How to Drive a Dragon Crazy

Izzy was just about to head over to her cousin to check on her when Rhi stumbled down the first few steps of the Great Hall. She took one look at Talwyn and Rhi’s hand covered her mouth, her eyes wide in shock. That’s when Izzy knew who’d done this.

Grateful, for the first time, that she’d come home when she did, she quickly turned and headed toward the Great Hall.

“Rhi,” she called out and her sister looked down at her with their father’s eyes. Bright violet and beautiful, long silver hair framing her gorgeous face, brown skin perfect, soft, and completely unscarred.

“Izzy?” Rhi burst into tears. “Izzy!” She charged down the steps and Izzy met her at the bottom. Her sister dove into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably as Izzy held her.

“It’s all right. It’s all right,” she soothed, patting her back.

“I’ve killed her!”

“You have not.” Izzy glanced back and saw that Éibhear had gone over and scooped up his niece, carrying her back to the stairs. “See? She’s fine.”

Rhi lifted her head and Talwyn waved a little, smiled. “I’m fine. I promise.”

But Rhi only sobbed louder, resting against her sister.

With a shrug, Éibhear carried Talwyn back inside. Once they were alone, Izzy asked her sister, “What is it, Rhi? She’s fine.”

“She’s not fine.” Rhi looked up at her sister with all that painful earnestness she couldn’t hide. “She smiled. Izzy . . . Talwyn smiled!”

Inconsolable, she gripped Izzy harder, sobbed louder, and all Izzy could do was pat her sister’s back and sigh.

Éibhear walked into the Great Hall but stopped when he saw Briec sending a wounded male off with one of the servants. And if that wounded male was Talan . . . well, like his sister, the boy had matured into quite the human specimen.

The girl in his arms suddenly tensed, green eyes looked up at him and narrowed . . . dangerously. Just like her mother.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Don’t you know?”

“If I knew, I’d not have asked.” She sniffed. “Dragon.”

Impressed, he answered, “I’m—”

“Éibhear?”

He looked up, smiled at Dagmar Reinholdt. “Hello, Dagmar.”

“Éibhear!” She dropped papers onto the table and ran to his side, throwing her arms around his waist.

“You can put me down,” Talwyn muttered.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.” He could hear that sneer in her words. He wondered if she sneered at everything. Something told him that yes, she did.

So Éibhear released her. She landed on her feet, but then she stumbled back and dropped butt first to the floor. Instead of helping her, he hugged Dagmar.

“I’m so glad to see you.” She stepped back and looked him over. “Although I’m not sure about this look you’ve got going here.”

“I’ve been in the Ice Lands for ten years. What did you expect me to look like?”

“Not like this. But we all work with what we have access to, I guess.”

“What are you doing here?” another voice barked.

Éibhear looked to Briec, who stood glowering at him. “And I missed you, too, brother.”

“I didn’t miss you.”

Éibhear crossed his eyes. “Of course you didn’t.”

“Where’s Rhi?”

“With Izzy. We came here together.”

Briec glanced over at Gwenvael, stared, then looked back at Éibhear. “Oh,” Briec said. “Great. She’ll be fine with Izzy.” Then he walked off, heading farther into the castle.

Dagmar reached for Talwyn. “Why don’t I get her to Morfyd?”

“Thanks, Dagmar.”

“Of course. I’ll let her know you’re here. She’ll be so happy to see you.” She smiled up at him. “I’m so glad you’re home, Éibhear.” And he knew she meant it. Meaningful, since she rarely meant anything she said when speaking to royals.

“So am I.”

Éibhear watched Dagmar take Talwyn up the stairs to the bedrooms before he moved to Gwenvael’s side. “Hello, brother.”

“Éibhear.” Gwenvael looked him over. “Nice hair.”

“Thank you. I do try.” Éibhear motioned to the human boy who was walking back to the table and picking up his plate.

“Who’s that?”

“Dagmar’s nephew from the north.” They silently watched the boy head off . . . somewhere. Éibhear had no idea where.

“Not the brightest thing, I’m afraid,” Gwenvael muttered when the boy was gone. “But I guess he’s family.”

“True. True.”

The brothers faced each other, smiled; then Éibhear caught hold of Gwenvael’s hair and rammed him head-first into the wall.

“Let’s go find the rest of the bastards, shall we?” Éibhear asked, as he dragged his unconscious brother down the hallway by what the idiot insisted on referring to as his “long, luxurious golden locks.”

Chapter 11

Izzy knew that walking would calm her sister down, so she took her to one of her favorite places. A stream surrounded by trees and large boulders.

She sat Rhi down on one of the smaller boulders and took out a clean cloth from her travel bag. She wiped the tears from her sister’s face, then held the cloth to the girl’s nose.