But it was hard. The Zealots were screaming and running in such a panic that he couldn’t help himself.

His laughter died, though, when Caswyn exploded with, “Keita’s gone!”

“Gone? Gone where?”

“We have no idea,” Uther explained while snapping a Zealot’s neck. “We went to get her something to eat and when we came back—”

“You left her?”

“Who knew she’d wander off?”

Aidan yanked his sword out of a Zealot’s gut. “Keita doesn’t wander anywhere. Don’t let her bare feet fool you. That dragoness always has a plan.”

He looked around, pointed at a door with his blood-covered sword. “There. The dungeon. Let’s get Brannie and get out of here.”

“What about Keita?”

“She’ll find us when she’s done.”

Caswyn yanked the spine out of a Zealot’s back before asking, wide-eyed, “When she’s done doing what?”

“Let’s not ask. Let’s just get Brannie.”

* * *

It didn’t matter that Keita couldn’t find Ren’s body. She knew her friend was gone. Dead. And that these people had killed him.

Standing among all those “purified” bodies, Keita closed her fist and raised her face to the sky. Rain poured down and mingled with her tears.

Tears for her friend.

She had more to do, but not before she got revenge for Ren, before she made these Zealots suffer.

And they would suffer....

* * *

“Move to the back,” Brannie ordered the Riders. “As far back as you can.”

Once the three women had gotten in place, Brannie went to the side of the cage and studied a spot she hoped would be easily melted by fire.

She also hoped that she wouldn’t burn any of the Riders when she unleashed her flame. Some dragons had amazing control of their flame. It was said the queen could use her flame like a whip. But that was the queen. When Brannie unleashed her flame, she could easily wipe out a small forest. Once she took out half a town. She’d felt really bad about that, too.

She’d warned the Riders of the risk, though, and they didn’t seem to care. Of course, they had a thing about dying . . . they weren’t afraid to. But she’d never hear the end of it from Celyn if she ended up accidentally killing Elina’s sister.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Just go already!” Kachka bellowed.

“All right. All right.”

Brannie let out a breath, focused on a spot, and opened her mouth—

“Brannie!”

Growling, she turned to see Aidan and the other two barreling into the dungeon. Aidan quickly came forward, while Caswyn and Uther slammed the double doors shut.

“We have a problem,” Aidan told her as soon as he was close enough.

“What did they do now?”

“It’s not their fault.”

“Don’t make excuses for them. Just tell me what’s going on.”

He swallowed. “Keita disappeared.”