He flipped over and over through the flowers, leaving nothing but burned ground behind.

Aidan thought the power would send Xing off the Empress’s territory completely but she clenched her paw and Xing abruptly stopped. He tried to scramble to his feet, but was held in place by her clenched paw as the Empress pulled back the other.

Xing began screaming and in horror, Aidan watched the scales on Xing’s back tear open, his spine following, slowly ripped from his body until his screams finally ended and his body stopped moving.

The fighting ground to a halt and everyone fell silent, while the Empress dropped to her knees, her rage waning.

That’s when Aidan caught sight of the Eastland Riders for the first time.

“That’s Batu,” Ju said from behind Aidan. “Batu the Iron Hearted. Leader of the Eastland Riders.”

“What’s he doing here?”

“I really don’t know.”

Batu moved away from his troops and into the garden, stopping to stare down at Xing’s body before looking at the Empress.

They watched the Empress, all of them too fascinated and terrified to move.

“Batu the Iron Hearted,” the Empress said, her gaze cutting over to the Eastland leader. “Here to fight for my brother?”

“No.” He pointed toward the palace. “I’m here to fight for her. Branwen the Awful.”

The Empress looked up at her palace.

Brannie and Keita stood on the palace roof in their dragon forms and on Brannie’s back was a human Ren.

Aidan felt relief flood his bones at the sight of Brannie and he had to fight his urge to fly to her and take her in his arms. A gesture he knew she would not appreciate.

Ren waved and smiled at his mother. “Ma . . . I’m okay!”

“Ren?” The Empress pressed her paw to her chest. “Ren . . . is that you?”

Brannie took to the air and quickly landed next to the Empress.

Ren jumped down from her back and walked toward his mother, barely glancing over at his uncle’s body.

“I see you’ve been busy, Ma.”

“I thought you were . . .”

The Empress shifted to human and threw herself into her son’s arms.

“My beautiful, handsome son!” she cheered, hugging him tight. “My baby!”

“Ma. I’m okay. I’m really okay.”

Pulling back, one arm still around her son, the Empress grabbed his jaw with the other hand, and squeezed until his lips protruded.

“Look at this face,” the Empress ordered. “Look at this beautiful, gorgeous face!”

Ren’s siblings rolled their eyes and exchanged annoyed glances. It didn’t make Aidan appreciate his kin any more, but it did make him grateful he never had to spend any time with them. Ever.

Sadly he didn’t think Ren could say the same thing.

* * *

Branwen shifted to human and turned away from the sight of Ren reuniting with his kin. She didn’t begrudge him that, knowing he’d been through much because of his uncle. But she also knew her own kin were about to go into battle with the Zealots. She wanted to be fighting by their side.

She wanted her own reunion.

“You all right?” Aidan asked, stroking his hand under her chin.

“I got poisoned, but I’m all right now.”

Aidan and his two brethren immediately looked at Keita and the red She-dragon gasped in outrage.

“I didn’t do it! It was on one of the blades of the assassins who attacked us.”

“You sure?” Uther asked.

“I’m positive. Tell him, Branwen.”

“It wasn’t her fault,” Branwen admitted. “But I understand why you’d think it was.”

“Ungrateful,” Keita hissed. “All of you are ungrateful!”

The Empress chanted a spell over the gold torc around her son’s neck and it fell off, allowing the Eastland dragon to shift to his natural form.

“Thank you so much, my dear Keita,” the Empress greeted Brannie’s now-human cousin. “I can’t tell you how much what you’ve done means to me.”

“I know he’s your favorite.”

“He absolutely is.”

“We’re right here,” Fang reminded her mother.

“I’m just glad I could help,” Keita said so demurely that Brannie had to look at Aidan to make sure she wasn’t imagining it all.

She wasn’t.

“Reuniting mother and son.” Keita pressed her hand to her chest, right over her heart and her voice hitched a bit as she spoke. “You have no idea how much it means to me, Empress.”

Good gods, was Keita the Viper crying? What was happening?

“I can never repay you, my child, for bringing my most important and best loved child back to me.”

Ren at least cringed a bit at his mother’s words, while his siblings glared at him behind her back.

“No repayment necessary. Ensuring the continued happiness of the Chosen Dynasty is enough.”

Aidan pressed his mouth against Brannie’s ear and whispered, “Wait for it.”

Keita gave a sweet smile and added, “But if I were to ask for a favor . . .”

“Boom,” he added before pulling away. Brannie’s snort causing Ren’s siblings to suddenly look at her.

“Anything, my dearest Keita. Just tell me.”

“Fight by my mother’s side against the Zealots in the Southlands.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Uh-oh,” Brannie muttered.

“Why would you do it?” Keita asked, her voice no longer demure. “Because your beautiful, gorgeous son is back—alive and well. And that, Your Majesty, is due to me.”

“And your cousin, yes?”

“Her cousin is mighty,” Batu added. “Very helpful in this. More helpful than decadent royal.”

“You and I,” Keita said, her finger swinging wildly between her and Batu. “No longer friends!”

The Empress faced Brannie. “Well, Lady Branwen—”

“It’s just Captain, Your Majesty.”

“Captain Branwen. I remember when your dear mother was a captain. I wonder how long before we call you general as we call her.”

“Oh, puleese.” Keita sneered.

“And for bringing my son back to me, dear, dear Captain Branwen, ask me for anything you may want. Jewels, gold, a fancy palace with a view here in the Eastlands. Ask and you shall receive.”

Branwen really didn’t know how to answer. Because she didn’t know what was going on.

Aidan pressed his hand against her back and she knew he was trying to tell her something but, again, she still didn’t know what was going on.

“ Uh . . . well . . .”

“Her?” Keita demanded, stepping between the Empress and Brannie. “You’re giving her what she wants?”

“Why not me?” Brannie asked. “I’m affable.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“Well, let me ask you this, my dearest Keita,” the Empress said, curling a lock of Keita’s red hair around her finger. “Did you come here to find and release my son? Or did you come here to poison my entire family because you thought Ren was dead and you wanted to make sure we didn’t attack your mother from the sea?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Ren flinched and rubbed his forehead, his siblings smirking behind him.

“That’s what I thought,” the Empress replied flatly, dropping Keita’s hair and walking around her. “Now, Branwen . . . you were saying?”

Again, the pressure from Aidan’s hand at her back.

“Uh . . . Your Majesty, I speak for the entire Cadwaladr Clan when I ask that you allow your troops to fight by our side against the Zealots and that you personally assist my queen in whatever magickal endeavors she may be undertaking.”

The Empress framed her hands around Brannie’s face and Brannie was proud—because she didn’t flinch. “For what you’ve done for my precious son, I will do this”—she looked at Keita, although her hands were still around Brannie’s face—“for you, Branwen the Awful.”