“Dagmar faced the Iron, quickly bowed her head. “King Gaius, I’m sorry about the confusion. I’m Dagmar Reinholdt, Vassal ofGarbhán Isle and Battle Lord—”“And my piece of ass!” Gwenvael announced from the other end of the table while he dropped into one of the chairs. “So keepyour grubby Sovereign claws off her.”

“Adjusting her frames, Dagmar said, “It’s time for you to stop talking.”“I don’t want to.”“But you will stop talking.”“We’re on my territory now, Beast. You can’t strut around here and pretend you rule all—”“Quiet.”“But—”She raised her right forefinger.“She—”Dagmar raised that damn forefinger higher.“It’s just—”Now she brandished both forefingers. “Stop.”He gave Dagmar his best pout, which she completely ignored, turning her back on him to again face Annwyl. “Think there might be some place private we can talk, my lady?”Gwenvael’s mouth dropped open. “Did you just dismiss—”Dagmar held up that damn forefinger again but didn’t even bother to look at him when she did.Annwyl’s grin was wide and bright. A smile Gwenvael hadn’t seen from her in far too long. “Right this way, Lady Dagmar.”“Thank you.” Dagmar brusquely snapped her fingers at Gwenvael. “And don’t forget to bring my bags up once I get a room, Defiler.”Annwyl fairly glowed as she followed Dagmar from the room, her smile growing by the second. Gwenvael faced his sister. “It’s Ruiner, which is a vast difference.So get it right!” he yelled at the empty doorway.”

“Dagmar turned when she felt a tug on her sleeve, a human male standing next to her. “Yes?”“Yeah, how much for the blonde?”Dagmar blinked, glanced back at Gwenvael and the three girls before asking, “Pardon?”“The blonde. How much for the blonde? The bigger one. Just for an hour or so?”Of course. Dagmar would never be one of the whores … she must be selling the whores.“Five coppers for an hour,” she replied. “Any more than that and it’ll cost you.”“An hour will do.” He reached into his pocket and handed her five copper pieces. She dropped them into her satchel, tapped Gwenvael on the shoulder, and said, “He’s bought you for an hour of sex. Enjoy.”

“Gwenvael looked down at his body. Horrified, he sat up. “What is this? What’s happened to me?”“Calm down. It’ll heal quick enough, I’m sure.”“Heal? I’m hideous!”“You’re alive.”“Hideously alive!” He covered her face with his hands. “Don’t look at me! Look away!”“Stop it!” She pulled at his hands. “Have you lost your mind?”Gwenvael dropped back to the bed, turned his face toward the wall. “You know what this means, don’t you?”“Gwenvael—”“I’ll have to live alone, at the top of a castle somewhere. I’ll hide from the daylight and only come out at night.”“Please stop this.”“I’ll be alone but not for long because you’ll all want me more. You’ll lust for the beautiful warrior I once was and pity the hideous creature I’ve become. Most importantly, you’ll want to soothe my pain.” He looked at her again. “Don’t you want to soothe my pain? Right now? Without that dress on?”“No. I do not.”Dagmar tried to stand, and Gwenvael caught her hand, pulling her back down. “You can’t leave me. I’m tortured and brooding. You need to show me how much you adore me so I can learn to love myself again.”“You’ve never stopped loving yourself.”“Because I’m amazing.”

“Normally, I’d lie and connive and do whatever necessary to make you take me into the south.”“But …”More tears began to flow. “But that thing …”“Thing? What thing?”“That thing … in one’s head … that tells you when something would be wrong to do. It won’t let me do it.”Feeling a sudden high level of annoyance, Gwenvael carefully asked, “Do you mean your … conscience?”Her tears turned into hysterical sobs, and she went down on her side, her head dropping into his lap.“Dagmar! Everyone has a conscience.”“I don’t!”“Of course you do.”“I’m a politician, Gwenvael! Of course, I don’t have a conscience. At least I didn’t. Now I’m cursed with one. And it’s your fault!”Somehow he knew that last bit would happen.”

“He grinned. “Busted. I’m a monster. Jev is my deceptively harmless — and shockingly handsome — alter ego.”“And I’m on top of it,” she announced with witty triumph.“Is that a Freudian slip?”His bluntness caught her off guard. A self-conscious blush rose in her face.”