fought,” I said, hoping my annoyance didn’t show. From Baldur’s expression, he didn’t believe me.
“I don’t like seeing the most important people in my life at each other’s throats, Celestia. My wife is promising all sorts of things I won’t go into, and he’s closeted in his room. He would rather spend hours flying to far corners of the realm than meet his responsibilities at home, and that’s where you come in.”
I stared at him slack-jawed while processing the information he was throwing at me at a snail’s pace. Eirik wasn’t sick or dying? They’d brought me here to… what?
Baldur leaned forward and took my hand, his expression earnest.
“I’m going to be very blunt, Celestia. Eirik has a lot of responsibilities he must attend to and his mother worries about him. He’s spent the last couple of months accepting challenges from other dragons and defeating them. Tonight’s ball is to honor him for that. They need to recognize his bravery and his place among the dragon shifters. His mother is convinced that once Eirik knows you are here, he will stop being difficult, dress up, and join us. I believe in a more direct approach. He listens to you. Talk to him. Find out what’s going on with him, and persuade him to attend this ball.”
They’d grabbed me from the club, taken me away from my friends and the hottest boy band since… forever, and made me trudge through the damn snow and mist to convince Eirik to attend a ball? A freaking ball? I’d thought he was on a hunger strike or his crazy mother had locked him up again.
“Will you help us, dear?” Baldur smiled, but his eyes were shadowed with worry.
Convince that impossible man to do anything? Somehow, I doubted it. I still wanted to rant against the way they’d brought me here under false pretenses, but the worry in Baldur’s eyes stopped me. Besides, no one had ever said Eirik was sick. I’d reached that conclusion on my own. Next time, I’d insist on knowing everything before setting foot on this land.
“Sure. I mean, I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise he’ll attend the ball afterward.”
“I believe in you, dýrr mín. ”
“Usually, I do too, but he is…”
“Unpredictable,” Baldur said.
“Impossible and stubborn.” And that’s putting it mildly.
“But he is our son and the apple of his mother’s eye.” He stood, signaling the end of our conversation. “Talk to him. Find out what’s going on.”
“I’ll try, but I’ll not spy on him. My loyalty is…” Was the dragon bond messing with my head? No, I would not spy on him even without the bite. “Let’s just say that I can’t repeat whatever he tells me in confidence.”
Baldur studied me with a weird gleam in his eyes. I couldn’t tell whether he was annoyed by my decision or pleased.
“Somehow, I didn’t think you would,” he said, his voice hard to read too. “Last time I checked, he was in his quarters. Flying still drains him, but he’s recovering faster,” he added, pride lacing his words. “Our guests will leave their quarters for the banquet hall in the next hour, and I want him by our side. His mother and I will be waiting here.” He raised his hand and Litr appeared. “Escort Miss Celestia to Eirik’s quarters. Then come help me finish getting ready.”
I followed Litr and waited until we were headed toward the rotunda before asking, “How have you been, Litr?”
“Fine, Miss Celestia. Just trying to keep peace.”
“That bad?”
He nodded.
“Why won’t he go to the ball?”
“Um, uh…”
I planted my hands on my hips and stared Litr down. He shifted from one foot to the other, his flaming face matching his hair. He mumbled something, but all I caught was “looking for a mate.”
“Who is looking for a mate?” I asked, sure I had heard him wrong.
“Word is out that he’s the future Alfadir of the gods, and now they’re throwing their daughters at him. Parents with dragon girls are arriving from all
“I don’t like seeing the most important people in my life at each other’s throats, Celestia. My wife is promising all sorts of things I won’t go into, and he’s closeted in his room. He would rather spend hours flying to far corners of the realm than meet his responsibilities at home, and that’s where you come in.”
I stared at him slack-jawed while processing the information he was throwing at me at a snail’s pace. Eirik wasn’t sick or dying? They’d brought me here to… what?
Baldur leaned forward and took my hand, his expression earnest.
“I’m going to be very blunt, Celestia. Eirik has a lot of responsibilities he must attend to and his mother worries about him. He’s spent the last couple of months accepting challenges from other dragons and defeating them. Tonight’s ball is to honor him for that. They need to recognize his bravery and his place among the dragon shifters. His mother is convinced that once Eirik knows you are here, he will stop being difficult, dress up, and join us. I believe in a more direct approach. He listens to you. Talk to him. Find out what’s going on with him, and persuade him to attend this ball.”
They’d grabbed me from the club, taken me away from my friends and the hottest boy band since… forever, and made me trudge through the damn snow and mist to convince Eirik to attend a ball? A freaking ball? I’d thought he was on a hunger strike or his crazy mother had locked him up again.
“Will you help us, dear?” Baldur smiled, but his eyes were shadowed with worry.
Convince that impossible man to do anything? Somehow, I doubted it. I still wanted to rant against the way they’d brought me here under false pretenses, but the worry in Baldur’s eyes stopped me. Besides, no one had ever said Eirik was sick. I’d reached that conclusion on my own. Next time, I’d insist on knowing everything before setting foot on this land.
“Sure. I mean, I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise he’ll attend the ball afterward.”
“I believe in you, dýrr mín. ”
“Usually, I do too, but he is…”
“Unpredictable,” Baldur said.
“Impossible and stubborn.” And that’s putting it mildly.
“But he is our son and the apple of his mother’s eye.” He stood, signaling the end of our conversation. “Talk to him. Find out what’s going on.”
“I’ll try, but I’ll not spy on him. My loyalty is…” Was the dragon bond messing with my head? No, I would not spy on him even without the bite. “Let’s just say that I can’t repeat whatever he tells me in confidence.”
Baldur studied me with a weird gleam in his eyes. I couldn’t tell whether he was annoyed by my decision or pleased.
“Somehow, I didn’t think you would,” he said, his voice hard to read too. “Last time I checked, he was in his quarters. Flying still drains him, but he’s recovering faster,” he added, pride lacing his words. “Our guests will leave their quarters for the banquet hall in the next hour, and I want him by our side. His mother and I will be waiting here.” He raised his hand and Litr appeared. “Escort Miss Celestia to Eirik’s quarters. Then come help me finish getting ready.”
I followed Litr and waited until we were headed toward the rotunda before asking, “How have you been, Litr?”
“Fine, Miss Celestia. Just trying to keep peace.”
“That bad?”
He nodded.
“Why won’t he go to the ball?”
“Um, uh…”
I planted my hands on my hips and stared Litr down. He shifted from one foot to the other, his flaming face matching his hair. He mumbled something, but all I caught was “looking for a mate.”
“Who is looking for a mate?” I asked, sure I had heard him wrong.
“Word is out that he’s the future Alfadir of the gods, and now they’re throwing their daughters at him. Parents with dragon girls are arriving from all
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