The Dragon Who Loved Me (Dragon Kin #5)(66)

“Now,” Annwyl began, “tel me how you knew I was here.”

“You were seen,” the commander said through blood and broken teeth.

“Now, now. Don’t lie. I am so very good at spotting liars. So don’t lie to me. How did you know I was here? That I was coming?”

“You were seen,” the commander said again, glaring at her through the eye not swol en shut.

Annwyl let out a sigh, stood, and slashed her sword. It moved so quickly, Rhona barely saw it, but she heard the screaming of the commander, saw blood pouring from where Annwyl had hacked off the fingers of his left hand. She crouched in front of him again.

“Let’s try this again. How did you know I was coming? That I was here?”

Panting, gritting his teeth against the pain, “Got a message from Lady Vateria’s mage.”

“She has her own personal mage? How nice. And what’s his name?”

When he didn’t answer, Annwyl began to stand.

“Junius,” the commander said quickly. “Lord Junius.”

Annwyl returned to her position in front of the Sovereign. “And how did he know?” The commander shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“No. You probably don’t.” She reached over to him with her free hand and wiped a splatter of blood away from his jaw. Kind of ludicrous since he was covered in the stuff. His own and that of his men. “But I bet you know where I can find someone else.” She briefly pursed her lips. “Someone important.” She patted his chest. “Tel me where to find Gaius Lucius Domitus.” This time the commander didn’t bother lying; he simply shook his head. “Never. I am a soldier of the Sovereign Provinces and I’l never—” Annwyl hacked off the commander’s arm at the elbow, ignoring the blood that splattered across her face. “Branwen,” she murmured. And Rhona, becoming more horrified by the second, watched as her cousin unleashed a smal stream of flame that cauterized the wound and stopped the bleeding.

Crouching in front of him again, Annwyl calmly asked, “Where can I find Gaius Lucius Domitus?” The strength of wil of this one human commander showed why the Irons and Sovereigns were not easily kil ed. The leader shook his head. “I’l tel you nothing, whore.”

Rocking back and forth on the bal s of her feet, Annwyl said, “I can hurt you . . . for hours. Just like you were planning to do to me tonight. So, let’s not pretend you have any real choice in the matter. Tel me where to find Gaius Lucius Domitus. And tel me right now.”

“No.”

Without raising her voice, Annwyl said, “Izzy.”

And Iseabail the Dangerous, Daughter of Talaith and Briec, used her battle-ax to hack off the commander’s leg just below his knee, and Branwen quickly fol owed that up with a blast of flame.

The commander’s screams echoed out in the night and Rhona stepped forward, about to demand Annwyl stop this, but Vigholf caught her arm, shook his head. She didn’t know if he stopped her because he was al right with al this—or afraid of what Annwyl would do about the interruption.

“Where can I find Gaius Lucius Domitus?” And this time, the crazed bitch almost sang that question.

Shaking, the commander said, “He lives outside the Provinces. In the Septima Mountains. But he’l be no more welcoming to you than Vateria.

He’l kil you, whore, and your friends.”

“That is so considerate,” Annwyl mocked. “Warning me of impending doom after I’ve done nothing but cut pieces off you. When you think about it, it’s very considerate. I’m sure it’s not that you just don’t want me to find him because he’s a real threat to your overlord and his bitch daughter. I’m sure that’s not it at al . But thank you for not lying. I appreciate that.”

Annwyl stood, re-sheathed her sword, and took her other sword from Branwen. She stepped away and came toward Rhona and Vigholf, while behind the queen, Izzy finished the commander off, using her ax to remove his head.

Once Annwyl reached Rhona, she tossed her swords at her. Rhona jumped a little but managed to catch the weapons just the same.

“So,” Annwyl said as she grabbed her nose between both hands, “are you two coming with us?”

“We’re here to fetch you,” Vigholf told her. “Your armies are moving through the Eastern Pass toward Euphrasia Val ey. It’l soon begin, Annwyl.”

“It’s already begun. The Irons attacked last night. Siege weapons.”

“What?” Vigholf asked. “How do you know this?”

With a good snap Annwyl put her broken nose back into place and retrieved her weapons from Rhona. “We don’t have much time. Come with us or go back. Your choice. But I’m not stopping until I see Gaius Domitus.”

“You’l never get to him,” Rhona told her. “They already know you’re here. Vateria sent out a search party for you. A raping, pil aging search party that’s destroyed vil ages while they look for you.”

“You’re blaming me? For that?”

Not real y, but stil . . . “Annwyl, everything’s changed. If the battle for Euphrasia has begun, you must go back.”

“If I go back now, we al die or become slaves to that tyrant.” She finished tying her swords to her back and patted Rhona on the shoulder. Rhona took it as a source of pride that she managed not to flinch or jump away from that pat. Years of training, that is. Years of training.