I watched as the group of six walked up the many stairs to our main doors. The dragon was pale as any Northman. So very white with actual blue hair. The woman with him was clearly a descendant of our Desert Lands, but she still didn’t seem to belong here.

They reached the top step and the City Guard commander gave a small bow. “Good day to you, Sister. We’re here to see Elder Elisa.”

“Elder Elisa is unavailable, but Elder Haldane is waiting for you inside,” I said.

The warrior woman rolled light brown eyes and without even looking, the dragon growled at her, “Stop it.”

“It’s not like they didn’t know we were coming to see Rhian,” she snapped back.

“Stop. It.”

The City Guard smirked behind her helmet with the nose guard. “Please, lead the way, Sister.”

So I did. And quickly! I did not want this warrior woman any more upset than she already was.

Dressed as any hardened warrior in chain mail from head to foot, weapons of all kinds attached to the belt around her waist and across her back, she was clearly not a person one should challenge.

Luckily, Elder Haldane waited for us not too far in. I was so relieved to see her! But I could tell by the look on her face she was in one of her less-than-cooperative moods. I wanted to shake her. “Just give them what they want!” I wanted to scream.

We stopped in front of Elder Haldane, but before I could properly introduce everyone, the warrior woman threw her arms open and exclaimed, “Grandmother!” Then she hugged Elder Haldane! Hugged her! And I knew she was doing it on purpose. Simply to irritate the one woman who could turn the pair into the bears they both resembled.

“Get off me!” Elder Haldane finally snapped, pushing the warrior woman away.

“You’ve missed me, haven’t you?” the woman taunted, grinning. Oh, goddess, she was clearly enjoying her little “joke” on Elder Haldane. Nearly as much as Haldane was not enjoying this joke.

“They are here to see Sister Rhianwen,” I quickly explained, hoping to keep this all as civil as possible.

“Perhaps another time,” Elder Haldane said, sounding bored and put-upon. “We’re quite busy here with the winter solstice coming up. I’m sure you understand.”

But as I watched, the warrior woman’s face slowly stopped smiling and such a dark look came over her that I, along with everyone else, knew she did not in any way understand. Nor was she about to start understanding.

The male saw all that right away, quickly stepping between Elder Haldane and the warrior woman, his gaze focused on Haldane.

“We understand you’re busy, my lady,” he said in a shockingly low voice, his silver eyes suggesting a much more caring soul than his companion. “But it’s been such a long time since we’ve seen my niece. Just a few minutes and then we can arrange another, better time for a proper meeting. You do understand, don’t you?”

Elder Haldane sucked her tongue against her teeth in that way she has and, dear goddess, I thought it would get ugly there, but no . . .

Thankfully Elder Haldane was swayed by the dragon’s soft words and with a curt, “Oh, come along then,” she led the way to Sister Rhianwen’s room.

I ran up ahead to open the door myself. As one of Elder Haldane’s assistants, it’s been the only job she will give me at the moment. And, yes, I’m still trying hard not to be insulted by that.

I arrived at Sister Rhianwen’s room first and knocked on the door. “Sister Rhianwen?” I called out. “You have visitors.”

I didn’t wait for an answer, but instead opened the door and held it. That’s when I saw that poor Sister Rhianwen. . . . She was . . . she was being dragged! That’s the only way I can describe it. Dragged from this world into another. An arm coming out of some portal had hold of her wrist and was pulling Sister Rhianwen into it!

“Elder Haldane!” I screamed and the small group rushed to the door in time to see poor Sister Rhianwen turn toward them.

“Izzy!” Sister Rhianwen called out, her face filled with shock. “Gods, Izzy! Don’t tell Mum!”

“Rhi!” the warrior woman bellowed, pushing past everyone and charging into the room. “Rhi!”

She reached for Sister Rhianwen, but after a good pull and one more yelled, “Just don’t tell Mum!” the mysterious arm yanked my coven sister out of this world and into some other.

The warrior woman tried to follow, but the portal slammed shut before she could reach it, leaving her standing there, her back and shoulders heaving from her exertions. She’d only gone a few feet into the room, but it was like she’d run miles.

Elder Haldane, never one I would turn to for comfort, simply folded her arms across her chest and asked with great annoyance, “You couldn’t have moved a little faster, you useless girl?”

It was not a good or smart thing to say.

The warrior woman looked over her shoulder at Haldane and before I could take a breath, she was suddenly right in front of her, big hand reaching for Haldane’s throat. But the dragon was so very fast for such a large beast, he caught hold of the warrior woman by the waist and dragged her back.

“Izzy, no!”

“I should have killed her years ago. I should kill her now!”

“You can try,” Haldane said. “And I remember quite well that my magicks cannot hurt you.” She pointed at the dragon. “But I can hurt him. I can tear the scales from his back and make my own armor.”