Izzy took a step back, briefly studied the Lightnings—then she attacked. Charging at the closest one. But before she reached him, she sensed someone behind her and changed direction, running toward a small boulder. She ran at it until she could place her foot against it, shoved off to give her some height, and spun in midair. Which was about where that big arm snatched her out of the air and held her.

“Izzy!” Éibhear’s voice practically screamed at her. “What the bloody hells are you doing?”

Realizing it was Éibhear, Izzy relaxed. “These Lightnings attacked Fearghus.”

Éibhear rolled his eyes. “No. I beat up Fearghus, along with Briec and Gwenvael. And before you say anything, they started it. And these aren’t Lightnings. They’re the rest of the Mì-runach. Mum wants them to escort Rhi into the Southlands.”

“Oh! Oh.” Cringing, Izzy looked at the dragon whose leg she’d cut. “Sorry.”

“It’s all right.” The dragon got to his feet. “It’ll heal.”

Éibhear put her on the ground. “Lads, this is General Iseabail. Iseabail . . . these are the lads.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, returning to the dragon whom she’d not only cut but whose hammer she’d stolen. She handed it back to him. “Nice. Rhona’s work?”

“Aye.” The dragon shook his head. “I can’t believe you lifted it on your own.”

“Well, that was . . . Daddy!” Izzy ran over to a tree no more than twenty or so feet away, where her poor father hung over one of the lower branches. “Éibhear the Contemptible, you get my father down from there!”

“He started it!”

“Oy—” Gregor the Appalling motioned Éibhear over. “That her then? That your Izzy?”

Aidan had been filling the rest of the Mì-runach in on what had happened in the Desert Lands, somehow managing to mention Éibhear’s change in status as now mated. Éibhear wasn’t sure how far the details had gotten before his three brothers had dragged him down to the river, not far from the rest of the Mì-runach. His brothers didn’t know the Mì-runach had set up camp here, but it didn’t matter. His comrades wouldn’t interfere in a sibling fight anyway, not that Éibhear needed them to. Not once he knew that the four brothers were far enough away from Izzy’s house that he didn’t have to worry about her protecting Briec.

“Aye. That’s her.”

“She carried my lovely girl.” Gregor held up his “lovely girl”—his hammer. It was not a healthy relationship Gregor had with his favorite weapon. No. Not healthy at all.

“I saw.”

“I bet that thing ain’t even that heavy,” a new, untested recruit challenged. “If some girl can pick it up.”

To see if the lad had a point, Gregor threw his hammer at the recruit’s head, splitting his skull open, and leaving the lad moaning in pain on the ground.

“Guess it’s heavy enough then,” Gregor reasoned.

“I think so,” Éibhear agreed.

“Hey.” Gregor smiled at him. “Why don’t we take your girl to find something to eat? So she can get to know us a bit.”

That actually sounded like a good idea. These were the kind of warriors Izzy was most comfortable around anyway.

“Izzy,” Éibhear called to his mate. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

“What about Daddy and the others?”

“They’ll live.” Éibhear tilted his head. “Come on.”

Her lips pursed, Izzy briefly debated, but after less than a minute, she ran to Éibhear’s side. “I am hungry.”

He put his arm around her. “Mì-runach!” he bellowed so they could all hear him. “We go to eat!”

The Mì-runach cheered and headed toward town. Éibhear started to follow, but Izzy pulled away from him and ran back to his brothers.

“Sorry, Daddy,” she said to Briec before she put her hand against his forehead and shoved him off the tree limb he’d been hanging off.

Once done, she ran back to Éibhear’s side and put her arm around his waist. “Sorry,” she said when they began walking again. “I just couldn’t leave him like that.”

“It’s all right. It’s nice that someone cares about those mean bastards.”

“I won’t say it’s easy . . . but they are family.”

Chapter 46

Éibhear watched his kin say good-bye to Rhi and the twins. It tore his heart, knowing how hard it was. But they all knew it had to be done. Although it wasn’t clear yet what the future held for the three, he knew they had to get ready for whatever was heading their way.

The plan at this point was quite simple. They’d all leave together, but once on the main road, Éibhear, Izzy, the Mì-runach, and Izzy’s birth family would head to the south, while the Kyvich would take the twins north. Talan would split off from his sister and meet the monks somewhere in the Northlands and then take a secret route to their monastery far past the Sovereign Provinces. The rest of Éibhear’s kin, including his brothers, sisters, parents, and Cadwaladr Clan, would stay in Dark Plains. They all seemed to know that for them to stretch this good-bye out any more would only make it more painful.

What Éibhear and Izzy would do after that he didn’t know. They were now mated for life, and no other female would ever be able to fill his heart the way Izzy did. But they were still warriors and the need for battle and blood would last for a long time. Still, Éibhear knew that his Aunt Ghleanna and Uncle Addolgar had managed life with their mates just fine over the centuries, so why couldn’t he and Izzy?