by G. A. Aiken
Talaith looked up to see that the only one who didn’t move was Annwyl. She simply stood there, watching as the arrows landed all around her.
Either she’s the bravest woman I’ve ever met or the craziest bitch ever created.
Screams and war cries came from the outside courtyard as Brastias stumbled in to the hall, an arrow-riddled shield in his hands.
“Annwyl…” he puffed out. “It’s Hamish.”
Annwyl only stared at him.
Briec released Izzy and Talaith but still used his body to shield them. “Where is he?”
“Outside the castle gates.”
Fearghus shook his head. “That’s impossible. He shouldn’t have been here for weeks.”
“One of my men just told me. One second he and his woman were alone in the fields—the next, Hamish and his full army were there. He barely got them both away in time.”
“Full army?”
Morfyd stepped away from the wall. “Only a god could have gotten them here like that.”
“Arzhela’s pet,” Talaith sneered. “Her most loyal servant. He only allowed her temples to be built in Madron. She’d originally sent Izzy to him.”
“We don’t have much time,” Brastias went on. “They’re headed this way. The troops are scrambling now.”
Annwyl silently headed toward the doors.
“Annwyl, wait,” Fearghus called after her.
She stopped but didn’t look at him. Or any of them for that matter.
“You have two choices, Fearghus,” she said quietly. “We can stand here and…discuss this with the way I’m feeling at this very moment. Or…I can go out and have my discussion with Hamish and his troops first.” She glanced back at him, golden brown strands of hair falling across her scarred face—but nothing could conceal the rage burning in those green eyes. “Choose, dragon.”
Fearghus made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Hamish.”
She nodded and headed toward the door, Brastias behind her, but Fearghus’ dark voice followed her out, “But when you return, my mate…we’ll have much to discuss.”
Turning to his brothers, he said, “Call to the other dragons, then take to the skies. Destroy their supply wagons and as many of their troops as you can manage. But they know we’re here, so be careful. Morfyd…” He looked at his sister. “Go with Annwyl. Protect her as best you can. But don’t get close.”
“I had no intention of it, brother.”
Now those dark, dark eyes fell on Talaith. “Do you have healing skills?”
“Aye.”
“Then set up this hall to receive our soldiers. The servants will help you. There are other healers who will come to lend their aid.”
Talaith nodded, relieved he’d given her a task rather than telling her to get out. For whatever reason, it seemed the dragon had decided to forgive what she’d almost done to his mate. Then again he did have much more pressing concerns than some little assassin with a god on her tail. “It’s done. Should we set up another place for enemy casualties?”
“There won’t be any,” he said simply, before walking away.
Talaith understood why the dragon and Annwyl were together. Well matched those two, because no mere female could handle a dragon like Fearghus and no human male would ever be able to sleep soundly in a bed next to Annwyl.
Briec took her hand. “Talaith—”
“Wait.” She looked at Izzy. “Go to your room. Lock the door. You are only to let me, Briec, or Achaius entry. Understand?”
“But—”
Talaith narrowed her eyes at her daughter. “Don’t play with me, little girl. Do. You. Understand?”
Izzy gazed at the floor. “Aye. I do.” Poor thing. Talaith had been ordering her out of the room all day.
“Then go.” With that, Iseabail disappeared up the stairs, and Talaith turned back to Briec who hadn’t released her hand. “Go. Do what you need to do. And when you get back, this…” she waved dramatically indicating her back and new brand, “…will be discussed.”
He smiled, leaned over, and kissed her shoulder. She felt it all the way to her toes.
“As you wish, my soft and defenseless damsel.”
He left her. And Talaith didn’t stop watching him until a confused, half-dressed Gwenvael stumbled up next to her. “Is it me…or did I miss something?”
Chapter Twenty-Four
She was pregnant. With twins, no less. How was this possible? True, she loved her Fearghus. More than she thought she could love anyone or anything. But still…he wasn’t human. Did he betray her for his loyalty to the dragon gods? No. Not Fearghus. If there was one thing she could say about her mate, he obeyed no one but himself.
