The silver dragon stopped when he saw Talaith, the pair peering at each other. Talaith saw it, felt it, knew her mate was experiencing the same thing. That overwhelming flood of love and connection—and neither was ready for any of that sort of thing!
Using his tail to pul his daughter around and into his claws, the dragon snarled, “Explain to me why my perfect, perfect daughter was out there.” He held Rhian out for Talaith to see. “Unsafe!”
Talaith snatched her daughter away from the monster she loved, quickly stepping away from the flames that came with his shifting, and growled back, “If you don’t stop cal ing her that!”
“Don’t chirp at me, woman!”
“Chirp? Chirp? ”
“You put my perfect, perfect daughter at risk!” He pul ed on leggings and boots handed to him by one of the servants and yanked Rhian back to him. “What exactly have you been doing here? Letting her run wild? Like a banshee!”
“I’l have you know—”
Izzy ran in through the gate. “Morning, Mum!” she cheered while running past and over to Sulien the Blacksmith. Without saying a word, he seemed to know what she needed, tossing her an extremely large battle-ax. “Thanks, Uncle Sulien!”
“Welcome, Izzy!”
“Iseabail!” Talaith cal ed after her.
“I’l be back in a bit, Mum!” Then she was gone.
“Damn that girl!”
“Are you even listening to me?”
“No!” Talaith snapped, yanking her hysterical y laughing youngest daughter back into her arms. “I’m not! I can’t believe I spent even a moment of my time missing you!”
“I missed you too, you difficult, demanding female!”
“Difficult? I can show you difficult!”
“You do that with every breath you take!”
Fearghus entered the courtyard, not surprised to see his brother arguing with Talaith. He rol ed his eyes, not in the mood to deal with any of that.
His mother, in human form, walked toward him, smiling.
“Fearghus.”
“Mother.”
“I’m so glad you’re wel .” And he knew she meant it. He was so glad to be home.“Wel enough.” He motioned to the children with a tilt of his head. “Take them, would you?” Once his mother had Talan and Talwyn, he shifted and put on leggings, then some boots. He kissed his mother on the cheek.
“Should I ask,” he murmured, “how they managed to get outside?” He knew wel that the ones left to watch over the children would never have purposely let them wander around on their own during a siege.
“I have an idea, but . . .”
He waved that away, sensing it wouldn’t be an easy answer. “Can it wait?” he asked.
“I’d prefer it did. They’re fine. That’s al that matters.”
“Good. We need to talk about something else,” he said.
“What?”
“Éibhear.”
Rhiannon tensed. “He’s—”
“Perfectly healthy. But we should stil talk.”
“Of course.” She motioned to Ebba, and the centaur trotted over, the children immediately leaping from their grandmother’s arms to Ebba’s back.
“Don’t take them far,” Fearghus stated. “Annwyl wil want to see them as soon as she’s done.”
“Of course.” Ebba smiled at him. “It’s good to have you back, my lord.”
“Thank you, Ebba.”
Once they were as alone as possible in a busy courtyard with a battle going on right outside the castle gates, Rhiannon nodded at her son.
“Al right. Tel me everything.”
The battle barely lasted an hour. The few Tribesmen left made a fast retreat with only a few of Annwyl’s men in pursuit. Everyone was so tired and happy to be back that the Tribesmen who remained were of little consequence to any of them. Especial y after fighting the Sovereigns and Irons for the last five years.
With her swords tied to her back, Annwyl walked back to her home, an arm thrown over Izzy’s shoulder. They didn’t say anything because there was nothing to say. Not between them. They’d been through too much together, seen too much . . . gods, they’d done too much to worry about what to say.
They entered the castle gates and Annwyl wasn’t surprised to see Talaith and Briec wel in the middle of an argument. It was like they had to make up for the last five years of no proper fighting. But as soon as Talaith saw her daughter, tears sprang to her eyes and she ran to her, Izzy moving away from Annwyl to meet her mum. They threw their arms around each other, both women sobbing and laughing, holding on to each other.
Annwyl winked at Briec, his smile warm as he watched the women he loved, and she patted his shoulder, stopping a moment to kiss sweet Rhian on the cheek. But Annwyl was nearly knocked on her ass when Gwenvael stormed past her, shifting from dragon to human in seconds, not bothering to put on leggings or even a robe.
Dagmar already stood on the Great Hal steps, but the welcoming smile faded from her lips when she saw Gwenvael, her eyes growing wide with a panic she rarely showed anyone.
Gwenvael took the stairs three at a time, picking Dagmar up along the way and dumping her over his shoulder like a sack of so much grain before he disappeared into the Great Hal .
Annwyl glanced up at Briec, but the Silver shook his head. “I won’t discuss it. But let’s hope it makes him less of a bastard. Because he’s been a right bastard.”