Page 36 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
“He’s right,” said the auburn-haired man next to Yannick. “We have to find the crone. If she can capture a Dragon King, she can get what we need.”
Brandr’s heart clutched in his chest. What would the humans want with the crone? Another Dragon King? Surely, not. Capturing Varek had done nothing for them. In fact, they had lost a lot by taking him prisoner.
The humans might want to leave Zora. If that were the case, Brandr would help them. But he had a suspicion that things wouldn’t be quite so simple. Most likely, they were after a way to strike at him, Eurwen, and the dragons.
Had he not felt something was amiss, he wouldn’t have ventured to the border and discovered all of this. As much as he wished this was the cause of his unease, he knew it wasn’t. Whatever he searched for was aiding in disrupting everyone on the realm.
The four wordlessly headed away from him. They stuck near the stream but didn’t cross it. He wanted to follow them, but he would eventually run out of cover. He called for one of his generals through the mental link, ordering the dragon to follow the group and see how far they went, and to make sure they didn’t cross the barrier.
Brandr waited until the men were out of sight before he retraced his steps. He loved flying, and there were times he made use of his ability to teleport, but sometimes he liked walking, too. It gave him time to think and be alone. The dragons rarely bothered him when he was on a stroll. It was as if they knew he didn’t wish to be disturbed.
Sometime later, he reached Cairnkeep and his cottage. He paused before entering and looked in the direction of Eurwen’s home. He knew Con, Rhi, and Vaughn had arrived, though Brandr had made sure to stay out of their way. Were things going as well as Eurwen had wanted? He was still angry at her about Vaughn. Enough to keep him away from her cottage and stop him from communicating with her.
Maybe after their parents departed, he would talk to her. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so furious with her—or hurt.
If she stays.
He hated the voice in his head. He didn’t need to be reminded that Eurwen might well have found her match with Vaughn. Then again, if he were her mate, she wouldn’t have stayed away from him for so long. That made Brandr smile. Vaughn was just a dalliance for his sister. He wasn’t happy about it, but at least she wasn’t falling in love with Vaughn. Brandr wouldn’t forgive that. Not after everything they had dealt with when they’d found the dragons.
Brandr was just entering his cottage when he heard laughter. He looked into the sky and saw a woman with black hair atop a gold dragon, gliding through the air. His parents. They hadn’t tried to approach him. That should make him happy. It was what he wanted.
Wasn’t it?
Without another look at them, he walked inside his home and shut the door.
