Page 50 of Crown and Dragon

Tahlia’s heart iced over.

Durniad.

Chapter 24

Marius

As fast as he could, Marius set the crown on his own head and got between Tahlia and Durniad. Magic shivered down his back and along his jaw. The cooling sensation traveled along his throat and into his chest.

Durniad’s smug look had fallen and his eyes looked ready to pop from his meaty head.

“You see the one who should wear the crown wearing it now,” Marius said, not knowing what in the hells he was doing, but desperate to escape with Tahlia. He had been ordered to avoid bloodshed if possible. But with Durniad flanked by four large guards, the crown was the only way they could leave without a great deal of damage and a high body count.

Tahlia’s hand found Marius’s back, and he was glad he wore no tunic because he could easily feel that her fingers didn’t shake. She wasn’t afraid of the power he held at the moment. His mate truly trusted him.

Durniad blinked quickly, then he and his guards stepped aside.

Marius started down the labyrinth with Tahlia behind him.

“This is great!” Tahlia whispered. “Oooh, tell me to do something. I want to see how it feels.”

“This isn’t a game, Lady Tahlia.”

“Aw, come on, Commander. Make me run or say the alphabet backwards.”

“Your ankle is injured.”

“Actually, it’s good now. My ribs and head aren’t great, but I’m fine. Do the alphabet one. Wait. I know I’m not capable of that. What if I explode when you order me to try?”

“You are far too excited about the prospect.”

“It’s fascinating!”

“Spontaneous combustion would compromise our mission.”

“You’re so Marius, you know that?”

He frowned. “Why would I be anything else?”

A shrieking shattered Marius’s thoughts.

They whirled to see the siren dragging herself through her portal behind them.

Tahlia swore in a Fara-like manner—some curse involving monkeys and testes. Marius agreed with the sentiment if not the communication style.

The siren had lost an arm. Her watery flesh had gone blood red. She looked like a true nightmare now, her jeweled eyes gone cloudy and her mouth ripped at one side.

“I will have my revenge.” She rushed them—moving faster than anything Marius had ever witnessed—and snatched Tahlia’s belt.

Marius’s body went tight with battle readiness. The siren wavered on her feet. The surge of activity had depleted her somewhat. She was weakened.

The siren hauled Tahlia backward, the creature’s arm laced around Tahlia’s neck. Opening her mouth of coral and shark teeth, the siren prepared to bite down on Tahlia’s shoulder. Panic threaded through Marius’s every bone, tendon, and muscle.

“Get off me!” Tahlia snarled, grabbed the siren’s arm, maneuvered her hips, and slammed the siren onto the floor. “Ugh. Your skin feels so bizarre.” She shook water from her hands and grimaced.

The creature howled and slowly raised herself back up.

Tahlia drew her two daggers and slashed at the siren’s gut, but the creature evaded her and hissed.

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