And to be honest, she could barely wait. Because none of these beings, dragon or human, knew what true suffering was. But Vateria would be more than happy to teach them.

She’d teach them all.

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Keita walked into the tribal leader’s tent, briefly turning to slap off the hands trying to stop her.

“Go away!” she snapped at one of the soldiers.

“But—” one tried to argue.

Waving her hands, she shooed them from the tent and turned to face the sleeping Batu the Iron Hearted.

Stepping over pillows, silk bedding, and naked female asses, Keita stopped by the man’s side.

She tapped at him with the side of her foot. When that didn’t wake him, she yelled, “Oy!”

Batu’s head jerked up, his black-and-blond braids covering his face and beard. “What . . . what’s happening?”

“We need to talk. Mind getting rid of your whores?”

Keita walked over to a small table that had a chalice and a decanter. She sniffed the liquid inside the decanter, decided it smelled tolerable, and poured herself a chalice-full.

Sipping what turned out to be a very nice wine, Keita watched Batu get to his feet. He wasn’t as tall as she expected, but he was frighteningly broad. Although she had a few cousins who were weirdly wide like that.

“Everyone out!” he bellowed, standing in the middle of all those silk pillows. It was sort of ridiculous, but the way everyone ran for their lives . . .

Glaring at Keita, he pointed his finger. “And you—”

“Look,” she cut in, “normally, I’d let you swagger all over the place. Let you beat your chest and be very manly before I use my skills to turn you into my puppet.”

“I am puppet for no woman.”

“Then I would have killed you.” She smiled. “Because that’s what I do and I do it well. But I’m not doing that because I am very short on time. I mean, things changed when I realized who exactly was trying to kill me. And it isn’t the Empress, which is surprising because I was absolutely going to kill her.”

Batu leaned in. “Go away, crazed female.”

“Batu—”

“Great Leader.”

Keita laughed and patted his shoulder. “Yeah, right. Anyway, Batu, I’ve decided that we can work together. Get what we both want.”

“I want nothing from you. I don’t even want to kidnap you for ransom. I want you to go away.”

“That is not going to happen when I have a great opportunity for you.”

“I do not want your opportunity.”

“Of course you do.”

“I do not.”

“Why are you arguing with me? You know I’m right.”

“I know I want you to go away.”

Keita rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like my mother.”

“Even your mother does not want you.”

Laughing, Keita slung her arm around Batu. “You are so adorable. I think we’ll work well together.”