“Get your claws off me, Kleitos.”
“Now, now, old friend—”
“We are not old friends, you deceitful bastard.”
Kleitos’s smile was wide, revealing those shark-like fangs. It had taken years, nearly a decade for Bram to stop having nightmares about those bloody fangs. “I know we’re not friends, but it worked for a time, didn’t it?”
Bram tried again to pull his forearm away.
“Now, now, my Lord. Don’t make such a fuss. I’m sure we can be reasonable about all this, wouldn’t you agree?”
Annoyed more than he’d been in an age, Bram slammed his head into Kleitos’s the way he’d seen Ghleanna do to Cai.
“What the hells was that?” Kleitos cried out, holding his head.
“You deserved it.”
“Barbarians,” Kleitos accused him. “All the Land Dwellers are nothing but barbarians!”
“That is enough, Kleitos,” a female voice ordered and nearly every male in the chamber dropped to a knee in supplication. Bram, however, merely bowed his head.
“My Lord Bram.”
“Empress Helena.”
The dragoness circled him. “You do look the worse for wear,” she told him, her claw brushing his shoulder. “What have you been up to?”
“I’m sorry to have dropped in like this, Empress. But I really had no choice. I was set upon and—”
“Yes, yes. The ones who followed you were slain by my soldiers. They were foolish to follow you down here.” She stopped in front of him, green-blue eyes looking him over. “Foolish for you to come back. I let you go once, Land Dweller. Who is to say I’ll feel so kindly toward you a second time?”
“It was not my first choice to come here, Empress, but to be quite honest . . . I really didn’t have another option.”
“And that?” she asked, pointing at Ghleanna with a dark green claw.
“She is with me and helped save my life. I’ll do what I have to to protect her.”
“Will you now?” The Empress moved closer. Her scales, like the scales of her people, fascinated Bram because they constantly changed colors the way the sea around them changed colors. Swirling from blue to dark green to light pink to another shade of blue. It was a beautiful sight to behold—when you felt confident they wouldn’t kill you for sport. “That’s very interesting.”
She moved away, heading out of the cavern. “Keep them both alive,” Helena tossed over her shoulder. “At least until I change my mind.”
“It must be your lucky day,” Kleitos observed once Helena and her entourage had left. “Bram of the Land Dwellers.”
Sneering, Bram jerked his head a little and the bastard quickly scrambled away, hiding behind a few soldiers.
“Barbarians,” the Fin hissed. “All of you.”
And why would Bram argue with him?
Ghleanna knew someone was sitting on her chest. Someone extremely heavy. Addolgar? He’d done it before. He’d tried to smother her once with a buffalo.
But when Ghleanna forced her eyes open, all she saw were some strange looking dragons standing around her. All with scales in varying shades of green, blue, and yellow; and long braided hair that constantly shifted color whenever the light changed around them. And fins. Rather than horns on their heads, as any true dragon had, this lot had fins.
Fins? What kind of dragon had . . . ?
Gods. Sea Dragons. Sea Dragons were surrounding her. Why? Were they trying to kill her? Or, even worse . . . experiment on her? The Fins had been known to do that sort of thing. They considered themselves intellectuals and superior to all other dragon species—the way all the other dragons considered themselves superior to each other. But where those on land were content to kill each other in battle, the Fins tended to avoid conflict. But those who strayed too far into their watery territory might be used to test out the Fins’ many potions and poisons and all manner of terrible things.
Moments from unleashing her flame to remove the Fins from her presence, a familiar and welcome face leaned over her. “It’s all right, Ghleanna. They’re here to help you. Just relax. Sleep.” Without her making one move, Bram had known what she was planning and had eased her discomfort. Such a useful dragon, that one. And so very cute.
“Sssh. Sleep.” He stroked her hair with his talons. “Shut your eyes and sleep.”
And, feeling much safer, that’s what Ghleanna did.
It had taken much work from not only the surgeons but the Empress’s personal wizard guild to save Ghleanna’s life. While the wizards kept her heart beating and her brain functioning, the surgeons had worked quickly to repair her lungs and the damaged artery caused by that traitor’s weapon.
