Page 55 of Crown and Dragon

Durniad shouted at his guards.

Tahlia squinted at a shape some guards appeared to be pulling from a space between two buildings. “What is that?”

Carted on two large wheels, the contraption had wooden arms and a complicated system of ropes.

“I’m not sure, but that is definitely a giant crossbow bolt,” Marius said.

“Aw, is that for us? Durniad, the gift giver.”

“I doubt it’s for us, actually.” Marius turned and looked into the cloudy sky.

As Tahlia lifted her face, a thrilling blend of hope and fear shot through her veins.

Chapter 26

Marius

Ascarlet shape too high and far away for Marius to see clearly plunged from the cloud cover.

“Ragewing!” Both he and Tahlia shouted the dragon’s name as he flew toward them.

You called,the dragon said inside Marius’s mind. He tucked his wings and began to dive.

I didn’t realize you could hear me. Watch out for the ballista. I’ve heard they can launch a bolt higher than a three-story building.Marius hated that he was about to witness the firing of a weapon the order had only talked about in wary whispers.

Ready yourselves,Ragewing said.I’ll fly low between the building you’re on and the blacksmith’s forge.

Behind them.All right.

Try to get onto my back so I can tuck in my legs.

We will.

It made more sense becauseen talontransportation would be a nightmare with flying projectiles coming from the ground.

Tahlia didn’t ask questions; she followed Marius as he ran over one of the roof’s shingled peaks and toward the back of the building.

The ballista had Marius wondering if Durniad had known all along that the Mist Knights were working with the human high queen against him, or at the very least, had realized the possibility. Sure, the ballistas were good for fighting encroaching ships in the harbor, but on this side of the city, the weapons were only truly good for taking down dragons.

Below, the humans were still fighting the crown’s power. A terrible sound rose over the murmurs and shouts of the crowd. The sound was like the twang of a bow but so much louder.

Ragewing spread his wings slightly and angled himself to fly along the edge of the buildings down the back street. A bolt the size of a small tree shot through the air and narrowly missed the tip of Ragewing’s right wing.

“Watch out!” Tahlia cried.

The dragon roared and people screamed, running like rodents along the street below. Not rodents, Marius corrected himself. Humans. Good ones who were like Tahlia and Queen Revna.

Ragewing zipped toward them.

“Now!” Marius’s heart climbed up his throat.

He and Tahlia jumped onto the dragon’s moving back.

Tahlia sat behind Marius, her voice in his ear. “We can’t leave yet, can we? Try to lie, I beg you.”

Ragewing’s scales were hot. He had been flying hard or he was stressed or both.

“We have to get the crown,” Marius yelled toward Ragewing’s ears.

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