“I know! She’s bloody amazing in a fight!”

“But, of course, Keita is complaining. Constantly! And I’m worried she’s going to poison everybody. Like no one’s safe!” she announced, her arms going wide.

Ghleanna laughed, as always entertained by her youngest daughter.

Brannie turned, saw her mother, and ran to her, throwing her arms around her and hugging her tight. None of that “we’re on a battlefield, we’re in charge, we must be stoic until in private” stuff for her Brannie. She showed love where and when she wanted and didn’t care who saw. Of course, the only one really bothered by that was Bercelak but Ghleanna also knew that Brannie was his favorite niece.

Ghleanna pushed her daughter back and took her hands in her own. “I want to tell you that you did an amazing job, Brannie. I know you didn’t want to do any of this, but I’m really glad you did.”

“I’m glad I did it, too. I think any of my sisters or cousins would have killed Keita right from the start.”

“Did you hear?” Izzy asked, slinging her arm over Bran’s shoulder.

“Shut up, Izzy,” Brannie warned, which made Ghleanna want to hear whatever was going on immediately.

“Our Branwen has a gentleman suitor.” Izzy frowned, looked off, and changed it to, “Gentle-dragon suitor.”

Brannie rolled her eyes but so did Ghleanna.

“That’s nothing new,” Ghleanna told her niece. “Everyone knows Aidan likes my Branwen. And he’s liked her for ages now.”

Brannie pulled away from her mother. “That’s not true!”

“Branwen.”

And that was all Ghleanna said before walking away, leaving her daughter standing there, annoyed and frustrated.

* * *

“What was that tone?” Brannie asked Izzy.

“I think that was your mother’s version of ‘duh.’”

Brannie stepped close to Izzy and pointed her finger right in her face. “Listen to me and listen to me good. Aidan and I are not—”

“Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!” Izzy covered her ears with her hands. “I’m not listening! I’m not listening! I’m not listening!” And she kept chanting that over and over while running away.

Brannie put her hands to her forehead and rubbed.

“You all right?” Aidan asked as he came to stand by her.

“Everyone I know is insane.”

“Are you just figuring that out?”

“Oh, shut up!”

“Fair enough. Here.” He held a bottle in front of her. “Ragnar gave me a bottle of—”

“Ale!” She grabbed the bottle from his hand. “Thank the gods!”

Brannie walked off, but realized Aidan wasn’t behind her.

“Well, come on then!”

“Am I allowed to come with my ale?”

“Oh, shut up and get your ass over here!”

* * *

Aidan found a nice, quiet cove outside of a nearby bay. He’d hoped to find a quiet cave but, of course, all the local mountains had been brought down by the Zealots and the hills were simply too small. Even when he and Brannie were human.

But the cove worked for them both. No one had anything fresh to eat—the armies had been at the front for months and months—but he did find more dried beef and some flat bread for them to eat while they enjoyed the Northlanders’ ale.

“So what’s wrong?” he asked when they were settled and Brannie had enjoyed a few sips—or gulps—of the ale.

“Nothing.”

“Really? Nothing? You’re gritting your teeth.”

“I’m not gritting my teeth.”

He pressed his finger against her jaw.

“All right, fine! I’m gritting my teeth.”

Aidan laughed. “And I ask again, what’s wrong?”

“I hate when everyone acts like things are written in stone. How about leaving things to me? Letting me handle things?”

“Brannie . . . you are in charge of two dragon companies with the nicknames Destruction and On Pain of Death. In what world are you not handling anything?”

“Why do you always have to be so bloody rational?”

“Are you aware of whom I associate with? Do you honestly not understand what I deal with on a daily basis?”

Brannie began to giggle.

“I love my brethren, would die for any one of them, but I have no delusions about their incredibly high level of idiocy. If it wasn’t for me and a few other Mì-runach who like to think things through . . . we’d all be dead.”

Laughing harder, Brannie nodded. “Fine. I get it. We all do what we must. That’s why Keita’s still alive and I didn’t stab her in the face.”

“I was amazed about that,” he admitted. “Several times I thought she was definitely dead.”

“It crossed my mind more times than I could ever admit to my kin.”

She took another swig of ale before handing it back to Aidan.

“Let’s stay here tonight,” she suggested, looking at him. “You and me. Fucking.”

Aidan smiled. “I will always enjoy your subtlety.”

“I’m a Cadwaladr. That was subtle.”

He raised the bottle. “Then here’s to a night of fucking.”

Brannie crawled into his lap, placing her knees on either side of his hips. She took the ale. “And drinking.” She took one more swig and handed it back to him.

Watching her, Aidan took a drink. When he lowered the bottle, Brannie put her arms around his shoulders and leaned in. She kissed him, long and deep, and Aidan immediately dropped the bottle so he could put his arms around her.

He pulled her in tight, automatically lifting his hips. They were both still dressed and yet he was already trying to fuck her. To be inside her.

Their kiss got deeper, more intense. Her hands moved to his hair. He gripped her waist. They began panting, clinging to each other.

That’s when Brannie jerked back, her breath harsh.

“What?” he asked, almost barking at her. He didn’t want to stop.

“This is it. Tonight.”

“This is what?”

“The end of it. You and me. This is our last night.”

“Gods, are we dying?” He began to panic. “Did you have a vision?”

“No!” She briefly closed her eyes, tried to calm down her breathing. “What I mean is this will be our last night of fucking. All right?”

“Uh . . . well . . . if you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. I’m positive!” Now she sounded like she was trying to convince herself. “All right?”

Aidan couldn’t help but feel that Brannie was forcing herself to do this. Forcing herself to break off what they had because she didn’t want to deal with how she truly felt.

He knew he could fight her on this. Spend all night trying to get her to see reason, but he also knew that would never work. Not with Brannie. He’d just have to wait it out. Let her figure it out for herself.

But until she did . . . they had tonight.

And they had ale.

“All right.” He grabbed the bottle again, lifted it. “To our last night.”

She let out a relieved breath and smiled. “To our last night.”

* * *

Gaius Lucius Domitus found a quiet spot away from all the camp activity and sat down, his back against a tree stump.

He opened his mind and, finally, after months of no contact for the safety of everyone, he called to his sister.

Agrippina.

Gaius?

He smiled at just hearing her voice in his head.

It’s done, sister.

She’s . . .

It’s done.

Aggie was quiet and he knew she was dealing with the realization that the She-dragon who’d held her hostage for politics and tortured her for amusement was now dead. Dead and suffering in whatever hell she’d ended up in.

Will you be home soon? Aggie finally asked.

Back to Garbhán Isle first, then home. But if you want, you can meet me at Queen Annwyl’s—

No, thank you, she immediately cut in. I’ll just wait until you get home.