Although Brannie still had on her chain mail leggings, her shirt and boots were lying across the tent with her travel bag. Of course, she could shift to dragon but she might hurt Bolormaa and, as far as she could tell, the shamaness had helped her. So that would have to be a last ditch option.

She pressed the cloth against her head and made a quick scan of the room, looking for something she could turn into a weapon while letting her cousin do what she did so well.

Annoy people.

“Batu!” Keita cheered, throwing her arms around the big man with braided hair and a large, long beard. “I’m so glad you’re here! Brannie just woke up. Branwen, this is Batu the Iron Hearted. Batu, this is Brannie.”

Brannie eyed Batu—the brutal leader of these tribes—and he eyed her back.

“You,” he said, turning his attention to Keita, “did not tell me everything.”

“What didn’t I tell you?”

“You are not human.”

“Oh, gods no!” Keita laughed. “Wouldn’t that be horrible? Yuck!”

“Keita!” Brannie barked.

She dismissed Brannie with a wave. “Ignore her. She’s very sensitive to the needs of humans.”

“She looks like man.”

“Fuck you,” Brannie snapped back.

“Now, now. Everyone be calm. It’s important we get this moving.”

“Get what moving?” Batu demanded. “You need to leave, She-dragon.”

“Why would you throw me out when I can give you what you want?”

“What? What can you give me?”

Keita’s grin was ridiculously wide. “An alliance . . . with the Empress.”

Frowning, Batu stared at Keita. Then he turned to Brannie.

They both exploded into hysterical laughter at the same time.

Keita crossed her arms over her chest and tapped one bare foot.

“And what, exactly, do you two think is so funny?”

“You!” they laughingly yelled out at the same time.

* * *

Aidan moved deeper into the palace’s first floor.

The ceilings were so high and the room itself so big, that he was really tempted to call out to see if his voice echoed.

Gods, he didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to be doing this. He wanted to be with Brannie. He wanted to know she was safe. What if he never saw her again?

A small group of Eastland dragons in their human form stood in a circle across the hall. They were whispering and seemed concerned about something. Probably palace politics, which Aidan assumed were just like court politics.

Now standing in the middle of the hall, Aidan looked around and wondered what he should do next. Keep standing here? Find a room for everyone? Melt one of the gold dragon statues with his flame?

Aidan almost smiled at his ridiculous thoughts but then someone slammed into his back, which seemed rather on purpose since there was no one else in the entire giant room other than his small group and the small group of Eastland dragons.