“Sulien held up the broken spear, one piece in each hand. “A warhammer did this?”“You saw that hammer the Lightning almost hit Addolgar with. And that’s not even the one he uses during battles. That one is bloody huge. Nearly asbig as the bastard’s head.”Her father chuckled and stepped around her. “The only purpose of this spear was to protect you—and it did. Its job is now done.” He started tothrow the pieces into a bin he kept for trash.“Don’t you dare throw that out.”“Why not? It’s broken, and repairing it would be useless. It’l only break again.”“But you made it for me.”“You cling to what is meaningless, child. Just like your mother sometimes, only with her it’s mostly grudges.”

“He smiled at her. “Now, are you going to thank me properly?”“I said ‘thank you.’ That’s considered in some cultures as thanking you properly.”“I was hoping for a little more than that.”She studied him for a long moment before she nodded.“All right.” She scooted down a bit on the bed, pulled her gown up high on her thighs, and relaxed back into the mattress. “If you could make it quick before the food gets here, that would be great.”Gwenvael felt a small twitch beneath his eye. He often got something similar right on his eyelid but only when he had to deal with his father. Apparently a new one had developed that belonged only to Lady Dagmar. “That’s not what I meant.”“I hope you’re not expecting me to get on my knees because I don’t think the healer—”“No!” Good gods, this woman! “That’s not what I meant, either.”“That’s always what men mean when they ask to be thanked properly.”“Your world frightens me. I want us to be clear on that.” He leaned over and grabbed her waist, lifting her until her back again rested on the propped-up pillows.“I’m unclear as to what you want, then.”“A kiss,” he said, pulling her dress back down to her ankles. “A simple kiss.”

“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.”

“Fearghus entered what he now considered her chamber, but immediately ducked the book flung at his head. Clearly she’d been waiting for him. And she was not happy.“He’s the one supposed to be helping me,” she roared at him.“Did you just throw a book at me? In my own den?”“Yes. And I’d throw it again!”Fearghus scratched his head in confusion. He’d never met a human brave enough—or stupid enough, depending on your point of view—to challenge him. “But,” he croaked out, amazed, “I’m a dragon.”“And I have tits. It means nothing to me!”

“I’ll go talk to them,” Annwyl said. But she cracked her knuckles. “Right now.”Izzy cut in front of Annwyl, forced a smile. “Why don’t I talk to them? Daddy listens to me.”“You want my sword?”Izzy blinked. Hard. “No. I don’t think that’s necessary. To talk to my father and uncles that I adore.”“You want me warhammer then?”

“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.”

“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.”