A witch with shoulder-length black hair that had gray and red strands peppered throughout, light brown skin, and catlike brown eyes stepped in front of the other witches and smiled at the royal.

“Princess Keita.”

“Lady Meihui. It’s delightful to see you again.”

“And you, Princess.” Meihui took Keita’s hand and held it, her smile for Keita alone.

Uther, eyes wide, glanced back at Aidan but he shook his head, indicating Uther should let it go. Aidan was not about to fall down this gopher hole over Keita’s past.

“So what brings you back to our shores, Princess?” Meihui asked, still holding Keita’s hand.

“I’m here to see the Empress, but the boat we took decided to pass through the Trail of Storms.”

Meihui snorted a laugh. “Let me guess . . . Northlanders?”

“What do you think?”

“Well, of course, we don’t mind you here, Princess, or your entourage . . . but we are concerned with”—using her staff, Meihui pointed at the Riders—“them.”

Before Kachka could stop her, Zoya stepped forward, hands slapping her chest. “Have something to say to me, decadent Eastlander? Come and talk to Zoya!”

Meihui sighed and released Keita’s hand. “See what I mean? Barbarians.”

“They’re part of my protection.”

The witch blinked. “Riders? Part of your protection? That’s . . . unusual.”

Keita stepped closer to Meihui and said low but quickly, “They’ve attached themselves to me and now I can’t really shake them. Can we just . . . overlook them? They’ve committed to me and I will make sure they cause you no problems.”

“Now, Keita, we know what your commitments are worth,” Meihui purred back.

“Come, come. That was decades ago. And it wasn’t my fault.”

“Still blaming Gwenvael then?”

“When it’s necessary.” Keita turned and gestured to the others. “Uther the Despicable. Caswyn the Butcher.”

“I do love Southland dragon names.”

“Aidan the Divine. And my cousin, Branwen the Awf—”

“Branwen?” Meihui suddenly asked, her back straightening, her gaze going immediately to Brannie. “Your cousin is Branwen the Awful?”

Keita glanced at Aidan, unsure where this was going. “Uh . . . aye. She’s my cousin.”

Meihui looked at the other witches and, as one, they pushed past Keita and descended on Branwen, surrounding her and Aidan.

Meihui leaned over Branwen’s wound, studied it. “This is deep.”

“Should we have her shift?” one of the witches asked their leader.

“No. That might kill her.” She leaned in. “We need a poultice.” She snapped her fingers and half the witches took off running.

“You need to move back so we can work,” Meihui said to Aidan.

“I’m not leav—”

Without even looking at him, Meihui waved her staff and it was as if someone grabbed him by the forearms and dragged him back several hundred feet.

Shocked, Aidan could only stare at the witches as they worked on Branwen. There weren’t a lot of human witches who could move his dragon form around like a leaf on the wind, and he wasn’t sure he wanted these women caring for a wounded Brannie. But it wasn’t like he had much choice.

Aidan shifted to human and went to Keita’s side. “Are you sure they can be trusted?” he asked the princess.

“She’ll be fine. Meihui and I are very old friends.”

“So I noticed.”

“My, my, we are judgey, aren’t we?”

“I’m not judging. Just wondering if Ragnar knows exactly what he’s gotten himself into.”

Keita let Uther place the cape he wore around her shoulders since any clothes she had in her travel bag were still soaking wet.

Wrapping the cape around her body, she told Aidan, “I can assure you, there’s nothing that Ragnar the Cunning does not know about me. And he accepts me despite it all.”

“Then you should make him your mate,” Uther said while also watching the witches take care of Brannie. “After all this time and twelve bloody hatchlings, it’s the least you can do.”

Aidan cringed, watching Keita slowly—so slowly—take a few steps forward and then turn so she faced Uther directly. Glaring up at him with those dark eyes.

Uther, oblivious as always, stared back. “What? What did I say?”

* * *

Keita was shown to a room in the Heaven’s Destroyers’ temple. She found parts of her old wardrobe tucked away in a wood chest.

She lifted a purple dress in front of her and smiled at her reflection in the tall mirror at the far end of the bedroom.

“I can’t believe you still have my clothes,” she said.

“How do you always know when I’m in the room?” Meihui asked from the doorway.

“Your scent.” She glanced back at her. “Lemon.”

“I work the grove every day. It calms me.”

“Really?” Keita stepped into the dress. “So all those rumors about you and your coven attacking the Darkest Night temples?”

Meihui sat on the bed, her arms stretched out behind her, long legs crossed at the ankles. “That’s none of your concern, Keita.”

“No, of course not.” She pulled the sleeves of the dress up her arms. “But I am curious. As always.”

“Your curiosity has always gotten you into trouble.”

“Very true.” She walked over to Meihui and turned. “Tie me up?”

Meihui stood and proceeded to lace up the back of Keita’s dress.

“I hear you have a mate now.”

“Something like that.”

“Do you like him?”

“I do . . . which is surprising. I never thought I would.”

“All done.”

Keita turned and smiled at her old friend.

Brushing Keita’s hair off her forehead, Meihui asked, “Why are you really here, Keita the Viper?”

“To see the Empress.”

Meihui leaned in close. “I truly hope I don’t have to kill you, my friend.”

“Me?” Laughing a little, Keita kissed Meihui on the cheek, then lifted her skirt and twirled a few times. “I forgot how much I used to love this dress!”

* * *

Brannie woke up human . . . but that was strange because she didn’t remember shifting to human.

She was stomach down on a bed with Aidan asleep in a chair beside her. Snoring.

“Not very royal.”

Gritting her teeth, Brannie took her time turning over and sitting up. She remembered well when that lightning bolt had hit her in the back and she was just grateful to be alive. She wasn’t about to risk her progress by jumping up and running around the room.

When she was sitting and comfortable, she got to her feet, again, taking her time. When the room was no longer spinning, she made her way over to a tall mirror on the other side. Brannie turned and tried to see her back. In her human form, the wound went from her shoulder to the back of her calf.

“If you’re wondering,” Aidan said from his chair, “your wing is fine.”

She had been wondering, and hearing that information . . . She closed her eyes and let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

“Good. How long have I been out?”

“A day.” Aidan frowned, looked over his shoulder at the darkness outside. “Okay, maybe two. Barely.”

“How is everyone else?” she asked, heading back to the bed and carefully stretching out.

“The same. Fine. Mostly sleeping in, though.”

Brannie lay down on her back but it hurt; so she rolled over onto her stomach, using her elbows to raise her chest up a bit.

“Did I shift?” she asked.

“No,” he said on a yawn, stretching in the chair. “The witches shifted you to human after they took care of your wound while you were still dragon.”

“What witches?”

“Human warrior witches. Heaven’s Destroyers. We’re at their temple.”