mages that reside here than the dragons."
Braedon hesitated,
wondering how much he could trust the ladies’ secrets to these dragons.
Eben tilted his head to
study him. "There is more you are not telling us."
Braedon made his
decision, looking around the room at the dragons present, dragons he had fought
beside. His eyes found Furee, dragons he trusted with the welfare of his
sister. "At times, Lady Asha has mage green eyes." He touched a
finger to the scar on his lip. "When I gave her my blood, our fires
merged. We connected like two parts of one whole. She is more than just
dragoness: more even than dragon seer." He took a deep breath and looked
into five pairs of dragon eyes. "There is fire mage in her, at least as
powerful as myself."
Furee spoke quietly.
"It was Lady Asha who attempted to burn Lord Rendal, wasn't it?"
Braedon looked at him
questioningly. Furee continued. "I have heard the story and have spent
more time with you than most. It did not seem your style to lose control in
such a way." He shrugged, "Besides, I have felt your fire when you
truly rage. If you wanted to burn Rendal, you would have. There are few
dragons who could withstand the heat you produce when you are serious about
it."
"It was Lady
Asha."
"And you would have
taken the punishment for her action to keep her secrets?" Aarion asked,
his anger finally seemed to be gone.
Braedon shrugged.
"To keep her secrets from your corrupt council? Yes, I would have taken
the punishment."
"Corrupt?" Lux
boomed, as was his way. "They might be pompous, but corrupted is a little
strong." He looked at Prince Ladon, who raised a golden brow at him. Lux
cleared his throat and quickly turned back to Braedon.
Braedon gave him a look
that could have singed steel. "Your Council, with the exception of Prince
Ladon, would do just about anything to have Lady Asha under their control.
From what I have heard, Rendal is one in a long line of greedy despots you call
Council Lord. The rest of them flounder around and listen to accusations about
Kinkaid instead of cleaning their own house, and I find that humorous, since
from what I have seen he is powerful enough to obliterate them all if he truly
wanted to rule. And they know it. Not to mention in the meantime your Council
Lord Rendal was seconds away from claiming my sister as his mate under dragon
law. I would have to say pompous does not cover that." He bowed his
head. "My apologies, Lord Ladon. I know you are doing what you can, but
I have seen corruption at work in the humans for too long not to recognize its
stench."
Furee had stilled utterly,
and Braedon, feeling a surge of power, looked his way to find his eyes no
longer burned the heart of flame but instead had turned to blistering ash.
"Rendal tried to claim Riva?"
Braedon opened his mouth,
but nothing came out. He could see that Furee was on the edge of reason, and
Braedon was afraid anything he said would push him over. He had felt the heat
Furee produced when he was mad. Even the fire mage would have had a hard time
standing up to that flame. Mention the healer that did not yet know she was
his mate being claimed by another, Furee could burn a hole in the world.
It was Kinkaid who spoke
in his dark voice. "He thought briefly of it, but I reminded him he would
not live to finish the words if he made the attempt."
"Rendal!" he spat
the name as a growl, his eyes going to the double doors and open sky beyond.
No one in that room had any doubt what he was planning or whom he was going to
kill.
"Stand down,
Furee," Solan said firmly.
Furee stopped after one
step and blinked at him through his rage. "General?"
"If you kill a
member of the council for what he thought about doing, you will never have the
chance to claim your mate," Aarion reminded him quietly, barring his path
to the door.
Furee growled, baring his
sharp white teeth. "She is mine."
Braedon did not even
think
Braedon hesitated,
wondering how much he could trust the ladies’ secrets to these dragons.
Eben tilted his head to
study him. "There is more you are not telling us."
Braedon made his
decision, looking around the room at the dragons present, dragons he had fought
beside. His eyes found Furee, dragons he trusted with the welfare of his
sister. "At times, Lady Asha has mage green eyes." He touched a
finger to the scar on his lip. "When I gave her my blood, our fires
merged. We connected like two parts of one whole. She is more than just
dragoness: more even than dragon seer." He took a deep breath and looked
into five pairs of dragon eyes. "There is fire mage in her, at least as
powerful as myself."
Furee spoke quietly.
"It was Lady Asha who attempted to burn Lord Rendal, wasn't it?"
Braedon looked at him
questioningly. Furee continued. "I have heard the story and have spent
more time with you than most. It did not seem your style to lose control in
such a way." He shrugged, "Besides, I have felt your fire when you
truly rage. If you wanted to burn Rendal, you would have. There are few
dragons who could withstand the heat you produce when you are serious about
it."
"It was Lady
Asha."
"And you would have
taken the punishment for her action to keep her secrets?" Aarion asked,
his anger finally seemed to be gone.
Braedon shrugged.
"To keep her secrets from your corrupt council? Yes, I would have taken
the punishment."
"Corrupt?" Lux
boomed, as was his way. "They might be pompous, but corrupted is a little
strong." He looked at Prince Ladon, who raised a golden brow at him. Lux
cleared his throat and quickly turned back to Braedon.
Braedon gave him a look
that could have singed steel. "Your Council, with the exception of Prince
Ladon, would do just about anything to have Lady Asha under their control.
From what I have heard, Rendal is one in a long line of greedy despots you call
Council Lord. The rest of them flounder around and listen to accusations about
Kinkaid instead of cleaning their own house, and I find that humorous, since
from what I have seen he is powerful enough to obliterate them all if he truly
wanted to rule. And they know it. Not to mention in the meantime your Council
Lord Rendal was seconds away from claiming my sister as his mate under dragon
law. I would have to say pompous does not cover that." He bowed his
head. "My apologies, Lord Ladon. I know you are doing what you can, but
I have seen corruption at work in the humans for too long not to recognize its
stench."
Furee had stilled utterly,
and Braedon, feeling a surge of power, looked his way to find his eyes no
longer burned the heart of flame but instead had turned to blistering ash.
"Rendal tried to claim Riva?"
Braedon opened his mouth,
but nothing came out. He could see that Furee was on the edge of reason, and
Braedon was afraid anything he said would push him over. He had felt the heat
Furee produced when he was mad. Even the fire mage would have had a hard time
standing up to that flame. Mention the healer that did not yet know she was
his mate being claimed by another, Furee could burn a hole in the world.
It was Kinkaid who spoke
in his dark voice. "He thought briefly of it, but I reminded him he would
not live to finish the words if he made the attempt."
"Rendal!" he spat
the name as a growl, his eyes going to the double doors and open sky beyond.
No one in that room had any doubt what he was planning or whom he was going to
kill.
"Stand down,
Furee," Solan said firmly.
Furee stopped after one
step and blinked at him through his rage. "General?"
"If you kill a
member of the council for what he thought about doing, you will never have the
chance to claim your mate," Aarion reminded him quietly, barring his path
to the door.
Furee growled, baring his
sharp white teeth. "She is mine."
Braedon did not even
think
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