Shalin leaned back in her chair, a soft smile on her lips. “No. I’ve never regretted being with him and I can’t even imagine my life without him. I do, however, regret how hard his reputation is on our offspring.”
Ghleanna snorted as she stared out the window. “That’s a bit of an understatement.” She looked at Rhiannon. “Where my brothers have done well by our father’s reputation, his female offspring have not. I’ve beaten more than my fair share of dragons nearly to death who thought I was some kind of whore they could treat as they liked.”
“Now she sees no one.”
“I won’t be treated like trash, mother. I love my father . . . with all my heart, but there’s not a day that goes by that I forget I’m the daughter of Ailean the Wicked.”
“Your father has done the best for his offspring, Ghleanna. You included. Between you and me, you are one of his favorites. It would hurt him to know this was how you feel.”
“And it hurts me to be alone. And yet, we all must endure.”
If she’d not been chained to the spot, Rhiannon would have left mother and daughter to finish this discussion on their own. If for no other reason than that she felt a bit jealous. A very large bit jealous. Her arguments with her mother were nothing like these. If it hadn’t been for the protection of her father, Addiena probably would have killed her long ago. That was why every new moon she sent a prayer to the gods in honor of her father. Because he above all others loved her.
Now Shalin wanted her to believe that Bercelak loved her. Could he? Could anyone? She wasn’t exactly the easiest being to get along with.
Bercelak’s mother reached over and grasped her daughter’s hand. “We’re here for you, love. If you let me, I can help you,” she said to Ghleanna.
Ghleanna shook her head and looked out the window, but her grip tightened on her mother’s hand. But they were startled from their silent moment when the bedroom door opened and Bercelak entered.
Rhiannon stood up as soon as she saw his face. “Gods, what happened to you?”
“Nothing,” he grumbled as he walked across the room. “Just a little discussion with my father.”
“You promised me you wouldn’t fight with him anymore,” his mother accused, standing up so she could get a closer look at her extremely tall son.
“I didn’t. I was arguing with someone else and he decided to end it.”
Rhiannon reached up and touched the black and blue mark around Bercelak’s eye. It startled him, and he turned to her so quickly she snatched her hand back and turned away from him.
“Um . . . we best be going,” Shalin said as she made a hasty retreat. “Come along, Ghleanna.”
Rhiannon heard mother and daughter leave and it took all her strength not to demand they stay.
“Rhiannon?”
“She’s very sweet, your mother.”
“I know.”
“She brought me food and wine. Made sure the collar wasn’t too tight.” Gods, she was babbling.
“Rhiannon—”
“Ghleanna can actually talk to her mother. That must be nice.”
“Rhiannon.” He turned her around to face him. “Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Avoiding me.”
“I’m not.” Yet she wouldn’t look him in the eye. Really . . . exactly how was she supposed to rule a kingdom?
Bercelak’s big hand gripped her chin and lifted her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.
“Then why are you looking at me like that?”
Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore. Her hand reached up and she gently ran her fingers over his wounded eye. He stared down at her in wary shock, but she couldn’t stop herself.
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
Gods!
What had the bastard done to her?
This had to be some sort of trick. Some sort of grand trick she thought she could play on him for her own amusement. But her eyes looked so sincere, and her fingers on his face were gentle and so careful.
Gods, was she actually concerned about his welfare? About his health? This had to be progress. Yet, she looked appalled at herself for even asking.
“I’ll be all right. I’ve taken worse hits. Growing up in this family, you learn to deal with surprise attacks.”
She pulled her hand away. “Good. Yes, very good.”
Rhiannon tried to turn away, but he pulled her back around again. “Aren’t you going to greet me?”
“Greet you?”
He nodded and leaned down until his lips hovered over hers. “Anytime I return from defending your throne you should make sure to greet me like this so that the entire court knows you care for me.”
“I don’t care—” But he cut off her denials with a kiss.
Gods, for someone who didn’t spend much time as human, Rhiannon truly knew how to kiss like one. Her warm tongue teased his, her throaty groans slowly destroying his control.
Somehow, he pulled away from her and Rhiannon looked up with absolute frustration. “What now?”
Bercelak pulled the thin silver chain he currently wore around his neck out from under his shirt. He kept the key to Rhiannon’s bondage on it. He unlocked the collar at her throat while she watched him with narrow eyes.
“What is this? What are you up to?”
Taking her hand, he pulled her onto the bed with him. “One of my brothers told me he got word from one of his friends at court . . .” Gods, how did he tell her this? He looked into Rhiannon’s clear blue eyes. They stared at him, waiting. No. There would be no delicate words for his female. She deserved nothing but absolute truth.
