Page 29 of Crown and Dragon

“This is so fun. I love your town,” she said to the man.

“Glad you could make it!” The fellow nodded, then went back to participating in the melee.

Marius paused in tossing tomatoes to watch Tahlia as she stared at the crowd. Something dark churned inside him. Why did he feel terrible about her enjoying herself?

Well, firstly, because they were on a mission. That made good sense. Also, this frivolity was probably ruining their schedule. What else though? She appeared to truly appreciate the company of humans. She didn’t seem fazed by the fact that they were generally weak-willed, and disloyal, and evil.

Did she possibly prefer human company?

He pulled at the neck of his tunic and tried to step away from the humans up against his right side.

Would Tahlia long for this feeling after they left this place?

Would he ever be enough for her?

Surely, she didn’t prefer humans. He shook his head to clear it, then waved a hand to get her moving.

She thrust two more tomatoes into the crowd, her face lit with joy, then she faced him, smiled, and hurried to his side.

“Do we need to search this soup to find our hats?” she asked, eyeing the mash of tomatoes under the feet of everyone around them.

“If you do nothing else for me for eternity, please forget about the hats.”

Snickering, she started toward the fortress with him at her side.

This was strange. He was feeling so… He wasn’t sure. So wrong? Ill?

Normally, her smile broke apart the clouds that tended to gather around his heart, but that dark feeling didn’t fade under her bright attention this time. Instead, it grew stronger. He gritted his teeth as they wound their way to the fortress’s side entrance. He had to stop feeling like this. It was foolish. She loved him and he knew that. They were mated. Bonded as surely as they were to their dragons.

The fortress loomed high above the riotous mass of people. Its walls were made of sandy-hued stone, and crenelations along the top housed archers. The archers stood quietly, watching without their bows ready. The report that King Lysanael had given Marius and Tahlia hadn’t mentioned archers. This was another barrier they would have to get through.

The side door was unmarked—a simple slender rectangle of hardwood. He knocked and a small window at the top of the door slid open.

“Name?”

“Edward Newlington.”

Tahlia was biting her lip, her eyes laughing at the name. Marius gave her a good glare so she’d remember they were on duty.

The small window shut with a thud.

Was it not one of their inside contacts at the door? Were they too late for the two they were meant to meet here? Marius looked up to see an archer staring down at them.

Marius breathed in and out slowly. Tahlia touched his arm as if she wanted to ask a question. But as he looked at her, the whole door swung open, and two people grabbed them and dragged them inside.

He had both humans by the throat against the small entryway’s wall before a word could be uttered.

“Is there a storm coming?” he asked, using the code question.

The human squirming under his left hand tried to speak. Tahlia tapped Marius’s hand.

“Might want to let him talk. Just a suggestion.”

Marius nodded and loosened his hold. Slightly.

The human coughed and her freckled forehead wrinkled. “The sky and ocean are tricky.”

It was the right code response. Marius released the two women.

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