But Brannie wasn’t about to let that happen to anyone on Annwyl’s lands and definitely not to humans who had offered them food, protection, and healing.

She cracked her neck and lifted her weapon, ready to attack, when she saw Keita step out of the safety of the castle.

“Greetings, my one-god-loving friends!” the little idiot called.

Brannie gritted her teeth. “What is wrong with her?”

“What is she doing out there?”

Jerking at Uther’s voice behind her, Brannie ended up gritting her teeth again. Damn Mì-runach. She hated when they snuck up on her.

“Don’t do that,” she growled at him.

“Learn to hear better,” Uther chastised. And she briefly thought about slapping him. Not hitting, just slapping. Until he cried like a babe.

“What’s going on?” Caswyn asked, coming up behind Uther.

“Why are you up?” she asked. He still looked weak but much better than he had the night before.

“You can’t expect me to lie around when danger is near.”

“I expect you to not undo what the healer has accomplished, idiot.”

“You must be better,” Uther joked. “She’s back to abusing you.”

“You both make it so easy,” she muttered, looking back. That’s when she caught the horrifying sight of Keita . . . gesturing to Brannie to come out.

“What is she doing?” Brannie demanded.

“I think she just . . . revealed our location to the enemy.” Uther shook his head. “Would she really do that?”

Brannie sighed. “Probably.”

“Why would she do that?”

“We’re dragons,” Brannie explained, pushing the doors all the way open. “She probably thinks we could just burn them all to death. So why hide?”

“If we shift now or unleash our flame, all the humans die. Including her precious royal friends.”

Brannie glanced at Uther. “You have no idea how sad it is to me as a Cadwaladr to know that my cousin is even more stupid than you two.”

* * *

Aidan stayed hidden on the roof of the stables until Keita looked right at him and, with a smile, told him to come down.

Now he had no chance. Zealots with bows aimed arrows at him until he jumped down to the ground.

He’d never thought Keita could be so stupid . . . but she was. She was that stupid.

Aidan stood by a seething Brannie. He thought it was best if he stayed close to her to prevent her from killing her cousin. Because he only had to look at her face to see that’s exactly what she was planning to do.

“Now see?” Keita said to the priest. “We’re all friends here. No need to lie or hide things. Yes?”

“Your honesty is a true blessing, my lady. My god will be happy to have you on our side.”

“Oh, I’m sure he will. I am absolutely delightful.” Keita pressed her hands to her face. “But the eye thing . . . I can’t do that. My eyes are just too beautiful. As is my face. Actually, everything about me is beautiful. To destroy that for some god I could not care less about seems absolutely ridiculous, don’t you think?”