30. Marius

Chapter 30

Marius

R agewing flew over a forested stretch of land between Midhampton and the Witch's house. Marius breathed in the cool evening air. He turned to check Ragewing's bandaged tail. Some would think the injury wasn't as serious being near the end of his tail rather than higher up, but that wasn't true at all. The tip of a dragon's tail helped them cut the air and steer their way through the wind currents. Every part of Ragewing worked to make him deadly in the sky, able to turn tight arcs and whip around to fire on attackers. When one element of that flying system was disturbed, especially the tip of the tail, the dragon suffered in the area of agility, response time, and stamina.

Attempting to be more like Tahlia, Marius tried to think positively. Ragewing was flying steadily with no wobble or sense of pain through the bond. He was quiet, but he usually was. Nothing out of the ordinary there. He didn't speak to Marius unless he had something important to say. Marius respected that.

They soared over a cluster of sycamores that waved their branches in the gusty breeze.

I smell a dragon.

Marius's body coiled, ready to take action. Where? He wished he had more than just a couple of blades.

I can't see him, but he's there. I sense his presence and his scent is reminiscent of the Gwerhune.

That was King Lysanael's forest, the wood that lay south of Caer Du.

A dark shape materialized about one hundred yards away. Ragewing snarled and let out a warning shower of sparks. It was a forest dragon—black in color and capable of an invisibility glamour. On the dragon's back, Queen Revna lifted a hand in greeting.

"My lady queen!" Marius echoed the gesture and tapped Ragewing, asking him to land.

Ragewing and Arkyn, the queen's forest dragon, flew in descending circles until they landed in a small clearing dotted with gold and red mushrooms.

Ragewing bowed his head to the queen as Marius dismounted.

Marius bowed low. "To what do we owe this meeting, my queen?"

She hopped from her smaller dragon and gave him a smile. Queen Revna's smiles were honestly a bit frightening. She had Berserker blood from Fjordbok and had worked as the human king's assassin before meeting Fae King Lysanael. It was a romantic story that even the cold-hearted could be swept up in.

The queen's ice-blue eyes studied him. "Please, stand, Commander Marius."

He did so, and Ragewing rested on his haunches beside him.

"Your contact from Midhampton sent a message via his trained raven. You've made a mess of this mission, you know."

"I apologize. It has been challenging to say the least. Durniad has taken Lady Tahlia captive." Marius kept his features blank, trying for professionalism even though he longed to tear the damned world apart for his mate.

Queen Revna's lip curled. She was human, so she had no fangs to bear, but she'd obviously picked up the mannerism from King Lysanael. "That man needs to die. I will go with you back to Midhampton and we'll use Arkyn's invisibility to enter the city. You are still in possession of the Crown of Minds, yes?"

Marius nodded and took the crown from where he'd buckled it onto the back of his belt. He offered it to her.

"No, you keep it," the queen said. "I'd rather not have something on my head that I can drop while fighting or flying. Being Fae, you have better reflexes than me. We can infiltrate the city, and while we remain invisible, we can use the crown to covertly retrieve Lady Tahlia. By the way, you're handling this with surprising self-control. Lys would be frothing."

Ragewing grumbled quietly and Marius set a hand on his side.

"Oh, I am internally frothing, my queen," Marius said. "Unless you order me not to, I will kill Durniad."

The queen's eyes softened as if she could empathize with his protective feelings. But only a former assassin would give him that look when chatting about murder.

"I'm fine with it," she said, "but you must make it look like a heart attack or an accident. And Lysanael can't know about it. He must be free of any responsibility of this mess due to the agreement."

"Understood."

"Lady Tahlia won't talk under duress, correct?" the queen asked. "She's been trained?"

"She has. And she is the bravest female I know."

The queen smiled, and this time it was less frightening and more a show of genuine approval. "She certainly impressed me when she faced that Green-flanked Terror."

Marius bowed his head. "I will pass on your praise when we have her safe with us."

"Do you know where they are holding her?"

"My only guess would be the fortress, but where within its walls, I don't know."

"What is your protocol in these cases?"

"The captured knight will attempt to reach open air to prepare for rescue. We aim for balconies, rooftops… That sort of thing."

Hands on hips, Queen Revna nodded. She tapped one finger against her hip, thinking. "All right. We fly toward the fortress. I've seen a map and shared it with Arkyn, so we should be good to go. We'll circle three times to seek her out. If we don't find her that way, we will land on the rooftop and come up with the next plan based on the level of security on the grounds."

It was wonderful having a queen that knew how to handle a situation such as this. Queen Revna was no spoiled royal, raised simply to dance and embroider. She was a warrior queen with a vicious and strategic mind.

"How close must Ragewing and I stay to Arkyn for the glamour to cover us?" he asked.

"If he's feeling strong, you're fine to fly beside us at a comfortable position. He's grown stronger with the care he's received in the time I've been queen. If he is injured, or if we continue on for over two hours, you'll need to be closer. Fly right beside, above, or below us as best you can." The queen leaned over to eye Ragewing's tail, and her brow knitted. "Is he injured?"

"Yes. Durniad has a ballista and a bolt nipped the top end of his tail. He was bleeding pretty badly, but thankfully, the wound has clotted. He isn't at full strength or agility, but he's close to it."

And I wouldn't let you do this without me, Ragewing said into Marius's mind.

Marius glanced at Ragewing, who was giving him a loaded look that said do not underestimate me.

Even wounded, you remain the most powerful dragon in the world, my friend.

Correct.

Marius wanted to grin, but his heart ached too much for Tahlia, for the chance to eviscerate Durniad for daring to set a finger on her.

"A ballista? You mean a large crossbow-type weapon?" the queen asked.

"Aye, my queen."

Grimacing in Arkyn's direction, she sucked air through her teeth. "Hope you're ready for this, pal," she said to the black dragon.

Arkyn huffed and raised his head high as if insulted she would even ask. She rolled her eyes and rubbed the smooth scales under his chin.

"All right, I think we are good to move on," she said.

Marius's frustration and anxiety over Tahlia eased somewhat as they flew, fully invisible to all, toward Midhampton's walls. The heat of Ragewing's body and the familiar feel of riding the wind calmed and cleared Marius's head. Even though they were invisible, Marius could see the others as usual.

A fog rolled in from the direction of the ocean. The blanket of ghostly white reached them, blocking Queen Revna and Arkyn from view.

Don't worry, Ragewing said. I have their scent. We remain within the boundary.

The city appeared out of the night's fog like a beast waiting to spring. Not one, but three ballistae stood on the walls, bolts loaded into place and three men at each one. The weapon in the middle swiveled suddenly, turning so that it pointed over the city itself instead of at the forest.

They would have to watch for them from every aerial direction.

We're coming, Tahlia. Marius wished for the hundredth time that he could communicate with his mate the same way he could with Ragewing. Hold on, little salty.