“Constance,”he roared into her mind.“Where are ye, mo thine? Tell me where ye are so I might help. So that all of us can help.”
“There she is,”Ulrik said.
Aodh nearly lost altitude at the sight of Constance jumping off a cliff, only to shift into a small, sleek red dragon. The most beautiful thing he had ever seen as the dying sun ignited her in fire.
“Hell, she’s beautiful,”he said to Ulrik. Her sisters. His brothers. Anyone who was able to hear.
“But is she guilty?”Ulrik wondered, trying to make sure Aodh saw reason in the haze of undying love he felt for her.“Or does she seek Ireland’s ruin as well?”
“Never,”he bit back, positive he was right.“There is no part of Constance who would not care for the innocent in this country. For the innocent in this world, for that matter.”
“Then fight with her,”Ulrik counseled.“Fight for the innocent whilst you still have the chance.”
Aodh wasn’t sure what to make of that because the Viking’s words seemed to have a double meaning. A deeper purpose. Nevertheless, he would have protected her even if she roared fire at him. Protected her from the afterlife if she killed him here and now. So it was likely a very good thing Ulrik was with him, for what sort of ally would he be if he tried to save someone who turned out to be his nemesis all along?”
“You would be saving an ally, not an enemy,”she said into his mind, her sweet dragon voice like pure welcoming fire on his raw nerves.“Because I’m with you, mo thine. I’ve always been with you.”
He roared his relief and flew harder. Wanted to put himself between her and Siobhán when she appeared on the cliff. When the enemy threw fireballs that didn’t look quite right.
“Because they’re not,”Constance warned.“They’ve got the power of my dagger now. The power of mine and my sisters’ magic. And they’ll only grow stronger if I don’t end her soon because I’m running out of time...we’re running out of time.”
Why did that sound like she meant to go it alone?
“That does not sound good,”Ulrik agreed, right there in their conversation as usual. This time, he couldn’t be blamed, though. Not when they went up against all Siobhán was becoming.
“Then let us end her now, Viking.”The wind might be choppy as Aodh catapulted in the enemy’s direction, but he didn’t let it slow him down any.“Let us keep Constance safe.”
“No,”she cried.“Stay away, Aodh. I can handle her. Will handle her. All I need you to do is keep any warriors away who stand by her side. Become a protective barrier for me while our siblings turn most of them to allies.”
“Tréan is already a barrier.”He noted the white wolf fighting any who got too close to Siobhán. He got the sense Tréan understood something even Aodh didn’t yet. Moments later, it seemed Ulrik did, too, because he shot out ahead of Aodh, making it impossible for him to go to Constance.
“What are ye doing?”he roared at the Viking when Siobhán threw fireballs at Constance that clearly hurt her dragon.“Let me help her!”
“Nay.”Not only was Ulrik’s dragon larger, but his flying abilities were superior, so Aodh stood little chance of getting past him.“Not unless you understand the risks.”
The risks? Of course, he knew the risks.
“Losing my mate, queen, wife, and only love is the risk,”he growled.“One I would die a thousand times over for, so let me get to her.”
“No, Ulrik,”Constance roared as she landed and fought Siobhán’s magic. Fought something she couldn’t possibly win against without help from her sisters.“Stay back, Aodh.”
“Don’t listen to her.”Madison sounded panicked as she sliced a warrior’s leg, dropping him to his knee.“Go to her, Aodh.”
“She’s right.”Riona ran her blade through a soldier’s arm.“She knows what she’s doing, and it’s not good.”
“Agreed.”Shannon twirled and sliced her dagger across her opponent’s thigh, clearly unhappy.“And my son is defending Siobhán for some reason. No, not Siobhán but,”she sounded confused,“dying roots.”
Aodh crashed into Ulrik’s side when he tried to keep him from her.
“Hell,”Ulrik cursed, even though his dragon didn’t seem all that fazed.“Constance is trying to keep you safe, friend. She’s trying to—”
More in tune with his dragon than ever, Aodh didn’t wait for more of an explanation but slammed into Ulrik again, only harder this time.“Just tell me what she’s doing, and let me make my own decision.”
Because he sensed there was a decision to make. A hard one if Tréan and Ulrik’s actions were anything to go off of. The Viking eyed him with a mix of frustration and what almost seemed like sympathy before he finally shared the damning truth.
“The only way to defeat Siobhán now is for Constance to forfeit her life,”Ulrik said.“One life to get back her blade. The other to the gods for the even greater life she took so Siobhán would be weakened.”
“I don’t understand.”He looked from Ulrik to the battle ensuing between Siobhán and Constance.“What greater life did she take?”His heart hurt at what else Ulrik had said because he understood that well enough.“So she’s to give up her human and her dragon in repayment? Both in one fell swoop?”
