How to Drive a Dragon Crazy
“It’s me, you little idiot,” the invader said.
She crossed her forearms over her chest. “I can say with all honesty that I’ve never f**ked an Ice Lander before. And I’m not about to start now!”
The invader closed his eyes, sighed long and deep. “It’s me . . . Éibhear.”
“Éibhear who?”
He threw down his blade. “Your brother!”
Keita’s arms slowly fell to her sides and her mouth opened as she stared at the dragon in front of her. Then she exploded into laughter that rocked the cave walls.
“How do you forget your own brother?”
“Don’t blame me!” Keita argued around her hysterical and, to be honest, quite annoying laughter. “How was I supposed to recognize you when you look like the lowest barbarian known to dragon or gods?”
“I’ve been in the Ice Lands for a decade, you snobby cow! I had to blend.”
“Well . . . blend you did.”
Disgusted, Éibhear turned to go. Sorry he’d ever come. But before he could take more than a step, Keita grabbed his forearm and caught hold.
“I’m sorry.” Although she was still laughing. “I’m sorry.” She stepped in front of him and wrapped her arms around his chest. “I’m so glad to see you!”
“Really? It was a bit hard to tell.”
“You have grown quite a bit, baby brother.” Her head fell back so she could look up at him. “I can’t even get my forearms around you! You’re gargantuan!”
“I’m not that big.”
“Hopefully you’ve finally stopped growing or you might cover the world, my handsome, majestic brother.”
“You’ll not fool me with your centaur-shit platitudes,” he muttered, even as he put his own forearms around her and hugged her tight. “No matter how sweet you may act. I know the truth about Keita the Viper.”
“Of course you do. You’re a prince of the mightiest dragons on earth. I’d expect no less.” She rested her head against his chest and sighed. “So . . . what brings you here?”
“Come to kill some cannibal dragon for the Northlanders, then I thought I’d go home for a bit. Since I haven’t been in a while.”
He felt his sister tense against him. “You’re going home? Now?”
“Aye.”
“Huh.” She pulled away, moved around him. “Does Mother know? Or Fearghus and the others?”
“No. Why?”
“Oh . . . well, I think that there’s some very important assignment they need you involved in.”
“What assignment?”
“Not sure of all the details, but I’m certain I can find out. But I think you’ll need to take care of that first before you return home.”
“Really?” Éibhear slowly turned so that he could keep his sister in sight.
“Aye. I’m sorry, love. I know how much you want to go home and see everyone. I’m sure this assignment will take no time at all.”
“How long, do you think?”
“Two . . . three weeks at most. Then you can be home and we can all spend some time together.”
“You’re lying, Keita.”
Keita gasped and spun around to face him. “Éibhear! How could you say something like that to me? Me?”
“Because I know when you’re lying. And you’re lying. There’s no assignment. If there was, my commander would have told me about it. So then my question becomes, why don’t you want me to go home? After ten bloody years?”
“Of course I want you to go home. Go! Ignore your duties. I’m sure everyone will be very happy to see you, little brother.”
Éibhear crossed his forearms over his chest and tapped one talon of his back claw. “Tell me, Keita”—and he knew he was practically begging because he was so damn annoyed—“tell me this has nothing to do with Izzy.”
“What? Of course not! That’s a ridiculous thing to even ask. What would Izzy have to do with anything?”
Again, he knew his sister was lying. This had everything to do with Izzy.
Little Izzy the Dangerous. At least that’s how he’d thought of her when he’d first met her. She’d only been sixteen then. Pretty but awkward. All long legs and gangly arms. And a child. Even worse than that—his niece. No. Not by blood. But his brother had taken Izzy’s mother as his mate and the entire family had accepted both mother and daughter as their own. Something that wouldn’t have been a problem if Izzy had just stayed that awkward, gangly child. But she hadn’t, had she? She’d kept growing, getting stronger and more beautiful nearly every day. Something that probably wouldn’t have been a problem if his kin had just left the whole thing alone.
But they hadn’t then, and it seemed they wouldn’t now.
“Izzy?” Ragnar said as he walked into the cavern, Meinhard and Vigholf behind him. “Is he going to pick her up instead of us?”
Keita flinched the slightest bit, but Éibhear saw it . . . and smirked.
“Oh, I’ll pick her up,” Éibhear quickly offered, not even knowing where the hells the woman might be and not remotely caring.
“No, you will not,” Keita said, panic in her voice.
Vigholf pointed outside the cavern. “What did you do to the guards, boy?”
“They got in my way,” Éibhear explained before refocusing on his sister. “And why wouldn’t I go to get my dear niece?”