About a Dragon (Dragon Kin #2)(26)
Author: G.A. Aiken

“You promised you’d protect her.”

“And I will. Just as I promised.” The goddess’ face turned ugly as her true nature swept across it. “But don’t think for a moment that you’ll be able to get out of this. Don’t think for a moment anyone or any…thing can protect you from me.”

The goddess lifted her hand, two fingers out, and it felt as if Talaith’s throat was back in that noose, choking her. Killing her. Her fingers scratched at her bare neck, fighting to remove a noose that wasn’t there.

“You know what you need to do, Talaith. And you will do it. And you’ll do it well.” Arzhela made a fist, and the feeling worsened, getting tighter around Talaith’s throat. Not only cutting off oxygen but soon, crushing bone. “Do it well, or your throat won’t be the only one I crush. But I’ll make sure he has her first. I’ll make sure he makes her love it.”

Fear for her child overrode fear for herself. She no longer cared about her death. She only cared about her daughter. The daughter they’d ripped from her arms before she’d taken her first breath. The daughter she worried about every moment of every day. The daughter whose name she didn’t even know.

“Yes,” she tried to scream, but was only able to barely choke out.

“Good.” Arzhela released her and Talaith dropped to her knees, hands around her throat, taking in deep gulping drags of air. “I’m so glad we understand each other so well. Tomorrow you’ll leave here and head toward the rising suns. Understand?”

“The weather?”

“I’ll protect you from that.” Which told Talaith Arzhela hadn’t been responsible for all these storms. Surprising.

“The suns will rise tomorrow. And I’m sure you’ll know what to do once you arrive at your destination, yes?”

Talaith shut her eyes. “Aye.”

“Wonderful. Wonderful.” Arzhela turned and headed off into the forest. “Oh, and I’ve returned your powers to you. By tomorrow, you’ll be back where you were when you pledged yourself to me.” Pledged herself? She never pledged herself to anyone or anything. The bitch was insane. “Don’t forget, Talaith. Once this is all done and your task complete, you can take your daughter and your Magicks and return to your people and your desert gods. But you mustn’t fail me.”

She actually still wanted Talaith to believe she’d survive this task. She must believe her truly stupid.

“Sleep well, Talaith. Tomorrow begins a brand new day.”

Then Arzhela was gone.

Chapter Thirteen

Briec stared at Talaith across the dining table. She hadn’t spoken since he arrived home, appearing lost and in pain. She’d pulled her bare feet up onto the chair, her chin resting on her knees, her arms tight around her legs.

“Are you not hungry?”

Without looking at him, she answered softly, “Not really, no.”

“Talaith? Talaith, look at me.” She did, those dark brown eyes turning to him. His chest tightened at the sight of the pain in them. “Gods, woman. What happened while I was away?”

“Nothing. Really.” She forced a smile, it seemed as if doing so caused her physical discomfort. “I’ll be fine in the morning.”

Leaning back in her chair, she took a deep breath before speaking again. “So, how did it go in town today? Is everyone all right with these storms?”

“Aye. It’s a little muddy, but surprisingly not too much damage. I feared the river would overflow, but it hasn’t.”

Her forced smile turned bitter. “The gods must be protecting us then.”

Briec didn’t know what to do with Talaith like this. She seemed ripped apart from the inside out, while at the same time, she seemed dangerously angry. And the fact that it brought out some unnamed emotion in him, gave him no ease.

“I bought something for you.”

“Oh?” She didn’t sound the least bit interested.

“Aye.” He stood and walked around the table until directly behind her. “I had this made for you.”

He slipped the silver chain on her neck, quickly latching the clasp. As he released it, the pendant dropped to hang down her gown, right between her br**sts. Talaith grasped the pendant and looked at it carefully while Briec crouched beside her. He’d given her a dragon. Not large at all, but modest in size, ensuring Talaith would feel comfortable wearing it. With wings expanded from a detailed back, fangs bared, its claws and tail holding on to a single jewel he’d pulled from his own treasure.

“Do you like it?” he asked softly.

“Briec, it’s beautiful. But why—”

“I wanted you to have something from me.”

She stared at him for a long time, almost making him uncomfortable. Then she asked, “Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did you want me to have something from you? Why do you care?”

“Because…” His brain scrambled for some answer he could understand. “I’ve enjoyed having you here with me.” Did she still want to leave him? Did she still plan grand escapes? Or did she realize this was where she belonged?

“For now,” she pushed.

He blinked, then nodded, extremely confused. “Um…yes. For now. That was what I’d always said.”

Her smile turned sad and resigned and Briec had absolutely no idea what to do about it. What he never expected, though, was for her to take his face between her hands and kiss him.

