Page 66 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
Brandr watched his father walk away. He almost called out to Con, demanding that he tell him what he wanted to know. But Brandr knew it wouldn’t do any good. Besides, he wouldn’t allow Con to know that he was irked about the situation. Not yet, anyway.
He whirled around, intending to tear down the doorway when his gaze landed on Rhi before him. “Did you and Con plan this?”
“No,” she said softly. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake so I could thank you.”
Brandr shrugged off her words. “It was nothing.”
“That’s not true at all, and you know it.”
He clenched his teeth. “What do you want me to say?”
She shrugged and smiled. “Nothing. Just listen.”
He stared into silver eyes so like Eurwen’s that, for a moment, he almost imagined he spoke to his sister and not Rhi.
“Please,” she urged, her gaze beseeching him.
Against his better judgement, he gave in.
Rhi’s smile was blinding. “Thank you.”
“Not here,” he said before she continued. “I’d rather go somewhere more…private.” He tried not to notice the hurt that flashed in her eyes, but it was too late.
“Wherever you’d like,” she said.
“My place.”
He turned and started walking, not bothering to wait for her. It was a wanker move, and Eurwen would’ve called him on it. Brandr slowed his steps until Rhi caught up with him.
Once inside his cottage, she flashed him a smile. “Thank you for this.”
He closed the door and leaned against it as he watched her look around his simple home. His cottage was identical in size to his sister’s. No one but Eurwen had ever been inside. It was disconcerting to have a visitor looking over his things.
“You like to read,” Rhi said as she glanced at him over her shoulder.
He nodded slowly. Two walls of his cottage were covered with bookcases.
Rhi flicked her long, black hair over a shoulder as she faced him. “Have you been to the library at the Light Castle?”
“No.”
“I’d love to take you. It’s a spectacular place. The library at Dreagan is impressive, as well.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, not bothering to answer.
Rhi briefly lowered her gaze to the ground. “I understand.” She licked her lips and moved to stand before him. “I know you want us gone. Whatever you may believe, neither Con nor any of the other Kings intend to take over.”
“They wouldna be able to.”
“Spoken like a King,” Rhi said with a grin. Then she twisted her lips. “You might not want to hear it, but Con would’ve said those exact words.”
Brandr didn’t want to be reminded, again, that he was like his father.
“We’re not bad people,” Rhi continued. “We’re not perfect. We’ve made some mistakes.” She grimaced. “I’ve made some doozies, myself. But I hoped you were the type of man who wouldn’t judge someone for their past or actions they didn’t have any control over. I hoped a child of mine would get to know someone before forming an opinion.”
“I’m here, am I no’?”
She scratched her head and swallowed nervously. “The first time I spoke with Eurwen, it didn’t go well, but we gave it a second try. I’m asking you to get to know us. Your father and I want nothing more than to learn about the children we didn’t even know we had. We’ve been waiting, not so patiently, for a chance to meet you both.”
“I’m no’ sure what you want from me. You’re here, in our realm, moving about freely.”
“I want to know my son.”
Brandr dropped his arms and pushed away from the door. “I’m afraid that time has passed.”
“It’s never too late to get to know someone.”
“I doona know why Fate decided that you and Con wouldna raise Eurwen and me. Maybe it was because both of you were too caught up in the big picture of things to notice the details. Maybe it was to correct the colossal mistake Con made in sending the dragons away.”
Rhi’s eyes grew frosty with annoyance. “You know as well as I that he didn’t make that decision lightly or on his own.”
“He decided it. The other Kings merely followed along.”
“They could’ve refused had they believed there was another option.”
Brandr shook his head at himself for getting into this debate. “There was another choice. Ulrik made it. The other Kings sided with him until Con changed their minds.”
“He reminded them of their true purpose.”
“He chose the humans over his dragons!” Brandr jerked back, shocked by his outburst.
Rhi lifted her chin. “If that’s what you think, then you don’t know your father or the Kings at all.”
“I know all I need to know.”
The disappointment on her face shook him. She said nothing before teleporting away, leaving him with only the silence of his cottage.