“Rumors are flying around court, Rhiannon.”
“Rumors? What kind of rumors?”
“Some are saying your mother wants you dead.”
She shrugged. “I already knew that.”
Rhiannon said it so nonchalantly. Whereas his kin would never believe in a million lifetimes Shalin would ever harm them in anyway, Rhiannon took it for granted her mother would.
“You are handling this much better than I did.” That was actually how he got the black eye. His brother told him the news. He called him a liar. They pushed, they shoved, they yelled, and then the hitting started. It wasn’t until their father, who tolerated no fighting among his offspring, jumped in. With one punch he snapped Bercelak out of his rage, and with one solid backhand across the face, Ailean controlled his younger son.
“What’s there to handle? This is the way of my life. Always has been. My father warned me long ago this time would come. That’s why he made sure I was trained.”
“Trained?”
“Aye. Whether human or dragon I can handle sword, mace, dagger, bow, and whip. I also know many forms of hand-to-hand combat.” She smiled and he saw pride light up her eyes. “And I can do things with flame that would amaze even you.”
He wondered if she even realized he still held her hands while they talked. “Amaze even me, eh?”
“Well . . . as a battle-dragon you must have seen many amazing things.”
Rubbing the back of her knuckles with his thumbs, he said, “Nothing as amazing as you, Rhiannon.”
Startled, she cleared her throat and looked away from him. “So what does this change?”
“Maelona knows a witch who may be able to help you now that you have your full powers. Tomorrow we’ll go see her together.”
“I don’t need you babysitting me, Bercelak. I think I can talk to a witch on my own.”
“She’s a very old dragon, Rhiannon, who will no longer shift to human. And I’ll not risk you.” Old dragons could be a bit unstable. Catch them on the wrong day and they would rip the scales from your body without a second’s thought. And what they were known for doing to humans. . . .
Sighing, she nodded. “Fine.”
“We’ll go in the morning.” Bercelak finally released her hands so he could push the fur from her shoulders. “Tonight I have other plans.”
She tried to hide her smile, but she didn’t do a very good job. “And I wonder what plans those could be.”
Chapter 8
“A white dragon, too. Haven’t seen your kind around in a bit.”
Rhiannon sighed heavily, mostly from boredom, as Bercelak stood in front of her, trying to get the old bitch to help them.
Donnfhlaidh, an old brown dragon—I didn’t even know their kind still existed—had been keeping her waiting for nearly half the hour.
“Mistress,” Bercelak tried again with a patience Rhiannon had become well acquainted with, “we truly need your help.”
“She can’t shift back to dragon, can she?”
“No. She can’t.”
“Well, I can’t help her with that.”
“Fine!” Rhiannon’s patience ran out. She stormed around Bercelak. “If you won’t help me, I’ll find someone who will!” she yelled up at her.
The old dragon cackled hysterically. “Gods, Bercelak! Do you know what you’re getting yourself into with this one?”
Rhiannon, uncaring she had no protective scales, growled and moved forward. But something grabbed hold of the back of her gown and she turned to see that the tip of Bercelak’s tail had caught hold of the thick material and held her in place. She glared up at him and he winked.
She really should hate him, except he looked so regal in his full battle-dragon armor worn to impress the old bitch dragon. The metal breastplate, used to protect not only a dragon’s chest but his vulnerable underbelly during battle, fairly glowed with the fire coming from the pit. Bercelak’s was an intricate design of past battles. The detail of the work showed his rank. Then there were the scars covering a good portion of his body. . . .
Gods! What had he done to her? When did she become one of those lovesick females? How did she allow this to happen?
“Mistress, I ask you again . . . will you help us?”
“I can’t change her mother’s spell, Bercelak. The queen either has to die or your lady love will have to reverse it on her own.”
“And how do I do that?” Rhiannon sighed dramatically.
“Try this.” The old witch lobbed a book at her. Written by dragons, the book was enormous and with Bercelak’s tail holding her in place, she could only cringe as it neared her head. But one black claw reached out and snatched the book from the air.
“Ahh. Thank you, mistress.”
“Keep it. Soon I’ll need none of this any longer.” The dragon slowly turned and headed back deeper into her lair, but over her shoulder she said, “You do know that you two are well matched, don’t you? You, Princess, allow him to be kind rather than just a killer. And Bercelak allows you the ability to be a right bitch whenever you want.
“Aye,” she continued, her voice echoing in the cavern as she disappeared into the darkness. “You two are perfect together. And one day . . . one day your children will change everything.”
Bercelak watched his sister and mother work with Rhiannon to find the spell that would break the queen’s hold.