Walking quickly but not running, they headed toward the boat. But as Aidan was about to pass a still-watchful Zoya, she caught hold of his arm to halt him.

“What?” he asked.

She motioned behind him, her confused gaze focused in the same direction.

Aidan looked over his shoulder, expecting to see more of the robed assassins coming for Keita but . . . no. That was not what had Zoya’s attention.

It was Branwen. She still stood by the crates.

Surprised, Aidan rushed back to her side. “Come on,” he urged. “We have to move.”

“You know, I was thinking . . .”

She was thinking? Now? When they were trying to avoid those trying to kill them?

“Why don’t I stay here? Take care of those pesky assassins?”

Pesky?

“That way we can be sure that you guys . . . you know . . . get away. Safely and all.”

“What are you talking about?”

Keita appeared at his side, Kachka behind her.

“What’s going on?” Keita asked.

“I was thinking I should stay here,” Brannie said, her gaze seemingly locked on the ground.

“Take care of those pesky assassins,” Aidan added, frowning at Keita.

“If we get on the boat and get out of here,” Keita reasoned, “we won’t have to worry about anyone. So let’s go.”

Brannie lifted her head, looked at all of them, then said, “I’m . . . I’m not leaving my troops. I’m going back to the front.”

Keita threw up her hands. “Are we actually here again?”

“We’re here again,” Brannie insisted. “I’m not leaving my . . . my men . . . for anyone. Including you, cousin. So there!”

Keita let out a disgusted sound from the back of her throat. “I don’t have time for this centaur shit. Kachka, grab her and let’s go.”

Without question, Kachka reached out and grabbed Brannie’s arm . . . and that’s when everything went particularly strange.

“No, no, no, no, nooooo!” Brannie abruptly screeched, yanking her arm away from a stunned Kachka. “None of you are getting me on that fucking death trap!”

“Branwen!” Keita barked.

“I’ll die here, thank you! Here on land! You can go out there”—she waved her hands wildly in front of her—“and die on the open seas! I’m staying right here! Right here until the end of time!”

Mouths open, Aidan and Keita looked at each other, the princess’s eyes as wide as his own, he was sure.

Kachka leaned forward and told them calmly, “Could be wrong, dragons, but I think mighty warrior . . . terrified of ocean.”

* * *

Branwen couldn’t think straight. She just knew—knew!—she wasn’t getting on that death trap and allowing it to drag her out into the middle of an angry ocean where they might or might not get to the other side.

No. No! Never!