Light My Fire. G.A. Aiken

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      Chapter Four

      A door slammed somewhere deep in the castle and Celyn put his claws over the back of his head and prayed for death. Another door slammed, followed by raised voices and more door slamming.

      When death did not come—the bastard!—Celyn rolled to his back and opened his eyes to look around. For a few moments, he had no idea where he was. He looked at his claws and realized they were hands. Lifted his head a bit and realized he was in his human form, dressed, and on a bed.

      Letting out a breath, he slowly lowered his head back to the pillow and moved just his eyes to look around.

      A castle. He was in a castle.

      Celyn raised himself up on his elbows, but then he had to stop because he was afraid he’d end up tossing whatever was in his stomach all over the room.

      This was his fault. His fault. He knew better than to go drinking with his sister.

      Foolish dragon.

      The door to the room he was in slammed open, and he gasped at the pain that sound caused in every part of him.

      “We need to get out of here,” his sister told him.

      Branwen the Awful was Celyn’s younger sister, but with only two decades between them, they were considered almost twins by dragon standards. Plus, they looked a lot alike with their black hair, black eyes, and square jaws like their mother’s. But Brannie was more Cadwaladr than Celyn. She drank like their kin, fought random beings like their kin, and loved war like their kin. Understanding Celyn’s happiness at being a member of the Queen’s Personal Guard eluded her.

      “What’s wrong?” Celyn asked as he slowly placed his feet on the floor and his poor, throbbing head in his hands. No more drinking. Ever, he promised himself for the millionth time.

      “Annwyl killed some guards or something, and no one is very happy about it. And Fearghus isn’t here.”

      “Dammit.” Their cousin Fearghus had a way of controlling his mate that no one else had. Especially important when she began killing things because she got in a bit of a mood. “Who did she kill?”

      “Not sure. But Dagmar was sent for.”

      Dagmar Reinholdt. The Northlander who’d become steward to Queen Annwyl and Battle Lord to Garbhán Isle although the human female had never lifted a sword or axe once in her life. A good thing since she had no skill with weapons. But what she did have was a potent skill with war strategy and a bone-deep love of plotting.

      “You’re right,” Celyn agreed. “We need to go.” Unless, of course, they wanted to get caught in the middle of one of Annwyl’s misadventures, which he did not.

      Forcing himself to stand, Celyn asked, “Did you bring me here last night?”

      “I did. You were too drunk to shift back. I was afraid you’d accidentally wipe out the town.”

      Once standing, Celyn swayed, but a steadying hand on the bed’s headboard kept him from falling to the floor.

      “You never could handle your liquor, brother.”

      “Shut. Up.”

      “Because I, as always, speak truth?”

      “No. Because your voice is typically loud and grating.” He rubbed his brow. “Why do I ever let you talk me into going drinking with you?”

      “Because I’m your sister and you adore me?”

      “No.”

      Brannie laughed. “Come, brother. Before we get trapped by one of our kinsdragons’ stupidity.”

      His sister was right. More times than he cared to think about, Celyn had ended up in the middle of his royal cousins’ problems and dramas. And, as a Cadwaladr, he was obligated to help in any way he could. Because a Cadwaladr always protected family. Even when family was a bunch of bratty royals who seemed to find reasons to argue with everyone.

      Celyn took a few tentative steps, stopped, and asked his sister, “I am dressed, right?” Because he honestly couldn’t remember.

      “You are. You passed out in your clothes last night and sadly I didn’t have time to take them off so that when I sent the maids in to clean the room, they could find your naked ass waving at them and scream in human terror. You know how I love that.”

      Celyn glared at his sister. “What is wrong with you?”

      Brannie shrugged. “Nothing. Why?”

      Celyn went to the bedroom door and eased it open, peeking into the hallway.

      “Well?” his sister whispered.

      “It’s clear. Let’s move.”

      Together, the siblings rushed down the hallway, down one set of steps to the second-floor hallway, and another set of stairs toward the Great Hall.

      Celyn worried he’d start vomiting, but he was determined to do that only once he was outside and far away from whatever drama was about to erupt among his royal cousins.

      But as he and Brannie cut between two long dining tables, Celyn was hit in the face with a . . . well . . . a human head, forcing him to stop.

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