“Perhaps you shouldn’t then,” Briec replied. “Bother, I mean.”

“Can you get Annwyl back?” Izzy asked.

“I have no idea where she is.”

“Then what can you help with?”

“Preparing for what’s coming our way.” She rested against her walking stick and Briec noticed that the old She-dragon was having trouble breathing. She was as worn down as he’d ever seen her. But he wouldn’t count Brigida the Most Foul out yet. No. Not her.

Only a fool would do that. And Briec was no fool.

At first, he’d traveled down the road of the Battle Mage, learning about magicks and the spells that controlled them. But his interest hadn’t lasted and he had ended up becoming a Dragonwarrior instead, much to his mother’s disappointment and his father’s surprise.

Briec still remembered enough about the world of magicks and mystics, though, to know and see real power when it was staring him in the face. Even when that face was a little hard to look at.

“With the human queen gone,” Brigida went on, “you risk that human army of yours losing its focus. Or making a run for it.”

“Won’t happen,” Izzy quickly said. “We’re not just fighting for Annwyl; we’re fighting for our country. Our people—”

“Blah, blah, blah. No one cares.”

Izzy shook her head and paced away.

“One queen is gone, most likely never to return—”

“I wouldn’t say that around Fearghus,” Briec muttered.

“—and the Dragon Queen is about to release her deadliest weapon. Your father, Bercelak the Great.”

“He is unpleasant. Some see that as deadly.”

“We either win here or we die trying. I’m here to help you win.”

Briec stared at his ancient relative. “And what do you get out of us winning, Brigida the Most Foul? Until the twins and my Rhi were born, none of our kin had seen you in centuries. Now you’re here, fighting by our side.” He looked her over once. “Why?”

“Smarter than your brothers, ain’t ya?”

“Not smarter. More cynical.”

Brigida’s true smile lifted one corner of her face. The part of her face without the vicious scars from lip to just below her eye. Like she’d been swiped by a clawed animal. Except there was no clawed animal in the natural world that could harm a dragon in that way. And he doubted a fellow dragon would even try something like that with Brigida.

“We don’t have much time,” she told them. “We need to get everybody together and get this moving. Once your father’s here . . .”

“What about Annwyl?” Izzy demanded as Brigida headed toward the tent flap.

“What about her?”

“We have to get her back.”

Brigida stopped and looked over her shoulder at Izzy, her sneer vicious.

“It’s too late for all that.”

“Yeah,” Briec felt the need to point out once more, “I really would not say that to Fearghus.”

Chapter Six

It took four hours, but they eventually reached Keita’s “friends’” castle. Human royals who said they were loyal to Queen Annwyl.