by G. A. Aiken
“What is it? What’s wrong?”
Talaith glanced at Morfyd. “Get started,” she ordered. Then she walked over to Briec. “I have to go,” she said to him, so calmly it made his blood run cold.
Behind them, Morfyd began chanting, calling on the most powerful of Magicks. He didn’t want to know why. He wanted to grab Talaith and take her home. Back to his den where he could keep her safe.
“Go? Go where?”
“She’s taken Izzy, Briec.”
He knew Talaith meant that bitch goddess, Arzhela. Briec shifted and, as human, grabbed Talaith by the shoulders. “You can’t face her alone.”
“I can. And I will. You can’t protect me from this, Briec. No one can.”
“Just listen—”
“Shhh.” She placed her hand gently against his mouth. “There’s nothing to discuss. Not when it comes to my Izzy. We both know that.”
Gods, he was going to lose her. Again. “Talaith, please…please don’t do this.”
She smiled and he felt his heart rip apart in his chest. “I want you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Take care of Izzy for me. No matter what happens, protect her.”
He cupped her cheek in his hand. “She’s my daughter as you are my mate, little witch. She’ll always be protected by me and my kin. You’ll never have to worry about that.”
She nodded. “I know.” She removed the necklace he’d given her, unable to take it with her, and pressed it into his palm. Then she said the words he never thought he’d hear from her. “I trust you, Briec.”
He kissed her, pouring every ounce of feeling he had for this difficult woman into that one kiss, hoping she’d understand how much she meant to him. How much she’d always mean to him. Her kiss back was just as strong, her hands desperately clinging to him.
He held on until she abruptly pulled back, taking several shaky steps away from him. “I love you, Briec,” she choked out. “I’ll always love you. Never forget that.”
She turned and walked away from him, into the middle of a circle his sister had drawn in the wet, lake-side dirt with the tip of her tail. Talaith quickly removed her clothes, tossing them out of the circle.
She stopped briefly to take her dagger from its sheath. Then she kicked her boots and the sheath away from the circle as well.
Naked, Talaith knelt in the sand and raised her arms above her head. Morfyd walked around her three times, chanting. When she stopped, the circle roared to life with flame.
Ignoring the fire surrounding her, she cried, “I give you my life’s blood!” The winds suddenly whipped up, pushing Briec’s hair across his face as he watched his woman slash her forearm. Her life’s blood poured down her brown skin, pooling in the sand.
“Take me!” she screamed to the howling wind.
And then she was gone.
Briec sat hard on the ground, his head in his hands. But he could hear his sister’s soft words through the dying wind…
“Peace go with you, my sister.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Izzy pushed herself as close to the tree as she could manage as Arzhela walked closer to her.
She was beautiful, Izzy’d give her that. Especially here in Arzhela’s natural home. If she weren’t terrified, Izzy would roll in the tall grass or climb the enormous trees with the thick branches overloaded with green, gold and red leaves. She’d swim in the rushing river or lie under this place’s one sun and sleep like her old dog Gruffy used to—belly up and snoring.
But she wasn’t with her Protectors, safe and cared for. Or torturing the blue dragon she thought so adorable. And she definitely wasn’t safe with her mother and her dragon love, Briec.
Izzy was very much alone with a very angry goddess who hated her mother beyond reason.
I could definitely be in a better place at the moment.
Still, she reminded herself to be thankful for the little things…at least she was fully dressed since she came to this beautiful world with the goddess herself. Being naked now could be quite awkward.
Especially with Arzhela kneeling in front of her. Her gold waist-length hair hung in thick ringlets and she wore a garland of yellow and white flowers. Izzy didn’t think she was evil, simply a god who existed in fear. And that’s why she ruled with fear. It was all she knew.
“Tell me, little one, all these years I could not find you. Why?”
Did she really expect her to answer that question? Lying. Yes, at the moment, lying was her best friend.
“I don’t know, my…my goddess.” She stammered over the words because Arzhela would never be a goddess she worshiped. Not ever.
