Dagmar stood from the table and walked to his side. Her voice low, she said, “Is it Kachka Shestakova? Rumor has spread that you were with her last night, and although I am greatly concerned about your taste in females, I can have her killed if she’s displeased you in some way. Do you need me to have her killed?”

Shocked and also trying not to laugh, Gaius shook his head. “That’s not really . . . necessary.”

“Are you sure? It would be my extreme pleasure.”

“No . . . no. Really . . . no.”

“Then why the rush to leave if she hasn’t yet again destroyed some male’s good name?”

“Because I have an empire to run?”

“Something I know your sister can handle in your absence, but I understand your not wanting to be here unless necessary. In case that evil heifer returns.”

“Or I just want to go home. But whatever.”

“Understood,” she said, straightening her back, regal as always. “But, of course, you’ll still need to have an escort.”

“That’s not really necess—”

“Brannie!” the tiny woman bellowed, causing Gaius to jump a bit.

“I’m up!” Branwen the Awful announced as she bounced to her feet from behind the banister at the top of the stairs. Her shoulder-length hair was . . . everywhere. Her pretty brown eyes red rimmed. Her human skin alarmingly pale. “I’m up. No need to scream so.”

“King Gaius is returning home today. You’ll need to accompany him. Bring a few Mì-runach with you to ensure his safety.”

Branwen nodded. “Of course.” She turned and began kicking something that started grunting and cursing. “Get up, you sorry lot! We have to move.”

After she did that, she came down the stairs, and stopped in front of Gaius.

“King Gaius, I will be happy to . . . happy to . . .” She covered her mouth with one hand and held up a finger with the other.

Gaius took a step back and let her dart past him so that she could throw up outside. A few seconds later, most of the Mì-runach quickly followed her out.

“Don’t worry,” Dagmar said. “From what I’ve heard of Rider wine, they should be fine in a day or two.”

“That does give me great ease, Lady Dagmar.”

She patted his shoulder before returning to her papers. “Don’t think for a second I don’t hear that mocking tone, m’lord.”

An accusation that just made him laugh, because how could he not laugh at the Southlanders?

Chapter Seventeen

Gaius shifted to human and took the clothes handed to him by a servant before stalking down the palace halls to his throne room. The guards protecting the doors saw him coming and immediately shoved the thick wood open.

With Brannie the Awful and several Mì-runach behind him, he walked into the throne room. Aggie jumped up and ran over to him, throwing herself into his arms. He held his twin tight and swung her in a circle.

“Out!” he ordered those waiting to meet with his sister.

The humans and dragons in human form quickly walked out.

But Brannie and the Mì-runach still stood there, peering around the large throne room, completely oblivious. Gaius knew for a fact that, in battle, Brannie was amazing. Yet when it came to the more social graces . . . yeah, well . . . huh.

Brannie focused on Aggie, brown eyes blinking.

“Do be kind,” Gaius told his sister. “That Cadwaladr saved your life once.” Then, to the captain, he said gently, “Could you excuse us, Branwen?”

“Oh! Of course!” She motioned to the Mì-runach. “Come on, you lot. Let’s give them some privacy.”

The Mì-runach who’d traveled with Brannie and Gaius exited the room, but those who’d been guarding Aggie did not move.

Brannie glared. “Move your asses,” she ordered.

“We don’t report to you, Captain.”

Uh-oh, Gaius silently told his sister. She’s going to blow.

Brannie had her hand around the offending dragon’s throat, her blade nearly out of its sheath when Aidan the Divine, who’d also escorted him here with his Mì-runach brethren Uther and Caswyn, came back into the throne room and quickly separated the pair.

Calmly, without the obvious intensity of the other Mì-runach, Aidan pushed Brannie back and said to the others, “Come, brothers. Let’s leave kin to speak alone.”

“But we’re supposed to protect her ladyship.”

“Of course you are. From outside the door.”

“Yes, but—”

“Now.”

Snarling and muttering, the rest of the Mì-runach walked out, the royal-born Aidan winking at Gaius before he closed the doors behind them.

“So,” he finally asked his sister, “how’s it been going while I was gone?”

Before Aggie could answer, Lætitia walked into the throne room. “It’s about time you returned,” she announced. “You have an empire to run and you can’t be—”

Aggie’s face turned red and she snarled at their aunt, “Get. Out.”

Lætitia spun on her heel and headed back to the door. “I’m leaving of my own volition, but this discussion isn’t over!”

Gaius smiled down at his sister. “So . . . did you miss me?”

“Oh, shut up.”

The Riders reached their destination four days later, and it seemed that Tatyana’s information had been correct. In another day or so, these men they watched from the safety of the trees would be attacking a nearby temple.

Now would be the real test of her team, a team she’d actually planned from the beginning.

Kachka knew the Anne Atli well enough to know that she would never allow Kachka to take any of the favored warriors. But Kachka had never wanted the favored warriors. They would be difficult and untrustworthy. At least to her. Their loyalty, unto death, would be to the Anne Atli.

So, Kachka needed more . . . unusual choices. Marina. The Khoruzhaya siblings. Tatyana. They all had skills and, Kachka was sure, their dreams were of a life outside the Outerplains.

Now, this moment, would prove whether she’d been right.

All that game playing was how one got what one needed from the Riders. Ask for what you wanted directly and the Anne Atli would fall all over herself denying it to you. So Kachka had feigned annoyance, regret, disappointment. But when Zoya and Nina had been forced on her—she’d no longer had to fake anything.

They could be her ultimate downfall.

She could only hope that she could make this work despite those two. Right now, she had to focus on what was in front of her.

Brutal men, brought in for one singular purpose. Killing a group of women bent on doing nothing more than worshipping a goddess of their choice in solitude.

They needed nightfall and to regroup before they did anything else, so Kachka signaled for them to back up and silently leave the area until they could figure out their next—

“Oy! What are you doing?”

The man had quietly come up behind them and Kachka turned, her sword pulled, but an arrow went through his open mouth. He dropped back and Kachka looked at her cousin.

Tatyana cringed as she lowered her bow. “Sorry. I panicked.”

In order to keep their privacy, Gaius and Aggie went to their favorite private garden deep within the palace.