Briec stood up. Slightly taller than Gwenvael, but still shorter than Fearghus, he tended to be just as much fun to torture as their older sibling. “I let her hit me.”
“You had to. Otherwise she would have killed you where you stood.”
Morfyd made one of her soundless landings and patiently waited while Annwyl dismounted. She shifted to human and Annwyl wrapped a fur covering around her shoulders.
He rushed down the stairs to meet them. “Lady Annwyl.”
“Gwenvael.”
“Feeling better?”
She couldn’t hide her smile or the blush to her cheeks. Now he knew what he’d always suspected—his brother was a brave, brave dragon. “Much, thank you.”
“Good.”
Briec now stood beside him. His arms crossed in front of his chest. “Lady.” He nodded coldly to her, and Annwyl glanced between Gwenvael and Morfyd.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?”
Briec blinked in surprise. “I am Briec the Mighty.”
Annwyl examined Gwenvael’s brother over from head to toe. “Really?” she remarked at last. “Did you give yourself that name?”
Gwenvael and Morfyd choked back a laugh before Morfyd pulled the girl away and up the stairs. “Come, Annwyl. We don’t have much time.”
Briec sneered after their retreating forms. “I hope the queen eats her marrow like pudding.”
Gwenvael scowled. If those two became enemies— Annwyl and the queen—who knew who would come out the winner. They were equally frightening females.
Gwenvael jogged up the stairs, Briec closely behind him. “Just remember, Briec. She almost took down Father. So we best hope they get along.”
Annwyl thought they would travel for long distances across land. She guessed wrongly. Morfyd instead went straight up. Higher and higher until they reached the crest of Devenallt Mountain just above the clouds. It contained the court of the infamous Dragon Queen. Believed to be a myth, she, like Fearghus, turned out to be all too real. And little did Annwyl know a whole community of dragons were always so close. They truly did keep their lives secret from humans. And now, here Annwyl was. A common bastard girl, walking into the majestic halls of the queen’s court. As she entered the main hall with Morfyd, all conversation stopped. The dragons all turned to her. They watched her. Closely. Annwyl felt naked and alone. She wished that Fearghus accompanied her, but she knew he’d never let her come. He wouldn’t risk it. He wouldn’t risk her. The thought brought a smile to her face and she didn’t notice Fearghus’s father until she practically climbed on top of the old bastard. Still in dragon form, his claw and tail freshly bandaged. His damaged snout smeared with some kind of ointment, probably to stop the bleeding.
He glared down at her with those cold eyes and Annwyl felt that desire to run again. But she wouldn’t give the old bastard the satisfaction.
“How’s the claw?” she called up to him. Morfyd gasped and seized her arm, dragging her up another set of steps and into another hall.
“Please try not to get yourself killed, Annwyl. Fearghus would never forgive me.”“I’ll keep it in mind.” As they entered the next hall, she again halted all dragon conversation. Instead they watched her walk by.
“They all stare.”
“Yes. It’s been hundreds of years since a human has been here.”
“You mean a human who wasn’t brought here as a meal?” Morfyd shrugged but would say nothing else.
“I see.”
A dragon walked toward Annwyl and Morfyd hissed at him. “Keep back, Kesslene.”
“I just wanted to see the pretty thing,” the dragon announced to the room.
“Oi!” Annwyl snapped. The last one who referred to her as a “thing”—Lorcan—she had every intention of killing soon.
Morfyd kept Annwyl moving, although the large dragon kept pace with them. “Don’t be cute, Kesslene. Besides, she’s with Fearghus. And you remember what he did to you the last time you caused his displeasure.” Morfyd went down another flight of stairs this time and the dragon Kesslene stopped following, but he wasn’t done.
“With Fearghus? Really? Then why has he not ‘Claimed’ her?”
“Claimed me?”
“Worry about that later, Annwyl.” After several minutes, they stopped in front of another set of stairs.
“You dragons really like stairs.”
“Up these stairs and inside. You know what to do.”
Annwyl nodded once, took a deep breath, and walked up the steps and into the queen’s chamber.
The great queen tossed her mane of white hair out of her eyes, and turned the page of the book she read. As she did, the chain linked to the collar around her throat rattled lightly and she smiled. Then a familiar scent hit her nostrils. She sniffed the air.
“Fearghus?” She closed the book in her hand and turned, her chain rattling more. But it wasn’t Fearghus standing in front of her, but a tiny human. How cute. Bercelak sent her a little something to munch on.
“And who are you?” She always liked to chat with her meals before disemboweling. You never knew what you might learn.
The human female did not answer. She just stared at her. A typical response when humans saw her. She stood much larger than most dragons.
She snapped two talons together. “Hello?”
It came alive, clearing its throat. “Um . . . I am Annwyl.”