The Dragon Who Loved Me. G.A. Aiken

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      “Ragnar would feel safer with me in Dark Plains.”

      “So would I. This is no place for you, Keita.”

      “Then you best take me back to Garbhán Isle.” The human queen’s seat of power in Dark Plains.

      “I can’t,” Rhona admitted, thinking of all she had to do. “But I’ll see if the triplets—”

      “No!” Keita barked, startling Rhona. “They’ll be missed.”

      “What do you mean they’ll be—”

      “Everyone will notice if they’re gone, and ask questions. I can’t have any questions asked. So your brothers can’t go either. Or any of your siblings. This needs to be done quietly.”

      Rhona put her claws on her hips and glared down at her much smaller cousin. “Did you only pick me because no one would notice if I was gone?”

      “It’s not that they wouldn’t notice you’re gone.... They’d just be glad you are.”

      “Well, thank you very much!”

      Keita’s tail slammed down into the water. “You’re taking this the wrong way!”

      “How else am I supposed to take it?”

      “That’s it!” Keita slashed her claws through the air. “I am Daughter of Queen Rhiannon, low-born cousin, and as a lowly soldier you’ll do as I say!”

      Without speaking, Rhona moved forward—and kept moving forward until her cousin had been backed into the far wall.

      “All right! All right!” Keita brought up her claws to ward Rhona off. “No need to get testy!”

      “Then watch that you don’t irritate me, cousin.”

      “Please, Rhona. Once we’re free of this place, I can explain everything. But not here, not now. And I’m asking you to do this because I trust you. Ren trusts you. And you know the pair of us trust few.”

      Damn her. Keita always knew how to get her way. Yet Rhona did have to admit that her cousin—for once—appeared sincere. And a bit worried. Keita was never worried about anything.

      “Ragnar will know, yeah? That I’m with you? That I’m following orders? If it comes up. Don’t need my kin thinking I’m a deserter.”

      “Of course they won’t!” Keita again put her claw on Rhona’s forearm. “Trust me. When this is all said and done, you’ll be seen as a hero.”

      Rhona chuckled. “Don’t need all that. Just don’t get me tossed into your mum’s dungeons and we’ll be fine.”

      Keita’s grin was bright and pretty. “That I can manage!”

      Vigholf looked up from his fifth cow leg when Keita returned to the chamber. Meinhard had headed out, but Vigholf, wanting to know more about what was going on, had stayed.

      Keita smiled at Vigholf as she passed and sashayed her way over to Ragnar.

      He’d admit it. Vigholf didn’t understand his brother. Keita had been with Ragnar for five years now, even coming with him when they moved from their Northland home to this valley. And although she’d been forced to stay in this cave with cranky soldiers and pesky kin, she never once complained or seemed unhappy. And yet Ragnar still hadn’t Claimed her. He still hadn’t put his mark upon her that would let every dragon know that Keita’s heart belonged to him and him alone. What the dragon was waiting for, Vigholf had no idea. The war gods knew that Vigholf wouldn’t have waited if he had a She-dragon ready to be his mate. Good females were too hard to come by. And Keita was one of the best. Pretty, smart, charming, elegant, and very loyal. Those dragons who dare question Ragnar’s rule as Dragonlord of the Hordes usually ended up with uncomfortable rashes under their scales, unexplainable hair loss, or coughing up blood. After several cases of that sort of thing happening, the rest of them learned to keep quiet or, at the very least, not complain about Ragnar in front of Keita.

      “All set,” she said, smiling.

      “Good.” Ragnar brushed his claw against her cheek. “I’ll miss you.”

      “Of course you will. I’m amazing.”

      “You’re leaving now?” Vigholf asked.

      “Sssh,” Keita whispered. “Not so loud. We’re doing this quietly.”

      “Why?”

      “I’ll explain it later,” Ragnar said. “Give us a few minutes.”

      Vigholf nodded and headed toward the exit. But he stopped, worried. “And your escort is not Éibhear, right?”

      “You know, he’s improved greatly in five years,” Keita reminded him, always so protective of her oversized baby brother. Emphasis on the baby.

      “Your escort isn’t Éibhear, right?”

      Keita let out a breath. “No. It’s not. He’ll be staying here with you lot. And I expect you to take good care of him.”

      “He’s not alone, Keita.” Ragnar glanced at Vigholf. “He has his brothers to watch out for him.”

      “And we all know they won’t!”

      Vigholf and Ragnar laughed. It was true. That poor Blue’s brothers were harder on him than any of the Northland dragons ever were, but it was evident Éibhear was starting to get a little tired of it. That is, when he wasn’t too busy fighting with his cousin Celyn.

      When Keita began to tap one talon of her back claw against the hard floor, Vigholf stopped laughing even if Ragnar didn’t.

      “So who is going with you?” Vigholf pushed, not liking any of this.

      “One of my cousins. But, as I said, let’s keep this quiet.”

      “Why?”

      “Ragnar can explain it later.”

      “Why can’t he explain it now?”

      “Don’t be annoying, Vigholf.”

      “Then answer my question.”

      Keita’s eyes narrowed and she took a step forward. To do what, Vigholf didn’t know, but Ragnar held her back by placing a claw on her shoulder.

      “Keita and Ren are being escorted by the finest soldier Her Majesty’s Army has . . . Sergeant Rhona.”

      Vigholf rolled his eyes. “Her?”

      “What’s wrong with Rhona?” Keita snapped.

      “If you’d asked me that a couple of days ago, I would have said absolutely nothing.”

      “And today?”

      “She’s overworked and she whines.”

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