As Brannie yawned and dropped her bedroll on the ground, she noticed Keita standing off to the side, staring up at the sky.

Brannie would never call her cousin pensive. Far from it. This was usually Keita’s time to shine. Flirting with the males and joking with the cousins. But she’d been of few words for hours now.

At first, Brannie was just going to get some sleep and leave her cousin to whatever her problems were, but . . . that simply didn’t feel right. She didn’t dislike Keita. She was annoyed by her. And some days she wanted to punch the little twat in the throat, but they were still kin.

Leaving her bedding, Brannie walked over to Keita, standing next to her.

“You all right, cousin?” she asked when Keita didn’t acknowledge her.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re worried about Ren,” Brannie guessed.

“Concerned.”

“We’ll do our best . . . to find him, I mean. Promise.”

Keita glanced at her, forced a smile. “I know.”

Keita headed to her own bedroll, which was placed near Uther and Caswyn because Brannie knew that pair would destroy anyone or thing that came too close to her cousin.

Brannie returned to her own bed and as she snuggled down, she saw that the always observant Aidan was watching her, his brows raised in question.

She only had to tilt her head a bit, shoulders giving a tiny shrug for him to understand her perfectly. Of course, they’d been in battle together for years now and Aidan had been protecting his Mì-runach brethren from her since the beginning. The dragon knew how to read her.

With a sweet, understanding smile, he stretched out on his own bedroll. Brannie followed suit, her hands behind her head, her gaze focused on the sky above.

Except for Caswyn’s intolerable snoring, it was a nice evening.

And probably the last one they’d have for a very long time.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

It was late when Rhi tracked her great-aunt down, with her twin cousins following right behind.

They didn’t like to let her “go off by yourself. Who knows what trouble you’ll get into?”

Talan and Talwyn still acted as if she were five winters old. It was irritating. She could take care of herself, thank you very much!

But that said . . . she didn’t mind them attaching themselves to her when she had to face Brigida the Most Foul. That she’d rather not do on her own.

Brigida stood in a burnt-out clearing where giant trees used to live and thrive. She was in her dragon form, and a wounded horse was screaming as it tried to get away from the beast looming over it.

The She-dragon stared down at the poor animal, fighting to get back on its feet, but she didn’t attack right off. She stared first. And Rhi got the distinct feeling the old Dragonwitch was enjoying the animal’s suffering.