The Dragon Who Loved Me (Dragon Kin #5)(78)

“I can assure you that those two idiots ain’t apologizing for a gods-damn thing. Instead they just fight. Constantly.” Shaking her head, Izzy said, “I didn’t mean for them to.... I was never going to tel .... I was just going to . . .”

“Enjoy?”

She flinched. “Yeah. I guess.”

Rhona pul ed her shirt over her head. “I wil say that you shouldn’t have expected any Cadwaladr male to keep his mouth shut about a conquest.

That was, I think, your only real mistake here.”

“No one told Éibhear. He sort of... saw us.”

“Oh. Wel , that’s awkward.”

“And then he went round the bend. Beating up poor Celyn.”

Rhona snorted. “Poor Celyn, my tail. I don’t feel sorry for either one of them. And you shouldn’t either.” She stood in front of Izzy. The girl was as tal as any She-dragon in human form, as wide too. A powerful y built female with a pretty smile. Gods. Those two idiots don’t stand a chance. “Do you love Celyn?”

“I love him . . .”

“But you’re not in love with him, yeah? And Éibhear?”

Now she snorted. “I’m trying not to love him at al .”

“Wel , I’m going to tel you what I’d tel one of my sisters. Think of your own life, Izzy. Think about what you want. Now. Don’t let them two throw you off course. They’ve got some growing up to do, and so do you. Do that first and then worry about the rest of it.”

“Iz!” Brannie cal ed out. “Annwyl’s back.”

“Let’s go and deal with our mad queen.”

“Thanks, Rhona.”

“Yeah, sure. Now go on. I’l be right out.”

Izzy walked out and Rhona grabbed her weapons, putting them on before she fol owed. Vigholf stood outside the alcove, eating a turkey leg and grinning down at her.

“Eavesdropping, Northlander?”

“Just listening to someone handle an awkward situation bril iantly.” He grinned. “Babysitter.”

“Oh, shut up with that.”

Varro walked around the corner and that’s when he came face-to-face with the crazed queen.

“Where is he?”

“If you mean King Gaius—”

“Look,” she said, dropping her hands onto his shoulders. “I don’t have time for games. Where is he?” Varro pushed her hands off him and walked around her. “Gaius made himself perfectly clear yesterday. I can assure you that nothing has changed since then.”

“The open games are tomorrow, aren’t they?”

Varro stopped walking and slowly faced the queen. “What?”

“Today they have games of al the wel -known fighters. But tomorrow is the open games. Anyone with coin and the wil ingness to die in the arena can sign up. Yes?”

“Yes. How did you—”

“According to my mate’s father,” the unstable female—although she looked much saner at this moment than she had the evening before—put her arm around Varro’s shoulders, “I’m a right little brawler. So let’s have some fun with that, eh?” Rhona was in the middle of her meal when Annwyl crouched in front of her. The queen looked different . . . clear-eyed. Rational. Wel , as rational as she had looked before the war against the Irons.

“I’ve been told you’re an excel ent blacksmith,” Annwyl began with no preamble. “Is that true?”

“Did my father tel you that?”

“No. He just said you were missing your true cal ing. I heard from someone else.”

“Who?”

“Can we discuss that later? Are you a blacksmith or not?”

“Wel —”

“She is,” Vigholf volunteered for her. “A real y excel ent one who’s considering coming back to the Northlands with me when this is over so she can make weapons for my brethren.”

When the two females looked at him, he grinned. “Just trying to help.”

“You must be really good,” Annwyl said, “if you’ve got a Northland male singing your praises.”

“Northlanders don’t sing,” Vigholf felt the need to say.

“I can help you, Annwyl,” Rhona said, before Annwyl and Vigholf got into a heated discussion about what Northlanders do and don’t do. “Tel me what you need.”

“You can’t be serious,” Gaius argued.

“She’s the one being who could possibly get Aggie away from Vateria. A mad bitch against an evil one. This plan . . . it could work.”

“Or we could just be giving Vateria what she wants. Then she’d have Queen Annwyl and my sister.”

“Gaius—”

“No, we’re not doing this.”

“Why not?” Startled, they both looked up to find the queen standing at the cavern entrance, watching them.

“Because no matter what the world says about me,” Gaius explained, “I’m not that much of a monster to turn a female, any female, over to my cousin. She especial y likes females to . . . play with.”

“You may not be that much of a monster”—Annwyl grinned—“but I am.” She walked into the cavern. “First off . . . I’m sorry about what I said yesterday.” She shrugged. “My head hurt.”