And for that, Bram would make sure Feoras paid dearly, for Bram’s mercy only went so far.
Now he sat beside Ghleanna’s prone form and held her claw in his, waiting for her to wake. But he was anxious and with good reason. When he’d seen Kleitos scurry from the cave, smiling and giggling like a child, Bram knew no good could come of it.
It had been a few decades since Bram had been in the underwater lairs of the Fins, and it had been under very different circumstances. Circumstances he had no intention of repeating. This time, however, he was no hatchling of a dragon. And this time he had so much more to protect. But he wasn’t talking about bloody truces or alliances.
“You dare,” Helena’s voice softly demanded from behind him, “bring that here? Into my court?”
Getting to his claws, exhaustion making him much slower than usual, Bram said to the monarch, “I do not understand, Empress.”
“That,” she said again, pointing at a still-unconscious Ghleanna. “You brought that here. Abusing my good nature”—her good what?—“and risking my subjects.”
“I still don’t understand—”
“A Cadwaladr!” she bellowed. “You brought a Cadwaladr into my palace!”
Shit.
“Kleitos said you called her Ghleanna. Is that Ghleanna the Decimator? Sister of that bastard Bercelak?”
“Empress—”
“No! I don’t want to hear it!” She pointed her talon at Ghleanna and ordered her royal guard to, “Kill it. Before it awakes and destroys us all.”
“No.”
The Empress’s eyes narrowed on Bram. “Did you say no to me?”
“I did and I apologize, but no one touches Ghleanna. We are unarmed and unable to fight, asking for your protection. So to kill us now—”
“But you didn’t give me all the facts. You simply brought that fighting dog into our midst like it was a harmless puppy.”
“She is wounded and has much healing to do. I don’t see what kind of threat—”
“She’s a Cadwaladr. Don’t pretend you don’t know what that means, peacemaker.”
“Aye. She’s a Cadwaladr. And my protector and my friend. Not only that, she’s directly tied to the Royal House of Gwalchmai fab Gwyar. Harm her, Empress, and Queen Rhiannon will not stop until your vast ocean is nothing but a boiling pot of Sea Dragon stew.”
“Like her mother then, is your young queen?”
“Actually,” he sighed, “no. She’s nothing like her mother, which means she won’t hesitate to do what she can to destroy you should you harm Ghleanna. I assure you, you’ll not have the same inaction you experienced with Adienna.”
“Is the Cadwaladr her pet?”
“No. She’s Rhiannon’s sister by mating. That bastard Bercelak, as you called him, is Rhiannon’s consort. And as we both know, my Lord Bercelak forgives nothing. Harm his sister and I won’t be responsible for what he does. And trust me when I say . . . he’ll do something.”
“So I’m supposed to allow this low-born creature to wander around here among us? Untethered, unmonitored?”
“Ghleanna owes her life to you. Like all Cadwaladrs she takes that debt very seriously. As do I.”
“Which means what? Exactly?”
“It means I never forget those who’ve helped me.”
“Is that right?”
The Empress’s eyes narrowed, her mind calculating as always. “Still . . . we can’t take the chance.”
She motioned to Kleitos and he stepped toward Ghleanna’s prone body, a blade in his hand.
“Take another step”—Bram warned, stopping Kleitos in his tracks—“and I’ll flay the scales from your bones.”
One of the guard’s placed the tip of his pike against Bram’s throat and Bram moved his gaze to Helena. “Do you really think I’d let this piece of metal stop me?”
“Interesting,” she murmured, and Bram realized too late it was a test. She didn’t want to challenge Rhiannon—who did?—but she wanted to see how protective Bram was toward Ghleanna. How much she could possibly use his protectiveness to her own ends.
Annoyed with himself, Bram looked away and that’s when he saw that Ghleanna’s eyes were open and staring at Kleitos who, at the moment, was blissfully unaware of her.
