“And she’s mean, brother. I didn’t realize how mean until she threatened to take my balls. I felt like Gwenvael.”
“Don’t make me feel worse than I already do.”
“What do you think she’ll do when she realizes what it means?”
“Kill me.” If he were lucky. Leave him, if he weren’t.
“Give her time, Briec. I’m sure she’ll come around.” Fearghus stood up straight, tossing his hair off his face. “Well, I best go find my woman. Make sure she hasn’t—”
The roar rang through the castle, cutting off Fearghus’ words and startling the three brothers.
They knew that sound. Annwyl’s war cry. They’d all heard it more than once since knowing her. But with Hamish’s armies nowhere near Dark Plains…
As one, they moved. Out of Talaith’s bedchamber, down the hallway, and down the stairs to the Great Hall where they all stopped by that last step. They stopped and stared.
Morfyd stood beside the archway leading outside. She looked torn between bolting for her life and shifting right there, taking the castle and its contents with her.
Briec’s eyes quickly searched for Talaith. He found her. She crouched on top of one of the dragon statues that littered the hall, her blade held firmly in her right hand. He had no idea how she got up there, but he was grateful.
Slowly, Fearghus moved toward Annwyl. Brave dragon his brother, since she’d just picked up one of the dining tables made of solid wood and threw it against the wall as if it weighed no more than a twig.
“Annwyl?”
“Stay away from me, Fearghus.” She sounded reasonably calm. That couldn’t be good.
“Annwyl, talk to me.”
Roaring, the crazed warrior kicked the chair at her feet up, grasping it in midair with her hands. Then she turned and let it fly. Fearghus calmly stepped out of its way while Briec and Éibhear dived for cover.
“Calm down.”
“Go to hell.”
Briec found it fascinating how calmly the couple spoke to each other, although the rage coming off both practically washed the rest of them from the room.
“Someone mind telling me what the hell is going on?” Fearghus asked the entire room.
Green eyes flickered to Morfyd. “Tell him, witch. Tell him what you told me.”
Morfyd, not moving away from her one chance at freedom, looked at her older brother. “Annwyl is with child.” Fearghus’ eyes narrowed at the implication of that statement and Annwyl snorted. Morfyd held up her hand before either could say anything. “I believe it’s yours.”
“You believe it’s mine. Why does that not fill me with confidence?”
“It’s definitely yours.”
They all turned at the sound of Iseabail’s voice. “And ‘it’ is ‘they’…twins, my queen.”
Her hands in tight fists at her side, Annwyl’s rage-filled gaze focused on Izzy seconds before Briec stepped in front of her.
“Don’t even think about touching her,” he growled.
“No, no, brother. I want to know how this little girl seems to know so much.” Annwyl leaned over to look at Izzy, a cat keeping an eye on a mouse.
Talaith climbed down from the statue and circled around toward Izzy.
“I’m waiting for an answer.”
“You can wait until the earth crumbles beneath your feet. Stay away from her.”
“Stop. Please. You’re all looking at this the wrong way.” Izzy stepped around Briec, moving away from him when he tried to grab for her.
“Izzy,” he warned but she waved him off, her entire attention focused on Annwyl.
“Don’t you see? You’ve both been chosen, Annwyl. You and Fearghus. Both chosen by a god.”
“What god?” Fearghus demanded.
“Rhydderch Hael, of course.”
Briec and Morfyd looked at each other. Good gods. The girl’s protector was Rhydderch Hael?
“What do you mean ‘of course’?” Fearghus snapped.
But Annwyl had bigger issues. “Chosen by Rhydderch Hael to do what, Izzy?”
The girl grinned. “Create the future.”
Annwyl moved so fast, they barely had time to even register, much less move out of her way. Luckily, Annwyl still took her rage out on the furniture. She lifted up another chair and slammed it into the floor, smashing it to pieces.
“Annwyl!”
“No, Fearghus. Stay away from me.” She walked toward the stone wall and away from Fearghus. “You did this to me. You and all your kin!”
“Me? Do you think for a moment I had anything to do with this?”
“How could you not know? Last night…” Annwyl turned from her mate, her arms wrapping around her body. “You took me again and again and again all night. And it was only to—”
Fearghus, his anger finally spilling out, reached Annwyl in two long strides. He grabbed her arm and swung her around. “Is that what you think? Do you actually think I’d do that to you?”
“What am I supposed to think?”
“You’re supposed to think it’s a gift from the gods,” Izzy said in that calm, happy way she had.
Annwyl and Fearghus looked at her and said together in complete exasperation, “Shut up, Izzy!”
* * *
Talaith should be angry the way they spoke to her daughter, but she would have said the same thing to Izzy. She knew the gods and their selfish ways, and she dreaded the day Izzy found out her god differed in no way from Arzhela or any of the others.