“Izzy!” Annwyl cal ed out to her squire. “Kill ’em all! ”

Izzy stopped running and turned. A club swung at her and she ducked, the heavy spiked weapon crashing into the wal . Izzy slammed her hands against the ogre’s arms, breaking them both as she pinned them. She snatched the club from the ogre’s hands and used it to crush its head in.

Then Iz went about crushing the rest of them with that club she seemed to be enjoying way too much.

Gods, but the girl was strong. Real y, really strong.

And while Izzy did what she did best—kil stuff—Annwyl focused on the raised dais that Vateria sat upon.

Because to get this far, this close to ending the war for good, Annwyl had made an agreement. A price she must now pay for such goodwil from the gods. Nothing was for free it seemed, even when the god had paws and liked to be scratched behind the ears. So, ignoring the guards sprinting at her from the three entrances in the arena—and any common sense—Annwyl ran right for the dais and the ones on it.

Vateria laughed a little. “Oh, look, Junius. The human queen is going to try and assassinate me. Isn’t that cute?” Junius nodded. “I believe she is, my queen. Would you like me to have her kil ed for you or just incapacitated?”

“Incapacitate is fine, but in a moment. I want to see how far she gets.”

“Her little friend seems to be having quite the time with the ogres,” her sister noted.

“That she is. Although I was hoping for something a little different there.”

Vateria and her guests laughed as Annwyl the Bloody used her ax— where did she get that from anyway? —to cut down human soldiers that got too close. Vateria’s dragon guards hit the woman with flame as they ran toward her, but that didn’t affect her at al . Vateria glanced back at Junius, and he suggested, “A spel of protection, my lady. Probably from the Dragon Queen.”

“Ah, yes.” Although why any dragon would give a human that kind of protection was beyond Vateria. It was knowing that the Irons could destroy them and those they loved that kept the Sovereigns in line.

Vateria watched with a smile when the scarred little wretch skidded to a stop in front of the dais, her arm going back, the ax in her hand changing somehow to what looked to be a much smal er throwing ax of some kind. Fascinating.

“Junius,” she said calmly so as to not concern her guests.

“Of course, my lady.”

Junius raised his hands and Vateria felt the Magick he unleashed wrap around her like a protective cloak. And Vateria smiled as the human threw her weapon, but—she realized too late—the little bitch wasn’t aiming for her.

Vateria looked to her mage, screaming, “Junius! ”

Hearing the warning, Junius turned, raising his hands to block the weapon, but it was too late. The ax rammed into his head with unbelievable force, splitting his skul down to his nose. His body flew back, crashing into the guards behind him, and Vateria stood, screeching in rage and pain and abject loss.

She turned toward the human queen and—gods-damn the cuntish whore to the very pits of hel —Annwyl laughed at her. At her! She laughed, turned, and took off running, heading toward the fighter entrance.

Behind Vateria her mage shifted back to his natural form, pil ars crumbling from his dragon body pushing into them.

Those that were dragon simply shifted and took to the air. But those humans whose dragon masters didn’t remember to take their pets and slaves with them were crushed.

Vateria shifted and dove toward the arena, her claws reaching out, talons ready to catch the worthless human who’d kil ed what belonged to her.

The human looked over her shoulder, saw Vateria, and screamed out, “Shit!” before leaping into the arms of some Northlander. He unleashed bolts of lightning at Vateria, but she was too angry to feel the pain from it. Too angry to care. She just kept coming even as the Northlander shoved the human queen and her big-muscled girl-soldier into the tunnels.

It had been some time since Vateria had kil ed a Northlander. First him, then—

Vateria’s wings jerked forward and back, halting her in mid-flight as that bitch walked past the Northlander from the fighter’s entrance. She was stil naked, stil in her human form.

Vateria roared at her cousin. She roared and unleashed her flame. But Agrippina merely shook it off and opened her mouth....

That’s when Vateria made a run for it.

Rhona grabbed the royal’s arm. “Leave her!”

“She’s mine! ” the royal bel owed.

“Not now!” She pul ed, but the royal wouldn’t move. “Vigholf!”

He ran out and swept the female into his arms, tossing her over his shoulders as he ran. “Go!” he ordered Rhona. “Now!” They made it out of the crumbling arena, the bodies of the dragon Annwyl kil ed and the dragons the royal had kil ed below destroying the coliseum from within. They rushed through the tunnels while behind them more soldiers charged at them. They made it to the exit and ran into the streets, Vigholf pushing them along.

Once outside, Vigholf lifted his head and unleashed long bolts of lightning that reached high into the air. Seconds later, they heard the battle cries from the Rebel King’s human cavalry. They breeched the gates on horseback, riding into the crowd and sending them panicking and screaming, running anywhere and everywhere, it seemed.

Rhona pushed through the crowds, but the Sovereign soldiers, some of the most wel trained she’d ever come across in her life, were not confused by Gaius’s men. Instead, they surrounded the smal group, their focus on one thing and one thing only.