Can't Get Enough (Dragon Kin) - G.A. Aiken Page 0,42

stop until there is war.”

He entered the chamber, and she watched his tail disappear inside. For the first time, she noticed that the tip wasn’t purple like the rest of him, but more like burnished silver. She sensed he sharpened it. Smooth and charming he might be, but a predator just the same.

Many long minutes passed until the herald returned. The green dragon stared at her. “Shalin the Gold. You have been summoned.”

Ahh, yes. The Gold. When you entered the royal meeting chamber, the name you had earned over time was stripped so no one was above another.

Knowing she’d have to face Adienna, Shalin briefly closed her eyes, refusing to panic. Then, she raised her head proudly and walked into the meeting chamber where they all waited.

Ailean and his brothers landed at the entrance of Devenallt Mountain. He allowed Bideven to lead the way, knowing his brother knew the world of politics better than he or Arranz. All three brothers were dressed in their battle armor, but that was for show and rank rather than actual fighting. Although he’d do whatever necessary to get what he wanted.

“This is the meeting chamber,” Bideven whispered.

With a nod, Ailean headed toward it.

“Ailean, wait. You can’t just go in there!”

A large green dragon, a herald most likely, stepped in front of the chamber’s entrance. Ailean grabbed him by the snout, yanked him away, and entered. As he’d been trained to do, he quickly took in everything around him so he could act accordingly.

The Elders sat on a dais built out of solid rock. The queen sat on a separate rock protrusion but hers was neither higher nor lower than the Elders. Although she was queen, the Elders still held great powers among the dragons of Dark Plains. Only during a time of war did the queen’s decisions outrank the Elders’, simply because they didn’t have the time to vote and debate when lives were in jeopardy.

On the far side of the chamber he saw one of the purple dragons who’d originally come for Shalin. A good, solid fighter and strong, he’d be a worthy opponent. But when it came to Shalin, Ailean would tear the purple beast apart scale by scale to keep her.

The bastard sat with an audience made up mostly of royals…and Adienna. The smugness on her face made Ailean want to rip off her head himself. But his main concern was Shalin.

She stood alone, in the middle of the chamber in the center of a rune design etched into the cave floor. She held her head high and stared at each Elder without flinching. He felt unbridled pride watching her. She’d give him hatchlings to be proud of.

“Shalin the Gold,” said Elder Cilydd—he had to be nine hundred years old if a day and, last Ailean heard, very nearly blind—“we’ve made our decision on this matter.”

The herald strode up behind Ailean with his brothers right behind him. Ailean reached back and batted the green dragon out of his way and grabbed Bideven’s shoulder and dragged him forward.

He motioned to his brother and Bideven only stared, so Ailean slammed his fist into his shoulder, hard enough to break something.

“All right. All right. Don’t hit me.”

Bideven stepped forward. “Elders. My Queen. I must interrupt these proceedings in the name of Ailean the Blue.”

Ailean slammed his brother with his claw and Bideven hissed at him. “In this chamber all monikers are stripped save for the one given to you at birth. Now would you shut up and let me handle this?”

Forcing a smile, Bideven turned back to face the Elders and the queen.

The queen looked over at the brothers. “I’ve known Ailean the Blue many years, Bideven the Black. Can he not speak for himself?”

Bideven cleared his throat and glanced at Ailean. All Ailean could do was shrug and Arranz agreed with a shrug of his own.

“Actually, my Queen, he cannot. At this time.” Another throat clear, and this time a furtive glance at Shalin, who refused to look at any of them. “His throat was cut while human and it still heals. It will be a few more hours or even days before he’ll be able to speak without pain.”

The queen’s body went rigid and her eyes lashed across the hall to the Lightning dragon.

“Is this down to you, Theodoric?”

“Not I, Queen. Nor my kin—that I’m aware of. I sent them back to the Northlands yesterday.”

“Then who did this to Ailean?” She looked around the chamber and finally settled her clear blue eyes