“Eye patch.”

“They didn’t have black one?”

“They did, but she would not let me wear it.”

“Why,” the redhead wanted to know, “would you condemn yourself to a black eye patch when I have an array of festive colors and styles?”

Elina looked at her sister. “She has an array.”

“You look like peacock. It is like annoying jewel. It makes my eyes hurt to stare at.” She studied Gaius. “Who is this?”

“Gaius Domitus from the Western Mountains. Handsome, is he not? And no wife has taken him.”

“Really?”

“This is my sister, Kachka. She helped save me before I could lose other eye.”

Kachka walked around Gaius Domitus, examining him from all sides. “Very nice. Sturdy thighs. I like his steel-colored hair.”

“Sister, he is dragon.”

“Gods-dammit!” Kachka snarled. “Is that all they have here?”

“Wait, wait,” Gaius cut in, his grin mischievous. “Before we go any further. I must make introductions. Keita, this is Kachka Shestakova of the—”

“Do not,” the She-dragon roared, startling the birds from the trees, and the men training nearby, “again bore me with those ridiculously long names!”

She picked up her array of eye patches. “Keep that on,” she ordered Elina. “I will help you choose one for tonight when you have gotten rid of this Iron menace!”

“Why do I need to choose another for tonight?”

She immediately calmed down and grinned. “There’s a feast tonight! There’ll be dancing.”

“A feast?” Kachka asked. “Who are we sacrificing?”

“No one. It’s just to celebrate.”

“What is there to celebrate?”

“I’m sure something.”

“Like what?”

“Stop asking me your ridiculous questions, foolish female!” the She-dragon snapped. “I have no time for this!”

The She-dragon lifted her skirt and stormed away.

“She is royal?” Kachka asked Gaius.

“Yes.”

“Where are her shoes? Why does she have no shoes?”

“She doesn’t like to wear them.”

“She makes me uneasy. Avoid her, sister. Her madness could probably be spread like the sickness that took our cousin a few years back.” Kachka grabbed hold of her rope. “I will take my offering to a field and butcher it for this feast these decadent royals will be having.”

“Or,” Gaius quickly suggested, “you can give your prize buffalo to someone in the kitchens.”

“What is kitchens?”

Gaius briefly closed his eye before focusing on a young child running by. “Squire? You there.” The child ran to Gaius. “Take Lady Kachka to the kitchens so she can give her buffalo to the head cook.”

“Of course, sir. This way, m’lady.”

“I am not a lady. I am—”

“The boy doesn’t care. Just go.”

Kachka looked Gaius Domitus over before shaking her head. “Such a waste.”

“Thank you,” he said good-naturedly. “I think you’re adorable, too.”

Elina stepped between the pair before Kachka could attempt to remove the dragon’s spleen for such an insult. “Sister. We are guests. Do not forget.”

“No,” she snarled. “I will forget nothing.”

“You must not pick on her,” Elina warned as they watched Kachka drag her still-bleeding offering up the stone steps of the castle and into the Great Hall. “She is not like me. She has . . . short temper.”

“I’ll make sure to keep that in mind,” Gaius Domitus said, still smiling. “Now, would you like to get back to work?”

Celyn looked up from the discussion he was having with his father to see Kachka being led into the hall by one of the squires. Behind her, she dragged an enormous buffalo. He wondered if Kachka had anything to do with the Keita flounce that had happened just a few minutes before. Keita had been in high dudgeon, and no one had bothered her as she’d flounced her way up the stairs.

Staring at the trail of blood that Kachka’s buffalo left behind, he heard his father say, “You have no idea how proud I am of you, son.”

Startled, Celyn immediately forgot about the blood and focused on his father. “Proud? She came back missing an eye.”

“She came back. From what I know of the Riders, that is a remarkable feat. But it’s not only that; I’m also impressed with how you handled the Costentyn tragedy and the information you provided about Brigida. And, gods, Costentyn’s journals. I can’t thank you enough for grabbing those.”

“I’m glad the journals were helpful, but we still don’t know where Brigida is.”

“Let’s not dwell on that right now since I’m sure whatever she’s doing would disturb us both greatly.” Bram placed his hand on Celyn’s forearm. “But what I am saying is that you did a very impressive job.”

“Really?”

“If it had been any of your other brothers and sisters or your uncle Bercelak, they would have started a war. If it had been your mother, she would have wiped the Riders from the Steppes and left that area open to Priestess Abertha and the zealots of Annaig Valley. I know now that sending you, Celyn, was the best decision that could have been made.”