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Brand scooped her up and carried her to their bed, cradling her against him as he climbed in and settled against the pillows.
“What if everyone in Thodelebor is getting sick?” she rasped, tears choking her voice. “What…what if it’s something else?”
“Shhh. Freely given.” Brand pulled aside his tunic collar, and tucked her head into the crook of his neck, urging her to feed. To heal. “We can keep an eye on him this evening, see if we notice anything off before jumping to extremes.”
Before he let his mind go there. Before he started to panic.
For all Luna could probably heal Thad, just the thought of losing him the same way they’d lost his mother…
Shite, it was too much to bear.
“Brand.”
He blinked awake, still half sitting up and tangled under Luna—Fern, too, who’d apparently decided at some point in the night that his legs would make a good pillow. Mag and Thad were also sprawled across the end of the bed, Stirling nestled between the three of them, and he saw both Hedda and Faldir’s horns over the back of the settee. Vann was—
“Brand.”
—waking him up.
He craned his neck and found Vann leaning on the washroom doorframe, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Already?”
Vann pointed towards the balcony.
Perfectly silhouetted by the setting twin moons, Nakarat clung to the banister with massive claws, wings spread wide for balance as Amun and Amal dismounted from his back.
Shite.
Carefully extracting himself, Brand left their cozy little pile and scrubbed both hands over his face with a sharp exhale, he and Vann making their way outside. Nakarat’s colossal snout bumped into both of them, bronze scales gleaming like molten ore in the moonlight.
“Greetings, brothers,” he rumbled, the depth of his voice as much a feeling as it was a sound.
Brand ran a hand along his powerful jaw. “I’ve not seen you in an age, old dragon. You cared more for the fish than you did for me last week, and you were missing from our gathering at the palace.”
Nakarat tsk’ed. “You wound me. I am younger than Amunkar by months, and I was hungry. Would you have me starve to death?”
“No one in all of Bordoroth is less likely to starve to death,” Amun chided, folding back his hood and face cover. “You should see the way he’s doted on when we’re at home. Spoiled wretch.”
“Hence the reason he was not at the palace. Too busy with his adorers,” Amal said, chuckling when Nakarat nipped at her.
“Is everything in place?” Vann asked.
“Yes.” Amun pulled a pack from Nakarat’s saddle and handed it to Amal. “Nakarat will take his usual place on Argoph’s peak, so all will assume the two of us are there. Have you gotten your own permission from the Eternal Ones, or is this to be a rogue endeavor for you as well?”
“Seeing as I’ve accidentally forgotten to go home since you essentially charmed your way into kidnapping me, it’s exceedingly likely that I will be skinned alive for participating. Especially after outfitting the Sorcerit without consulting them first. Melysandre was particularly peeved, though Nephelie was pleased as punch I secured an open favor from Luna and the Council.”
Brand recoiled. “You did what?”
He had no doubt the only reason Luna hadn’t mentioned it was because she had no idea how serious such a thing was—which meant Vann was the one he’d be throttling for it.
Vann raised a hand. “I swear on all our lives to make sure that she is not taken advantage of when the time comes. Besides, I have a few tricks up my billowing sleeves that might gentle their ire and aims. Don’t worry about it, eh?”
Brand gritted his teeth, not liking it one bit, but what choice did he have?
Amal took her spear from Amun next, the mechanism within it whirring before it collapsed and she slung it on her back. “Is everyone else ready to go?”
“Not exactly.” Thad stepped from the shadows, slapping at his cheeks. “When I tried to wake them up, Fern threatened to braid my vocal cords and arsehole together to wear as a necklace, then turned over and started snoring again. Magnus is unknowingly cuddling the fox. Luna might be dead? I’ve never met anyone else who sleeps face down. Hedda and Faldir are awake though. Hello, Nakarat.”
He reached up to scratch the dragon behind his sweeping horns, muttering nonsense, like the most majestic creature in the Five Realms was naught more than a puppy.