* * *

What did she expect him to say exactly? That he loved her? That he wanted her with him forever? Her mother’s words came back to her as she kissed Briec. The words she said to her when Talaith told her she was with child.

“Foolish, foolish, Talaith. You keep expecting to find happiness—and you never will. Not for us.”

“Us” being the Nolwenn witches. The most powerful witches in Alsandair. And the loneliest. Nolwenn witches had consorts, but only for physical needs or Magicks requiring sex. When the men became too old to perform, the witches sent them on their way. They may have favorites among them, but never enough to care once they were gone.

Talaith loved her daughter’s father, which was unheard of. Of course, having her daughter at sixteen was absolutely unheard of, too. Especially since her own mother didn’t have her until it was well past her two hundredth winter.

Yet the Nolwenn way of life wasn’t what Talaith wanted. Not for herself and especially not for her daughter.

His hands gently gripping her shoulders, Briec pulled back from her. It wasn’t easy for him. She saw that in the way his violet eyes watched her. As always he wanted her…for now.

“Talaith, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” She stroked his jaw, loving the rough feel of it against her hand. “Just take me to bed, Briec.”

He didn’t have the answers he wanted—the answers he’d never get—but knowing the dragon as well as she did now, she knew he expected to get it out of her tomorrow.

He picked her up out of the chair and carried her to the bed they’d been sharing together.

She’d make this night memorable for both of them, because soon memories would be all she’d have.

Chapter Fourteen

Danelin, captain of Queen Annwyl’s elite guard, checked his sword carefully for any nicks. It was the one thing that kept him from crying out of pure boredom. Exactly how much more rain and mud could he be witness to? They’d barely moved more than a league in the past week. He wanted to go home. He had a small bit of land Annwyl gave him after she took her brother’s throne. On it was a small house with an even tinier garden. But it was his and he loved it.

Yet all the men felt like that lately. They’d been away from Garbhán Isle for too long now. They wanted to see their wives, mistresses, children…even their mothers. They were weary of battle and definitely weary of this weather. Although Danelin had no doubt in a few months they’d be clamoring for another battle, another war, they still needed the occasional break from it.

The one who needed the break from it most of all, however, was their queen. They all knew she’d been away from her mate for far too long. The longer they were separated, the sharper her tongue. And woe to the small war party that accidentally crossed their path. Often the rest of them didn’t even have to fight…she did all the work for them.

Aye, only one was brave enough to face her when she got this way. Only one dared to irritate her.

Morfyd stormed from the queen’s tent, but she stopped when a book—thankfully soft of cover—hit her in the back of the head. Swinging around, the dragon in human form yelled, “You are the most insufferable, difficult bitch I’ve ever had the displeasure of knowing and I can’t wait to be rid of you!”

Danelin glanced up at his commander and Brastias sighed. With a shake of his head, he stepped in front of Morfyd before she could stomp away. “What is going on with you two?”

Morfyd looked at Brastias, then at the men watching her. After taking a deep, calming breath she shrugged. “Nothing. Why?”

* * *

Briec, smiling while still half asleep, reached for Talaith. His hand grasped nothing but bedding and he pulled himself fully awake.

“Talaith?”

He’d been hoping to find her still lying next to him. He had plans for her this morning, and they all involved her legs resting on his shoulders. So finding her already up and about did nothing but irritate him. Plus, he still had many questions to ask the wench. Her sudden mood swings the previous night did nothing but confuse him, and he realized he didn’t enjoy that confusion one damn bit.

Briec looked around the chamber and frowned when he didn’t find her in one of the chairs reading as he usually did. He sat up, pushing his hair off his face. “Talaith?”

He slid out of bed and left the chamber, heading toward the main area where they ate. She wasn’t there and no fire burned in the pitfire since the previous eve.

Sniffing the air, Briec tried to track her somewhere in his home, but there was nothing but her lingering essence.

“No!”

Briec shifted to dragon with a thought and stormed through his cave looking for her, barking her name.

“Talaith, answer me!”

She didn’t and he knew. He knew she’d left him. And another, less used emotion reared its very ugly head…rage.

Briec made it topside, bursting from his cave entrance with a trail of fire in his wake. He tore through the countryside searching for her. She couldn’t have gotten far. He’d find her and bring her back. Even if she kicked and screamed the entire way, he’d bring her back.

He’d bring her home.

* * *

Talaith watched the dragon fly overhead. He didn’t see her. He wouldn’t. True to her word, Arzhela had given her back her powers with a vengeance. Talaith almost woke Briec up as she stumbled from her early-morning bed, her entire body screaming in pain as the Magick was unleashed within her.

Now she used that same Magick to block her presence from the dragon’s keen senses, something she hadn’t been able to do before. Hearing him call her name, knowing he at least cared enough to search for her, almost sent her back to him.