Rhi looked away as the twins stood on either side of her.

“Do it, Rhi,” Talan urged.

With a nod, Rhi crouched low and touched the burnt ground. She buried her fingers deep and closed her eyes. Power slipped from her fingers, cutting through the earth until it reached the horse. Its entire body tensed and it screamed out one last time before mercifully dying.

Talan crouched down beside Rhi and he also dug his fingers into the soil as she pulled hers free. His power, dark and uncompromising, flew from his hand, through the dirt, and into the horse. Its eyes turned red and the animal scrambled to its feet. It still bled from its many wounds and was no longer alive, but now undead.

Sucking her tongue against her fangs, Brigida glanced back at the three of them.

“Always ruining my fun, ain’tcha?”

“You don’t toy with an animal like that,” Rhi chastised. “It’s wrong and you know it.”

“Depends on who you pull your power from, little girl.” Sitting back on her hind legs, she used her forearm to grab her walking stick. It lengthened and grew until she had to use both front claws to handle it. “My masters don’t care what I do, as long as I make me sacrifices.”

Rhi had long ago stopped asking her great-aunt what sacrifices those were. She honestly didn’t want to know.

Walking away from Rhi and Talan, Talwyn moved closer to Brigida, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why are you here, Brigida?” she demanded.

“To help me kin,” Brigida replied before she slammed the end of her staff into the undead horse. She beat its head until it stopped moving.

“Don’t give us that centaur shit, old bitch,” Talwyn snapped. “We know you. Why are you really here? What do you hope to gain?”

Brigida didn’t answer right away. She was too busy picking up the horse’s undead remains and shoving it into her maw.

Rhi glanced at Talan, her face—she was sure—showing her full disgust. Everyone knew that the remains of a reanimated animal or human were not for eating. As soon as Talan’s magicks touched one of his victims, the soul was immediately forced out and the insides turned fetid.

But there Brigida was, gulping down that horse with ease. After a few minutes, she burped and happily stretched. As though she’d just dined on tea and cakes.

Flames exploded around the old She-dragon and she was in her human form again. She slipped on her wool dress and pulled on her gray cloak. Then, leaning heavily on her walking stick, she slowly limped her way over to them.

“Your grandfather will be here soon enough,” Brigida said as she moved. “I want to make sure we’re ready for him when the time comes.”

“If Grandfather comes here,” Rhi reminded her, “you know what he will do.”