“So she really plans to—”
Morfyd placed her hand on Talaith’s shoulder and that’s when Talaith felt burning tears flowing down her cheeks. She had no idea when she started crying or why she couldn’t stop. “If you were looking for a mindless killer, only concerned with blood and pain, you’ll be sorely disappointed. I know that’s what they told you. But they lied Talaith. She lied.” Long fingers wiped the tears from Talaith’s cheeks. “Now, no more crying. We’ll need you armed and ready. You’ll finally get to properly use those skills of yours.”
Talaith nodded. “I understand.”
“Good.” Morfyd stood. “Now I have to go find leggings.” She winced. “Och. That sounds so unattractive.”
“You didn’t tell her.” Talaith stood and tilted her head back to look Morfyd in the eye. “About—”
“Your dragon?” That should sound stranger than it did. But it felt right to Talaith, which concerned her even more. “Are you ashamed?”
Talaith thought on that for a moment, but only a moment. “No. I feel no shame. And I won’t start now.”
“As you like.” Morfyd smirked. “And no. I won’t tell Annwyl about your dragon.”
“I see she wears their image all over her armor and branded on her arms. Has she actually killed one in battle?”
The witch began coughing and Talaith felt sure she only did it to cover up her laughter.
After clearing her throat, she said, “You might say she’s faced down one or two during her reign. One of them, she ripped his heart right out of his chest.”
Talaith winced. Lovely, Talaith. A dragonslayer. Perhaps next you could align yourself with a witchhunter. “Should I be concerned if she finds out?” She at least wanted to find and save her daughter first before the queen turned on her.
The witch smiled and Talaith felt no comfort from it.
“Concern yourself with your daughter for now Talaith, Daughter of Haldane. The rest will work itself out…in time.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Wake up, Briec.”
Throwing one arm over his head to block out the glare of light, Briec ignored the voice calling him to get up. He didn’t want to get up. In fact, the way he felt at the moment, he planned to never get up ever again.
“Briec. Up. Now!”
Groaning, his head moments from splitting completely in half, Briec forced his eyes open and stared into the beautiful face of his baby sister.
“Keita?”
She smiled. “I was starting to worry you’d never wake.”
“I don’t want to be awake. So why are you waking me?”
“Fearghus sent me for you. He needs you and Gwenvael and Éibhear to do something for him.”
Briec rolled over, resting his dragon head on his scaled forearms. “I’m not his errand boy. Nor am I the errand boy to his bitch.”
His sister, still in human form, crouched beside him. He knew why Fearghus sent her instead of coming himself—Briec had a harder time saying “no” to his little Keita. Especially when she said, “What’s wrong, brother? You’re never this surly to me.”
He sighed. A big, long sigh. “She left me, sister.”
“The female you had here? Why? Was she unhappy?”
“I didn’t think so. But I guess she was.” Briec sat up a bit, his claw to his chest. “What is this unbearable feeling in my chest? It’s driving me mad!”
Fighting her smile, his sister reached over and ran her hand through his hair. “That, my sweet brother, is called heartbreak.”
He glanced down at his chest. “Will that be a physical deformity?”
Now his baby sister punched his shoulder. “Briec, you fool. I mean she broke your heart. You cared for her.”
“A human? Broke my heart?”
“Deny it if you want, but I can see it in your eyes.”
Briec pushed himself up. Even still sitting he towered over his sister’s human form. “Good gods, the witch has hexed me!”
“No, brother. You simply fell in love with her.”
He glared down at her. “Now you’re just pissing me off.”
Sighing deeply, she said, “As you wish, brother. I’m in no mood to fight you.” She stood in front of him. “Now, Fearghus needs you.”
“To run errands.”
“No. He found one of Lord Hamish’s spies at Garbhán Isle. He was planning to kill Annwyl upon her return.”
For a moment, he did not forget Talaith, but he pushed thoughts of her back for something a bit more urgent.
“When is her return?”
“She actually should have been there by now, but a messenger came and told Fearghus she and her guard were delayed. Although her army finally made it back about three days ago.”
“The spy?”
“Fearghus killed him…when he was done.”
“And we know it’s Lord Hamish?”
“Aye. He’s always hated her, but no one ever thought he’d be stupid enough to go this far.”
“So what does Fearghus need of me?”
“He wants you three to go into Lord Hamish’s lands. Find out anything you can. Especially if his troops are moving out.”
Briec nodded. “Aye. I’ll go.” Annwyl was hardly his favorite human, but once she’d mated with Fearghus, she became kin. Which meant, if one chose to be her enemy, they brought the wrath of the House of Gwalchmai fab Gwyar down on their head. “But I’ve already been there. I found nothing.”
