31. Marius

Marius had Ragewing fall back to protect their cargo—Lija, who was roaring in frustration. Fire spilled from the rest of the unit one dragons: blue, orange, purple, and gold. Katk shrieked and batted at the riders and their mounts. The monster’s forefinger clipped Titus’s Spikeback. Ptol spun and his riders jerked harshly upward, Titus dropping his bow and grasping Tahlia, whose eyes were wide open.

Marius’s heart thudded at the back of his throat. With every fiber of his being, he longed to be the one protecting his intended mate.

Katk surged toward them as Ptol tried to right himself.

“Unit two!” Marius ordered. “Don’t expend all your fire though. Watch your levels!” They had to reserve enough to prod this monster toward home. Such a mad plan!

Taking turns, including unit three as well, they had Katk panting and lumbering in the right direction after another hour of fitful fighting. The journey would be arduous, to say the least.

“I have an idea!” Tahlia called out. She sounded stronger and her color had mostly returned. Gods, this curse was taunting them, fading and returning over and over again.

Marius could hardly hear her above the noise of fire and monster and wind.

Her energy is stronger. Her body is fighting the curse,Ragewing said. The blooms that Lady Fara administered have helped indeed.

Marius whispered a prayer of gratitude. I didn’t realize you could sense the energy and health of another being.

There is much Fae do not know about dragons.

I look forward to learning from you. If you choose to share.

A deep chuckle rumbled through Marius’s mind. Some things, I will share. Some are not for Fae to know.

I won’t be like my ancestors, harsh and cruel to those around them. If you decide on secrecy, I will honor that.

And that’s another reason you’re my rider.

Katk groaned and stalked through the countryside, his movements prodded by the dragons’ flames. He whirled and swatted at Maiwenn and her Seabreak, Donan. Katk’s fist hit Donan’s side, and the dragon screeched. Lija shrieked with him. Maiwenn’s eyes went wide. She dropped from the saddle and fell toward the ground.

Donan let out a spine-rattling sound of agony and dove for his rider.

Go!Marius called to Ragewing, who immediately plunged.

A jagged line of boulders marked the ground below Maiwenn. Claudia and Justus shouted her name.

Marius held his breath. They weren’t going to make it. Maiwenn was going to die.

Ragewing angled to swoop below Maiwenn, and Donan dove straight for her.

Katk shouted as if in triumph, and rage poured from Marius’s very pores. He pressed his palm against Ragewing’s shoulder. Please. Faster.

I’m trying, rider!

Donan roared, the sound splintering the air. Katk broke free of the dragon fire and lunged at Ptol and Titus.

Marius’s entire life was being ripped to pieces, like a crumbling piece of parchment left in the sun and wind too long. He needed his knights. All of them. They were the only ones he trusted to help Tahlia, to help him if she couldn’t be saved.

The rocks flew toward them and Maiwenn was tumbling like a corn husk doll, her limbs taunted by the wind.

Donan stretched out his long neck and snatched Maiwenn from the air. But they were going to hit the ground and Maiwenn wouldn’t be able to handle the crash.

Under them!

Ragewing veered harshly and came up just under Donan’s tipped wing. Ragewing bumped the other dragon, the rocks so, so close. With the aid of Ragewing’s bump, Donan rose sharply into the sky with Maiwenn secured between his teeth as dragons did with the very young of their kind.

Ragewing followed Donan, and Marius shouted orders, “All units, stop Katk! Turn him around!”

A sheep farm appeared beyond a crevice in the lowlands. The giant was heading that way, of that Marius had no doubt. Either with the golden plague or with simple fists and feet, Katk would kill everything in sight. These folks in the foothills of the Shrouded Mountains had Mistgold blood just as he did. And he had sworn an oath to protect them.

“Three! Unit three, take the lead!” His voice boomed off a bank of clouds shifting between Ragewing and Ewan on Angus’s spiked form.

Ewan raised a fist to indicate he’d heard and would do as ordered. His dark, bald head reflected the scant sunlight as Angus dove toward the giant. Brutus on his Spikeback followed close behind, flanked by Cyrus and Lucius on their Heartsworns. Their fire rippled across Katk’s face and the monster dropped back, his foot crushing a bridge spanning a broad and spring-muddied river.

“Unit two! Back them up! Southward until we hit the pit, then we push him northwest!” Marius ordered. “Unit three, fall back! We will fill in there!”

He waved to his unit behind him and they circled unit three, flaring fire as unit three filtered in between unit one, flying between them in expert-level formation. He was proud of these riders. And crushed that Tahlia wasn’t among them.

A dark shape burst through the scattered clouds and every thought shattered.

Ophelia. Her cheeks and chin glistened as if she had been… No, she couldn’t have been weeping. Ophelia didn’t cry, not even once since he’d known her. And they had seen a great deal. Including her father’s death.

Had she truly killed him? Was this all her doing?

Tahlia believed that. Marius didn’t want to believe it, but Ophelia had never been a good person. She’d followed orders. Well, except concerning those damned gloves of hers. She must have felt so terribly desperate to be cruel to her dragon.

He couldn’t even imagine what he was thinking when he had thought to be her mate, to wed her and have younglings with her. He’d been an idiot. A fool. Ophelia was even worse than he realized. Not just cruel to a creature because of desperation. But cruel in general. She, like Katk, was a monster.

Ophelia lifted her hand, and black and gold magic spun from her fingertips like she was casting a net.

The world’s edges fogged.

Marius couldn’t seem to recall what he and the others were doing here, up in the air, above the creature designed to enact proper revenge.