The Crown and the Dragon
by John D. Payne
The land of Deira burns. Two decades of war have laid waste to this once-green paradise . . . but even more destructive than rampaging armies is the wrath of the dragon—an uncontrollable living weapon unleashed by the invaders. Some brave rebels struggle against impossible odds. Others turn outlaw just to stay alive.Like many of her people, Elenn of Adair has lost family, lands, and possessions to the brutal realities of war. To save her people, she seizes a desperate chance to defeat the monstrous dragon, break the occupation, and see the rightful king crowned. She must protect a sacred relic from enemy soldiers, bandits, creatures of darkness . . . and the implacable Magister Corvus.Elenn’s reluctant guide is Aedin Jeoris, a bandit escaped from the gallows. These two must rely on each other to survive mortal danger and dire magicks. And both must decide what sacrifices they are willing to make in order to achieve their destinies.