Moon Shimmers(67)

“Not quite,” Bran said. “There were three pairs in there. I’m guessing there might be eggs.”

“Kelpies lay eggs?” Delilah looked confused. “I had no idea.”

“A number of the water-based Fae do. But there’s no way they could survive the boiling water. If there are any in there, they’ve been hard boiled.” Roz shrugged.

I wasn’t so sure. Something about the upper tiers of ponds caught my attention. “Up there. Chances are they kept their eggs in a protected spot. Want to make a bet if they do have a nursery it’s in one of the upper ponds?”

Bran flashed me a look that was almost approving. “Good thinking.” He hoisted himself up the rocks that led to the upper tiers, followed by Smoky.

Sure enough, a few moments later, they held up half a dozen large eggs that were each about the size of a small eggplant. I wasn’t sure what they did to them—and I really didn’t want to know—but when they returned, it was sans eggs.

“They won’t hatch now,” was all Smoky would say.

Delilah gave me a quick look, shuddering, and I grimaced in reply. It wasn’t exactly like unfertilized chicken eggs. There had been baby kelpies in there. But we weren’t dealing with a nature versus nurture argument. Kelpies grew up to feed on others, regardless of who brought them up. In fact, chances were foster mama and papa would be their first feast.

Delilah was washing the blood off of her hands in the pond, well away from the floating bodies. “Hey, it’s still nice and warm.”

Roz, Venus, and Bran joined her. Smoky, as always, was clean as a whistle. I hadn’t been close enough to get any blood spray or debris on me. We were about to head back to our mounts when Bran stopped us again. “They’ve been making a meal off of travelers for some time. My guess is that, in the water there, probably in a hollowed-out chamber in the rocks, there’s a tidy stash of money and valuables.”

“We don’t need the money,” I started to say, but Bran let out a snort.

“You may not, but I’m not quite set up with three sugar mamas to support me. One of which happens to be a dragon. I might be an Elemental Lord—”

“Minor Elemental Lord. Your mama’s the biggie,” Delilah broke in.

Bran narrowed his eyes. “I remember slights.” But then he seemed to think the better of it and shrugged. “Given your alliance with the Autumn Lord, however, I’ll let it go. However, as I said, my mother chooses not to gift me with her baubles, and she does love shiny trinkets. So I must make my own way as I can.”

“Then go ahead, take a quick look.” Smoky waved him toward the water.

“I get first pick.” Bran stripped off his clothes right there, and I had to admit, he cut a handsome figure. I tried to avoid staring at his cock, especially when Smoky gave me a smoldering look. Delilah grabbed me by the shoulders and led me away.

“Better we take a rest over here.” She guided me toward a fallen log. Whispering, she added, “We don’t want Smoky to turn Bran into chunk chicken, do we?”

I stifled a laugh. “I can’t help it—I may not have any interest in touching, but looking is second nature.”

“Trust me, he doesn’t have anything you want.” But she broke out in giggles then, and we sat snickering and making bad jokes until Bran surfaced.

“Hey, you cackling hens,” he shouted. “I’m decent again.”

“You’re never decent,” I called out. I glanced at Delilah. “You look. Is he dressed?”

“Yeah, come on.”

We returned to the men where Bran, soaking wet but back in his clothes, was kneeling by a chest the size of a small ottoman. He eagerly pried it open, refusing Roz’s offer of checking the chest for traps. The rest of us backed away, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire of any explosions or magical spells. But there was only a soft click. Bran cautiously opened the lid.

The chest was filled with gold and silver coins looking to be from all over Y’Eírialiastar—the proper name for Otherworld. There were pendants and rings inside, a sparkling chalice, a dagger that was probably enchanted to some degree. There were other knickknacks and doodads as well. Not a king’s ransom by any means, but a good chunk of change.

Bran paused, staring up at us. “How will we divide this?”

Smoky shrugged. “I’m a dragon. I have my own treasure and have no need for a handful of coins. Keep it.”

Roz glanced over at us, and I gave him a shrug. It was up to him what he wanted to do. As for me, I didn’t want to be beholden to Bran in any way.