"You little bastard."

"But even if they're not quick enough, I've already learned that Lady Rhianwen is never truly alone. Not really."

"And what the hells is that supposed to-"

The sword tore through Pombray's back and out his stomach, blood spraying across Rhi's face.

The blade was yanked out and the twins walked around Pombray. Talwyn's sword dripped with blood. She, like most of her dragon kin, was a fan of the sneak attack. While Talan was more like his mother. He hefted a battle axe and swung it, removing Pombray's head from his body.

"My lord, no!" one of the guards screamed.

Rhi looked at Albrecht. "Run," she told him. "Run and don't look back. Run!"

The boy took off, tears coursing down his cheeks as Talwyn kicked Pombray's head aside.

"Now which one of you is next?" she asked, smiling.

"Don't do this, Talwyn," Rhi implored her cousin. "Please."

"Don't be weak," her cousin snapped. "The line was crossed. They die."

The guard holding Rhi grabbed her hair and yanked her head back. "But not before this bitch dies first, monster."

Fear and panic swept through Rhi like a firestorm and, before she could stop, the power of it exploded out of her like an active volcano.

When the sky suddenly darkened Izzy pulled her horse to an abrupt stop as her father dropped to the ground in front of her.

"Daddy?"

"Izzy! Your sister! Where is she?"

"I don't-"

eibhear's head tipped to the side. "Iz . . . what's that sound?"

"Oh, gods," Izzy whispered as a terrible roaring sound reached her ears. Though she'd never heard the sound before, she could easily guess where it had come from.

"eibhear," Briec ordered. "Take Izzy out of here. Now!"

But Izzy grabbed eibhear's arm before he could shift to dragon and watched as Elisa and the other Nolwenns they'd been escorting dismounted their horses and focused their collective attention deep into the forests.

Chanting, they all raised their hands, and Izzy felt the power they unleashed explode from them into the forests. The roaring coming from inside rammed into the power coming from without. The powers collided, the ground beneath their feet shaking, the sky above them darkening. Their horses began to panic and Izzy released eibhear so that they could both get control of their animals.

The war between those powers raged, then abruptly . . . died.

The shaking stopped. The sky returned to its brilliant blue.

Elisa lowered her hands but then stumbled back, the Nolwenn sisters catching her. Izzy's great grandmother had been weakened by all this, but she and the Nolwenns had been able to do what no one else had managed. Stop Rhi before she destroyed all that she loved.

"I'm fine," Elisa said weakly. "Or I will be. I need food. Wine."

Izzy held her arms out. "Give her to me."

She lifted her great grandmother from the witches' arms and easily hauled her onto her saddle. "Hold on."

Then Izzy took Elisa straight to Garbhn Isle.

Once the shaking stopped, Talaith picked herself up off the floor and charged down the stairs, through the Great Hall, and out onto the hall steps. But before she could make it down the stairs, she saw her daughter riding into the courtyard. A woman in witch's robes sat in front of her.

"Izzy?" Knowing her daughter was alive and well, versus seeing her in the flesh alive and well was something that could not be compared. "Thank gods, Izzy."

"I'm all right, Mum. So's Rhi, I think. Daddy went to get her."

"Good. Good." Talaith started down the steps but stopped, her eyes widening. "Elisa?"

Exhausted from what Talaith now realized was an unleashing of immense Nolwenn power, her grandmother nodded at her. "Talaith. You're looking very . . . Southlander."

"What are you . . ." Talaith took a step back. "Is Haldane with you?"

"Did you really think she'd let me come here to meet you alone?"

Her grandmother had a point.

Once on the ground, Elisa pushed Izzy's hands away. "I can walk without you, child." She made her way up the steps. "Is there food inside?"

"Aye. And wine."

"Good." And, without another word, she walked into the Great Hall.

"Izzy . . . what the battle-fuck?"

"I'll explain everything. Later. Just . . . prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself for what?"

"Well, from what I can tell, your mother hasn't changed."

"Sweet girl, I could have told you that."

More horses rode into the courtyard. Talaith saw some of the sisters she'd grown up with, but she had no desire to speak with them.

"I'm going in," she told her daughter. "I'll deal with this later."

"Mum . . . wait."

"Izzy, please. I just don't want to deal with my mother-"

"Forget her," Izzy cut in. "This isn't about her."

"Then what is it?"

Izzy stepped back and Talaith watched the protective guard that had ridden with the Nolwenns. Not surprising. One of the duties of the Sefu Imperial Guard was to provide protection when necessary for the Nolwenns.

Several of the guards dismounted and strode toward the stairs. Helms were removed and heads lifted to look directly at Talaith. She blinked, her head tilting to the side. Something seemed . . .

"Talaith?"

Talaith took in a breath and looked past those younger guards to the powerful older man behind them. A feeling she hadn't known for more than three decades now hit her in the chest, her hands covering her mouth.

"Zachariah?" she asked when she had her voice back.

