Page 71 of Dragon Keeper
“I can see that.” In fact, she looked a little murderous. “What does she means when she says he left in your time of need?”
Tyr stroked his chest, clearly contemplating that answer. “I think she exaggerates that somewhat. What she means is he left when we were all just coming of age, and I think it took us a lot of time to figure out how to get by without him. The wastingsickness had just ended, and he went off to university without so much as a blink.”
“He ran away from the bad stuff, huh? And that’s what you fought about.” Shit, he could see Tor doing that. If they had all been grieving, and they needed to heal and he had just left…
Dragon society wasn’t like human society. A dragon could go out to university at any point during their lifetime without any of that non-trad stigma. Why had Tor needed to leave immediately after their parents had died? Shit, Sloan would resent that too.
“We fought all the time anyway. Tor and I are so much alike in many ways—we’re both very stubborn, we both want what we want, but I believe the village and the bees are a vital important part of our lives. Neither of my siblings ever wanted to be involved in the hive.” Tyr sniffled a little. “I thought it was ridiculous for Tor to go to the city. I felt it was dangerous.”
“Sometimes we have to let them go,” he said softly. Riley leaving had gutted him; it had been the three of them against the world for so long, and then Riley had taken off once they got to Lunastra. At first, Sloan had thought it was because Riley was pissed at him, but then he’d realized it was just because it was time. Riley felt like he had the freedom and the safety to do it, and that Sloan was settled for the first time in their lives and would be where he left him when Riley came back.
Tyr nodded. “Sometimes we must. Do you really think that we are all right with the house?”
“I think our house gives us everything we need, and don’t forget we have a house spirit now. He’ll be helping out, cleaning up after us, providing linens and pillows and blankets whenever we need them.” He kissed Tyr’s cheek.
“I suppose we do! Sometimes I forget he’s here.” Tyr said that in a very low voice, a little smile playing around his mouth.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Tyr leaned harder, and Sloan thought he might be dozing. So he eased his mate down on the bed, bending to kiss him gently. “Rest for a bit, love. I need to go start supper. I invited a whole bunch of folks.”
“I can help…”
“In a bit. You’ll need your energy later.” He stroked Tyr’s forehead until he drifted off, then headed down to the kitchen.
He had five extra mouths to feed tonight, so he needed to get busy.
Chapter
Twenty-One
The week before the spring Star goddess festival was absolutely unbearable.
Everyone was visiting and talking and cooking. The bees were waking up. Sloan had been told by Cadeyrn to keep an eye on Tor, so he’d been home, growling alongside Aleana like a rabid beast while he was out and trying to get the hives ready for summer.
Tor had spent hours with Fredda and had then headed up to visit the clutch up the mountain.
Sloan and Cadeyrn had followed, Fredda had cried, and Tyr had managed to avoid Tor for days by working in the daytime and wandering the house in the deep of the night.
Tonight was the night he ran out of time. He was caught making a little trip to the kitchen.
“What are you craving? Our omega liked grapes. You know you’re the size of a house,” Tor said from the darkness.
“Apples.” In all their forms. “Don’t start.” He didn’t need this nonsense. “You know as well as I do that I’m pregnant, and I don’t need to be teased about my belly.” He was round, of course, but he wasn’t huge. In fact, he was readying for the workto come in the summer, which were altogether too close already. “What do you want? Why are you here?”
Tor lifted one eyebrow. “I can’t just be here?”
Tyr stared at Tor. He wasn’t a bumpkin or a child, so that glibness didn’t work for him. “Of course you can, but we both know that you’re not just here. So why don’t we not lie about it?”
“My, you’ve definitely lost some of your delicate sensibilities since we talked last.” Tor stepped into the light, eyebrows raised.
He inclined his head once. “I really have. You haven’t so much as given a single thought toward us in so long, and then suddenly here you are? I’m sorry if I think it’s odd, and I’m curious as to why you are here.”
“Would you believe me if I said it wasn’t nefarious?”
He gave that some thought. “Probably yes. We are brothers, twins, after all. So, I would probably believe you.” Tyr said it, even though it wasn’t exactly true; he didn’t really believe.
In fact, he was quite worried.