Besides, he’d been uncontrollable the night before. Not that she didn’t enjoy it, but her dragon had been unable to stop himself.
No, the dragon gods had used him as much as they’d used her. While the human gods preyed on Talaith and Izzy.
She’d really begun to detest the gods.
“Annwyl?”
Annwyl looked at Brastias. “What?”
He cleared his throat. “There are more over there.”
She glanced at the battalion of troops fighting her men. They’d been trying to run away…from her. But her men had swarmed over them before they got too far.
One of the thirty bodies at her feet moved and she realized she hadn’t killed him. She raised the blade in her hand and slammed it down with raging force. She assured herself this one had moved on to his next life, yanked her sword out of his body, and used the cloth Brastias handed her to wipe the blood off her face.
“Come,” she said calmly, handing the cloth back to him. “I want them all dead before the two suns are in the western skies.”
She headed toward the battling troops, watching her enemies flee from her giving her so little satisfaction.
Talaith ripped the large cloth into strips as other servants set up beds. They prepared for many wounded, although she hoped it wouldn’t get that bad. She was to blame for all this. Arzhela sent Hamish here to avenge the fact that Talaith didn’t do what Arzhela had sent her to do.
Now they’d all suffer for her disobedience. Still, she’d risk everything for Izzy. Absolutely everything.
Having changed into comfortable leggings, boots and shirt, Talaith was ready for anything. She finished ripping up the cloth and handed a large pile of the material to one of the healers. Nearly done, she thought with some quiet pride. Then she felt it. It was almost a physical thing.
The power of the dragons receding. Like a warm fur pulled off her naked body in a cold room. Frantically, she looked around. No one else noticed it. Not surprising. The only ones left were the humans—because the dragons had all gone out to fight against Hamish.
She remembered Morfyd telling her she’d passed out at the lake the night before. Which meant she’d been unable to reinforce any of her protections. Which meant…
“Gods…Izzy!”
She’d never moved so fast before in her life, dodging around soldiers, guards and servants as she tore through the Great Hall and up the stone stairs toward her daughter’s room.
She’d gotten within mere feet of the door, when it burst open from the inside. Achaius flung out and against the wall.
“No!”
She ran into Izzy’s room in time to see her daughter, stomach down on the floor, literally dragged from this world into another.
Desperate, Talaith dived for her, landing on her stomach, her hands lacing with Izzy’s. She saw her daughter’s frightened, tear-streaked face and then she was gone.
“No!” she screamed again. “No! No! You bitch!”
Talaith didn’t cry. She didn’t allow herself that luxury. Instead, she jumped to her feet and charged from the room.
She ran down the stairs, barking at one of the healers to go to a thankfully still-moving Achaius, and then out of the Great Hall past the other healers asking her questions and for further assistance. She stormed out into the
courtyard, nearly getting herself trampled by a young soldier on horseback. Angry, the soldier pulled his horse back and glared at Talaith.
“Be cautious, wench. You’ll get yourself killed.”
Snarling, she reached up and dragged the soldier off his warhorse. She put her foot in the stirrup and hauled herself up into the saddle. She turned the horse toward the gates leading to the battlefield. “Take me to, Annwyl.”
With those few words, the horse bolted.
Brastias could feel Annwyl’s growing impatience with the battle. Soon, she would turn toward Hamish and go after their leader. He didn’t know what happened in that hall before he arrived, but something had brought back the Annwyl he remembered so well. He hadn’t seen her like this since they first found her in wedding clothes and heading toward Madron to be Hamish’s bride.
Although she remained a brutal warrior—he knew that would never change—she’d calmed down a bit since meeting Fearghus the Destroyer.
Whatever happened couldn’t be good. She’d annihilated most of the Madron army by herself while the dragons destroyed troops and supplies from the rear. Even Morfyd, who usually fought by her side as battle mage, kept to the air this day.
