"We'll come fetch you when it's time for dinner," the guard said.

"Are you expecting us to stay?" eibhear demanded.

Because he had no intention of staying. No desire to. He wanted to get Izzy out of here and someplace safe. But the king had insisted they take this chamber and now it seemed he was insisting-through his guards-that they had to have dinner with him. And since everyone around here followed his bloody orders, eibhear actually had little say in the matter.

"You and his lordship will be dining as human. Princess Iseabail, clothes will be sent to you."

"Thank you."

"And we suggest you keep the dog in this chamber. It will be protected here, but through the rest of our lordship's kingdom, it'll just look like a running snack."

"Understood."

The guard nodded at Izzy. "Princess." Glared at eibhear and growled, "Prince."

Once they were gone, Izzy said, "You do seem to make friends wherever you go."

"Don't blame me for this."

"It's not my fault either!"

"I never said it was!"

"Then why are we yelling?"

"I really don't know!" eibhear blew out a breath. "That was fun."

"Sorry." Izzy walked over to the bed and sat on it. "This shouldn't have happened."

"But it did, and we'll handle it. We always do."

"You don't understand, eibhear. You shouldn't be here."

eibhear shifted to human and walked all the way into the chamber. Izzy glanced at him, then quickly looked away. "Put on some leggings."

"Does my manliness overwhelm your delicate lady sensibilities?"

"You do know I'm still armed?"

"All right. All right." He dug into his travel bag and pulled out a pair of leather leggings. He pulled them on, and sat on the bed beside Izzy.

"Do you really not want me here?" he asked.

"No, I don't want you here."

Ow. Well, no one could say that Izzy wasn't direct.

"Izzy, you don't have to worry. I have no plans to . . . prolong our relationship any further."

Izzy looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't want you to worry that I only followed you in the hopes of getting you into my bed again."

"You don't have a bed. Uther says you only have a bedroll."

"I mean my proverbial bed."

"Oh." She stared at him a moment longer, then asked, "What does us fucking have to do with anything?"

"Isn't that why you don't want me here?"

"No."

eibhear took a moment to rub his eyes and breathe. When in battle, Izzy had the most amazing focus. But before and after battle . . . well, it couldn't be helped. He had to work with what he had.

"Then what does it matter if I'm here or not?"

"I have no idea."

eibhear began to work on his temples with the tips of his fingers because that's where his headache was settling. "And yet you don't want me here?"

"Right."

"Because . . . ?"

"Because Rhydderch Hael wants you here."

eibhear lowered his hands. "Rhydderch Hael? You haven't mentioned him in ages."

"We stopped speaking after the birth of the twins. But he showed up again right after you arrived to fetch me back to Garbhn Isle. Then I saw him again just before the first Sand dragon attacked me at the salt mines. He's used me to get you where he needs you, and that just pisses me off."

"Me? What does he want with me? You're the one with the blood debt to him."

"I know, but apparently he doesn't want to waste my talents." She smirked. "Seems you're not as talented as I am because he's throwing you right into the pit. I just wish I knew what that pit was."

eibhear shrugged. "Guess we'll find out soon enough."

"You don't seem worried."

"Should I be?"

"When a god makes you take a blood oath to him while he's wearing your mother's body like a suit of armor, I'd have to say this is a god you should be worried about."

"You do have a point."

"You should head back."

"Are you coming?"

"You know I can't. I have to see that Nolwenn bitch."

"Then I guess I won't be going back."

"eibhear-"

"We're not arguing about it, Izzy, so you might as well let it go."

"But if something happens to you now, it'll be my fault."

"What makes you think that?"

She started to say something but stopped herself, shook her head. "No reason."

"You're a bad liar. Keita would have sold that to me much better." He studied her a moment. "Perhaps you should tell me what the god said to you, Izzy."

"I'd prefer not to."

"I'm sure you would, but we both know I can wear you down. So why delay the inevitable?"

"I don't see why it-"

"Just tell me!"

She scratched her nose and muttered, "He seems to believe you'll follow me wherever I go."

"No," eibhear immediately replied.

"Exactly. I told him he was-"

"Not everywhere."

"Wait. What?"

"I wouldn't follow you everywhere. Unless you needed me to. Do you need me to?"

"I don't need you to-" She bit her bottom lip, closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she said, "I don't need you to follow me anywhere. And I don't like gods using our kin to get what they want."

"What does he want?"

Izzy shrugged. "I have no idea. I just know that he wanted you in the Desert Lands-and here you are."

Izzy didn't know what bothered her more. The fact that eibhear seemed completely unfazed by all this. Or the fact that he said he'd follow her anywhere . . . if she "needed" him to. What did that even mean?

"I wouldn't worry about it," eibhear finally said.

"You wouldn't?"

"What's the point of worrying? It won't change anything."

"I can't live like that," Izzy admitted.

"Why not?"

"Because if you don't worry about the possible worst-case scenario, then it'll happen."

"That is incredibly ridiculous."

"That is not ridiculous. What am I supposed to do? Wait to see what happens? Just let horrible things rain down on me and my men?"

"I didn't say you shouldn't plan for possible worst-case scenarios, Izzy. I said you shouldn't worry about them. All worry does is cause you to panic and, I might add, make your voice a little bit shrill."

"My voice does not get shrill."

"It does. Sometimes you sound just like your mother when you get like that."

Izzy gasped, outraged. "That is an unfair thing to say to me."

"Well-"

"I am not like my mother. Not when it comes to that. I don't sit around obsessing all day about all the little things that can go wrong."

"Right. You just worry about the big things that can go wrong."

She tapped her foot.

"I wouldn't let that bother you, though," he went on. "You're as cute as your mum when you do it."

"Oh. Am I? I see you still have a thing for my mother. Too bad Daddy got to her first."

"That's all right. I can always settle for you."

Izzy froze, her hands curling into fists, the back of her neck getting tight. "Settle for me? You can settle for me?"

"You're better than nothing."

And that's when she swung on him.

Laughing, eibhear caught hold of Izzy's waist and pulled her onto his lap, knees on either side of his hips. Once he had her there, he quickly grabbed her wrists to stop the onslaught of her fists. She had a right hook that clearly one of his brothers had taught her and she used it to devastating effect.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I'm sorry."

"I don't want to hear it. You are such a bastard."

He pinned her arms behind her back and held her like that until she looked at him. "I'm sorry. I was only joking."

"If you'd rather have had my mother, just admit it."

"Your mother is beautiful, but she likes to argue a bit too much for my taste."