I felt pretty good considering that I really should be dead. I didn’t know if it was Isis’s heritage that kept me alive, or Guillaume’s blood, or both. I hurt, yes. Badly. But I wasn’t scared of dying. Not today.

Especially not from one of Keisha Skye’s plots.

I was able to stand, but walking was beyond me. I just didn’t have energy, or balance, or control of my body yet. Rik swept me up in his arms, but I didn’t want to appear too weak. I wanted to make an impression on this Skye sib, especially if his queen was watching through his eyes.

I turned to Guillaume. After the Christmas Day news footage from Venezuela, they knew the great headless knight who could shift into a hell horse was with me. “Feel like putting on a show for them?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled and he shifted without hesitation. Daire rubbed up against Rik’s legs, head to tail as long as the hell horse, but Guillaume stood taller at the withers. :Should I fetch you some clothes?:

Normally, I would have leaped at the chance for some clothes before meeting a stranger. But honestly, I was beyond caring at this point. I wanted them to see me bleeding, hurt, but alive, and better yet, unafraid and unshaken. I wanted them to think harder about what I’d done to be so hurt before their attack—and doubt that they could do the same.

“No,” I finally said. “There’s so much blood on me that he won’t be able to see much anyway. Xin, stay hidden, as before. They don’t know about you yet.”

My silver wolf touched me with his nose. :May I feed you first, my queen?:

I ran my hand over his head and ears, smearing him with my blood. “After we deal with this sib, absolutely. Nevarre, they don’t know about you either, so stay high and out of sight.”

The raven cawed agreement as he flew in slow circles overhead.

“And me?” Mehen stepped up into Rik’s space aggressively, earning a rumble that rattled his chest against me.

I gathered my strength and struck hard and fast, sinking my fangs into Mehen’s throat.

He roared loudly enough the approaching stranger probably wondered what the hell was happening before he could even make his threats. Come spurted on me and Rik both as Mehen shook with release.

I needed his older, powerful blood. In all honesty, I should have fed from him first, but—

:Always feed from me first, my queen.: Rik whispered for my bond alone. :I am yours, heart and soul.:

Ancient blood flowed through me, soothing the hurts deep inside me, though I still felt feverish. My eyes blazed hot in my skull, which the dragon’s blood did little to alleviate.

In fact, his blood only fueled all the fire in me. My emotions flared. Anger, that Skye was going to attack us. Fury, that my alpha had seen enough in her court to be terrified of her. Rage, that she would continue to come after us as long as Rik and Daire still had sibs in her court.

Which made me lift my head from Mehen’s throat. “How many sibs do you still have in Skye? Can you tell who’s coming now?”

Daire’s giant head tipped to the side as he listened. :Ezra. Huh. That’s a strange one.:

“Why?”

“I never fed from him,” Rik said. “Only Daire.”

:He was the first one to feed me in Keisha’s court.:

“Who else? I guess what I’m asking is how many more times can she send someone after us because she knows exactly where we are?”

Neither answered right away. I looked from Daire to Rik, surprised at their reluctance to answer.

“Not reluctance, exactly,” Rik finally said with a sigh. “In hindsight, we made a huge mistake. It never occurred to me that Skye might use those bonds to hunt my future queen.”

:We fed on many in Skye’s court,: Daire added, hanging his head. :A new one almost every time, though Kendall more than any of the others.:

Well fuck. That dashed my initial plan of targeting any of their remaining sibs to stop these attacks. I was going to have to deal with Keisha Skye directly once and for all. “I guess it doesn’t matter now anyway. She knows where the nest is, so it’s not like she can’t find it again. We’ll spend most of our time here. Though will it be safe to leave it for a few days to visit Zaniyah’s nest?”

“A few days will be fine,” Rik replied, his jaw still tight with regret. “You can remove all access you’ve given to outsiders while we’re gone, or entrust Frank to handle the comings and goings of visitors.”

I reached up and cupped his cheek. A muscle twitched beneath my palm. “It’s not a big deal. Now I know that I have to hit her directly, rather than eliminate your sibs first.”

“I should have—”

“How could you possibly know that you’d find a queen at all? Let alone that Skye would hunt us like this?”

Setting me on Guillaume’s broad back, he grumbled beneath his breath. “I still hate that I’ve weakened you.”

I smiled, trying to make it mysterious and sexy even with a thousand thorn-holes in me and coated in blood. “It’s not a weakness if I use it against her. I probably would have taken the fight directly to her anyways.” I met Mehen’s gaze. He’d said nothing while I talked with my alpha, but his eyes were bright and eager. He wanted his beast. He wanted to kill. Even if it was just ants.

Without saying a word, I drew back the magical leash I’d looped around Leviathan’s neck. As soon as he was free to shift, Mehen threw his head back, arms open wide, and welcomed his dragon. Leviathan roiled up out of him with claws and scales and wings. The mighty dragon gave me a glare with emerald green eyes, but didn’t roar to announce his presence to our enemy. Instead, he took quietly to the air, his massive wings no louder than the soft flap of a large owl on the hunt. He immediately soared up into the night sky and disappeared from view.

Guillaume’s hide twitched beneath me. It was so strange sitting buck naked on a horse.

:It’s so strange to be a horse and have my buck naked queen’s pussy pressed against me.:

I squirmed against him for fun. He lowered his head back and nickered, a low, deep rumbling horse sound I’d never heard before.

“I think we’d best go see Ezra now.” Rik grinned with amusement and started walking toward the edge of my nest. Guillaume automatically moved with him, keeping pace so that Rik could keep a hand on my thigh in case I started to fall.

“He’s still a few minutes away. What’s the hurry?”

“That was the sound a stallion makes when he smells a mare in heat.”

Oh. Crap.

:My queen,: Nevarre said in my head. :I have an idea, but will need to leave briefly.:

Without hesitation, I replied, :Go. We have time.:

Purring, Daire rubbed against my calf and Guillaume’s side. :When do I get to give you a ride?:

Guillaume twisted his neck around and snapped viciously at the warcat. Daire dodged away and flicked him with his tail. I couldn’t help but laugh, even though it hurt my ribcage. Never in a million years did I think I’d have to say I’d take turns riding a hell horse and a warcat.

Mehen snarled in our bond. :And a dragon.: