Free Dragon on Top by G.A. Aiken

that it wouldn’t matter. It wasn’t very merciful, but as he’d told Ghleanna—his mercy only stretched so far.
    Then again, everyone learned that about him eventually.
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    Ghleanna finished sharpening the blades of her axes, her sword, and her knives. By the time she slid the last blade into her boot, the door to the bedroom her brothers slept in opened—followed by a nightmarish amount of snoring—and closed.
    Yawning and rubbing his face with his hands, Addolgar dropped onto the stair right beneath Ghleanna. Unlike Bram, he’d never be able to sit next to her without his shoulders forcing her into the wall.
    â€œAnything?” he asked around a yawn.
    â€œNope. Quiet.”
    â€œGet some sleep. We have a few hours before the suns rise. I can take it from here.”
    â€œYou sure?”
    â€œAye. Go, sister. Because nothing is worse in the morning than you without enough sleep. Cranky cow that you are.”
    â€œThank you so much for that. The love of my kin simply overwhelms me.”
    Addolgar motioned her away with a flick of his hand and Ghleanna walked up to the room she’d put the royal in.
    â€œOy,” her brother whispered. “What are you doing?”
    â€œSleeping with the royal. It’s just for a few hours.”
    Her brother grinned. “Saucy wench.”
    â€œI just mean I’m staying in the same room, you dirty bastard.” She pointed at the room her younger brothers slept in. “You can’t expect me to put up with that for the next few hours?”
    â€œNo, no. I really can’t.”
    Ghleanna stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
    The royal slept fully clothed on his stomach, his long silver hair reaching down his back, his head resting on his crossed arms. And, except for his breathing, he was silent.
    No. She’d not be sleeping in her brothers’ room this night. Not when she could sleep in wonderful silence without having to make herself deaf first with one of her blades.
    Ghleanna carefully placed her two axes and her sword on the wood chest at the foot of the bed—she still had blades strategically placed in her boots and inside her chainmail shirt and leggings should something need to be killed during the night—and eased onto the mattress beside Bram. He didn’t even move or wake up and she realized how exhausted he must be.
    Once she was stretched out on her back, one arm behind her head, the other at her side, Ghleanna let out a luxurious sigh. Now she’d be able to sleep like a baby.
    That is until Bram wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her in tight against his body. Ghleanna froze. Was he awake? She didn’t think so.
    She tried to remove his hand from her waist, but he only gripped her tighter. Then he moved closer, pushing into her side, resting his head on her shoulder, his face turned toward hers. His eyes were still closed and his breathing normal. He was asleep but . . . still. He was awfully affectionate while he slept.
    â€œBram?” she whispered, loath to wake him up, but . . . still. “Bram.”
    He moved around a bit, sighed out, “More oil. Bring me more oil so we can see all those delicious scars.”
    Good gods, what was he going on about? Or maybe she didn’t want to know.
    Deciding there were worse ways she could be spending the night—like in a room with her brothers—Ghleanna stopped worrying and went to sleep.
    It was the first good sleep she’d had without the help of ale in six bloody months.

Chapter 6
    â€œWake up!” a voice boomed, shocking Bram into wakefulness. “The two suns are nearly up and we must face the day!”
    â€œShut up, Addolgar,” another, sweeter voice said from beside him.
    â€œDon’t have all day, sister. We need to get on the road. Many miles to go.”
    â€œI am quite aware. Now piss off! ”
    â€œSuit yourself.”
    The door slammed shut and the body