Page 99 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
My former partner swept his arm out. “Pretty boys first.”
He could be an ass. Since I had a higher tolerance than most for the arrogant sarcastic types, Conrad as an example, they’d chosen to pair me with Brody after I finished my maternity leave with Orion. Everyone else had gotten the urge to stab him, and a few actually did—not that leadership found out about that part. He healed fast, and none of us would have ever told on each other. If Conrad hadn’t gone to the coast to be near his parents, I would have chosen him instead, though.
David threw his dagger, landing it in the same spot I did. Good for him.
A thoughtful expression came over Brody’s face. “Hmm, not bad.”
He lifted his arm, eyed the target, and tossed the knife. We waited to see where it would land, gasping when it kissed the first one with no more than a millimeter between them. They were evenly matched.
“That’s a draw,” I said, taking another swig of my beer. It was almost empty.
Conrad whistled. “Woo-wee, didn’t see that one comin’, but maybe another round to break the tie?”
Brody grabbed a fresh beer. “Nah, man. It’s time for music and dancing. Slayer tradition the night before a big battle.”
Technically, it was only two in the afternoon, but we were drinking early since we needed to be sober by dinnertime. They had a pre-war meeting with the coalition after their big feast, and I had obligations at the fortress. Hence, why we scheduled our hang-out time for now. The likelihood of all of us walking away from this war alive was abysmally low. No one would feel more compelled to keep fighting, no matter the odds, than us. It was our destiny to die in battle, which was understood though rarely spoken aloud.
Faint music filled the air from an old boom box someone had brought from North Carolina. They’d also packed a CD collection, so we had some options. It was plugged into the outbuilding behind us, which no one was using, but thankfully, it had power.
They cranked the sound up so I could hear “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” by Fall Out Boy. It was always our favorite to listen to before battle, especially because of the part about lighting it up. No one played with fire more than we did. I got up with the others, joining them to dance to the music. For a little while, we lost ourselves in the joy of the moment together.
Chapter 29
Aidan
Despite castle occupants being the only ones to attend, the main table in the great hall was filled for the midday meal. It didn’t only include Taugud, but also the Straegud and Craegud pendragons with several of their toriq members. They sat with Aidan and Bailey. He felt sympathy for his mate, who barely managed a tight smile while in a room full of shifters. With their son eating a meal with Phoebe, Ozara, and Leilany in their chambers upstairs, she didn’t have Orion as a buffer.
Bailey hadn’t hunted since her battle at Ft. Sill, and her compulsion to attack dragons appeared to grow by the hour as she struggled against it. She only had to wait one more day. The good thing about her restlessness was it would make her extra vicious once she faced the Kandoran.
It would also make her especially demanding in his bed later. Aidan loved it when she was on the edge because their lovemaking surged to a higher level of hot and consuming. If the servants minded the ruined sheets and blankets afterward, they’d never mentioned it. They did cast looks at their pendragon and his mate later as if wondering how they could walk so normally from their chambers the next day.
“I must say I envy the design of your fortress,” Wren said. The pendragon from the West Coast had been more than happy to stay at the castle to get a closer look at the architecture.
Aidan pulled his thoughts from his mate. “I can’t take credit for it myself since it was designed several millennia ago, but we’ve worked hard to maintain and improve it.”
“I can imagine,” he said, studying the stone around them. “You must be blessed with many who have the second flame.”
Bailey, who had been nursing her goblet of wine, set it down. “Aidan actually has the gift and helps the masons when he can spare the time.”
Wren lifted a brow. “Really? It runs in your family line?”
“It does.”
“Do you think your son will inherit it?” the Craegud pendragon asked speculatively.
Aidan drew his brows together, having never considered it before. “I do not know. My other three siblings didn’t inherit it, but you know how those things tend to be unpredictable.”
“True,” Wren agreed. “Will you have more children with your mate?”
He had an idea of where this conversation was headed, but it was perfectly normal when toriqan got together. Now that Aidan was a pendragon, he had to accept playing the political game. He set his hand on Bailey’s where it rested on her lap.
“If my mate wishes it.”
She cleared her throat. “Our first child wasn’t planned, but I wouldn’t mind more when there is peace.”
Aidan had recently told her he would love to give her a dozen children if the dragon goddess allowed it. She’d looked ready to run. Of course, he’d reassured her that it was highly unlikely to happen since their longevity tended to make them less fertile. The only caveat was that slayers fell under different rules. They might not age, but most died young, so their ability to procreate fell under similar patterns as humans. He didn’t know how that would work with him being a shifter, but the males tended to have fewer limits, as Lorcan had already proven.
For now, one of the healers had given her special herbs to drink in her tea each day to prevent another pregnancy. He agreed with her that it was not the right time. He’d made certain she would have access to them during the war as well to be safe. They were stocked in each of the bunkers for any female fighters who wanted them.
