The Dragon Who Loved Me (Dragon Kin #5)(28)

“Disturbing to look at, aren’t they?” the Lightning asked as he stepped up beside her. She’d lost track of him while she’d worked in her father’s forge, learning al sorts of new and wonderful blacksmithing techniques. “They’ve been around for at least a mil ennia in the Ice Lands and they’ve been feared since the beginning.”

“Can they real y be trusted?”

“They fol ow the dictates of their gods without question.”

“So then the answer is no. They can’t be trusted.”

Vigholf laughed. “Not a fan of the gods then?”

“I cal them if I need them, but I’d be a fool to trust them.”

“I like the war gods.”

Rhona crossed her eyes. “Of course you do.”

“So”—Vigholf faced her—“would you like to have dinner tonight with me and my mother?”

“No.”

He scowled. “Why not?”

“Wel , first off I’m having dinner with my father, and second . . . no.”

“You don’t like my mother,” he accused.

“I don’t know your mother.”

“And you never wil . . . unless you have dinner with us.” His grin was wide . . . and a tad ridiculous—in an annoyingly adorable way. “Bring your father.”

“You’re getting stranger every day, I just want to make that clear.”

“That’s not a no to my dinner invitation.”

At that point, Rhona was going to walk away, but that soft sound caught her attention first. A sound they both heard.

After so much combat, it wasn’t surprising they both moved quickly, turning to face the smal storage building on the left side of their path. Rhona dropped to a crouch, the tip of her wonderful new spear pointed directly in front of her. Vigholf stayed tal , his warhammer held high in one hand, a battle-ax in the other. She’d seen him use both at the same time to devastating effect for the enemy.

Vigholf motioned to her with a dip of his head and Rhona, keeping low, moved forward, the Lightning guarding her rear.

Then it came at them from the brush that lined the side of the building. Teeth snapping, smal blade slashing. Reacting without thought, as Northlanders had been trained to do in combat, Vigholf stepped in front of Rhona, hammer raised high, but she slammed into his side, sending him stumbling a few feet away.

“What the holy hells—”

Rhona reached out and caught hold of their attacker, lifting it in the air, and holding it up so the Lightning could see it.

“It seems my cousin’s offspring takes after his Great-Grandfather Ailean. He liked the surprise attack as wel , according to me mum.” The boy, seeing he was wel and truly caught, burst into dramatic tears and Rhona sighed. “And, sadly, he takes after his Uncle Gwenvael. This is Talan,” she reminded Vigholf. “Fearghus and Annwyl’s son who we’ve rushed here to protect.”

“I remember. But where’s the girl? Talwyn?” Vigholf demanded, his gaze searching, an air of anxiety rippling around him. “Where there’s the boy, there’s his sister.”

Rhona shook the boy she stil held. “Where is she, little snake?”

He wailed louder and Rhona glanced up at the Kyvich to make sure they weren’t taking any of this seriously. And although they watched her and Vigholf closely, they made no moves to step in. Good. They knew their place. They may be protectors, but Rhona was family.

“For the love of the gods,” a voice said from behind them, “stop the wailing.” Rhona smiled and faced the centaur. “Hel o, Ebba. How’s the nanny business going for you?”

“I won’t say they’re unmanageable,” the pretty centaur told them as they slowly made their way back toward the castle. “But they are the reason I’m paid so wel .” She smiled. “I’ve already bought land near the ocean. Lovely view.” She walked a few more feet and stopped next to a tree with a large hole beside the base.

An empty hole.

“Uh-oh.”

Vigholf didn’t like the sound of that at al . “Uh-oh?”

“I left Talwyn here.”

“You left a child buried in the ground?” Rhona demanded.

“She was just buried up to her neck. Besides, I didn’t put her in there. He did.” The centaur pointed at the boy. “Didn’t you, little monster?” Stil held by the back of his trousers by Rhona, Talan grinned.

“Of course,” Ebba observed. “She’s loose now. And she’l be coming for you, little monster.” The boy’s grin faded.

“Are you staying long, Rhona?” Ebba asked as they continued heading to the castle.

“No. I’m leaving in the morning. Back to the Val ey.”

“Good. The sooner this war ends, the sooner these little monsters get their parents back.” She lovingly smiled at the boy. “And I can final y take a bloody holiday.”

Rhona had known Ebba for years. She’d met her mother, Bríghid, when she’d taken over the care of Keita for that short time. It was strange how the much smal er centaurs made such good caregivers for young dragons, though their powers were legendary and they tolerated no fools.

Although Rhona had never seen it, she’d heard that an army of centaurs could devastate kingdoms when pushed too far. Anyone’s kingdom. The problem, though, was to get centaurs as a group to agree on anything. So there weren’t many times that they chal enged any kingdoms but their own.