“No. Just made them freemen.”

“And free dragons?”

“Dragons are always free. We make very poor slaves.”

“It’s the flames,” Brannie piped in while eagerly cleaning a rib.

“All dragons under royal rule are slaves. They are slaves to their kings and queens and gods.”

“I see,” Gaius said. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“Because it’s the wrong way,” Caswyn argued, well into his cups after indulging in the Rider ale. Foolish boy. “Dragons can never be slaves. We are much too powerful and mighty.”

“Really?” Kachka asked.

“Aye, Rider female. Really.”

Marina, who sat beside Caswyn and was steadily working her way through half the ribs on her own, suddenly brought her greasy fist back. Not too hard. But it did connect with Caswyn’s nose and dropped him to the ground like a felled great oak.

“Aye,” the Rider females all said in unison, their voices deliciously flat, “much too powerful and mighty.”

As her comrades taught Brannie and the still-sober Mì-runach old songs of their land, Kachka went into the surrounding forest, far from the priests’ temple. She walked for a good ten minutes, finally stopping by a large tree.

She rested her back against it . . . and waited.

It wasn’t long before Gaius passed her. She watched him, not moving or making a sound. He abruptly stopped a few feet from her, his head lifting a bit. She realized he was sniffing the air, searching for her scent.

If he were human, she’d say he was a proper tracker. But it was the dragon in him that searched for her. Probably did the same thing when looking for sheep to devour.

“I never go back,” she told him.

Gaius faced her. Smirked. “Really?”

“Once I have man . . . I have no need of him again.”

“Yes,” he said, moving toward her. Stalking really. She kind of liked it. “I learned that about you from the way Dagmar wants you dead. You clearly broke that poor nephew’s heart.”

“Clearly,” she replied, certain she’d done no such thing because his reputation had grown substantially among the unattached females of Annwyl’s court.

Gaius stood in front of her now, reaching out and taking a lock of her hair. One of the braids. Twirled it around his index finger.

“I didn’t know I’d find you here in my lands, Kachka. But I’m glad I did. I missed you.”

“Why?” she asked, curious.

“You’re so . . . difficult. It makes me hard.”

Kachka laughed. She hadn’t expected that, but she liked his honesty.

Gaius had the braid wrapped around his finger until his fist was near her ear. She expected him to grab her by the hair. But he didn’t. Instead, he just rubbed his thumb against it and stared at her mouth until she finally demanded, “Are you going to kiss me or not, dragon?”

The grin that spread across his handsome face told her that was what he’d been waiting for.

He pressed his free hand against the tree behind her and leaned down, his lips touching hers.

But in that second, in that split second—everything went . . . weird.

The light went from dark to bright. As if the suns were out. But when Kachka pulled back from an equally confused Gaius, she looked up and saw only one sun.

And it was warm. Summer warm.

“What is happening?” she asked.

Gaius released her hair and stepped away, turning in a circle to see everything around him. The beautiful grass, the lovely trees, the bright blue sky.

“I have no idea,” Gaius finally replied.

Kachka heard a soft cough and walked around the tree she was now against. “The weepy brown girl.”

“I prefer Rhianwen.”

“And Brigida the Most Foul.”

“I kind of like it,” the She-dragon shot back.

“We are so sorry,” Rhi said. “We didn’t mean to interrupt you two.”

“I can’t believe a Rider would lower herself to fuck an Iron,” Brigida scoffed.

Gaius nodded at the female. “Brigida. Nice to see you again, too.”

“Liar like your father, I see.”

“Auntie Brigida!” Rhi snapped. “Please.”

The dragon threw up her claws, and fell silent. But then neither female spoke.

Kachka glanced between the two, little Rhi and Brigida in her dragon form, which was as disturbing as her human one.

The two females continued to stare at Kachka but said nothing else.

Finally, Kachka couldn’t stand it anymore. “Do you have actual words for me, witches, or do I just walk back to camp? Because already I grow bored with both of you strange bitches.”

Brigida snorted. “Yeah. She’ll do.”

“She’ll do for what?”

Brigida’s milky white eye turned on its own to stare at Gaius before her head slowly swiveled around in the same direction. He worked hard not to flinch, although he doubted he was fooling her. The witch lived off others’ fear. Craved it the way he often craved fresh, unburnt lamb.

Brigida the Foul was still talked about by the old guard. The dragons who, in their youth, had fought during the wars against the Southland dragons. Even now, centuries later, they still feared her. Rarely mentioning her by name and always talking in low tones, as if she could hear them from whatever hells she’d been dropped in. Little did any of them know that the She-bitch still walked this plane, quite alive, and just as unpleasant as ever.

“You’re going to let this dragon speak for you, Daughter of the Steppes?” Brigida asked Kachka.

“I am already bored with you, old She-beast. So talk to him or do not. I do not care.”

“Well, this is off to a great start,” Gaius joked.

Talwyn came out of the beautiful green trees, moving toward them. But when she spotted Gaius, she stopped.

“What’s he doing here?”

“And always a pleasure to see you, too, Princess Talwyn.”

Talwyn ignored him, instead focusing on Rhi.

“What’s happening?”

“I was waiting for you?”

“Why?”

“And more bored,” Kachka sighed.

“We need you to retrieve something for us, Kachka,” Rhi said.

“I am not thief.”

“It’s not really a stealing situation.”

“Then get it yourself, lazy royals. I am not workhorse for you.”

“That’s it,” Brigida growled. “I’m gonna bite the bitch’s little tits off.”

Unwilling to let that threat possibly come to pass, Gaius immediately stepped between the females, both arms raised. “How about we discuss this calmly? Yes?”

Looking between all the parties, Gaius realized that “calm” was maybe the wrong word. There was little calm here. There were just different levels of dangerous.

Except for Princess Rhi. She may not have been calm, but that was because she didn’t want any fighting. She wanted everyone to get along. A born peacemaker.

Gaius focused directly on her. “What do you need, Rhianwen?” he asked.

“The eyes of Chramnesind.”

Gaius’s arms dropped to his sides. “Pardon?”