“So much decadence,” she observed. “I never thought I’d know others more decadent than Southlanders, but I was wrong. Look at all this! Their people starve while they live in gold house.”

Trying not to pant, Aidan reminded Zoya, “We don’t know that their people are starving, Zoya. And shut up.”

The Empress’s army had stayed at the bottom of the stairs, but the general was waiting for them.

“The Empress and her court are expecting you,” he said with a sweeping arm.

A loud gong sounded somewhere and the tall, gold doors were pushed open by burly servants.

“Such imperialist scum!” Zoya cheered. “I cannot wait to meet them!”

“I told you we should have cut her throat so she could not speak,” Nina grumbled.

Aidan scratched his head and took a second to get his breath back. That’s when he realized that no one was moving and they were all staring at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Well,” Uther said, pointing to the open palace doors, “go on.”

“Wait . . . you want me to go in first? Why? I’m not in charge.”

“With Keita and Branwen gone, of course you are in charge, dragon,” Kachka explained. “You cannot send Zoya. She will call them all imperialist, decadent scum.”

“I will!” Zoya said proudly.

“I cannot do it,” Kachka went on, “because I will also call them imperialist, decadent scum. Nina is just disturbing and untrustworthy.”

“It is true,” Nina replied blandly. “But I like that about myself.”

“And these two”—Kachka gestured to Uther and Caswyn with a jerk of her head—“are idiots.”

“She’s right,” Uther agreed. “We are idiots. You go.”

Growling, but knowing they were all right, Aidan walked in first, and the rest of them followed.

But he had barely stepped inside before he had to stop, gawking at the beauty and, as Zoya had accused, the decadence.

So much decadence.

He didn’t know anyone lived this way, dragons or otherwise.

The entire building was made out of gold and copper. The throne at the very end of the main hall was made out of gold and covered in massive jewels. He had expected the palace to be large, but he’d never known how large it would be. Big enough that dragons Éibhear’s size could be in their natural form and not smash their heads on the ceilings. And based on the design of those ceilings, the other floors were strong enough that dragons could stand without worrying they’d crash through and kill whomever was beneath.

“So much . . . everything,” he whispered.

“You’d lose your soul here, dragon,” Kachka said, patting him on the back. “And those who lose their souls, I and my comrades eventually come to kill.” She winked at him and pushed him forward. “Go now, Aidan the Divine. And introduce us to this Empress of decadence.”

* * *

The counterattack from the Zealots started before dawn.