Vateria lowered the needlepoint into her lap and gestured with her hand toward the stone walls in the Main Hall. “As you bicker with me over this, our enemies are completing their plans to destroy us. We don’t have time for you to be concerned.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but I must insist—”

“Insist? With me?” Vateria frowned, confused. “Really?”

“It’s just—”

“Yes, yes, I know. He’s suffering and you’re afraid he’ll die and our plans will be ruined. But I assure you . . . he won’t die. So keep going. This isn’t a punishment. This is a gift from our god. Embrace it.”

The priestess sighed. “Yes, my lady.” She started to return to the others when another long, pained scream rang out. The woman faltered and she stood there a moment, unsure what to do next, before she came to the realization there was nothing to do but follow Vateria’s orders.

Vateria already knew how much it annoyed the priests and priestesses that “Ageltrude”—the human wife of Salebiri whom they all still believed Vateria to be—had so much control and power here. Especially when it was obvious she hadn’t sacrificed a damn thing. But none of them bothered to challenge her, which was disappointing. Vateria used to adore putting others in their place when she’d ruled by her father’s side, but she expected all that to happen again once this war was over and she was reigning supreme.

And to be honest, she could barely wait. Because none of these beings, dragon or human, knew what true suffering was. But Vateria would be more than happy to teach them.

She’d teach them all.

Chapter Thirty

Keita walked into the tribal leader’s tent, briefly turning to slap off the hands trying to stop her.

“Go away!” she snapped at one of the soldiers.

“But—” one tried to argue.

Waving her hands, she shooed them from the tent and turned to face the sleeping Batu the Iron Hearted.

Stepping over pillows, silk bedding, and naked female asses, Keita stopped by the man’s side.

She tapped at him with the side of her foot. When that didn’t wake him, she yelled, “Oy!”

Batu’s head jerked up, his black-and-blond braids covering his face and beard. “What . . . what’s happening?”

“We need to talk. Mind getting rid of your whores?”

Keita walked over to a small table that had a chalice and a decanter. She sniffed the liquid inside the decanter, decided it smelled tolerable, and poured herself a chalice-full.

Sipping what turned out to be a very nice wine, Keita watched Batu get to his feet. He wasn’t as tall as she expected, but he was frighteningly broad. Although she had a few cousins who were weirdly wide like that.

“Everyone out!” he bellowed, standing in the middle of all those silk pillows. It was sort of ridiculous, but the way everyone ran for their lives . . .

Glaring at Keita, he pointed his finger. “And you—”

“Look,” she cut in, “normally, I’d let you swagger all over the place. Let you beat your chest and be very manly before I use my skills to turn you into my puppet.”

“I am puppet for no woman.”

“Then I would have killed you.” She smiled. “Because that’s what I do and I do it well. But I’m not doing that because I am very short on time. I mean, things changed when I realized who exactly was trying to kill me. And it isn’t the Empress, which is surprising because I was absolutely going to kill her.”

Batu leaned in. “Go away, crazed female.”

“Batu—”

“Great Leader.”

Keita laughed and patted his shoulder. “Yeah, right. Anyway, Batu, I’ve decided that we can work together. Get what we both want.”

“I want nothing from you. I don’t even want to kidnap you for ransom. I want you to go away.”

“That is not going to happen when I have a great opportunity for you.”

“I do not want your opportunity.”

“Of course you do.”

“I do not.”

“Why are you arguing with me? You know I’m right.”

“I know I want you to go away.”

Keita rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like my mother.”

“Even your mother does not want you.”

Laughing, Keita slung her arm around Batu. “You are so adorable. I think we’ll work well together.”

“Why? Why will you not go? Most flee from me. In terror.”

“Isn’t it the best when people flee from you in terror? I know, I’ve always loved it. And that’s how I got my name Keita the Viper! But I do try not to abuse my ability to terrorize others. That seems wrong . . . somehow.” She stepped away from him. “Now, why don’t you get dressed and meet me in Bolormaa’s tent. My cousin should be waking up soon.”

Keita started to walk out but stopped, and kissed Batu on the cheek.

“You and I are going to be such good friends.”

* * *

Batu put on his clothes and his weapons and walked out of his tent just as Nergi the Knowing was about to walk in.

The older tribesman bowed before Batu. “Great Leader—”

“Stop bowing and just tell me what you found out. I have to go meet that crazed bitch in Bolormaa’s tent and I need something to help me manage her.”

“I’ve found a long list of many Lady Keitas, but without a family name or—”

“Wait.” Batu thought a moment. “She said her name was Keita the . . . the . . . Viper. Yes! Keita the Viper. Does that help you?”

Nergi stepped back. “Are you sure, Great—”

“Of course, I am sure. Why?”

“Then she is no lady, Great Leader. She is a She-dragon.”

“So? We’ve had dealings with the dragons before, Nergi.”

“We have had dealings with dragons from our lands. She is not an Eastland dragon . . . and Keita the Viper is not her entire name.”

“Her entire name?”

“Her entire name, Great Leader, is Keita the Red Viper Dragon of Despair and Death. She has destroyed whole towns. She has eaten people. She is a princess and the daughter of Rhiannon the White, the Dragon Queen. And if Rhiannon is her mother, Great Leader—”

“Then,” Batu finished for Nergi, “she is a Southland dragon.”

“Yes. And that means this entire region is in great danger.”

* * *

The steps leading up to the palace seemed never-ending.

Why all the steps? Was it because the Eastland dragons thought that humans would just give up halfway and they’d never have to see them?

It made sense, when Aidan analyzed it. That’s why Rhiannon’s throne was in the highest mountain in the Southland area. So that she and her predecessors never had to deal with random visits from humans.

“I’m tired,” Caswyn complained.

“Keep walking. We’re almost there.”

“Come, dragons!” Zoya Kolesova cheered as she jogged by them. “You are not so weak you cannot get up little stairs, are you?”

“Can we beat her to death?” Caswyn asked, watching Zoya easily reach the top without any real effort.

“Yes,” Kachka and Nina said together as they passed Aidan and his brothers.

When Aidan finally reached the last step, Zoya had her hands on her hips and was looking up at the palace.

“So much decadence,” she observed. “I never thought I’d know others more decadent than Southlanders, but I was wrong. Look at all this! Their people starve while they live in gold house.”

Trying not to pant, Aidan reminded Zoya, “We don’t know that their people are starving, Zoya. And shut up.”

The Empress’s army had stayed at the bottom of the stairs, but the general was waiting for them.

“The Empress and her court are expecting you,” he said with a sweeping arm.

A loud gong sounded somewhere and the tall, gold doors were pushed open by burly servants.

“Such imperialist scum!” Zoya cheered. “I cannot wait to meet them!”

“I told you we should have cut her throat so she could not speak,” Nina grumbled.