The blacksmith walked up the stairs, those light brown eyes that were so like his son's sweeping over her. "Still a beauty, I see."

Unable to wait for him to reach her, Talaith ran down the stairs and right into the blacksmith's big arms.

"Zachariah," she whispered before sobs racked her body. She held him tight, remembering how kind the man had always been to her. And now, she realized, how kind he'd been to Izzy. Otherwise Izzy would never have brought him or any of Sethos's kin here.

"Talaith, thank you so much," Zachariah whispered back. "For sacrificing so much for my grandchild. This amazing warrior you've bred. You've managed to give me my son back. Thank you. Thank you."

And, holding the old man close to her, Talaith finally allowed herself to mourn the first love she'd ever known, the man who'd managed to give her one of the two greatest gifts she'd been allowed by the gods to receive.

Chapter 44.

The most entertaining thing for eibhear was watching Rhianwen hug her grandmother and great grandmother over and over again, even though they clearly detested being hugged and truly felt it was an inappropriate display of emotion for a Nolwenn witch. Or any witch who planned to study under them.

They sat at the dining table in the Great Hall. Talaith, Briec, and Izzy on one side. Elisa and Haldane on the other. eibhear at the very end and sweet Rhi constantly moving around the table. What probably could have been the worst day of her life had turned into the best because of Elisa and Haldane. So she was willing to overlook what she'd begun calling "their unfortunate past mistakes regarding my mother."

Izzy and Talaith however . . . not so much on the forgiving.

"So," Talaith began, "heard about the welcome you gave your first granddaughter."

"I was trying to protect myself. I'd assumed you sent someone to kill me," Haldane tossed back.

"Of course, I didn't send someone to kill you. Because I'd planned to come and kill you myself. At least that was my dream."

"Mum," Rhi said. "Please."

"It's all right, Rhianwen. Your mother was always a ridiculous whiner."

"What's ridiculous," Talaith shot back, "is how wide you let your ass grow."

"Mum!"

"Quickly, Rhi," Izzy gleefully urged her sister. "Hug grandmother before she gets too angry! Your hugs soothe her so."

"No, no, Rhianwen, I-" Haldane gritted her teeth, glowering across the table at Izzy while her younger granddaughter hugged her around the neck.

"I'm so glad we're all together!" Rhi cheered, kissing Haldane's cheek.

"So am I!" Izzy clapped her hands, her smile bright.

And when Izzy saw eibhear watching her, she winked at him. That's when he knew he had to get her alone. Just for a little while. For days they'd been traveling with an entire entourage of humans and dragons, so there had been no time for them to just talk or do anything else they'd enjoy that might involve their being naked.

eibhear tried to think of a good excuse to get Izzy away from this table, but he never had a chance as Gaius, the Rebel King, and his twin sister Agrippina entered the hall, Uncle Bram behind them. It had been decided that he'd be the one to inform the Irons about their cousin since he was known among the family as the peacemaker.

"You let her go?" Agrippina demanded when she finally stopped at the table, her eyes on Izzy.

"Aye. And I'm sorry, but it wasn't my choice."

"What do you mean it wasn't your choice? I was told you had her. In your grasp."

"We did."

"And?"

"And we could not kill her there. I assure you it was not my or eibhear's decision. Rhydderch Hael made it quite clear what he wanted and there are times when it's too much trouble to go against him."

"Why didn't you just bring her back here alive then?"

"I felt confident she wouldn't have survived the trip," eibhear admitted, and the smirk on Izzy's face told him he was right. "And after what had happened to Vateria in the Desert Lands, it would not have looked good for her to die at the hands of Southlanders. I'm sorry. I know that's not what you want to hear but-"

"Did she do that to you, Izzy?" Gaius asked. He was staring at the wound on the lower left of her jaw, his brow pulled down in concern.

"It's just a little thing."

Agrippina closed her eyes, let out a breath.

"Izzy, eibhear . . . I'm sorry," she finally said. "I shouldn't be blaming you for any of this."

"Do not trouble yourself so," Izzy said." I understand hating someone who treated a family member so cruelly that you dream of killing them with your bare hands." Izzy looked right at Haldane. "Dream of it every damn day." She focused back on Agrippina. "And, if it helps, I did incapacitate the bitch."

Gaius grinned. "You mean like you did Vateria's father?"

"Well . . . she did love him so. And Rhydderch Hael just made it clear she was to be left alive. He didn't say she needed to be able to fly."

"You-" Haldane suddenly stepped in-"keep mentioning Rhydderch Hael in such a way as to suggest you speak to him as a friend. Do you expect us to believe that? That the father god of all dragons bothers with someone like you?"

"Our Izzy," Briec stated with great pride, "is Rhydderch Hael's chosen warrior."

Haldane snorted. "Her?"

That's when Talaith scrambled across the table, her hands almost around her mother's throat. But Briec caught his mate, yanked her back, and tossed the cursing, screaming woman over his shoulder. "Well," he stated calmly, "I'll see you all at dinner."