The Dragon Who Loved Me (Dragon Kin #5)(36)

“They are my strongest and mightiest.”

“But they can also be unpredictable.”

Rhiannon smiled. The Northland woman her son had chosen as his mate was a quick learner.

“Exactly. They do what they think is right. If that means leaving Annwyl to die while they rescue lost urchins . . .”

“So then what?”

Rhiannon studied the battlefield. Of al who fought, there was one who stuck out to her eyes. “Which one is that?” Dagmar adjusted her spectacles and squinted. “The Brown? Your niece. Rhona.”

That name sounded familiar. “Rhona? Rhona?” Oh, yes! “Bradana’s eldest. She babysat for me once when Keita was stil a hatchling.”

“How did that go?”

“She recovered from the poisoning quite wel and her hair grew back, but her mother wouldn’t let her babysit for us again, after that.” Rhiannon pointed at her niece. “What is she now? A captain? Or a general?”

“Sergeant.”

“Just a soldier then?”

“Just a soldier.”

They watched the soldier spear a Tribesmen and his horse with one thrust, and crush another with her shield.

Rhiannon and Dagmar looked at each other—and smiled.

Chapter 12

Final y, the Tribesmen pul ed back, disappearing into the forests that surrounded Dark Plains. But Rhona had fought them long enough to know they weren’t gone, merely regrouping, using the trees and their forest-loving gods to shield them.

Rhona landed by one of her wounded cousins and pul ed her forearm over her shoulder. Rhona walked-carried her kin toward the castle gates.

Halfway there her load abruptly lightened, and she realized Vigholf had taken her kin’s other arm, al owing the She-dragon to get off her wounded leg.

Once inside the gates, Rhona handed over her burden to the healers and searched out her father. She found him rounding up weapons. He would work through the night with his apprentices to repair the damaged ones and sharpen the rest so that when the Tribesmen attacked again, they’d be ready and armed.

“Rhona,” he said when he saw her, wrapping her in a hug. “Good work, child.”

“Sergeant Rhona!” Addolgar cal ed out. “You’ve been summoned by the queen. Dress and meet her in the war room.” Sulien caught Rhona’s forearm and held her. “What does the queen want with my daughter?” he demanded of Addolgar.

But Rhona pushed his claw off. “Daddy, when the queen cal s, I go.”

Addolgar motioned toward the castle with a jerk of his head, patting Rhona’s shoulder as she walked by.

“Don’t do anything foolish, child,” her father cal ed after her.

Vigholf tended to a few dragons who couldn’t reach the swords or arrows embedded in their backs.

Once done with that, he was about to go in search of Rhona when her father stepped in front of him.

“You,” he said and, for a moment, Vigholf was sure Sulien had heard about Vigholf and Rhona cuddling under a tree al night. He was a ridiculously large dragon with forearms the size of large bul s. It would not be a fun fight. “Go with her.” Vigholf blinked. “Go with who?”

“Rhona. She’s been cal ed to talk to the queen—don’t let her face that alone.” Vigholf quickly shifted to human and yanked the clothes off some poor, large-boned soldier who’d been walking by, and demanded, “Where is she?”

Rhona pul ed out any arrows she hadn’t dealt with on the field, shifted, put on clothes, and went into the castle. The Kyvich took up most of the Great Hal , healing the few of their number who’d been wounded. As she passed, they watched her but said nothing.

“Where are we going?”

Rhona stopped, faced Vigholf, who she’d had no idea was behind her. “I’m going to see my queen.”

“Al right.”

Confused, but too tired to fight about it, she kept going.

She arrived at the door of the war room and knocked. Dagmar Reinholdt opened it. “Sergeant.”

“The queen asked for me?”

“Yes.” Dagmar glanced behind Rhona. “And you brought a friend.”

Rhona didn’t bother to turn around this time; she merely rol ed her eyes. “No. I didn’t. He fol ows me.”

“Wel . . . some dogs are hard to shake,” Dagmar murmured. “You both may enter. And as Ragnar’s brother,” Dagmar said to Vigholf, “I depend on your honor not to repeat what you hear here, my lord.”

Vigholf stooped a bit to clear the doorway. “On my honor, Lady Dagmar.”

Dagmar closed the door and Rhona walked up to the table. The Dragon Queen stood on the opposite side, Talaith and Keita on the right, Ren—

final y getting his color and strength back—behind the queen.

“I have a mission for you, Sergeant.”

“Of course, my queen.”

“I need you to—”

The door swung open again and Rhona’s Uncle Bercelak, whom she hadn’t seen since she’d arrived, stomped in. He sneered at Vigholf as he passed him until he reached Rhiannon’s side. “I need to talk to you.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“No.” He took her hand and pul ed his mate out of the room, leaving the rest of them al standing there. It was, to say the least, an awkward moment.