Page 92 of Broken Veil
“He is an ancient fertility god,” Cadell muttered. “He would like to do more than flirt.”
Time to change the subject. “Seren was in my dream last night.”
Cadell didn’t question it. “What did she say?”
“Let’s see, she called the Morrígan a saucy bitch, then started to fight me about Lachlan.”
Cadell nodded. “Yes, that sounds like Seren.”
“Duncan said the same thing. Well, about the saucy bitch comment. I didn’t tell him we were fighting about Lachlan.” She waved her hand. “We weren’t fighting! I don’t want Lachlan, obviously. But she was… kind of pissed.”
“She could be quite jealous about him. He was a favorite of the women in the court.”
Knowing Lachlan’s charm and personality, Carys wasn’t surprised. “She accused me of stealing you too.”
Cadell cut his eyes toward her. “That’s ridiculous. The bond of a dragon and their nêr is not as fickle as a mere romantic relationship.”
Carys and Cadell stepped over a rotten log, which put them on a stretch of manicured path. “I think she was just pissed that the Morrígan had dragged her into my dream, and thenit became obvious that Macha had ulterior motives when she started chanting ‘Fight, fight, fight’ like we were in a middle school hallway.”
The dragon nodded. “So she was trying to divide you, which means that you and Seren cooperating across realms must be important in some way.”
She looked up. “Oh, I hadn’t thought about that. You’re right.”
“Well, I’m much older and wiser than you.” He patted her head. “But you have your strengths too.”
Carys rolled her eyes. “Thank you so much.”
Cadell came to a halt in the middle of the path. “You had sexual relations with the blacksmith last night.”
She felt her cheeks heat and immediately tugged on his arm to keep moving. “Uh, I know you can sense my moods and stuff, but if you could avoid broadcasting my sex life to a couple of strangers and the entirety of Sherwood Forest?—”
“You had sex in a magical cottage that belongs to a fertility god,” Cadell said bluntly, though he kept his voice low.
“Okay, not that it’s any of your business,” Carys said through gritted teeth, “but I am on birth control, so it’s fine.”
“Of course.” Cadell nodded. “I’m sure your human chemicals are much more powerful than epochs of magic.”
Well, that was the opposite of comforting.
The dragon patted her shoulder. “The surly human would make a fine protector and provider, and he has strong financial resources. You could have made a far stupider choice to be the father of your offspring.”
“It is so obvious that dragons have arranged marriages,” she muttered. “Please stop.”
“Matings is more accurate.” Cadell looked back at Duncan. “He is physically fit as well. And you are in your primereproductive years. The more I think about this, the more I think it was a good decision.”
“Nothing was decided!” Carys hissed. “Please be quiet.”
“I see the van!” Duncan shouted from behind them on the path. “Good job, Jack—it’s still there.”
Jack laughed. “I told you it would be.”
Duncan trotted ahead, clearly delighted to be back to his vehicle and back in the driver’s seat where he could control the world at least a little bit until they ran into the next random god or goddess.
Carys stared at her boyfriend as he leaped over the stile and opened the van, walking around the vehicle, patting the hood, checking the tires.
It was exactly the way her father always checked his truck before she and her mother got inside.
“Yes.” Cadell nodded. “The more I consider this, the more I am pleased with the idea.”
