She gestured to the table where Lance and Barry were still deep in conversation. How long could two men talk about swords? For quite some time, according to them. Some of the kids were drawing pictures, fights breaking out over who got which colour. Still others could be heard screaming from ‘Fang’s back as they ran up and down his spine. Ivy? She looked extra pale as she stared at the lot of us.
“Because we—” he started to say.
“It’s not your cooking or the kids or the house that’s putting her off,” I explained. Elsie stared up at me, red spots forming in her cheeks. “We may not have made the best first impression.”
“What?”
Her sharp reply came at the same time as the kettle whistled. I reached over with an oven mitt and pulled it off the fire. She went to work, setting out cups and saucers as I filled the tea pot with hot water.
“So we may have walked up to her and said she was ours the moment we saw Fern,” I said with a wince.
“Oh, you didn’t.” Elsie looked at Kael, stricken. “Son, tell me you didn’t.”
“He did.” Dain had joined us, pouring tea into each cup with a steady hand. Whatever fancy pants training he received growing up on a grand estate, it showed now. Didn’t spill a drop and then he set the tea pot on the table before carrying some cups over. “Managed to piss Fern off every day since.”
“Kael.”
Elsie fell into her seat by the table, then clasped her cup like it was a lifeline.
“What? She is our girl.” Kael sat down beside her, not a scrap of contrition in his expression. “Our dragons protect hers.” A far off roar made clear our beasts were playing at scaring the children. “We’d lay down our lives to keep her safe.” He nodded to Dain as he sat back down. “Even him.”
“Is that true, Dain?” Ivy asked. “Argent has found his mate?”
“He thinks so.” He made a show of stirring a drop of milk into his tea. “But we are separate entities. Argent knows I won’t stand in his way if he tries to win Auren. I just won’t be anywhere near Fern if her dragon rises to mate.”
Ivy stared fixedly at my brother, then Elsie spoke.
“Gods save me…” Her hands went to her hair. “This is because I wasn’t there to raise you right. Living on the streets?—”
“Made us strong, capable,” Kael replied. “Fern will come to see that. Women like me plenty.”
“That’s those silly girls at the tavern!” Elsie flung her hands up in the air. “Girls that take one look at you and your dragon and see a much easier life as the wife of a dragon rider. Fern has her own dragon. She can fly wherever she likes, do as shepleases. And she’s of noble birth. The girl will have to have some sort of family fortune. You’ll have to do a lot more to catch her eye than saunter into the tavern on a Friday night.”
“Speaking of which,” Kael said. “Don’t bother to make more for dinner. We’re taking Fern to the tavern for a meal.”
“We are?” Dain said with a frown.
“Good food, good drink, and good music. How could a woman say no to that?”
Elsie had more to say, but that was the moment Lacey and Fern came back down the stairs. Right then, no one else mattered. Lacey girl had performed her miracles, combing Fern’s hair straight and then creating a curled braid that was bound up at my girl’s neck. I wanted to pull free every pin, just to feel it tumble over my fingers. Drinking and dancing? It was always a good way to spend the end of the working week, but now? There was nothing I wanted more than to walk into the tavern with my girl on my arm.
When night fell,we flew our dragons down to the tavern. Kael had tried to suggest we just take a couple of our beasts, hoping to get Fern in the saddle with him, but when Lance asked which of us would ride tandem with another man, the idea was abandoned. The muffled thump of the music being played filtered outside, lamps burning merrily on the front porch.
“This looks—” Fern said, eyes wide.
“Like no place for a lady.”
When the doors were thrown open and a drunken idiot was tossed out on his ear by the big lads that worked for the inn keeper, Lance moved in front of her, lest the drunkard come staggering over to her.
“Food’s almost as good as Mum’s,” Kael said. “The ale is colder and the music? Best players this side of Harlston.” He held out his arm. “Tomorrow we land at the tomb and it’ll be hell even if the caves remain intact. Either a long day of digging, or being forced to face our worst fears the entire time we’re inthe cave.” With a jiggle of his elbow, he looked down meaningfully at his arm. “A night of fun could be just the thing before we fly out.”
“Fun…” The way Fern eyed the tavern, it made me think that she was nowhere near as affronted by this place as Lance was. “Yes, I think that would be just the thing.”
Ignoring Kael’s arm, she surged forward, thinking she’d walk through the door unescorted. That was not going to happen. My arm went around her shoulders as Kael’s looped around her waist.
“What on earth are you doing?” she spluttered. “Unhand me.”
“Walking into a place like this alone?” I said. “Not a chance. Every eye in that pub is gonna be on you, Fern, so we need to make clear to whom you belong.”
