“Good travels, Éibhear.”

“Thanks, Dagmar.”

He looked down at Frederik. “You’ll be all right until I get back?”

“He’ll be fine.” Dagmar answered for the boy while wrapping her arms around Frederik, squeezing him tight. “I’m just so glad he’s here. He fits in well, don’t you think?”

“Well—”

Dagmar released the boy. “You know what, Frederik? Why don’t we adopt you?”

“Uh . . .”

“I’ll write my father,” Dagmar insisted. “Right now!”

She went back inside and Frederik looked at Éibhear. “That probably isn’t necessary. I doubt my family will be back for me.”

“That’s good, because I’m guessing she’s not giving you up without a fight.”

Gwenvael pushed himself away from the wall he’d been silently leaning against and patted the boy on the shoulder. “We’re all very glad you’re here!” he yelled before he followed Dagmar inside.

“Is he going to keep yell—”

“Yes. He is.” Éibhear sighed. “Just . . . deal with it.”

“Will you be gone long?”

“Not too long. I’ll make sure to bring you some books from the Desert Lands. Okay?”

“Okay. Safe travels.”

With a wave, Éibhear headed off, mounting his horse and catching up with everyone else. Weaving his horse through the crowd, he tried to find Izzy. He finally rode up to Aidan, Caswyn, and Uther. “Seen Iz?” Éibhear asked them.

“Uh-huh.”

“Well?” he pushed when his friends said nothing else. “Where is she?”

Aidan pointed . . . up.

“Gods of piss and fire!” Éibhear roared, wondering what else this woman could do to drive him insane.

Izzy charged up Addolgar’s neck and over his head, and leaped off his snout. The wind this high up was harsh, knocking her off balance, so that she missed Celyn’s back. She rolled and flipped in midair, the ground below rushing forward. She saw Ghleanna not far away and knew she could reach her with a bit of effort. She simply needed to—

A tail wrapped around her waist and tossed her up. Izzy flipped again, laughing the entire way until she landed hard on Éibhear’s back.

“What is wrong with you?” he snarled, sounding just like her mother.

“Just a bit of fun.”

“Can’t you do something a little safer? Like ride into battle against demons, naked and without weapons or go swimming in molten lava?”

“You sound angry.”

“Because you seem determined to make me insane.”

“That’s a cruel thing to suggest.” Izzy stretched her arms across the length of Éibhear’s neck. “You know I simply adore you.”

“What you adore is being irritating—and stop writhing around back there.”

“Sorry,” but she didn’t remotely mean it. “You know, Éibhear, I still love your hair.”

“Thank you.”

“Can I put warrior braids in it?”

“No, you may not. We are on a serious mission to deliver a Southland royal to the Desert Lands. We don’t have time for your obsession over my hair and whether it’s in braids or not.”

“Do you think Aidan will let me braid his hair?”

With a snarl, the bastard spun in midair, Izzy screeching and tightening her thighs around his neck until he’d righted himself again.

“You evil bastard!” she laughed.

“That’s what you get! Taunting me with another dragon, you cruel, vicious female.”

“That you love more than the suns.”

She felt his deep chuckle spread through her, wrap around her. “That’s very true. My tragic weakness.”

“But a weakness I’m going to allow.”

“That’s good. Because I do love you, Izzy. I truly do.”

Resting her cheek against his scales, her face buried under all that blue hair being whipped about by the wind, Izzy wrapped her arms around Éibhear’s neck and said the only thing she could possibly think of at this moment.

“Well, it’s about gods-damn time, Éibhear the Blue. Because I’ve been waiting a bloody lifetime for you.”

Epilogue

They reached the main road that cut through Dark Plains and the one large group split into two distinct parts. One turned south toward the Desert Lands, the other north toward the Ice Lands.

While the two groups headed off on their separate paths, three held back, two on horses, one standing.

The three didn’t speak. They didn’t have to. Since they were babes they’d never needed words to know what the others were feeling or thinking. But this would be the first time they would be apart from each other. It wouldn’t be easy, but they all knew that it wasn’t forever. No matter what the witches or monks or anyone else thought or said or believed, the truth was that the connection of these three beings was stronger than anything anyone would ever understand. They were only separating now so that when they were together again, they’d be even stronger, even more powerful, and most importantly, even more ready.

Ready for when the dark times came and they were needed.

Because those dark times were coming. They were coming fast. And what had happened in the Desert Land city sewers had only delayed their problems—not ended them.