He could have warned Kleitos; it would have been the merciful thing to do . . .
Yet it was much more entertaining to watch Ghleanna raise her claw, slap the blade from Kleitos’s hand, pull back, and punch him directly in the snout. And she broke something in that snout. Something important.
Roaring in pain, Kleitos stumbled back, both claws around his damaged appendage, tears leaking from his eyes.
The Empress, now standing behind another contingent of guards who’d moved in to protect her the way Ghleanna and her kin had moved in to protect Bram, observed, “I see your pet needs a leash, peacemaker.”
“Forgive her, Empress. She’s still unwell. Not in her right mind.”
Helena stepped around her guards and whispered, “You can stop smiling, Bram. I’m sure Kleitos got the message.” She smirked and motioned to one of her guards. “Fetch Euthalia.”
The guard ran off and Helena studied Ghleanna, who’d passed out once more. “So many scars.” She shuddered in distaste. “An abused pet it seems.” She gritted her fangs. “Kleitos. Honestly. Stop all that blubbering.”
A few minutes later a sorceress arrived. “You called for me, Empress?”
“Do you have what we discussed earlier, Euthalia?”
“Aye, my mistress.” She held a large gold ring in her hand.
“Excellent. Put it on her.”
“Empress—” Bram began but Helena cut him off with a slash of her front claw and he was forced to watch while the sorceress stepped beside Ghleanna and fastened the ring around her throat.
And while they all silently observed, the ring grew smaller and smaller—as Ghleanna shifted to human. When it was over, Ghleanna was in her human form with a gold collar around her throat. A collar that would keep her in her human form for as long as Helena wanted.
“Is this really necessary?”
“Either this, Bram the Merciful, or I allow my guards to cut her Land Dweller throat and I take my chances with your queen—and you. Your choice.”
Bram had no option but to nod. “The collar, Empress.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Helena headed toward the exit. “Take him and his pet to one of the rooms we keep for human visitors,” she ordered her servants. “They can be human together.”
Then she was gone.
“I wish she’d allowed me to cut the Low Born’s throat,” Kleitos told him, copious amounts of blood leaking from his nostrils, his entire snout slightly off. He slithered closer to Bram and hissed, “I would have enjoyed watching the life drain from your barbarian whore.”
That’s when Bram headbutted the bastard again. You know . . . on principle.
“Owwww! Why do you keep doing that?”
Chapter 8
Ghleanna awoke with a snarl and demanded, “Why am I human?”
“Calm yourself or you’re likely to open your wound again.” Bram stood next to her. He was also in human form, dressed in a plain cotton shirt, black breeches, and black boots. They were in a rather large bedroom with a closed door. She’d guess it was locked.
“Answer me.” And her voice sounded weak to her own ears. “Why am I human?”
“Why do you think?” He sat down on the bed. “Because you’re a much bigger threat when you’re dragon.”
“When last I woke, some Fin was standing over me with a blade.”
“Aye. You handled him, though.”
“Good.” Ghleanna tried to sit up, but she was too weak to do it on her own and Bram wouldn’t let her. With his hands against her shoulders, he gently eased her back to the bed. “Relax, Ghleanna. You’re not going anywhere until that wound heals.”
She panted from even that small exertion but she hated feeling like this. Like she couldn’t defend them both if need be.
“You look exhausted,” she told him. “Have you not slept at all?”
“Not much. But that’s all right.”
“Where are we, Bram?”
“Palace of the Sea Dragon Empress Helena.”
“I thought an Emperor ruled the Fins.”
“He did—until his untimely death. Now it’s Helena’s empire to rule. And, unfortunately, Helena has heard about you, I’m afraid, or at least your kin. Hence your current human form.”
Bram reached over and brushed her neck with the tips of his fingers. That’s when Ghleanna realized something was on her. She touched her throat, felt the metal around it.
“A collar? They put a collar on me?”
“It’s a sorcerer’s tool that’s keeping you human. It’ll be removed when we leave. Is it uncomfortable?”
