Éibhear finally pulled away, his hands stroking her sweat-soaked body while he stretched out next to her. He pushed her hair off her face, gave her a soft smile. “You all right?”
“I hate you,” she whispered. “I’ve always hated you.”
“Lying won’t make this any easier, Iseabail.”
“Shut up.”
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his body. She felt his hard cock pressing against her leg, but he seemed more than willing to wait for her.
Of course that only made Izzy hate him more.
Éibhear knew now why she was mad at him.
Well, at first he didn’t. At first he was completely confused. Until, about twenty minutes later, when she’d climbed on top of him and straddled his waist, sliding his cock inside her. Then, with those light brown eyes he’d dreamed of more than a thousand times over the years gazing down at him, she rode him. Her hips rocking against him, the muscles inside her pussy squeezing and releasing his cock, until he thought he might go blind. Even worse, Izzy took her time, her hands stroking his chest, his shoulders. But it was her moans, the wetness of her pussy, the way her thighs gripped him so very tight that told him what he needed to know.
So, yes, he understood why she was mad at him. Because he felt the same way. Éibhear knew she could ask anything of him and he’d move the suns to make it happen. Knew he’d do anything to keep a smile on her face, to keep her safe.
Pissed off at himself, he gripped her waist and rolled over, pinning her beneath his body. She gazed up at him and he got the feeling she knew what he was doing. Trying to maintain control of an uncontrollable situation. But she didn’t make fun of him or tease him, simply leaned up until she could kiss him, her arms around his neck.
No. He’d never have control of this situation, no matter how hard he might try. It was just impossible. So Éibhear didn’t bother fighting it anymore. What would be the point? Instead, he took her arms from around his neck, pinned them above her head, and fucked Izzy with everything he had inside him, knowing full well that Izzy was the one female who could handle it.
With her body stretched out, stomach down, Izzy rested her head on her crossed arms and enjoyed the feeling of Éibhear’s hand stroking her legs and back.
“Where did you get this scar from?” he asked, the tips of his fingers moving over the lines of the raised flesh along her back.
“Not sure.”
“Izzy, it’s at least eighteen inches long and dangerously close to your spine. How could you not be sure?”
“Do you know how many battles I’ve been in? How many times a healer has worked on me? Sometimes they leave scars, sometimes they don’t. Besides”—she planted her elbow and propped her chin in her palm—“I used to hate sitting around, listening to older warriors talk about all their scars. Comparing them. Bragging. What’s the purpose? All that matters to me is that I’m still here with all me important bits.”
Éibhear chuckled. “Now you sound like Ghleanna.”
“She taught me much. So did Addolgar.”
“My father’s siblings gave us all battlefield lessons. Although I think Aunt Ghleanna stopped talking to me some time ago.”
“Why?”
“Apparently she had greater hopes for me than the Mì-runach.”
“If the queen thinks the Mì-runach serve a purpose, it’s not for Ghleanna to question. Besides, from what I’ve seen so far, there’s no shame in what you lot do.”
“Planning to start your own Mì-runach among your legions?”
“Of course not. We don’t need a gang of crazed warriors charging into battle with nothing more than their rage and a couple of swords.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because we have Annwyl. She
is
our Mì-runach, we need no other.”
Laughing out loud, Éibhear rolled to his back, Izzy joining him. And the pair continued to laugh and talk and fuck until the suns went down and they could start their journey again.
Chapter 32
For three nights they traveled and slept during the day. The third night when they couldn’t find a cave, Éibhear used his wings to cover Izzy and that stupid dog.
Although he was grateful for his protective scales, he was even happier that he had his fur cape in his travel bag. He didn’t mind the heat much and it cut down on the sand that was getting into the crevices between his scales. Before they took flight each night, Izzy would have to help him clean out any areas that might affect his flying and he just willed himself to ignore the itching in the other places.
Most Southland dragons who came to the Desert Lands—and there were many who loved it here—didn’t travel this way. Usually, they brought protective tents to set up each day. But the tents their group had originally brought with them were back with their stabled horses near the salt mines. Éibhear had no idea how much he’d wish he still had them.
Still, it could be worse. He had his cape, the heat wasn’t destroying his will to live, and he had Izzy. Her constant chatter during the flights made the long nights bearable. She did spend less time talking to him and more time talking to that ridiculous dog, but at least it seemed to keep the damn thing calm. The dog mostly slept during flights and barked warnings during the day when they were sleeping. Of course most of those warnings were about the big scavenger birds that were all over these lands. But once they realized that the dragon carcass lying under the hot desert suns wasn’t dead, they quickly flew off. It was still nice, though, to know the dog had some purpose other than to amuse Izzy with his constant drooling.
