The Blacksmith Queen (The Scarred Earth Saga, #1)

by G.A. Aiken

She could also see his sharp cheekbones, wide nose, and deep-set brown eyes; but she refused to find someone so eternally pissed off attractive. Life was too short to be that angry.

Ahhhh. The women in her family. They were amazing. And insane. Because you needed to be both if you wanted to survive this world the way they did. Making their own choices and rules and ignoring all the men who tried to tell them no.

“You have a trebuchet?” Caid asked . . . because he couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Mum made it. She gets bored when she’s pregnant.”

“They seem very angry at each other.” “They are. They both wanted the same thing, but only one could get it.” “Your mother?” he asked softly. “No,” Keeley answered. “The family axe.”

“Are you sure? Because you’re doing that thing again. With your face.” “What thing?” “Some might call it a smile. I, however, just wonder if you’re having some kind of fit.”

“That’s Maelgwn. The other gods use him when someone makes them angry. They’ll send him up here to destroy whole cities or entire races of people, depending on how pissed off they are.” Really? Keeley shrugged. “He let me rub his belly.”

She gazed at their hands until she asked, “What are you doing?” “Uhhh . . . comforting you?” “Something you’re not good at?” “Not really.”

Caid could almost guess the stallion’s questions: Should he hug her back? Should he push her away? Should he wipe her from the face of the earth?

“But the thought of human men telling me what to do set my teeth on edge, so . . . you know . . .” “As a human woman, I have to admit, I feel the same way.”

She was surprised to find that he was actually quite handsome. She’d assumed he’d be horrific looking. A living monster. But no. It was amazing how someone so handsome could be so unbelievably cruel.

She looked at him over her shoulder, the smile on her face pure sin. Which was kind of strange since she was a monk and all.