The Dragon Who Loved Me (Dragon Kin #5)(71)

“You don’t know that.”

“I know my brothers. The last time Fearghus looked like that, Annwyl . . . and now he looks like that again!”

“So what are you going to do, Éibhear? Sit here, worrying about something you can’t fix? Or get off your ass and help the rest of us lowly privates finish that bloody tunnel? The sooner we get that done, the sooner we can get your brother back to your mum. I bet she can fix him up right.”

“She couldn’t save Annwyl.”

Austel frowned. “But . . . someone saved her, right?”

“It’s a long and complicated story.” When Austel ’s frown grew worse, Éibhear rushed to explain, “She’s not the undead!”

“Al right, al right. No need to yel at me.”

Éibhear let out a breath. “Sorry. That was rude.”

And Austel almost laughed at him. To Éibhear that was rude. To the rest of the dragons in this world? It was nothing. Gods, would Éibhear go through his entire life being such a goody two-talons? How was he supposed to make it in the military when he was always so damn nice and accommodating? Unless, of course, you were Celyn. Then you got nothing from the royal but punched in the face and cal ed al sorts of names Austel didn’t even realize that Éibhear knew.

Austel real y wished that Cadwaladr cousin of Éibhear and Celyn was stil around. The sergeant. She kept the pair of them in line, but now that she’d gone off somewhere, they were getting worse and worse by the hour. Those cute triplets kept trying to stop them, but they didn’t have the same terrifying demeanor as their sister.

Wel . . . what could he do? Except for what he’d already been doing. Trying to keep the pair separated. And when they did have to work together, trying to keep them from fighting every five minutes.

Honestly, he wished they’d both just focus. Austel hated that tunnel. He hated being in such a smal place. True, it wasn’t smal by most beings’

standards, but it was to dragons. It would al ow for them to make it into the Polycarp Mountains two at a time. Hopeful y, once they were in, they would find their way to the Irons and destroy them from within. At least that was the plan, but Austel liked being outside. Or in a much larger cavern.

Tunnels, like bridges, were just things that could col apse in his estimation.

“Come on. You need to get back to work.”

“Yeah, al right.”

Together they stood, but Austel stopped to put his claw on his friend’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything wil work out with Briec. We get this tunnel done, kil al the Irons, and get him home. Easy and simple. We like easy and simple, right? Right? ” Éibhear rol ed his eyes and recited their creed: “Only where women are concerned.” Austel laughed and slapped the Blue on the back. “That’s the spirit! Now let’s get this done.” Chapter 26

It felt like ages as they traveled through those tunnels, but Annwyl seemed to know where she was going and it had to be safer than cutting straight through—or even around—the Provinces. But stil , Vigholf couldn’t help but be extra vigilant as they al moved along. It wasn’t like the Sovereign humans didn’t have their own dragons who could bring human soldiers down here just as he and Rhona had with Annwyl and the others.

But it did feel like they were alone.

At least it did until they reached the smal est caverns they’d found yet since they’d been in these caves. They weren’t tiny by any means, but they didn’t give him much room either. Instantly Vigholf thought of the wyvern. And because he was already so tense and ready for anything to come slithering along, Vigholf caught the wood spear that came shooting out of the darkness seconds before it tore through Rhona’s head.

Blinking her eyes wide, she gave him a quick nod. “Thanks.”

“I owed you one anyway.” He turned the large spear in his claws until it faced the other way. “You ready?” he asked.

“Aye. I’m ready.”

Needing to hear nothing else, Vigholf sped forward into a wide cavern, the spear gripped tight by his talons. Rhona stayed to the right of him, her own spear in one claw, her shield in the other.

He pul ed his forearm back, the spear high, and was seconds from pitching the weapon when Annwyl yel ed, “Hold! ” It was a command Vigholf and Rhona had been conditioned to respond to and they did so immediately, both of them using their wings to pul them back in midflight.

Annwyl walked forward, both swords in her hands. Izzy held a torch. It didn’t do much for lighting her queen’s way, but Annwyl stil kept going.

Then Vigholf heard it. He’d heard it in battle so many times, he sometimes heard it in his sleep. The sound of a Fire Breather taking in a big gulp of air.

“Annwyl! ” he bel owed. Yet the queen did nothing but shove her niece aside seconds before flames burst from the opposite dark cavern and covered the human female. Roaring with rage, Vigholf jerked forward, but Rhona grabbed his forearm, held him back.

“What are you doing? ” he demanded.

“Look.”

“Why would I want to see—”

“Just look.”

He did—and he saw Annwyl. Not a burned-to-a-crisp Annwyl, but a perfectly untouched Annwyl. Even her clothes were fine. But Vigholf didn’t understand. That burst of flame could have wiped out an entire human battalion.