Nothing but the woman who made him insane with lust.
“Look deeper. That’s why Fearghus wants Gwenvael to go with you. If there’s one thing our brother does well, it’s get information.”
“True. I’ll see what we can find out.”
“Good.” She pointed to her passed out brothers lying across his cave floor. “Now help me wake these two idiots.”
* * *
“Perhaps you can poison him. Something that will make his eyes pop out and his tongue grow too large for his mouth.”
Talaith again looked at Morfyd. She’d been doing that the last two hours they’d been riding toward Madron. Annwyl would say something particularly odd, and Talaith would look to see if Morfyd found it odd as well. Clearly the witch did, but it seemed she’d gotten used to it.
For once, Talaith found someone who made her speechless.
“I can poison him, if you wish. I’ve been trained to handle all sorts of poisons.”
“I want to see him suffer before he dies.”
“Annwyl,” Morfyd sighed out. “Seeing him die rather defeats the purpose of getting in, taking the girl, and getting out. I think our goal should simply be that we are not seen. Not how much more violent we can make the man’s death.”
“Morfyd’s right. Hamish has been shoring up his army for quite awhile now. With only three of us, we should err on the side of stealth.”
“Shoring up his army? For how long?”
Talaith reached back in her memory to when she began seeing more and more young recruits traipsing through the village on their way to Hamish’s castle. “Two years. Maybe a little more.”
“Interesting.”
“Well, what did you expect him to do, Annwyl?” Morfyd asked. “Wait for you to come and kill him? He knows you hate him.”
“I know. I’m just tired of waiting. I still say we should strike now.”
“You need more reason than theory.”
Annwyl rolled her eyes. “You and your bloody logic.”
“It’s why you have me around. That and no one else will put up with you.”
Pulling tight on her reins, Annwyl suddenly dragged her horse to a stop. She cocked her head to the side. “Do you hear it?”
Morfyd, briefly silent, nodded. “Aye. I do.”
“Where?”
“Annwyl, maybe we should—”
“Where?”
With a sigh, “There.” Morfyd pointed into the trees. “I think there’s a clearing on the other side.”
Annwyl turned her horse toward the forest and charged in.
“Damn her!”
“What is it?”
“A battle.”
Talaith blinked in surprise. “And she’s just going to—”
“Now you know my daily nightmare.”
“Well we can’t let her fight alone.”
“Not you too,” Morfyd groaned.
Talaith snorted. “If she’d asked, I would have suggested we ride on by. But since she’s already galloped in head first…”
“Aye.” Morfyd nodded. “You’re right.”
The two women turned their horses and followed the Blood Queen into battle.
* * *
“Stay!” Achaius pushed her back, forcing her behind a tree. It wouldn’t do much good. They were horribly outnumbered by the men who attacked their small party. Only her and the three men who gave up their homes and army life to protect her. It wasn’t the first time her Protectors had battled others in order to keep her safe. But this was the first time they’d come face to face with those they’d once called comrades.
Crouching low, she looked out over the field of battle and winced as her Protectors barely blocked blows aimed for their head or hearts. But as she began to fear all was lost and her friends doomed to a bloody death, she saw her.
A beautiful and scarred warrior woman rode on an enormous black stallion, two swords strapped to her back. She stopped at the edge of the clearing and stared out over the battle. She didn’t move until she saw the crest on the enemy soldiers’ surcoats. Then with a blood-chilling scowl, she tied the reins to her saddle, ripped the two swords out of their scabbards and kicked her horse into a fierce gallop. As she rode, she steered only with her knees and took heads as she went. One after another after another after another.
While her Protectors stayed out of the warrior woman’s way, the soldiers screamed warnings at each other and that’s when they focused their attack directly on the warrior woman. Foolish move. She wasn’t alone. Two other women rode to the edge of the clearing. Unlike the first, these two wore capes, their faces and bodies hidden. The taller one stayed on her mare. A witch, that one, as she raised her hands and white-hot flames flew from her palms. The men charging the witch turned into a writhing ball of fire.
The other, smaller one, slipped off her horse and silently moved up behind one of the soldiers. One hand under his chin, his head lifted, a blade across his throat. She went from soldier to soldier doing that until seven of them lay at her feet. By then, the others had noticed her too, so she crouched low as two soldiers charged her. One she sliced his inner thighs open. He screamed hysterically as blood flowed. With the other, the small woman removed another blade from the belt around her h*ps and threw it, lancing his eye like an egg. He dropped his weapon and screamed while covering his face. She cut his throat as she passed him.
So fascinated by the three women fighting on their side, clearly sent by her god, she didn’t realize anyone was behind her until the smaller female yelled, “Down!”