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rampaging creature.
    Her hands clutched at the wall as she recognized one man running toward the dragon rather than away. “Dane.”
    Dane charged the beast, and Ketera held her breath. Before she could turn tail and escape in the other direction, the dragon ran toward Dane. Would she see Dane killed before her eyes? A curious panic constricted her breath.
    As the dragon and Dane came within feet of each other, Dane lifted his sword and threw it with tremendous force. It tumbled over and over as it flew through the air. Stunned into immobility, she watched and wondered how on Croan the sword could make a mark in the huge beast.
    Everything seemed to slow down.
    An ear-splitting growl erupted from the dragon and it took to the air. She watched, paralyzed as the dragon flew straight toward her.
     
    Dane saw the blue stripe dragon fly toward the small figure standing near the castle wall.
    Ketera.
    Alarm screamed through him. His sword had hit the mark right above the dragon’s belly in the most vulnerable section between the thick plates of armor that protected the creature. Yet it hadn’t done enough damage to prevent the creature from heading right toward Ketera.
    He ran toward the castle and shouted at the top of his lungs. “Ketera! Get down!” He waved his arms at her, hoping she could see him. “Get down!”
    He saw her duck as the dragon’s tail smacked the wall near where she stood. Pieces of the wall flew in all directions.
    Ketera darted back into the castle, and he took a breath of relief. At least in the castle she might be safe. He prayed his sword throw would slow the creature. A spear would have pierced the animal more efficiently, but neither he nor the other men had expected a dragon to approach the castle so blatantly. It was a female dragon, significantly larger than a male.
    Other Daryk Ones followed him in his mad rush to the drawbridge over the huge moat.
    His heart pounded with the rush, the excitement. Battle lust erupted through his veins.
    The dragon flapped its huge wings as it landed in the courtyard, scattering people as they tumbled over and over.
    Dane cursed as he came to a skidding halt inside the castle.
    A young Daryk One near the commotion launched a sword at the dragon, and it sailed across the wide expanse and missed the creature.
    Metal clanked against the ground near to—
    Ketera.
    She pressed against the wall near the bottom of the steps. Her eyes widened as the dragon turned her way. Blood trickled down the side of her face. Fierce protectiveness reared inside Dane. The sprite looked defiant, much as she had with him—but he also saw the dawning fear and her lips drawn into a tight line. The dragon pinpointed on her despite the incessant din of screaming people running to escape.
    The dragon turned, wings sweeping out with a tremendous whooshing noise. Ketera froze, apparently unable to act.
    “Ketera, get out of there!”
    Courage reflected in the depths of her eyes. Admiration surged inside him, but she had no experience with dragons.
    One false step and she’d die.
    Then he saw why she stayed where she was.
    A screaming child not older than three sat next to a fallen woman not far from one of the dragon’s feet. Before he could react, Ketera ran toward the beast rather than away. As she careened toward the child, Dane’s heart froze in his chest.
    Ketera snatched the child from the ground and barreled away from the dragon. The creature roared and turned toward Ketera, its foot miraculously missing the woman lying on the ground. A Daryk One darted between the dragon’s legs and retrieved the woman, lifting her in his arms and running away.
    Ketera was trapped against another wall as the dragon leaned toward her.
    “Over here, you scurvy bastard! Here!” Dane flapped his arms.
    The dragon looked his way, and when it did, Ketera moved to an alcove along the wall and stuffed herself and the wailing child inside it. No way the dragon could reach them in there. Thank the