Light My Fire. G.A. Aiken

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      Chapter Five

      Éibhear the Contemptible shifted to human and quickly pulled on leggings. He had to drag on his boots while following an angry, stalking Izzy. The only thing keeping her from completely outpacing him was that she wasn’t running and he had longer legs.

      “Izzy, wait!” he yelled after her, even though he knew she wouldn’t listen. Not when she was this pissed off. “Iseabail!”

      But it was no use.

      Éibhear got the last boot on and ran after his mate. He’d just cleared the last step when he saw Izzy, in front of everyone, walk boldly up to Rhiannon, point an accusing finger, and say, “What have you done—?”

      “My lovely granddaughter!” Rhiannon exclaimed, cutting off the rest of Izzy’s words. Then she grabbed Izzy about the neck and yanked her into her body, hugging her tight. So tight, Éibhear was sure Izzy couldn’t breathe; her arms desperately flew out from her body, trying to push Rhiannon away.

      “Oh, my dearest girl. How I’ve missed you! It’s been what?” Rhiannon asked. “Days? Weeks? Since I’ve seen you last?”

      Éibhear ran over to extricate his mate from his mother, but then, suddenly, his idiot cousin Celyn was between him and his goal.

      “Move,” Éibhear snapped at him.

      Celyn the Charming—yeah, right, bloody “charming” all right—gave a bit of a smile before turning to Éibhear’s brothers and asking, “Aren’t you all glad to see your little brother returned to the safety of your collective bosom?”

      “Not really.”

      “I hadn’t thought about it.”

      “Who?”

      Éibhear was about to move Celyn himself since the black dragon couldn’t seem to get out of his way with any speed, when Éibhear stopped, and faced his brothers. “Wait . . . what? You don’t care I’m home?” he asked his brothers. “To the big, fat, disgusting warmth of your collective bosoms?”

      “Yes, because we definitely want the Mì-runach in our home,” Briec said on a bored sigh.

      Éibhear’s lip curled a bit. He was aware of how his brothers felt about the Mì-runach. They were considered vile, vicious bastards who took orders from no one but their queen and killed only those no one else would go near. They had also been the only group of Dragonwarriors willing to take Éibhear on as one of their own. His time with them had made him a better dragon and definitely a more worthy soldier. But the reputation of the Mì-runach seemed to mean more to his brothers than what they’d done for the youngest of their siblings.

      Typical!

      “Now, now, you lot,” Gwenvael unhelpfully cut in. “Let’s not blame the boy for being worthless and irritating. Let’s blame our father. It’s his fault poor little Éibhear is like this. Sad. Pathetic. With bones tied in his strangely colored hair as if he were still on the cold, barbarian mountains of the Northlands.”

      “Strangely colored hair? Our grandfather was a Blue,” Éibhear reminded them.

      “His was more of a hearty navy blue that sparkled in the moonlight. Yours is a flat, boring blue. Kind of like yourself.”

      Suddenly Fearghus focused on them all as if he’d never seen them before and snapped, “Who are we talking about?”

      That was when Éibhear threw the first punch. . . .

      “In here,” Annwyl said as she led Rhiannon, Dagmar, and Talaith, into the library, the sounds of the brothers’ fighting fading as she closed the door behind them. “They never come in here.”

      “Nicely handled, dear Celyn,” Rhiannon told her nephew who, along with his younger sister, had followed them here. Celyn had always been one of her best guards, knowing exactly what she needed without Rhiannon ever having to say a word.

      “You’re welcome. But I think you should let Izzy go now. She might be passing out.”

      “Hmmm?” Rhiannon glanced down at her adopted granddaughter and saw that the warrior had slumped in her arms. “Oh, dear!”

      She dropped the girl and Izzy fell into her mother’s arms.

      “I СКАЧАТЬ