by G. A. Aiken
“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 t
oo 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 place 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.
I’ll take care of it. Now get some rest, sister. The Cadwaladrs will be ready when you need us to be.
Ghleanna ended the communication with her brother and relaxed back into the mattress. Through tears of relief, she looked at Bram and told him, “All who betrayed us will die.”
Bram nodded and kissed the back of her hand. “And I’d expect no more and no less.”
Bram jerked awake, confused about where he was, his gaze searching the room. It wasn’t until he saw Ghleanna asleep in the bed, the fur covering her only up to her waist, that he remembered.
He didn’t know how the Fins did it. Lived under the ocean’s surface in the outcrop of caves they’d discovered eons ago. Bram couldn’t tell if it was morning or night. Had the suns come out or was it raining? Was it chilly or warm? He felt trapped in this place and he hated it. And although he could sneak out anytime he wanted—the guards barely noticed him and allowed him to leave the room as he pleased—he knew he wouldn’t go, which was why Helena allowed him the freedom of her palace. She knew he wouldn’t leave without Ghleanna.
He let his gaze rest on the She-dragon and again thanked the gods for saving her. She was healing quite well and was looking stronger with each passing hour. Aye, the wizards and surgeons had done a good job. But lack of skill, talent, and knowledge had never been a problem for the Fins. They were, in fact, well regarded for their knowledge on a vast wealth of subjects. No, the true weakness of the Fins was their arrogance.
Something that said a lot considering all dragons were arrogant to some degree. As a race they simply couldn’t help themselves. But even with their arrogance, most of them knew they couldn’t separate themselves from the world around them and still function. They needed humans, they needed other breeds of dragons, they needed the gods . . . they needed everything life had to offer. Yet the Fins felt they were above all that. They didn’t need anything but their brilliance and their ability to live under the vast ocean.
“Do you never rest, peacemaker?”
Bram blinked, realizing Ghleanna was awake and had been watching him. He’d been so busy letting his eyes rove over her exposed body, he’d failed to notice.
“I’ve slept some.”
“Just some?”
“It’s not easy to relax.”
“Worried the Empress will change her mind?”
“She’s been known to.”
Ghleanna started to push herself up and Bram came to her side, slipped his arm around her, and helped her until she could lean her back against the headboard. He brought the fur covering up until it covered her chest.
She glanced down and back at him. “Something wrong with me tits?”
“No. They’re perfect. That’s the problem.”
She smiled. “I didn’t know I was such a distraction.”
“Then you are remarkably unobservant.”
Laughing, she patted the bed. “Sit with me before I get sleepy again.”
Bram did, sitting on the edge of the bed. A very respectable distance.
“Here,” Ghleanna pushed. “Stretch out next to me.”
He thought about arguing but realized he didn’t want to. He hated being respectable all the time. Especially since most dragons weren’t, so why was he?
To Ghleanna’s surprise, Bram got on the bed beside her. He stayed on top of the fur and kept his boots on, but that was all right. She wasn’t sure he could handle it if she told him to strip naked.
“I have one question for you, Bram. And I want you to be honest with me.”
“Of course.”
“Are you in danger here? Should we be getting you out?”
Bram gazed at her. “You think I’d leave you?”
“My assignment was to get you to Alsandair and back—alive. If something happened to me along the way . . . well, that’s the price one pays when a soldier.”
“Unless I know you’re safe, there won’t be an alliance.”
“But—”
“I’m not leaving you, Ghleanna. And we can argue about that until you pass out from exhaustion or you can just let it go so we can sit here and relax instead. Staring at that blue-green wall.”
“Is that algae?”
“It’s a design motif.”
�
��And you lost me.”
“We Land Dwellers don’t have many motifs, so that’s understandable.”
She glanced around their very nice jail cell. “Are we really under water?”
“Yes. We really are.”
“But we’re not in water at the moment, right? You know, by some Magickal means that could suddenly go away and I end up drowning?”
“The Fins have gills but they are descended from land dragons. Although they don’t like to admit that. Ever. This palace was designed for the Land Dwellers they once were and the human pets they keep now.”
“But the walls won’t suddenly come crashing in from the force of water, will they?”
“After a millennia? Doubtful.”
“So we’re safe?”
“We’re safe.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m sure, Ghleanna.”
“Then why do I feel like the walls are closing in?”
“It’s panic.”
“I don’t panic, Bram.”
“You do now.” He put his arm around her shoulders and gently pulled her close, careful of her wound. “Close your eyes, Ghleanna.”
“So I won’t know I’m drowning?”
“You’re not drowning. You’re fine. Close your eyes.” She did, appalled she was acting so weak, but unable to stop the fear that was coursing through her. “Now breathe. Deep breath in, deep breath out.”
She followed Bram’s instruction. It helped. But she began to think his stroking of her hair might be helping more.
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” she asked when she felt calm again.
“I have.”
She wanted to push him for more, but now that the panic was gone, she was getting tired very quickly.
“It’s all right, Ghleanna. Sleep. Your body needs it.”
“I’m getting better.”
“I know.” She felt something brush against her forehead and she realized Bram had kissed her. She wanted to ask him to do it again, but she was just so sleepy . . .
Bram eased Ghleanna down into the bed again and brushed her hair off her face. Her color was back on her human form and she was getting stronger. He eased the fur back a bit and studied her wound. It was healing nicely.