Home truly is where the heart is,she thought. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched her mates tease and joke with each other. The four of them fit so perfectly together, like a real family, something she hadn’t had in so long. Dareena couldn’t wait until she finally brought their babe into the world. She had a feeling it would bring them even closer together, and if the dragon god was correct, finally break thecurse.
“Now that we have some food in our bellies,” Drystan said, “we really ought to talk about our warlockproblem.”
“Do you mean the warlocks in our dungeon?” Lucyan asked. “Or the warlocks ingeneral?”
Drystan raised his eyebrows. “It can’t beboth?”
“We must do something about their surveillance magic,” Alistair growled, his eyes sparking with annoyance. “I don’t like that they can spy on us at any time, especially since there is no way of knowing when they arelistening.”
“Perhaps either the count or the imposter can fashion a spell to block them out,” Lucyan said thoughtfully. “I assume they value their lives, though I’m happy to start with their toenails first.” He mimed pulling them out with a pair ofpliers.
Dareena shuddered at the mental image that conveyed. “I think relying on the warlocks is very risky,” she said. “There is no way to test whether or not whatever magic they do works, and they could just as easily try to sabotageus.”
“Dareena is right,” Drystan said grimly. “We cannot trust any of the warlocks not to betray us, even the trader you do business with at themarket.”
“Well, well.” Lucyan raised his eyebrows. “Spying, are we,brother?”
Drystan smirked. “You aren’t the only observant one aroundhere.”
A knock came at the door, and Tariana entered, Ryolas close behind her. “I figured the four of you were already up and eating,” Tariana declared as she took a seat next to Alistair. She and Ryolas looked very relaxed, Dareena noted with some amusement. “Are you discussing anythinguseful?”
“We’re trying to figure out how to get the warlocks off our backs,” Drystan said. “Now that they have proven themselves to be the true enemy, we must confrontthem.”
“I’ve heard that Arolas has been released from the dungeons,” Ryolas said darkly. “Count Kianor’s influence may have lessened when he left Elvenhame, but it clearly has not diminished completely. We need to remind my father of the elven goddess’s decree and have him return control of the armies tome.”
“The elven goddess’s decree?” Lucyanasked.
“The day Arolas cut Alistair’s arm off, the elven goddess took control of Basilla and spoke through her,” Dareena said. Chills still ran through her whenever she recalled that day. “She said that Arolas had brought dishonor upon his house and forsworn his family against the dragons. She also made it very clear that the king should choose either Basilla or Ryolas to be his heir, and that Arolas should bepunished.”
“That must be what the dragon god was talking about,” Lucyan muttered, a speculative look in his eyes. “Were there any witnesses other than you and the royalfamily?”
“Count Kianor and Duchess Valenhall,” Dareena said. “The former is unreliable, but the latter might be willing to testify. And, of course, there is Princess Basillaherself.”
“Where is Basilla?” Alistair asked, looking around the table. “Was she not hungry thismorning?”
“I knocked on her door, but she was still asleep,” Ryolas said. “I must admit I found that a little unusual, but we did have a hard ride yesterday. I assume she’sexhausted.”
“That’s only natural,” Drystan said, and the others returned to their food. But something niggled at the back of Dareena’s mind, and she was not hungryanymore.
“I’m going to go check on Basilla,” she said, standingup.
The brothers immediately rose from the table. “We’ll come with you,” Drystansaid.
“There is no need,” Dareena protested. “I know you’re all still hungry, and Tariana and Ryolas just sat down. Please, enjoy yourselves. I’m only going down the hall—it’s perfectly safe for you to let me walk about on myown.”
“Not when you’re carrying our child,” Drystan said firmly. He pushed his chair in, motioning for his brothers to sit back down. “At least allow me to accompanyyou.”
Dareena sighed, glancing down at her belly. The brothers were already overprotective, and this baby was making them doubly so. But she had just been stolen away for two weeks, so she could hardly blamethem.
“All right,” she said, slipping her hand into Drystan’s. “But justyou.”
They walked down the hall and headed toward the guest rooms, where Dareena had spent her first few weeks at the Keep, first as one of the Chosen, and then as the Dragon’s Gift while the brothers vied for her favor. Thinking about that time summoned a wave of nostalgia—while she was happy that she and the brothers had ended up together, she also missed those simpler times, when all she had to worry about was whom she wouldmarry.
“Do you remember the first night we met?” Dareena squeezed Drystan’shand.
“How could I forget?” Drystan smiled fondly at her. “You were like a vision, standing in the garden, the moonlight shining in your lovely green eyes. I think you had flower petals in your hair.” He reached out to brush his hand along the fine black strands, and the tender look in his eyes gave way to laughter. “You were perfect, and I acted like a totalbrute.”
Dareena grinned. “You acted like a fearsome dragon defending his castle,” she corrected. “And you have done a splendid job ofit.”