The goddess’ Crystal blue eyes narrowed on Izzy’s face. “Lie to me if you’d like, little one. It won’t stop me from destroying your mother.”
“Why do you hate her so much?”
A small white hand reached out to stroke Iseabail’s cheek. Somehow she managed not to cringe away from that touch. Instead she focused on something else. She thought of Briec and his brother Gwenvael. Yesterday, they’d caught her trying to mount one of the warhorses. After warning her how dangerous it was—especially with dragons around, which often led to unsteady horses rearing—Briec grabbed her under the arms and swung her around. Then he tossed her to his brother, and Gwenvael threw her in the air. She laughed and screamed until her mother came and almost took off poor Gwenvael’s head. Even funnier was how Briec lied and said he was just telling Gwenvael to put her down.
There she was safe. There she would be again. She had no doubt about that. She would believe it until the Old Ones of Alsandair called her home. As long as she believed it, Arzhela couldn’t touch her.
“She’s coming for you. Nothing you can do about it,” Arzhela gloated.
Izzy already knew that. She knew it like she knew the depth and dimensions of the scar on her leg she obtained when she found herself nearly impaled on a fence when she was ten.
Her mother would come for her. And when she did, Izzy would hide until the battle was over and her mother took her home.
“You are bleeding to death.”
Slowly, Talaith rolled on her back. “I know.”
“Why would you cut yourself like that?”
“I had to get your attention.”
A black talon passed over her body. A black talon as big as her. Normally something she’d cringe about and at, but nothing scared her at the moment. Nothing but the thought of losing her daughter.
“You can get up now.”
Talaith pushed herself up. The weakness she’d been feeling when she cut the vein in her arm was gone. She felt strong. Powerful. She stood and raised her eyes to the awesome being before her.
“My Lord,” she greeted while bowing her head in respect.
He snorted. “You couldn’t make that sound right if you tried.”
Damn. Even worse…she had been trying.
“Please. My daughter…”
“I know, Talaith. I know. I always know where my Izzy is.”
She lost her ability to look contrite and fearful in front of a god. Her eyes snapped up to Rhydderch Hael’s and she no longer bothered to hide her anger.
“Then why the hell did you let her go? Why did you let Arzhela take her?”
Rhydderch Hael revealed rows and rows and rows of fangs. A smile, she now knew. “Now where did my scared little god-fearing mouse go?”
“She trusts you.”
“She trusts you more.” She wondered if that upset him, but he didn’t seem upset.
“What do you want from me?”
Rhydderch Hael sat his black dragon body back on his haunches. She’d thought Briec and his brothers were enormous. Not even close. She couldn’t even see where his body ended. She’d glimpsed the tip of his tail, which resembled a spiked broadsword created for a giant. She also noticed that unlike the dragons she now knew, he didn’t have two horns, but twelve. His hair, although primarily black, had every shade she’d ever seen i
n nature rippling through it. But his eyes…his eyes were thoughtful and wise beyond the ages. They were also a bright violet. Just like her Briec’s.
“You’ve wondered something since Izzy came back into your life. Ask me now.”
She controlled her urge to tell the beast to stop testing her and help her get her daughter back, but she’d dealt with Arzhela long enough to know when to push a god and when not.
Taking a deep breath, she asked honestly, “Why didn’t you just kill me when you knew what Arzhela was up to? Why did you protect Izzy when you could have killed me and just ended it? And killed Izzy for that matter.”
“Because that wouldn’t have ended it. By having you, she didn’t bother with other attempts. If I’d killed you it would have gone on and on until she killed Annwyl. And when Annwyl and Fearghus found each other, I knew…knew they were the ones.”
“The ones to breed your…” She shrugged. “What exactly are you having them breed?”
“Nothing she can’t handle the birth of,” he vaguely answered. “That woman won’t let anyone or anything hurt what she loves. And she loves like she hates—passionately and until the end of her days.”
