The dragonchild walked slowly to Straum’s injured side, pausing only once when she passed the stained patch of sand where her fellow servant had died between the dragon’s jaws. Jig wished she would hurry. His head pounded from lack of air, and his chest felt as if Straum had sat on him.

The creature placed both hands on the javelin. Straum’s claws dug furrows in the sand. Jig looked to the others for help, but they hadn’t moved. Maybe they were smarter than Jig had realized. Smart enough to stay away from an angry dragon, at least.

The dragonchild tightened her grip and pushed, forcing the length of the javelin through Straum’s eye and into his head.

Ryslind screamed in pain. Straum’s head dropped to the floor. His tail crashed into the wall, where it reduced several shelves to splinters and destroyed a five-thousand-year-old collection of oil lamps.

Then the dragon’s body went still.

CHAPTER 18 - A Fatal Misstep

CHAPTER 18

A Fatal Misstep

Jig was not happy. Straum blinked. He blinked! I could have died!

Tymalous Shadowstar’s answer sounded grumpy. How was I supposed to know? Even I can’t see the future. Besides, you’re still alive, aren’t you?

Thanks to a dragonchild.

It was a good plan. The eye was the only vulnerable spot large enough for you to hit. If he hadn’t blinked, that shot would have gone right through the eye and pierced Straum’s oversized brain. A weakness you’ll never have to worry about, I’m glad to say.

Good, Jig answered without thinking, thus proving the god’s point.

Ryslind was curled into a ball and crying like an infant. Barius and Darnak both bent over him, while Riana watched Straum’s newly orphaned child. The dragonchild hadn’t moved at all since plunging the javelin into Straum’s eye.

Jig grabbed another spear and used it as a staff to help him walk over to the others.

“Nice throw,” Darnak said without looking up. “You might have had him, if Ryslind hadn’t spotted you. I dare say I couldn’t have done it better myself, though if you tell any dwarf I said that, I’ll deny it to my dying breath.”

He peeled Ryslind’s eyelids back and said, “He’s not dead. Don’t know what it’ll do to him though, losing Straum that sudden-like. Meaning no disrespect, but if he had any mind left, that might have broken it.”

Riana grabbed Jig’s elbow and pulled him a few steps away from the group. “You hesitated. That could have gotten you killed. What were you waiting for?” she said, her voice pitched for Jig’s ears only.

In an equally soft voice, he said, “I only had one shot. I couldn’t figure out if I should try to kill Straum or Barius.”