The Dragon Who Loved Me (Dragon Kin #5)(64)

“Thank you,” Fearghus said and walked out of the chamber. He went around the corner and tried to control his breathing. He couldn’t al ow the troops—or his kin—to see this.

“Fearghus?”

He looked up at his Aunt Ghleanna.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked.

“Nothing’s definite. We keep it quiet for now. Just say he’s recovering.”

“That’s al wel and good for everyone else, but I’m asking as your aunt. How’s me Briec?” He shook his head, working hard to gain control. “It’s bad. Ragnar, the other healers . . . they say there’s nothing they can do.”

“What about your mum?”

“She’s his best bet, but we’l never get him out of here now.”

“But if we finish the tunnels, strike the next blow . . . the last blow.” She gripped his forearm. “Then we can get your brother back to Devenal t Mountain and let your mum heal him. Don’t give up on him, Fearghus. Please.”

“Of course I won’t.”

“I’l get the ones working on the tunnels to move their col ective arses. We’l get this done.” She pressed her claw to his cheek. “We don’t give up on each other in this Clan, boy. Don’t you forget that.”

“I won’t.”

She nodded and stomped off, ordering recruits to get to the tunnel, while al around them the cave wal s shook from the never-ending siege from the Irons battering them mercilessly, giving them no way to get out—to get his brother out of here and someplace safe.

Yet Fearghus knew his aunt was right. They didn’t give up on each other, and he wouldn’t start now.

Chapter 23

After a quick but lusty morning romp, Rhona and Vigholf bathed in the river, dressed, and were riding toward the Western Mountain Pass by the time most people were sitting down for their first meal.

They rode hard and made good time, stopping at a few smal towns along the way so Vigholf could do what he did so wel : get information from complete strangers. Rhona would have to admit, she was impressed. She simply didn’t have an easy way like that with people she didn’t know.

And those she did know, she wasn’t above threatening to get information. Vigholf never had to do that. She couldn’t explain it; he just . . . had a way.

Yet Rhona wasn’t completely useless, able to fol ow the queen’s tracks once they got into the Karpos Forests that surrounded the Western Mountains. Then again it wasn’t hard to differentiate Annwyl’s tracks from the many others that ran into and around the area. The woman had such big feet for a human female....

They rode the horses deep into the forests, Rhona keeping an eye out for any new markings that would show a change in direction. She was just pul ing to a stop to get a closer look at something near a tree when Vigholf murmured, “Smoke.”

“What?”

“Smoke.” He pointed. “Over there.”

Rhona scented the air. Aye, there was smoke—and fire.

She turned her horse and rode in that direction, Vigholf beside her. As they moved along, they could see the stil burning remains of a smal vil age. Before they got too close, she dismounted and left the mare. Unlike Rhona and, to a lesser degree, Vigholf, the horses weren’t immune to flame.

As she neared the vil age, Rhona could hear the wailing and cries of those who’d survived the fire that had gutted their homes. Worried it was the work of a pissy dragon, Rhona walked up to the first human she found not completely lost in grief.

“What happened here?” she asked.

The man looked up at her, his eyes red from the smoke and his own tears. “Soldiers. From the Provinces.”

“They just burned your vil age? Why?”

And it was his next words that stopped her heart. “Because of the woman.”

“The woman? What woman?”

The man blinked, let out a breath. He looked so exhausted. “The traveler. She came with two other females.”

“She fought the soldiers?” Vigholf asked.

“Nah. She went with them wil ingly. Alone. I don’t know about them other two. They weren’t with her.” He swal owed, wiped at his brow. “She didn’t fight, yeah? Until the soldiers started burning the place. Then she fought, trying to stop them. That’s when they hit her. Hard. Knocked her out.” His voice caught. “That’s when they set the entire place to burn. My wife . . .” He shook his head. “Guess I should be grateful, though.”

“Grateful?”

“Rumor was they’d burned some other vil ages the past few days, but not before they . . . to the women . . .” He shook his head and blindly walked off.

“We need to go,” Rhona said.

Vigholf looked around and, if these humans weren’t already in a state of shock, they’d have been terrified by the expression he wore. “But these people, Rhona . . .”

“I know. But there’s nothing we can do for them now. And Annwyl’s alone with those soldiers. We have to move.”

“Right. You’re right.” Vigholf took a step, then stopped. “They were looking for her. They knew she was coming.” Rhona headed back to the horses. “We have to move.”

It was easy enough to track the soldiers. They were headed back to the Provinces and moving at a nice clip until late in the evening when they final y stopped for the night.