Warrior's Moon

“The Chrechte will be convinced by my conriocht that I am chosen as their leader.”

“Nay,” the Balmoral argued. “Some will assume you should submit the conriocht power to Uven. You must show the pack that Uven has disregarded sacred law.”

Caelis did not look convinced, but he turned to Eadan, giving him a penetrating look. “Son?”

“Yes, da?”

“You are certain of this?”

“I think so.” Eadan’s confidence gave way to a child’s uncertainty. “I only know my dreams.”

“Your dreams are a gift we will never dismiss,” Caelis promised.

Shona nodded her agreement. “We will all go.”

Then she looked at Ciara and her husband, realizing she had no right to speak for them.

But the dragon—Really, a dragon? Her mind could not grasp it—agreed with a slight inclination of his head. “We will go and I will protect you and your family while your father fights to save the MacLeod clan from the wickedness of the Fearghall.”

“Thank you,” Eadan said formally.

Prince Eirik smiled and reached out to clasp Eadan’s forearm in the way of warriors. “You will be a fine protector for our people one day.”

“Yes. All Chrechte must be one.” Once again, Eadan sounded more like a prophet than a child.

Shona’s heart twinged, but there was naught she could do about the life he was destined to lead except support and love him whatever it required of him.

“Men like Uven must be stopped. He has already done untold damage. Perhaps if I had gone before this, lives could have been saved.” Ciara sighed, guilt in her posture. “The celi di has been telling me I need to return to the sacred caves, but I have resisted going.”

“You cannot blame yourself for the actions of evil men,” Shona assured Ciara.

The other woman shot her a grateful glance.

“Why have you hesitated to return?” her mate asked.

“You have unhappy memories of that place.”

The Ean prince pulled his mate close and kissed her softly before releasing her. “I have no regrets from that day.”

“You hate casting fire to kill.”

“It is less bloody than my sword.” The words were facetious, but Shona heard the weight that sat heavily on the dragon’s soul.

A man might kill in battle, but to have the ability to rain destruction from the sky must be a terrible burden to bear.

They smiled at each other and Shona could not help wondering at the story behind that look. But right now, she had more pressing matters to attend to.

They were returning to the MacLeod holding and her children would be with her.

* * *

Shona survived her first sighting of a dragon, but was not at all sure she would live through riding one.

She looked up, and up, and up at the great flying beast Ciara’s mate had shifted into under the moonlight. “Why must I and the children ride the dragon? Why can we not bring our mounts?”

Caelis cupped his warm hand round her nape, his focus entirely on her. “This way is safer for you and the children.”

“It is safer, to fly above the earth where no person was meant to go than to ride our horses?” she scoffed.

He smiled indulgently and her heart caught. “The Ean take to the sky all the time.”

“That is different.”

“There is an urgency about this; we must move quickly. You yourself said you felt it.”

“I did. I do.” Though she did not begin to understand it. “But that does not mean I want to fly on a dragon’s back.”

“It is quite safe, not to mention enjoyable,” Ciara chimed in. “My mate is a very adept mount.”

Shona nearly choked on the laughter welling up at Ciara’s unintended innuendo. The celi di seemed to realize at that same moment how her words could be taken and laughter trilled from her, breaking some of the tension closing in around their group.

She shook her finger at Shona. “You are a very naughty woman.”

“I said nothing,” Shona defended, but it felt good to smile.

The dragon snorted and Caelis shook his head, but his expression was warmed with something Shona could only name love. If she were going to name it.

Not yet ready to do so, she remained silent.

But the fact that the man had been willing to give up his destiny to keep her happy? That one telling gesture overcame doubts and certainties she’d thought ingrained for life on her heart.

“Mum, come on. We have to go.” Eadan looked up at her with the typical impatience of a small boy.

And she was grateful for it.

“It’s all right for you. You want to ride the dragon,” she said with a mock frown.

Part of her envied both children their sanguinity about this adventure. Marjory was already seated on the dragon’s back and ignoring her continued protests; Eadan was scrambling up now that he’d admonished his mother to hurry.

There was nothing for it. She had to go up on the mythical beast’s back, to watch over her children, if nothing else. Once she was in place, she checked to make sure the children were securely harnessed to the leather saddlelike contraption on Eirik’s back.

Ciara took bundles from her mother and tied them to loops apparently for that very purpose. “I love you,” she said to the Sinclair lady.

Both laird and lady repeated the words and then waved them off.

Shona looked down at Caelis as Eirik’s dragon’s body tensed in preparation of jumping into the air. “I love you, mate. Have a care on your journey.”

“I love you,” Caelis said for the first time in six years. “Watch over our children and enjoy your adventure!”

Eirik jumped into the air and Shona’s reply was lost on the wind, but even she was not sure exactly what her words had been.

Caelis had said he loved her and she thought she might well believe him.

Taking to the sky was like nothing she’d ever experienced, shocking and frightening and exhilarating all at once. A scant quarter of an hour into the ride and she was very glad indeed that Caelis had insisted she and the children wrap up in furs.

Eirik flew with dizzying speed, causing a steady stream of cold wind to wash over his passengers.

Ciara appeared to love the flight, petting and talking to her dragon mate constantly as they flew.

Whenever she went silent, Shona was sure the other woman was using the mate bond to communicate with the Ean prince.

As the moon began to wane in the night sky, they landed in a valley Shona vaguely remembered from her childhood.

The clan had been discouraged from visiting the place though it was situated between a clear stream and hills, which blocked the high winds that often plagued the Highlands, even this far south. An idyllic location, but one she now realized Uven and the lairds before him had kept apurpose for the express use of the Chrechte.

Ciara dismounted first and then put her hands up for first Marjory and then Eadan. Shona waited until both her children were safe on the ground before she slid off the dragon’s back.

Once she had dismounted, Shona turned away from the dragon to give Eirik privacy to shift back to a man. Her attention was immediately snagged by Ciara as the other woman pulled a dagger forth and pressed the stone from the handle into an impression on the rock wall.

While moonlight gave some illumination to the area, it was not bright enough to see the rock face in any