The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume I: Volume I

“Big light.”
    “Someone caught you and caged you. They left you in the sun? Without water?”
    “Reji comes, Reji, Reji.” The last words drained the jackdaw of energy. He collapsed in Jack’s hand, a heavy, inert weight.
    “Don’t you dare die on me, Corby!” Lonely tears swelled his throat. Through all his pain and years of toil only Corby had remained from his days as Jaylor’s apprentice—the only time in his life he’d been happy and cared for. Loved. Until now. He had Katrina now. Maybe.
    Light shimmered and distorted not six yards in front of Jack. He needed to cuddle and protect his companion, but urgency prevented that. Hastily he spared the magic to send the unconscious bird into a pocket between two spines on the blue-tipped dragon’s back.
    “Please keep him safe, sir,” he pleaded as he ducked the first bolt of magic thrown by the now solid forms of Rejiia and Simeon.
    “Take all your dragons out of here, Shayla,” he yelled. “Without dragons, Simeon has no magic!” A flash of blinding white light followed his words.
     
    Katrina held the last round doily in place over the edge of the ugly black wound in Shayla’s wing. Never had she seen anything to match Simeon’s cruelty in maiming this magnificent dragon. She counted carefully to ten for the glue to set while her heart hammered rapidly.
    The skin on the back of her neck crawled with the sense of impending danger. She smelled the difference in the air when Simeon and his mistress materialized. A sharp scent of foliage beginning to rot.
    (Now!) Shayla commanded. (We must leave now.)
    “But it’s not set. The patch will come off when you fly.” Katrina held the doily in place, willing the liquid wax to congeal faster.
    (No more time. I must fly as it is. Come.) The last word commanded the babies as well as Katrina.
    The lacemaker wasted no more time. Shayla was too weak to take her. With a prayer and a leap she clambered onto the blue-tipped male dragon’s back. Two spinal horns cradled her like a saddle. Corby lay between two smaller spikes in front of her, a black spot of reality in this fantastic adventure. She scooped the bird into her lap to keep him safe.
    “P’pa, climb up behind me!” she called. Her father continued to stare at the three magicians.
    “P’pa!”
    (My mates will see to him,) Shayla explained. (I must leave now.)
    Huge shoulder muscles stretched beneath Katrina as the male matched Shayla’s movements. They spread their wings. Some of the dragon’s joy in the movement filtered into Katrina’s mind.
    (Too long since I have flown,) Shayla groaned. Her wings faltered in their upward movement. Before they quite reached the peak of the arch, Shayla thrust them downward and gathered her legs beneath her. (Not enough strength. We’ll have to run for it.)
    Katrina’s dragon moved into position behind Shayla, encouraging and protecting her at the same time.
    Above them, the dragonets fluttered and chirped. Higher still, more dim outlines circled. The sense of urgency pressed on Katrina like a weight.
    Rejiia raised her arms in preparation for an assault on Shayla. Simeon’s spell was aimed at Jack.
    Shayla and her mate sprang forward in unison.
    “Look out, Jack!” Katrina screamed into the rushing wind.
    A blast of magic fire burst from both dragon mouths, directly at the sorcerer-king. Rejiia’s attack faltered as she diverted her spell to protect Simeon. Dragon fire ringed them both, beat at invisible armor and died out. Neither of them flinched.
    Both dragons ran past Simeon, gathering speed with each long step. Two more steps, two more sweeps of the huge wings, and Katrina felt the rush of air flow beneath her. A sudden release of the weight that held her to the Kardia and she knew they were airborne. A sense of wonder filled her as the vale diminished in size beneath her.
    She looked down one last time. P’pa appeared as a heap of rags collapsed by the pool side. A ball of dark-green flame crashed through Jack’s armor toward his eyes.
    The blackness of the void engulfed her senses and her heart.

Chapter 38
     
    ‘ W e cannot deny you access to the child, Darville,” Jaylor said quietly. “But taking him to the capital now would cause more problems than it would solve.” The two men faced each other, arms crossed, similar grim expressions on their faces.
    “Don’t you think that once Glendon is away from all these magicians, these receptive minds, he would learn to speak?” Darville