As it was, a little while longer, Annwyl’s army would have Hamish surrounded and then Annwyl would finally get her chance to destroy the man.
“General.”
He looked at his next in command. “What?”
“Talaith.”
Brastias followed Danelin’s eyes and watched as Talaith rode up to them on a warhorse most of the men stayed away from.
“Why is she here?”
“I have no idea.”
Brastias called to Annwyl, “Talaith approaches!”
Annwyl pushed the body off her sword and turned to face the woman originally sent to kill her. The horse slid to a stop in front of the queen and Talaith dismounted like she’d been born in a saddle.
“Arzhela’s taken Izzy.”
The queen’s green eyes darkened with intent. “What do you need?” Annwyl never wasted time with useless questions like “What happened?” or “When?” Those questions would come later.
“I need Hamish.” She looked at the hundreds of troops between themselves and the Madron leader. “He has the key that will take me to Izzy.”
“I doubt he will just hand it over.”
“He will to me…when I’m done with him.”
Annwyl nodded. “Then follow me. And prepare to put your skills as a killer to use, witch. Brastias, Danelin. Stay behind Talaith.”
Annwyl faced the hordes of warriors, her two swords at the ready. “Anything not in our colors…dies.”
With those last words, Annwyl moved forward and destroyed all in her way.
In the time it took Annwyl to cut through the line of men to get her to Hamish, Talaith had only killed three soldiers. The rest who dared to approach them, the queen dispatched with a swipe of her steel.
No wonder Fearghus didn’t stop her from going into battle. Her rage combined with her battle skills made her one of the deadliest warriors Talaith had ever seen.
Good. She needed this deadly warrior to take her to Hamish. Then she would take it from there.
“Take him, witch. We’ll need to deal with them.”
Hamish’s soldiers attacked the small group, forcing Annwyl to focus her attention elsewhere.
Talaith looked up to see Hamish, in full armor, standing on a high battle carriage so that he could survey the battle around him. He called out orders to his commanders and they called orders to runners. It was a good system, but no one counted on Annwyl’s desire to kill absolutely everything at the moment.
“Well, well. The Betrayer.” Hamish leaned over, staring down at her with a smirk she couldn’t wait to slap off his face. “What’s wrong, love? Missing something?”
His commanders surrounded the carriage, protecting him from the ground soldiers. She had no doubt as soon as the dragons reached this far, he’d move his location. But for now, he was feeling extremely safe.
“You cross worlds to get to your goddess. I need the key that allows it,” she said simply.
“I’m sure you do, but you won’t be getting it from me. Perhaps if you beg her or—”
Unwilling to waste her time, Talaith slashed the throat of the guard nearest her. Another moved on her, but she slipped out of his reach and slashed the throat of another. She went low, slicing the inside thighs of two guards. The back of the ankles of two others. She stuck her blade in the kidney of another, then grabbed hold of the side of the carriage. The blood-covered blade between her teeth, she climbed quickly using only her arms.
Talaith reached the top, but she had to release one hand and lean back to avoid the sword of another soldier. He extended to grab her, allowing Talaith to take hold of his arm and yank him off the carriage. She easily swung herself over the top with her one arm, landing in a crouch in front of a startled and clearly frightened Hamish.
Finally, he went for his sword, but it was too late. Talaith removed one of the pins from the leather of her dagger hilt.
Talaith stuck the pin into key points on Hamish’s face.
Surprised, he only stared at her. Then he dropped, the sound of his armor crashing to the carriage floor harsh even as the sounds of battle and cries of dying men filled her ears.
She slipped the pin back into her dagger and her dagger back into its sheath. “Tell me where the key is and I’ll kill you quick. Play with me and I’ll let you suffer like this until the poison kills you. And I assure you that will be hours from now. Choose.”