Waking up just as the suns set, Éibhear lifted his wings carefully off a still-sleeping Izzy before he sat up and stretched.
He pulled the map out and looked it over. Finally, they were nearing civilization. They were nearing Sefu.
Yawning, Izzy turned over, her arms stretching wide. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled up at him. She always smiled up at him when she first awoke, and each time she did, the power of it hit him right in the gut. But just as quickly, she frowned, as if remembering she normally didn’t have a good attitude when she first woke up.
“Hello.”
She grunted at him, and sat up.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Well enough.” She reached into her travel bag and took out a canteen. She drank from it while that idiot dog ran off to relieve itself.
“Izzy, if you don’t mind another long night of flying, I’m thinking we should—”
The dog snarled and Izzy held up her hand, cutting off Éibhear’s words. Even stranger, the dog walked backward toward them, teeth bared, hackles up. This was not the same reaction they’d been getting whenever some hungry bird got too close. This was something else.
Since he knew Izzy understood the dog better than he did, Éibhear looked at her.
“Shift to human,” she said low.
“Turn your face away,” he ordered to protect her fom the flames that would come from his shifting. Once done, he grabbed his travel bag and pulled out a pair of leggings, cotton shirt, and boots.
Éibhear had barely pulled his boots on when Izzy stood, her gaze focused straight ahead. By the time he also got to his feet, he could see the riders. They wore light armor and their horses were leaner than the Southland horses. And they were coming right for them.
Izzy stepped in front of him. “Watch out for Macsen.”
Did she really believe that he’d protect that dog before her? Actually, she probably knew that he wouldn’t, which was why she specifically told him to.
The riders at the front reined their horses in, stopping dead in front of them. The others circled around back. Although where they thought Izzy and Éibhear would escape to, out here, in the middle of nowhere, Éibhear didn’t know.
One of the lead riders barked something at them, but neither Izzy nor Éibhear understood him, so he tried again, this time speaking in the common language of these lands.
“Who are you? Speak!”
“Name’s Iseabail. This is my travel partner, Éibhear.”
“What province do you come from? Who are your people?”
“I’m not from here.”
The soldiers looked her over. “You’re not?” the leader asked.
“No.”
“Why are you here?”
“We’re heading to Sefu. I need to meet with the Nolwenns.”
“You?” The men laughed.
“Well, that’s where we’re going so if you’d just—”
“You’re very well armed,” another soldier noted.
“Just for safety.”
“And him?” the leader asked, motioning to Éibhear.
“My protection. A slow-witted mute, but he’s good at destroying things with his head.”
Rude cow!
The leader looked them over again, and Éibhear immediately knew that the man didn’t like what he saw. Probably a good decision, too, since they
were
lying.
“We’ll escort you to Sefu.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“It is for us.”
“In other words, we have no choice.”
The leader smirked. “Not really.”
Izzy looked over the bars on the cell door she was currently locked behind. “That went well.”
She heard snoring and knew it was her dog. Bastard could sleep through anything. She faced Éibhear. “Don’t you think?”
He pointed at his mouth, shook his head.
Izzy rolled her eyes. “You take everything so bloody personally. I was only joking.”
“Ha,” he said. “Ha. Ha.”
“It was the slow-witted part, wasn’t it?”
“What do you think?”
“They’re very paranoid,” Izzy noted, looking back at the bars. “You are frightening to look at, but it seems a little unreasonable that your terrifying demeanor alone should get us thrown into a cell.”
“Did you notice when we got here? The city gates had to be opened for them. I’d always heard Sefu was an open city, with visitors able to come and go as they please.”
“They’re preparing for war?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Or maybe it’s all that civil unrest among the humans the salt mine commanders kept talking about.”
“I guess it could be a lot of things, but I’m not sure it matters at the moment. I think there are bigger issues.” Izzy again faced Éibhear and motioned to the wall behind him. “Well . . . get to work.”
Éibhear blinked. “Get to work doing what?”
“Tear the wall down so we can go. I’m this close to finally meeting that treacherous bitch. I’m tired of waiting.”
“They haven’t done anything to us, Izzy. At least not yet.”
“So?”
“So I’m not going to bring the prison down around their ears just so you can go confront some old cow.”
“Where’s your loyalty?”
“Where’s your rational military thought?”
“What does that mean?”
“I can get us out of here, but that doesn’t mean I can destroy the entire city. At least not this city. Didn’t you look at the ramparts? They have those catapults that are built like giant crossbows. Something tells me those are for dragons that may attack the city. If you think I can handle those all on my own—”
“Fine, fine.”
“If you weren’t so obsessed with your grand—”
“I’m not obsessed.”
