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"I should've letthe wolf hold you," Hywel murmured in my ear.
I'd been gazing up at the sky. The day was cloudy but without the threat of rain, the sky hazy but gentle. If anyone had looked closely, they would've realized there were two sources of light tucked behind those milky white curtains. One distant and massive, traveling across the sky in a slow arch. The other was a smaller, swaying beam, almost a star directly above us as Laszlo watched from overhead. I'd seen glimpses of him, brief and shining, through cracks in the clouds, or when he ducked down to check that we were still safely alone, but he remained hidden the rest of the time.
I roused myself, stretching in the circle of Hywel's arms. We'd been riding since before dawn, and it was nearing evening now, but Rolant said we were close. I turned and caught a glimpse of Conall's dark scowl, although it washed away when he noticed me looking. What remained was a tense, false smile.
"We're all jealous of one another at the moment," Hywel continued. "But I think his instincts wear on him the most."
There'd been a strange moment when I'd left the castle and found everyone but Laszlo and Rolant facing off while holding their horses. Asterion had grunted, lifting himself to his saddle and riding for the gates with Rolant at his side, but Conall and Hywel had watched one another warily until finally Conall snarled and also jumped into his saddle.
"Instincts?" I asked, resisting the urge to look back at Conall.
Hywel only hummed in answer. "Perhaps I'll be generous and share you on the trip back."
"A horse of my own is too much to ask, I take it?" I teased. It'd been a long time since I'd ridden, and I didn't mind being held against Hywel's warm chest.
"It would be fair but certainly out of the question," Hywel purred, unrepentant as he kissed my throat.
"We'll reach the cave around this bend," Rolant called back to us.
I twisted and whispered to Hywel, "Doyouthink he's set us a trap?"
Hywel was quiet for a few minutes, his arm around my waist delivering a reassuring squeeze. "I change my mind every few minutes," he admitted. "The most likely scenario in my mind is that he waits until we have the sword and then escapes with it. The level of danger that presents varies in my mind."
"How did you…end up in a relationship with him?" I asked, watching the back of the other dragon rocking gently as we climbed steadily up the barely present path of the mountain.
"We were both quite young. We had hoards to protect, and…appetites. It's not uncommon for dragons to end up in that kind of arrangement together. I can't say I was ever more than half in love with him, but I was attracted to the idea of having a dragon as a mate. And he made it clear often enough that he was more interested in the treasure we were amassing. Every item in the collection had to be clearly possessed—his or mine," Hywel said. "Eventually, temptation was too great. Rolant challenged me for the hoard."
I turned my face up to that second, smaller glow, and as if Laszlo knew I was looking for him, a little sparkle of gold appeared through the clouds. "It's different between you and Laszlo."
Hywel nodded, curling around me and tucking his chin on my shoulder. "Laszlo is part of me. All I am is his, including my treasure. He is the same. And luckily for me, my mate hasexceptionaltaste."
That ever present itch ofwhy me?crawled up to my tongue. Laszlo and Hywel brought one another leagues of treasure. What could I offer them?
But instead of the question, one that would've left a bitter taste in both mine and Hywel's mouth, a sudden shriek of an eagle's cry swung above us. Without a word, our horses were halted and Rolant returned to us. The path was narrow, and crowded together the horses stomped, a rattle of stone sliding down the side of the mountain. I kept my eyes turned to the sky, staring as the brilliantly golden, feline and feathered form of Laszlo swooped down from the clouds.
He was blazing bright, lion's legs and eagle's talons tucked into his huge body, wings spread and three feathered tails twined to one, an elegant arrow streaking toward us. I thought he would crash into us or continue down the mountain, when his body curled forward and his flight slowed almost to a halt. Above us, around the bend Rolant had promised would bring us to our destination, a chorus of haunting howls rang out, drawing a shiver down my spine.
"Werewolves," Conall snapped, leaping down from his saddle the moment Laszlo's paws touched the ground.
The gryphon straightened back into the familiar and elegant form of the man, gleaming glasses still perched on his nose. "A dozen," he announced.
"Easy," Rolant scoffed.
Laszlo didn't spare him a glance. "They're not alone. I counted at least five trolls clinging to the mountainside, and there could be more."
Asterion's hooves hit the ground, his white gloves torn from his fingers to expose him from the disguise he'd traveled in. "Birsha must've gotten the location from Nimue."
"Send the horses back down the mountain to safety," Hywel said, hauling me from my seat and passing me into the ready arms of Asterion.
I twisted in the minotaur's grip before he could carry me away. "I need a weapon."
"No!" Conall and Asterion both said.
"Of course she does," Laszlo argued. "Something with range. The crossbow. Evanthia, come here."
"We agreed she'd be with—" Asterion started, holding tightly to my waist as I rummaged in the saddle bags for the crossbow and bolts.
"There's nothing in the air," Laszlo said, reaching for me. "She will ride me, well out of reach."
