Page 48 of Crown and Dragon

“Not yet, but we are close.”

“I wish you all the luck, Lady Tahlia,” Lija said. “The communication herb has burned away, so Lady Fara and I will no longer be in contact.”

“See you soon.”

She walked up the shoreline with the sea tugging once more at her legs. Marius was right beside her. He smoothed his wet Fae-white hair away from his face and squeezed the water from his tangled locks. Drops ran down his inked torso and the muscles of his stomach.

“How are you communicating with Lija?” he asked.

“How did you know?”

“Because that was Seabreak magic,” he said, “the likes of which I’ve only heard about in old stories.”

Tahlia twisted her hair and the ends of her tunic, and water splashed onto the stones near her feet. “You’ve never seen Maiwenn’s Donan do anything like that?”

“Similar, but not that powerful. He’s never raised an army to defend him from enemies, that’s for certain.”

Marius wrung the seawater from the loose remains of his ripped trousers while Tahlia put her dry socks and boots back on. Pride in Lija swelled in Tahlia’s chest.

“There’s an herbwitch at the castle and she helped Fara and Lija communicate with me via my bond with Lija.”

“And then talk to me via our mate bond?” Marius found his boots and removed the socks tucked inside.

“Exactly.”

Raising his eyebrows, Marius nodded and grunted in approval. Once they were as ready as they could be, he grabbed Tahlia and kissed her hard.

“I’m glad you’re still here to ruin my focus, Lady of the Skies.”

She nipped his bottom lip and gripped his narrow, delicious, male hips. “Back at you.”

They hurried back the way they’d come. The siren’s portal remained, shimmering and dizzying. They entered the labyrinth and took a right.

“The minotaur was an illusion. But it was an illusion strong enough to kill,” Marius said as they walked on, drawing their blades and shaking or wiping them dry as best they could.

“The siren’s doing, I guess?”

“Yes. Did you not feel swayed by her?” Marius asked.

“I did somewhat, but Lija was able to bring me back to myself.”

“Thoughts of you are the only reason I was able to strike out at her.”

Tahlia’s cheeks warmed. “Glad I could help.”

The labyrinth went around and around until it reached an arched wooden door with a small, simple brass knob.

“I suppose we’re headed in there? The crown is probably sitting right in there on a fine pillow with some magical light illuminating it for us, right?”

Marius lifted one eyebrow and growled.

“Yeah, I didn’t think so,” she said. “Let’s get whatever this nightmare is about to be over with. I’m ready to leave this crazy place.”

Marius kicked the door open and Tahlia nearly leapt out of her skin.

“Did the door knob insult you?”

He pushed the broken remnants away and walked forward into the chamber. Tahlia followed him. The room was a twenty-by-thirty-foot dusty enclosure. Footprints ran in a crescent shape around a raised platform crafted of dark wood. On top, a box large enough for three crowns boasted a seashell-shaped lock.

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