He didn’t answer as his body instinctively fought the effects of the poison. But she knew it would only be a matter of time. Hamish lasted until he’d become completely paralyzed, blood streamed from his eyes, and green fluid poured from the side of his mouth.
“Tell me,” she ordered.
“Me,” he puffed out between gasps of excruciating pain.
“What about you?”
“Me,” he said again.
Guessing at what he meant, Talaith went to him and proceeded to remove his armor, cutting the leather strips that held the pieces in place. She reached his chainmail shirt and pushed it up under his chin. Arzhela’s talisman hung from a gold chain, both of which she’d seared into Hamish’s flesh.
Taking her dagger, Talaith touched the blade tip to the chain. No, she’d have to dig it out. So she did. Burying the blade right under his skin and ignoring Hamish’s gurgling screams, she worked the chain and talisman from their resting place. Once she had enough to get a good grip on, she grabbed hold and ripped up. Flesh split apart and blood flew as she tore it from his frame.
Once she had it, she stood.
“Wait,” he demanded when she started to walk away. “Kill me,” he begged. “Promised.”
“Did I? I must have been lying. Enjoy your death, Lord Hamish. May it be long and oh so very painful.”
Now that she had what she wanted, Talaith wasted no more time. She went over the side of the carriage, expertly working her way down until her feet hit land. Most of the soldiers who’d come to help Hamish were dead, Annwyl standing in the middle of bodies and their corresponding pieces.
“I need Morfyd.”
Annwyl leaned her head back and let out a blood-curdling war cry that had the dragon turning in mid-flight and returning to them.
She landed beside Annwyl. “You bellowed?”
“Arzhela’s taken Izzy,” Talaith barked as she strode toward the white dragon. “I need your help.”
“Come.” Morfyd lowered herself so that Talaith could grab her mane and haul herself up.
“And Hamish?” Annwyl asked, although it no longer sounded like she cared.
“He’s still up there. In about two hours, his body will begin to decay…four hours after that he should die. It’s up to you if you want to end his suffering sooner.”
Annwyl raised an eyebrow. “He can stay up there and suffer. Maybe I’ll sell ticket
s.” She reached up and patted Talaith’s foot. “Good luck, sister.”
Talaith nodded, holding onto Morfyd’s mane as they took to the skies.
Briec caught the spear in his hands seconds before it would have slammed into his shoulder. He glared down upon the soldiers who fired it at him. They used a similar device Annwyl used to throw boulders at castles. He saw the men stare up at him and, with a snarl, he headed toward them. The spear still tight in his grasp. As he got close, he threw it, impaling the closest one to the device, then he sprayed row after row of the enemy soldiers with white flame.
When an entire battalion was no more than ashes, he landed on solid ground and Fearghus landed next to him. His older brother surveyed the damage he wrought and turned to him.
“Subtle.”
“They almost wounded me,” he growled.
“Don’t be weak, Briec. I’m sure if you’d been hurt Talaith would have kissed it and made it better.”
Gwenvael landed in front of them. He spat out a pair of soldier’s boots—actually several pairs—and burped.
“I love a good meal.”
Fearghus rolled his eyes. “You’ll be hacking all that up later tonight.”
“No, I won’t. Because I cooked them. I only get ill when Morfyd cooks. Speaking of which…” Gwenvael’s gaze traveled up and he frowned. “If I didn’t know better I’d swear that was Talaith riding on our sister’s back.”
Briec’s head snapped up. Gwenvael saw true. Talaith, who’d rather eat nails than ride a dragon anywhere, clung to his sister’s back as they headed off away from battle.
More of Hamish’s troops took that moment to attack, but Fearghus motioned him away. “Go. Find out what’s wrong. We’ll take care of them.” He sneered at the soldiers before letting loose a stream of flame. Briec wasted no more time. He took to the skies and followed his sister to one of the many lakes that dotted the lands of Dark Plains.
He landed as Talaith slipped from Morfyd’s back.