And the Carian navy was cutting off our one escape route. If things got bad, Xander had talked about trying to save people by putting them onto ships and leaving.
That wouldn’t be possible now.
At the western gate, they had unveiled a battering ram that had a metal roof shielding it, so that it wouldn’t catch fire and nothing could be dropped on the men holding it.
Then the dragons started toward the northern gate, where we were.
“Release the arrows!” Xander called out.
The archers immediately responded, and thousands of arrows struck the dragons and the towers.
Neither one was affected by the flames. It seemed as if nothing could pierce the dragons’ scales.
The earth dragons moved into position and began battering the wall, not even bothering with the gate. They were going to bring the whole thing down.
“How are we supposed to set soaking-wet towers on fire?” Stephanos asked, throwing spear after spear at the men pushing the tower closer.
Dragon flame.
Luna suddenly appeared at my feet. I hadn’t seen her since she had brought me back to Xander. “Where have you been?” I asked. “And what did you just say?”
Resting. I said dragon flame. Call the dragons.
“What?”
Call the dragons.
She meant for me to use the goddess’s dragon aspect. I remembered learning about it at the temple and how incredible it had sounded. Was it possible? There was only one way to find out.
“Dea Drakones,” I said, feeling the power surge into me, but it wasn’t like my fury aspect. This one didn’t take anything from me.
Luna smiled at me and then disappeared.
Chapter Sixty-Four
Xander moved into motion immediately. “There are riders on the back of those earth dragons controlling them—shoot at them!”
Then he turned to Thrax. “Take the Thracian contingent and go open the western gate. Lead them into the labyrinth. We need to siphon off some of these soldiers.”
Basileia stood next to her brother. “I’ll come with you.” Thrax nodded and they both ran off.
“Demaratus and Haemon?” Xander said. “I need you and the Daemonians and Locrians to go down to the docks. There are going to be Ilionian sailors and marines who will be stranded outside the wall. Provide them with safe passage.”
“Finally!” Demaratus grunted.
I was worried about my brother’s safety. I grabbed his arm. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Lia, if I am going to be the king, I have to fight alongside my soldiers. You understand that, don’t you?” he asked. Physically he looked so much better, but it hadn’t been too long ago that he could barely stand.
But I did understand that he needed to do this. I nodded and said, “Make sure you come back to us.”
He kissed me quickly on the forehead and said, “I will.” Then he went to join Demaratus and Antiope.
I wondered if this was how Xander felt whenever I went off to fight someone. My husband hadn’t said anything to me this morning about not fighting today. Was it because he knew better or because he trusted me more?
A Carian catapult launched a large boulder but it wasn’t aimed at the wall.
It had been directed at the palace. They knew the Ilionian citizens were down there. They were trying to kill them.
