for it?” Vigholf asked. He stood next to the tent, patiently waiting for her.

“I didn’t want to hear it.” Especial y since she’d heard “it” al the way back from Euphrasia Val ey until Ghleanna had final y barked, “Pack it in already, Bradana! We’re sick of hearing about it!”

Gods, she loved her Aunt Ghleanna.

“You know what?” Vigholf asked.

“You’re hungry?”

“Starving.”

She took his hand in hers. “Then let’s go feed you, yeah? Before you starve to death.”