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“Offence taken,” Linton growls, his red eyes glowing.

I’ve finally put my finger on what he reminds me of—a vampire, all red glowing eyes, long cloak, and fangs. No wonder the Bluecap scares me, and from what Fenrother has told me, I’ve every right to be scared of the brutal assassins who kill without compunction.

But despite their fearsome appearances, all three monsters are concerned about the disappearance of Warden, the big, burly centaur.

“Um...” I push through from behind Fenrother’s wings. He lets rip with an impressive snarl when Linton and Reavely look at me. “Why don’t you ask Meg? She might know something.”

“Warden can look after himself,” Reavely grumbles, clearly affronted by Fenrother’s attitude. “I’m not going to Meg for anything.”

Neither he nor Linton can take their eyes off me, and I’m beginning to wonder if any of the monsters of the Yeavering have seen a female other than a witch or a Faerie.

“He managed all that time in the Night Lands,” Linton says. “He even escaped the clutches of the Reivers who would have taken his soul.” He shakes his head. “He was never the same after that.”

Fenrother huffs. “Warden’s burden.”

“What is that?” I ask.

“Warden was the enforcer for a Faerie lord. When he lost his mate, he asked to go to the Night Lands, hoping to die there,” Linton says. “But his curse is he cannot die, for all he wants to, and it’s turned his mind.”

Reavely laughs, a deep, dark sound I’m not sure I want to hear again. Ever.

“Thank you for your hospitality, Wyrm,” he says, stretching out his limbs, “but I have an appointment in Ashwinton to terrify some locals, and I can’t be late.”

I look around for Linton, but the assassin has already gone, or at least I hope he has.

“It’s been a blast…literally, Fenrother.” Reavely looks at his singed tail. “Don’t ask me for help again.”

“Wouldn’t even consider it.” Fenrother bares his teeth. “Keep away from my lands and my mate.”

Reavely shakes his head as he stalks past us. “Can’t believe you’re mated,” he says. “Perhaps there’s hope for us all yet.”

The great hall seems a bigger place now the monsters have vacated, and Fenrother gathers me into his arms.

“Do you think Warden is okay?” I ask him. “He did help you, after all.”

“The chances of Warden being okay are limited. He has a death wish that cannot be fulfilled,” Fenrother says with a hint of sadness in his voice. “But he will have escaped the flames, of that I have no doubt.” He shoves his face into my hair and there’s a suction as he breathes me in. “I can only hope one day, he finally feels contentment as I do. Because I have you, my Alice, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“Same goes for me, Fenrother.” I cuddle a little closer to my big, bad Wyrm. “You make me whole.”

EPILOGUE

REAVELY

Itake a piss on the wall of the Wyrm’s fortress. It’ll take him an age to find my marking and it will annoy him, which, given he hadn’t even bothered to roast an ox for our return after the battle with the Faerie for his mate, he deserves.

What a strange creature his mate was too. Fur only on her head. Fenrother wouldn’t have tolerated me looking elsewhere on her body, but I didn’t see any on her limbs or face.

I’m not sure what to make of his furless female, but then mating is the Wyrm’s choice. I don’t get a mate.

I am a Barghest, the black dog of death, the harbinger. The creature no one wants to see and will do anything to avoid.

It’s great. I get to terrify whomsoever I come into contact with, I usually get fed and no one can say anything if I piss on the wall of their castle.

Save for Fenrother, which means I probably should leave, even if I’d like to hang around to find out what he thinks of my mark.

I can imagine there will be flames.

My fur shivers over my body at the thought. I’ve seen enough battles to last a lifetime, and yet when they called, I still came. Because I love the fight.