Page 35 of Kingdom of Spirits
She went to Ragewing and looked up into the dragon’s scarlet face.
“Do you think we should be here? Or would you like to grab Marius and fly the hells out immediately before we end up as pale as the blank page, dusted in golden boils, and deposited on some border folk’s farm?”
Ragewing’s head swiveled and the dragon studied Marius.
“No,” Marius said, shaking his head. “We are not leaving.”
Ragewing snorted a puff of black smoke and sat back on his haunches.
“You’re headed for that glowing light, the shimmering bit of stuff between those mountains, correct?” Tahlia wasn’t giving up yet.
“Yes.” He shook his head like he had a bug in his ear. “I mean to say, it’s none of your concern. Please go.”
“Please? But it’s an order? Make up your mind, High Captain Marius.”
The steel in his eyes hardened and a thrill shot through her at his dangerous beauty, idiot that she was.
“Tahlia.” His voice went stony. “You are pushing me to consider punishments I’d rather not order.”
“Do tell. What type of punishment is there for a person who saves your life?”
“You are not saving my life.”
Fara brought a strip of dried meat to Ragewing, who accepted it with a grunt.
“You don’t know that,” Tahlia said. “Something haunted and wild could attack you right now and I’d be here, wielding my arrows and?—”
“An arrow for the ghost?”
“Can’t punch them either from what I hear,” Fara mumbled.
Tahlia almost snarled at Marius. “Perhaps my strategy needs amending, but it could happen—I could end up saving your lifehere, Marius, and wouldn’t you look such a fool for wishing me gone?”
“We may be off the books for this journey, but I am still your captain.”
She saluted him. “I’m here and ready to obey.”
He snorted, the edge of his lips twitching. “You don’t even know the meaning of the word.”
“I will learn as long as your orders involve me acting on your behalf here in this incredibly lovely disaster you’ve dragged us into.”
“Tahlia, all jesting aside. You truly must?—”
Vodolija landed beside Ragewing, cutting off whatever stale warning Marius was about to dole out.
“No deer to be found?” Tahlia asked the Seabreak.
A purring sound stuttered in the back of the dragon’s mouth, a noise Tahlia had learned to interpret as pouting.
“Did you find any fresh water?” Tahlia asked Marius.
“Yes. There is a creek not far away. Trees shield it from view, but if you look closely, you’ll see it.” He glanced at the flames. “We were flying back from it when I spotted your fire.”
“Eh, don’t look down your nose at me,” Tahlia said. “You made a fire too.”
“Unlike you, I am experienced. I deal with multiple threats regularly and have done so for years.”
“So you’re resorting to insults to get me to leave?”