“Is the universe stil spinning?”

“No. Now it’s just the trees.”

“Right.” He reached for her, put his arms around her. “I’l put you to bed and you’l feel better in the morning.”

“I’d rather stay out here. Sleep under the stars.”

“You don’t like beds much, do you?”

“They’re al right, I guess. But I’m just as happy on the ground, looking up at the sky.”

“Then we’l do that.”

Vigholf picked her up and carried her over to a big tree. With care, not wanting to bash her head against the ground, he set her down.

“This is nice,” she said, smiling. “Can’t see the stars, though. With al those branches and leaves in the way.”

“I’m not destroying a tree so you can have a view of the sky. You’l have to imagine what it looks like.”

“Such care about foliage.”

“We don’t have much in the way of lush trees and plants in the Northlands. So the ones strong enough to survive, we take care of.” Vigholf stretched out next to her, lying on his side and propping his head up with his hand.

“So you must be glad the fighting moved to Euphrasia,” she said.

“I am. Especial y the way you Fire Breathers just blast everything in your way.” He smiled. “We have much more finesse with our lightning than you have with your flame.”

“Yeah. Right,” she laughed. “Finesse.” Rhona looked at him. “You don’t have to stay out here if you don’t want. I’l be safe. My kin’s right there.” She pointed in front of her, then off to the side. Then she sort of flitted her hand about. “They’re around.”

“You act like I have somewhere to go. Besides, I want to stay here. Keep you company.” When she frowned a bit, he added, “I like you. You and your little spear . . . cute.”

She gazed at him for a long time before she asked, “Do you actual y like me, or is any unattached female worth your time? You Northlanders do seem a bit hard up and I do have a pu**y available. And it’s been pretty unused lately.” It took a lot for him not to laugh. Mostly because he knew she’d regret al this come first light. And they had at least two and a half days of travel together back to Euphrasia during which he could absolutely torture her over it.

It was wrong, wasn’t it? That he couldn’t wait for the torturing.

Yeah. It was wrong.

The Lightning glanced off for a moment, probably trying to come up with some appropriate and smoothworded lie. Males were al alike, weren’t they? They’d say or do anything to find a warm hole for the night. Worthless. The lot of ’em. Bloody worthless.

Thankful y, Rhona wasn’t like her cousins and most of her sisters. She didn’t have what they al termed “needs.” She could—and often did—go ages without a lover. Unlike Delen, the slut, who became right cranky when she’d gone for more than a few months without a cock, Rhona found better uses for any additional energy she may have stored up. She prided herself on that. So the dragon could just get that bloody look off his face.

“What look?”

“What?”

“You told me to get that bloody look off my face.”

“Oh. Yeah.” At least she hadn’t said anything else out loud.

“That was after you mentioned you can go long periods of time without a bit of c**k unlike your slutty sister Delen. Although I’ve never thought of her as slutty. Maybe a bit forceful—”

She slapped her hand over his face.

“Ow.”

“If you even think of repeating anything I’ve drunkenly said here tonight—” He pul ed her hand away. “Not a word. Promise.”

“I think I’m going to sleep before I say anything else about my sisters that they’d cut out my tongue for.”

“Al right.”

“And we leave tomorrow, head back to the Val ey, end this war, get al the glory we can stomach, and never see each other ever again. That’s a plan we can both live with, right?”

“Possibly.”

“And I’m sure I’m only saying this because of that last ale I had, but your human form . . . quite attractive.”

“Thank you.”

She lifted her hand, fingers sliding across his chin. “The scar on your jaw is a very nice touch.” Vigholf’s eyes closed, he let out a breath. “You’re kil ing me, Sergeant.”

“Wel , it’s not like I haven’t tried before. If it’l make you feel better . . . I have scars, too.” She started to lift her shirt. “Want to see?” He caught her hands, held them. “Another time.”

“That’s right. You lot don’t like scars on females.”

“That’s not the problem at al .”

“So it’s just my naked human body you find hideous.”

“I have no problem with your hideous human body.” He scowled, but she didn’t think it was directed at her. “That’s not what I meant to say.”

“That’s al right. Among my mum’s offspring, the triplets are the ones considered pretty.”

“Then no one’s looked at you at al .”

“You’re only saying that because you’re a desperate Northlander that’s forced to steal She-dragons and mutilate them so they’l never leave you.