Uh-oh.
“They’re not mine to feed.”
“Who do they belong to?”
This is just bloody wonderful!
Dagmar cleared her throat, and spoke carefully. “They’re yours.”
“I don’t have children.”
Dagmar was so tired, the patience she prided herself on quickly deserting her. “What do you remember?”
The queen thought for a moment, pointed at the horse. “I remember him.”
“Do you remember his name?”
Annwyl frowned. “Black … ie?”
Dagmar exhaled. “Do you remember your name?”
She chewed the inside of her mouth, stared up at the ceiling. After several minutes, the queen asked, “Do I need to?”
“Reason preserve me,” Dagmar sighed. The babes cried louder and she looked down at them. “You need to settle down.”
And when they did, she found herself more disturbed than she’d been by their crazed mother.
“See?” Annwyl said, smiling with relief. “They are yours.”
“No, my lady, they are most definitely—”
“They couldn’t be mine,” she cut in quickly. “I’d make a horrible mother. Five minutes with me and they’re already covered in blood.”
“Yes, but—”
“I’ll be back.” Abruptly, the queen walked away down a dark tunnel Dagmar had no intention of following her into.
Gwenvael turned to his mother. “So she’s gone ’round the bend then?”
“Well, she’s clearly not sane.”
“I’m going after her,” Fearghus said.
Rhiannon grabbed her eldest son by the hair.
“Mother!”
“For once, don’t be a prat, Fearghus. She doesn’t even recognize you. Go near her now and she’ll kill you.”
“If that’s true, then it’s a good thing she’s alone with the children,” Briec stated dryly.
“And she has Dagmar.” When they all looked at him, Gwenvael added, “She matters, too.”
“They’ll be fine,” Izzy said, positive as always. “Annwyl just needs a little time to get back to her old self.”
Éibhear snorted. “And aren’t you the one who said we should trust Rhydderch Hael and he’d never hurt her?”
Izzy’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. “You blue haired—”
“That’s it!” Talaith stood between the enormous blue dragon and her daughter. “Separate. Separate! You’re both irritating me!” Talaith took a deep breath. “Fearghus, go to her, but approach her carefully. Think of it as battle fatigue. Go slowly, don’t startle her, don’t rush her. Take it slow and easy. Understand?”
“I understand. Now I just have to figure out where she’s gone.”
“We’ll fly until we find her.”
Talaith shook her head at Gwenvael’s suggestion. “She’s going to go where she feels safe.”
“Even if she doesn’t remember?”
“She knew to protect the babes. She knew her horse. Fearghus, she’d go where she feels safest. Where she’s always felt safest.”
Fearghus’s smile was small, but there. “Dark Glen.” He nodded, knowing he was right. “She’d go to Dark Glen. She’d go home.”
Dagmar was asleep on the large bed she’d found in one of the caverns. She placed the babes down first on the fur, surrounding them with protective pillows in case she rolled over while she slept. Once done, she stretched out lengthwise on the bed and that was the last thing she remembered until she sensed someone near her.
Before opening her eyes, she went for the small dagger tucked into her girdle and sat up. But as she tried to focus on the man in front of her, the dagger slipped from her fingers and spun away.
Thankfully the human male was quick of hand and caught the blade before it slammed into his forehead. Squinting, she leaned in and winced. “Sorry, Fearghus.”
First she gets his mate killed, then his twins almost get killed, and now she was throwing knives at his head.
“I am teaching you how to use that damn thing,” a voice said behind her. “You’re bloody hopeless with it.”
Dagmar could barely make out that gorgeous body in brown leggings and long gold hair, but she knew her Gwenvael. Jumping off the bed and into his open arms, she gasped out, “I’m so glad you found us!”
Gwenvael hugged her tight against his body so her feet didn’t touch the floor. “I’m glad we found you.” He kissed her cheeks, forehead, and chin. “Are you all right? Are you hurt? Tell me you’re all right.”
“I’m fine.” Although she had the irrational desire to cry. “I’m not hurt. And the babes are fine.”
“And where is Lady Madness?”
Without moving her head from the wonderful spot on his shoulder, Dagmar pointed in the direction she remembered Annwyl going. “She and that stallion from the underworld went that way. She said she’d be back. I decided not to take it as a threat.”
Fearghus sat on the bed, stroking his hand across each babe’s head. “The lake is in that direction.”
“Considering she’s positively saturated in Minotaur blood, that would make sense.”
Gwenvael put her back on her feet, but before stepping away from her, he placed the sweetest kiss on her forehead. “Before my brother goes off after his crazed mate, think you can tell us what happened? The more we know, the better he’ll be able to deal with Annwyl.”