“When the guards come back, just tell them the truth. Tell them who you are. What you want. They obviously know you’re lying.”
“Fine.”
“It’s just a suggestion—”
“Zazazaza!” Izzy waved her hands in Éibhear’s face to keep him quiet.
“What was that noise you just made?”
“Don’t irritate me.”
“I’m not trying to irritate you, Izzy. You are just really tense. You’re expecting a fight and you haven’t even gotten one yet. So you’re looking at me for one.”
“Well . . .” She shrugged. “You’re here.”
When Éibhear laughed, she felt relief. She
was
tense and she was being a complete bitch to the easiest target. A big blue dragon. Targets really didn’t get easier than that. But it was unfair to him. Even after she’d told him what Rhydderch Hael had said to her, he hadn’t displayed one moment of anger toward her. Didn’t blame her for anything. Or tell her she should have told him about her talk with Rhydderch Hael when she was still with her army. Instead, he’d taken her and her dog—or “damn dog” to use his words—to the Desert Lands.
So to quote Annwyl on more than one occasion during their time together as queen and squire, Izzy knew she needed to “Stop being a twat and remember who’s covering your plump ass.”
“I’m sorry, Éibhear.”
Éibhear blinked, not sure he’d heard correctly. “Huh?”
“I said I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m very stressed and I’m taking it out on you. I shouldn’t be, and I’m sorry.”
Looking around their cell, Éibhear asked again, “Huh?”
“You.” Izzy turned away from him and toward the guard standing at the door. “You have visitors.”
Soldiers came around the corner. Like the ones who’d picked them up in the desert, these soldiers wore light armor, but the female one at the front wearing a helm with a long horse’s mane coming from the top seemed to hold a higher rank.
“Names,” one of the soldiers ordered.
Any bit of progress Éibhear had made alleviating her stress vanished in the face of those orders. Izzy’s arms crossed under her chest and her foot began to tap. Never a good sign when dealing with Izzy.
“I said names,” the soldier repeated.
“Heard the first time. Amazing what politeness can get you, though.”
The higher-ranking soldier motioned another forward. This one was more polite.
“We need your names.”
“I thought this was an open city,” Izzy countered. “I don’t understand—”
“I’d prefer you just answer my questions. Quickly.”
“Izzy,” Éibhear pushed. “Just answer him.” If things turned ugly, he could easily shift to dragon and kill them all. But these soldiers simply wanted to know who they were.
The female officer’s eyes narrowed. “Thought you were mute.”
Éibhear sighed. “Do you see what you started?” he asked Izzy, which only made her laugh. “Now you have to tell her.”
“Fine. I’m General Iseabail of Queen Annwyl’s army.”
“Annwyl? Annwyl the Bloody?” The female officer glanced at the others. “Lovely.”
Éibhear caught hold of the back of Izzy’s shirt before she could reach through the bars and strangle the captain to death. If there was one thing Izzy never tolerated, it was anyone saying anything negative about Annwyl; her aunt was her one true blind spot.
Oblivious to the danger, the polite soldier asked, “And why are you here, General?”
“I want to meet with the Nolwenns.”
“So do many others, but your queen should have come on her own.”
“I’m not here for my queen. I’m here for myself.”
The female officer gave a little snort. “Planning to overthrow your mad queen and hoping the Nolwenns will help you because of the color of your skin?”
Éibhear would always be grateful for the speed of his hands. Because he managed to pull Izzy away from that cell door before she gripped the bars and yanked them right out of the ceiling and floor they’d been imbedded in.
And while she swung wildly and cursed, Éibhear explained, “The queen knows the general is here, but it has nothing to do with Queen Annwyl. The general’s people are from here originally.”
“And who are her people?” the polite soldier asked.
“She’s the daughter of Talaith.” Éibhear saw it out of the corner of his eye. The captain’s head lifted, tilting to the side.
“Talaith?” the soldier asked.
“Talaith, Daughter of Haldane,” Éibhear added.
The officer finally stepped forward, pushing the males out of her way. She was a strong woman. Tall, powerfully built, a multitude of warrior braids and long feathers mixed in with her brown, curly hair. Éibhear had a hard time seeing her face, though, because of the nose guard on her helm.
“Daughter of Haldane?” the officer asked.
Éibhear pushed a struggling Izzy behind him. “You know Haldane?”
The woman shook her head. “No. Not personally. Everyone knows the Nolwenns, though.”
“Do you think you can help us get a meeting with them?”
“I really don’t know.” She kept staring, trying to look around him, but Izzy was still behind him cursing and trying to pry his hand off so she could come out swinging.
Éibhear shook her once to get her to focus.
“What?” Izzy snapped, but hearing her speak without yelling or cursing, Éibhear pulled Izzy back around.