“And I still live because…”
“Even gods need to sleep every once in a while, Talaith. No, I needed Annwyl to live until my Moon was full in the sky. Then I let the Magick do the rest.”
“Huh. Aye. Thanks for that by the way.”
There went those fangs again. “As if you didn’t enjoy it, Briec’s sweet Talaith.”
Talaith blushed and looked away from the smirking bastard.
“I knew if I protected Izzy, blocked her from Arzhela’s sight, I’d keep her safe while forcing Arzhela to focus solely on you until she knew exactly who she wanted dead. She couldn’t risk you meeting your daughter before then. She just never expected Briec to be in your village that day.”
Talaith’s eyes snapped to Rhydderch Hael’s gold ones. “You sent Briec?”
“No. I don’t send anyone. Unlike you humans, my people are much more…independent. I can open doorways, but it’s up to them to walk through. No. I only made it rather necessary for one of Fearghus’ brothers to go. When I realized it was Briec, I knew the only way I could ensure he would take you was if you were in danger. And even then, there were no guarantees.”
“You turned my husband against me.”
“Oh, he’s always hated you. All I need do was light the flint. Of course, I never knew Briec would keep you.” The god chuckled. “I thought he’d drop you off in the nearest town. Izzy and her Protectors were already headed that way and Annwyl was heading home to Fearghus. Everything was in place as I’d been planning for years. But when that arrogant bastard wouldn’t release you, I had to scramble for ideas.” He looked Talaith up and down. “Although I can see why he would keep you.”
At her glare, he continued. “I warned Morfyd of your coming—because I knew with you still thinking Izzy was in danger, you’d continue to be a true threat to the queen—and started the storms to slow everyone down until you were on the move again. We had a wee bit of extra time, so I didn’t worry much. I assumed Briec would tire of you quickly. But he didn’t, did he? You must be quite the fantasy come to life to hold on to our dear Briec.”
She knew it now—she really and truly hated gods.
“All that’s fascinating, but it still doesn’t explain—at least to my satisfaction—why I still live.”
“We can’t cross realms, Talaith. Not like you humans—with your soft, pliable skin.”
“You need me to get you into Arzhela’s realm.”
“Someone as strong as you anyway. I could have used Annwyl, but I have other plans for her. Besides, she’d never be able to get Arzhela’s talisman. It would have killed her merely to touch it. But you’ve been chosen by Arzhela herself, and she still wants you alive—even if it is for revenge at this point.”
His giant dragon head cocked to the side. “You do have the talisman, don’t you?”
Talaith held up her hand, the blood encrusted talisman still clutched by her fingers.
“Good. Good. Now we can get this underway. But first, you must give yourself to me freely, Talaith, Daughter of Haldane.”
If she’d followed the Nolwenn path she wouldn’t have called a goddess or god to enter her until she was well into her three hundredth winter. She wouldn’t have had the power, strength or guts to do it beforehand. But Arzhela, damn her, made it impossible for her to wait now.
Because Talaith would do anything, give anything, to make sure her daughter made it back alive. And Rhydderch Hael knew it. He knew if Arzhela got her hands on Izzy, Talaith would stop at nothing to get her back. That’s why he allowed Arzhela to take her.
At least now, Talaith had no fear as she had before. Because she knew Rhydderch Hael would destroy Arzhela and then he would send Izzy back to Briec. And Briec and his kin would take care of Izzy until her daughter’s final days.
Hell, that was more than she would have hoped for two moons ago.
“I give myself to you freely.”
“Good.” Then Rhydderch Hael took that talon that had healed her only minutes before and tore her open from bowel to throat.
Arzhela smelled the little bitch as soon as she walked through the portal. She couldn’t wait to have fun with this one.
She couldn’t wait to pull her heart out through her mouth.
No one betrayed her. No one.
And if Talaith, Daughter of Haldane thought she’d be grabbing her little scum spot and taking her out of here alive, she and that light-eyed freak were sorely mistaken.
