Page 11 of The Silver Spider
Kailigh sighed. “He’ll need to be watched, as well.”
“He will obey,” Maddugh replied, grim. “Or he will suffer the consequences.” Glancing at Cinvarra, “You are confined to your room until further notice.”
The girl sniffed. “I’m a little too old—”
“Would you prefer the dungeon?”
Cinvarra’s mouth shut and she rose, smoothing her hands down her dress before stalking out of the room.
“Don’t slam that door!” Kailigh yelled. There was a brief pause, then the door shut—quietly. As soon as her daughter was gone, Kai indulge herself in a bit of harmless cursing. Though it was beneath the dignity of a woman her age.
“I’m going to strangle that runt when I get my hands on her. I can’t believe she did something so stupid! I was expecting her to pull a stunt, but not like this.”
Maddugh sighed and approached, wrapping his arms around Kai’s waist. “Stupid goats. No patience—no subtlety. I see I’ll need to pay a bit more attention to their education—my son and your daughters.”
She stiffened. “My girls—”
“You’ve done well, Kai.” His finger touched her lips. “But you are no dragon—you females need to learn true canniness. If they are going to dabble in games of misdirection and revenge, they need to be trained properly. And my son needs to be reminded never to act out of temper.”
Kailigh sniffed. “How long are you wanting to keep Cin in her room?”
His expression darkened. “Until the trees grow back.”
“It’s her birthday soon.”
“Oh. Damn. Well.”
* * *
Her husband caughther that evening attempting to sneak out of the castle. She’d made it as far as the main road when the dragon swooped down out of the sky, wings buffeting a deliberately heavy blast of air to knock her off her feet. She swore, stumbling, and glared at him as he shifted to human and strode towards her, grabbing her upper arms.
“Really, Kailigh? Did you think I wasn’t anticipating you as well?”
She scowled. “My daughter is off to a Dome getting into who knows what trouble, and you want me to wait around for you to talk to some folks.”
Fangs snapped at her. “You’re my wife, so I can turn you over my knee and give you the bare assed spanking you deserve.”
“Don’t know—might enjoy that, dear. So, it wouldn’t be much of a punishment.”
Because he was naked she immediately felt, pressing against her middle, the effect of her words. But lust didn’t diminish the anger in his eyes. “I know you’re barely old enough to drink, but I expected better from you, Mistress.”
Kai snorted at the barely old enough to drink comment. They’d established that she and her daughters weren’t quite human, and that combined with her mating Maddugh had slowed and reversed what little signs of aging she’d had. Though she was in her forties, considered approaching middle aged by human standards, if she was a fae or a shifter like Maddugh thought, then she was barely out of her adolescent years.
Which was interesting, considering Maddugh had gone ahead and married her. So, he must not think she was really all that young—unless he just didn’t care.
“How long do you expect me to wait, Lord Maddugh?”
“Do you trust me, Kai?”
She opened her mouth, closed it. Damnit. “That’s a sneaky question.”
He held her gaze, voice even. “Answer it.”
“Yes, I trust you. But…I’m not used to waiting on someone else. To having help.”
His head lowered, lips brushing hers. “Get used to it.”
And then he lifted her in his arms and she squealed—an undignified sound—wrapping her legs around his waist. He strode into the cover of the forest, and by the time he was done with her, she didn’t have a drop of energy left to argue.
