The Dragon Who Loved Me

“No.”

Keita frowned. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“I mean no. I mean you’re up to something, Keita the Viper, and I’m not getting in the middle of it.” Then again, Keita was always up to something.

Although rarely mentioned, this particular war was, in fact, down to the actions of Keita the Viper when she’d lobbed the head of the Overlord’s wife at him in the middle of the Province’s main arena. After that particular move, the war was pretty much a foregone conclusion. And, as far as Rhona was concerned, al Keita’s fault.

“Oh, come now,” Keita pushed. “That’s not fair. And I real y need you to do this for me.”

“We both know Ren can take care of himself, he needs no escort.”

“I’m going with him as wel .”

“He’s capable of escorting you, too.” Confused, Rhona asked, “Isn’t that something you two do al the time? Travel around the world with Ren as your escort?”

“He’l be busy.”

“Busy with what?”

“Things.”

“Forget it.” Rhona began to turn away again, but Keita caught her forearm.

“Look, I can’t real y go into this. At least not here.” Keita leaned in and whispered loudly so she could be heard over the rushing water, “The cave wal s have ears.”

“Those are cal ed bats.”

“Och! Why must you argue everything?”

“Because you’re trying to pul me into your insanity. I won’t go, cousin.”

“I need you, Rhona. This is important.”

Rhona grunted.

“If you don’t believe me, ask Ragnar. He’l tel you.”

Beginning to believe her cousin was sincere—Keita would never send Rhona to Ragnar the Cunning unless she real y was tel ing the truth—

Rhona asked, “Why do you need to go back?”

“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 al she had to do. “But I’l see if the triplets—”

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

“What do you mean they’l be—”

“Everyone wil 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 smal er 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.”

“Wel , 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’l do as I say!” Without speaking, Rhona moved forward—and kept moving forward until her cousin had been backed into the far wal .

“Al right! Al 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 wil know, yeah? That I’m with you? That I’m fol owing 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 al said and done, you’l be seen as a hero.” Rhona chuckled. “Don’t need al that. Just don’t get me tossed into your mum’s dungeons and we’l 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 val ey. 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 stil hadn’t Claimed her. He stil 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 usual y 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.