Besides, she needed Talaith’s body. With it, she could get past Rhydderch Hael’s protections and destroy Annwyl the Bloody with her bare hands before the bitch ever had a chance to breed anything.
But first…first she would savor this bitch’s screams.
Plastering on her best and softest smile, she turned and faced Talaith. Naked, which was required to pass from her world to Arzhela’s unless escorted by a god as Iseabail was, Talaith stared at her blankly. Already terrified and Arzhela hadn’t done anything to her yet. Or her whelp.
“You don’t have to be afraid, Talaith,” she lied. She never felt honesty was all that important when it came to the humans. “I merely want to talk.”
She walked toward Talaith, glancing at the woman’s daughter still cowering by her favorite tree. The girl stared at her mother as if she’d never seen her before.
She stood a ram’s length from Talaith. “Come, my daughter. Let us sit. And talk.” She held out her hand and Talaith looked at it blankly. “Just talk, Talaith. I promise.”
Talaith grabbed hold of Arzhela’s hand and that’s when Arzhela yanked her close and wrapped her free hand around the woman’s throat.
“Betray me, you little bitch?” she snarled. “For that, you’ll get to watch your daughter die.”
Talaith said nothing as she took her own free hand, grasped the one at her throat and slowly pulled it off by bending Arzhela’s fingers back.
Confused, Arzhela tried to fight back, but Talaith’s strength was formidable. She dragged the goddess’ hands from her body. Once free, she grabbed both sides of Arzhela’s head and held her.
“My sweet, sweet Arzhela. I’ve waited so long for this. So long for you.”
And that’s when she knew. Arzhela knew what that betraying little bitch had done.
“No!” She struggled to get away but Rhydderch Hael, who’d finally found a way into her realm, merely smiled Talaith’s smile.
“No, no. Don’t fight, my sweet. There’s no point in fighting.”
“Release me, Rhydderch Hael! My brothers and sisters know you’re here. They’ll come to protect me!”
The god shook Talaith’s head. “No. They don’t know and they won’t. Talaith’s lovely body hides my presence nicely, does it not?”
“Bastard,” she spit at him in her rage.
Rhydderch Hael snorted. “Thousands a
nd thousands of years and you still haven’t changed, you worthless little bitch.”
“Go to hell!”
“You first.” He threw her—in her own realm—and she slammed into one of the trees she loved. Landing hard on the ground, Arzhela looked up in time to see blue, black and orange flame shoot out from Talaith’s every pore, before it smothered Arzhela in its embrace.
Izzy watched Rhydderch Hael walk up to her in her mother’s body.
Tears streaming down her face, she watched him crouch in front of her.
“What is it, my little Izzy?”
“I want my mother.” She sounded like a child. But at the moment, she really didn’t care. “You promised me I’d have her.”
“And you did.”
Her tears turned to sobs. “You can’t take her from me now. Please. Don’t take her from me now.”
The god tilted Talaith’s head. “I do this for you, what will you give me, my little Izzy?”
Now she understood what her mother had been trying to tell her all this time—with gods there was always a price to pay. But for the woman who gave her life for her there was no other choice.
“My undying loyalty. That is all I have to offer. All I can willingly give.”
The god smiled her mother’s smile. “That is all any god can ask, my little Izzy.”
Her mother’s body stood and the god held out her mother’s hand. “Then take my hand, little Izzy. Your dragon kin awaits you.”
Morfyd dropped her arms. “It’s no use.”
Briec rubbed his eyes with his knuckles. “Try again.”
“I can try until the end of time, brother. But Rhydderch Hael will do what Rhydderch Hael wants.”
For hours he and his kin waited. Morfyd had healed everyone’s wounds. The lot of them shifted to human and put on their clothes. Then they waited for Talaith and Izzy to return. But still nothing. Even when Morfyd tried again and again to call on Rhydderch Hael, hoping he’d send them back, nothing happened.
“So now what?” Even Gwenvael’s frustration was showing. “We can’t leave them there.”
Frustrated herself, Morfyd growled, “I wasn’t planning to.”