“Not really. But it annoys me to know it’s there.” Ghleanna closed her eyes in disgust. “But no less than I deserve. I’ve fucked this all up royally.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This.” She glanced around the room. “This is all my doing. Because I was weak and stupid.”
“How the hells can you blame yourself for any of this?”
“Who else should I blame?”
“Gods, I don’t know . . . the traitors who set upon us perhaps?”
“I should have listened to Rhiannon. I should have insisted on more warriors.”
“None of us took this seriously except Bercelak and Rhiannon. And even they never thought there would be such an attack.”
Ghleanna let out a breath. “But I should have known.”
“Why you?”
“Because I’m smarter than all of you when it comes to general evilness and trickery. There are Elders who have many Dragonwarriors and soldiers in their debt for one reason or another. If they wanted to stop you from making this trip, they’re the lot who could do it. I should have remembered that and planned accordingly. But I was too busy feeling sorry for myself and trying to recover from that bloody hangover.”
“There were forces greater than you or I who were busy trying to stop us, Ghleanna. I realize that now. Those who will never accept Rhiannon as rightful queen. To stop me, to have me killed, would reflect very poorly on her and her young reign. Now here.” He slipped a hand under her shoulders, lifted her a bit, and placed a cup against her lips. “It’s water. Drink it.”
“Sea water?”
“Is this a time to joke?”
Who said she was joking?
She sipped from the cup Bram held, relieved it was clean drinking water.
When she pushed the cup away, she asked the question that she dreaded the answer to—yet she had to know, “My brothers?”
“It sounds as if they’re alive and well.”
“Sounds?”
“Warriors matching your brothers’ descriptions were spotted on the beach chopping the limbs and wings off the surviving traitors. Needless to say the Fins who spotted them did not stick around to verify it was your kin.”
“I need to know, Bram.”
“I know you do. But you’re still weak and the Empress’s sorceress guild has protections up. You’ll never be able to contact them on your own.”
“Unless you want my brothers coming down here and ripping this p
lace apart—”
“I didn’t say we wouldn’t try.” And gods, he sounded so exhausted. “But you’ll need my help.”
“Right now, peacemaker? I need you more than I’ve ever needed anyone. And I’m sorry if I sound like I’m threatening. I’m not. It’s just my brothers . . .”
“I know well.” His smile was sweet. “And I understand more than you can ever realize.” He slipped long, strong fingers into her hand. “So we’ll do this together, yes?”
Ghleanna nodded and she felt power flow from Bram and into her, giving her the temporary strength she needed to force her way through the barriers the Fins had protecting this place so she could contact her blood-related kin with her mind.
Sister. Thank the gods. Addolgar’s relief at realizing Ghleanna still lived was palatable, zipping through her like a bright wave. That’s when her first tear fell.
Addolgar . . . the others?
Ease yourself, sister. They’re fine. But tell me you’re all right.
I’m fine, brother. Healing but fine. Are all the traitors dead?
No. And she could feel her brother’s anger even at this great distance. Feoras and quite a few others escaped while we killed their comrades. Seems loyalty is in short supply these days.
Good. Then I can kill Feoras myself.
We’re coming for you, Ghleanna.
No! You’ll be outnumbered and underwater has never been our best battleground.
I’ll not leave you to die among the Fins.
I have no intention of dying anytime soon, brother. Call to the Cadwaladrs. Get them ready for battle.
Those who aren’t already here are headed this way.
Good. Wait to hear from me. But do not, under any circumstances, come down here to fetch me. Understand?
Ghleanna—
Understand?
Aye. No need to bark so. I hear you just fine.
Then I won’t need to repeat myself.
After a moment, Addolgar asked, The royal?
With me. Alive.
Her brother grunted. Good. I owe that bastard an ale. Hate to have it over his funeral pyre.
That’s very sweet, brother.
Go, sister. Rest.
I will. But send a few of the cousins over to Bram’s parents’ cave and his sister’s. It’s best we watch out for them as well until Feoras has been dealt with. But tell them nothing. Leave that to Bram.
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