Page 101 of A Thieving Curse

“I really do.” He kissed her. This time, she shoved him away. Disappointment clouded his face for a moment, but then he let her go and took his sword from Williams as she stumbled back. Another knight gave him a shield. “I will succeed where my father failed.”

Gareth rushed to Raelyn and dropped his weapon. “Are you all right?” He grabbed her shoulders, looking her over in the dim evening light.

“Alex isn’t a killer. Tristan’s going to kill him.” Her knees gave out. His grip on her shoulders was the only thing keeping her from falling. Gareth guided her gently to the ground as Alexander and Tristan squared off.

Movement in the cave caught her eye. She heard Meredith scream, “Lucas, no!”

Lucas dashed out, brand-new sword flashing in his hands. “Leave him alone!” He skidded to a stop in front of dragon Alexander.

Raelyn leaned on her hands on the grass. She couldn’t seem to get her mouth to work.Lucas, run!What was he doing?Alex, pick him up and fly away.She moved her mouth in the shape of the words, but no sound emerged.

“What?” Tristan adjusted his grip on his sword. “Who are you?”

“I won’t let you hurt Alex!” Lucas moved into a guard stance, then looked over his shoulder. “Why aren’t you flying away?”

“Trying to decide if I’m going to roast him,” Alex boomed.

“Move or die, boy.” Tristan stepped forward.

Raelyn trembled.Lucas!Why hadn’t she made them leave hours ago? She had been so selfish, grasping at time alone with Alexander. Making goodbye harder.

“Lucas!” Meredith ran out of the cave, her face white. Peter and Jasper followed close behind her. “Alex!” Meredith waved her hands frantically. “Get out of here!”

“What is this?” Tristan straightened. “A whole group of ensorcelled servants?”

“Move, Lucas.” The back of Alex’s mouth glowed orange.

Tristan raised his shield. “Try it, dragon.”

Raelyn’s fists curled around handfuls of grass and dirt.No.But the word stuck in her dry throat. Gareth stood, looking concerned.

Then everything happened at once.

Tristan lunged forward. Lucas raised his sword and moved to intercept him. Alex snarled and swung a paw over Lucas, batting Tristan aside. Raelyn heard the heart-stoppingtwangof a bowstring as Tristan slammed into a tree. An arrow blurred past. A scream clawed up her throat, shredding her vocal cords. The arrow buried deep in Lucas’s chest. Meredith shrieked as Lucas stumbled back, dazed.

Lucas’s sword slipped out of his hands.

34

“LUCAS!” RAELYN USED Gareth to pull herself to her feet and sprinted toward Lucas.

“What were you thinking?” Gareth shouted. “You shot a boy!”

Lucas looked down at the arrow in his chest and the growing patch of blood, teetering. Peter ran to his son’s side and caught him just before he fell. Tears raced down Peter’s cheeks as he guided Lucas to the ground in front of Alexander.

“Lucas!” Alex roared.

But instead of spewing flames or going into a rage, Alex began to shrink. Raelyn skidded to a stop beside Lucas, opposite from Meredith. She faced Tristan’s men and held up her hands. Tristan still laid in a heap at the base of the tree; unconscious or dead, she didn’t know.

“Listen to me!” Raelyn cried out. “These people are innocent! Please. Stop!”

The men shuffled and murmured. Several lowered their weapons. Others stood still as statues, gawking as Alex shifted back.

Satisfied the knights wouldn’t charge the moment she turned her back on them, Raelyn fell to her knees next to Lucas. His lips trembled in his drawn, pale face. “Lucas?” she asked hoarsely.

Meredith tried to say something, but all that came out was a heart-wrenching sob. Back in human form, Alex knelt between Raelyn and Peter, his wings folded against his back. Blood stained his shoulders where the arrows had hit, but there were no wounds. His hands shook as he pressed them around the shaft of the arrow on Lucas’s heaving chest.

“Lucas.” Alex’s voice cracked and tears slid down his jaw. “Why did you do that?”

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