The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume I: Volume I

him.
    Jaylor paused a moment, remembering his lengthy recovery from that spell.
    “You had better return as full masters of your powers, or I’ll come find you to make you regret it,” he added sternly, shaking them with affection.
    “As if Brevelan would let you chase after us without her,” Marcus mumbled.
    “We know who really runs the Commune.” Robb grinned at his partner.
    “What did you say?” Jaylor glared at the young men.
    “Nothing, sir. We’ll come back. With the dragon.” Marcus winked at Robb.
    “Or if she can’t fly, we’ll summon Brevelan.”
    “Good. Now remember your instructions. Stay in touch. I want a summons every night at sunset.” He’d said this all before, but it deserved repeating. “Keep together and blend in with the locals any way you can. You’ll have to be doubly careful avoiding detection at the battlefront. SeLenicca is gearing up for a major push to drive our army back toward the pass. There is no magic in SeLenicca to augment your own reserves, so you’ll have to keep your delusions to a minimum. And whatever you do, don’t rouse King Simeon’s suspicion. The battle mages report small concentrations of dragon magic across the border, but not enough for all to gather and combine. That convinces me that Simeon is holding Shayla hostage. He won’t want to give her up. You will be executed as spies at the first suggestion that you come from Coronnan.”
    “We know, Jaylor.” Robb patted the Senior Magician’s shoulder reassuringly. “We’ve been over this a dozen times.”
    “Keep going over it. I can’t afford to lose any more journeyman. Keep a look out for Lady Rejiia, too. She’s been missing since her child died.”
    “But Queen Rossemikka is pregnant again. We don’t need Rejiia as heir to the crown,” Robb grumbled.
    Jaylor bit back the bitterness of that news. Margit reported that Mikka ailed with this pregnancy. A few whispers had begun that the queen’s inability to carry a child to term was clear evidence of witchcraft.
    Between the whispers and the difficult pregnancy, Jaylor had decided to keep word of the plot against the queen’s brother to himself. Mikka and Darville didn’t need the extra worry. The plot had been temporarily foiled. King Simeon’s mistress, whoever she was, would need time to replace the poison.
    “Better off without Krej’s daughter. I never trusted her,” Marcus added.
    “More reason to bring the dragons back, to protect the queen’s baby—the long-awaited heir. Take care of yourselves.” Jaylor saluted them with a fist clenched over his heart, then offered his left hand, little finger, and ring finger curled under. A mild shock of power that only another magician could feel went into the handshake—the new recognition signal of the Commune.
    He watched the young men gather their packs and march toward the edge of the clearing.
    “Will you keep an eye on Margit, sir? She’s feeling kind of abandoned with both of us going off on quest.” Marcus paused at the edge of the clearing barrier. “Maybe you can teach her to tolerate cats better. I really like cats.”
    “I’ll make contact with her every week instead of every moon,” Jaylor promised.
    Marcus nodded and smiled his thanks as the edges of the clearing blurred and the journeymen passed through to the path.
    Jaylor raised his hand, as if to delay their departure once more. Surely they’d forgotten something. He should call them back, delay their leave-taking a little longer.
    “They are older than you were when you were given the same quest. And better equipped.” Brevelan placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Those boys have scoured Coronnan for apprentices these last three years. They know how to live rough and fend for themselves,” she reminded him.
    “I guess I can spare the boys for a while. They must succeed where I failed. Coronnan depends upon them.”
    “Thanks to those ‘boys,’ you have ten new journeymen to take their place and fifteen apprentices eager to join them.” Brevelan urged him away from the sight of the path closing behind the retreating steps of Robb and Marcus.
    “We still don’t have enough magicians to resume our traditional roles in society, if and when we are ever legal again. I wonder if I should leave the University in Slippy’s care while I go with the boys?”
    “Don’t you dare!” Brevelan’s hands fluttered trying to reach for him and curve protectively around her swelling belly at the same