32. Marius

Chapter 32

Marius

M arius glanced at Queen Revna and Arkyn. The evening fog swirled around the black dragon's wings and the tiled roofs they flew over.

I realize we are unseen, but can they not hear us, rider?

Ragewing tipped to the right to avoid clipping a pointed tower that appeared to have some ritual purpose. The humans were gathering at its base with candles and were singing in a melody that brought to mind promises and the length of a life.

They were singing of a bonding.

Marius's stomach turned and he squeezed his eyes shut. The city was celebrating the wedding of Durniad and Tahlia.

And suddenly, Marius felt as if he was a living flame, roaring heat rising from the tips of his toes to the tips of his pointed ears. There was no word for the level of this righteous anger. For this outrage. The way he felt could only be encapsulated in a tremendous warning snarl, a sound he could not make at the moment. He would ruin their covert entry and only lessen the chances he could rescue his mate.

Breathe, rider, Ragewing whispered into his mind. We will have her with us soon and Durniad will be dead, his blood easing the pain in your soul.

Marius wanted to thank Ragewing, but gratitude was as amorphous as the fog. He couldn't grasp it to pass it on and so he just held to his dragon and leaned into the fact that they were bonded and Ragewing knew exactly how Marius was feeling.

When they reached the fortress, Marius waved a hand at the queen and pointed to the structure. Bowers of dark greenery showed between the plumes of wispy cloud. The humans had decorated the structure for the wedding, stretching lengths of braided flowers and leafy branches from window to window. Banners of bright red matched the festival's last tomato remnants on the cobbled streets below. To think he and Tahlia had laughed together not that long ago. It felt like a lifetime had passed. Each moment she was inside that fortress with a male who believed himself mated to her was another lifetime again.

Damn this fog! He was fairly certain Tahlia wasn't on any of the window balconies or on the roof. But could he be sure?

Queen Revna motioned for them to circle the rooftop again and Ragewing followed orders.

Marius shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, seeking his mate's beautiful scent, but it wasn't there. The fishy odor of the river, the refuse of a large population, and the soft aroma of the flowers and greenery were the only scents floating through the mist.

A crash sounded, glass catching the scant moonlight as it flew outward from an upper-floor window.

There! Marius shouted into Ragewing's mind. Hold!

Ragewing hovered and Arkyn did likewise beside them. A figure in a dress appeared on the downspout, then crawled over the lip of the roof to stand on the slant of rounded tiles.

Her scent was both a balm to Marius's heart and a fuel to the fire eating him alive.

Tahlia lifted her chin, looking for them. She slipped, her skirts flipped up on one side.

Marius's heart stopped.

As she tried to right herself, her foot shot out. She grabbed the tiles with a hand and stood again.

He exhaled, his head swimming. "Hold out your hand!" Marius shouted.

She started in surprise, then did as he asked, holding her arm out straight and bending her knees. Though she had to be wondering how they'd managed to be invisible, she knew what they would attempt.

Guards climbed the downspout as Tahlia had. They would be within reach of her in seconds.

Go, please, as we have practiced, Marius said to Ragewing.

The scent of blood rose in Marius's nostrils and he gritted his teeth. His mind was a whirlpool. He couldn't smooth the path of his thoughts.

Ragewing and Arkyn rose up, then swooped low to circle tightly around the fortress's roof.

Marius leaned as far as he was able down Ragewing's side, then he gripped Tahlia's upper arm while she took hold of his. He helped her scramble up behind him, and the sound of fabric ripping found his ears as she settled in the back section of the saddle.

"Whose blood is it?" He inhaled her scent.

"Take a guess," she whispered, her tone bright.

He smiled as the fire that had been consuming him eased into a delightful warmth. "Spoken like a seasoned Mist Knight." He reached down, grabbed one of her hands from his waist, then kissed her knuckles as they flew toward the city walls. "Whether King Lysanael agrees or not, you have done your human side a great favor in ridding this city of that vile soul."

She sat up suddenly, and the hair that had fallen from her intricate braids whipped forward in the chaotic wind from Ragewing's wings. He glanced at her. Her gaze was pinned to Queen Revna and Arkyn.

"Her dragon is the reason we are all invisible, right? Not a Witch's spell?"

"Yes. This is Arkyn's magic."

Lifting her shoulders, she wiggled, which did delightful albeit inconvenient things to his body. "How exciting!" She clamped her hand over her mouth.

They kept their voices quiet as they soared over the moonlit city. Though they couldn't be seen, they could still be heard.

"Before I escorted Durniad's sorry arse to the afterlife," Tahlia murmured, "he claimed to be in league with the Witch herself as well as the Eelsmen."

"I seriously doubt the Witch would give him the time of day. But the Eelsmen…" He grunted, thinking. "We'll deal with them in the next moon. It matters little whom he was in league with anyway since he is gone."

"So are you finally finished loathing humans?"

The hesitation in her voice punched a hole in his heart. "I don't loathe everyone in Midhampton and I certainly don't loathe you."

She held him tightly, and her body moved as she took a deep breath. "Well, I am glad to hear my mate doesn't hate me."

The tear in his heart ripped open further. He took her hand again and nipped at her palm. "You know what I mean." Gods, she smelled wonderful, and he couldn't wait to ravish her properly.

Through the plumes of mist, the ballistae on the city walls whipped around to face them. Those manning the weapons looked around like their heads were on swivels, so Marius was fairly certain they remained invisible.

Queen Revna eyed Marius and pointed up.

Ragewing, prep for a launch.

On it.