The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume I: Volume I

flatly.
    She refused to answer. Whatever she said, he would see the truth in her eyes.
    Puppy wiggled closer to her. He pushed under her arm with his muzzle. She drew him close, along with the cat. She didn’t question that these two animals tolerated each other’s presence.
    “Here. Eat this.” Jaylor held out his hand. In his palm rested some dry berries that had once been deep red with yellow bands. Now they were dull gray.
    “Will the essential oils still be there?” she questioned as she picked up one berry, about the size of her thumbnail.
    “I think so. When I was given timboor, my captors had no access to fresh. They must have used dried.”
    She raised an eyebrow in question. It was safer to let him talk rather than question her past.
    Jaylor recounted his experience with the Rover tribe while he petted each of the animals in turn.
    “Modern magic texts proclaim everything about the Tambootie is evil. I can see how it might be abused. But evil? I wonder how much of our knowledge is carefully edited to avoid misuse rather than full understanding. I think I need to explore the effects of the berry more fully.” His words floated over her.
    She knew she would remember and understand what he said in the morning. For now she needed only to feel the smooth rhythm of his voice.
    The fire came into sharp focus. In the heart of the flames she saw the wind stirring the treetops outside. Her body took on a new lightness, drifting upward and out into the forest. She was no longer a part of the cozy camp scene below her.
    From her elevated position, she watched a man and a woman settle for the night. Their blankets were rough homespun. The dying fire grew pungent. The huge golden wolf crawled between them. A multicolored cat sought the wolf’s back for warmth. In the darkness of night the silent thoughts of Brevelan drifted through the forest. Watching. Waiting.

Chapter 13
     
    T hey think to trick me with my own tricks. I needn’t see them to know where they are. My magic, the magic of the Tambootie, guides me. Tonight I will spin my dreams by my blessed Tambootie wood fire. I shall sleep safe and warm, while they lie wakeful and wondering.
    They shall have nothing—no king, no prince, no magic. Tomorrow I will press them harder. Tomorrow I will find the dragon. After I secure the monster, I shall kill the wolf once and for all. And then all will be mine.
    And I shall have the dragon!
     
    Warm, sweet-smelling hair tickled Jaylor’s nose. He breathed deeply of the lovely scent. Then he snuggled closer to the source. A soft, feminine body filled his arms. He could tell it was a woman by the curves that molded to his hand.
    A woman?
    No! He sat up abruptly. A woman in his arms, before dawn could only mean one thing. He’d lain with her and lost his magic.
    Sleep-befuddled panic engulfed him. Sweat, cold and clammy, broke out on his back. His breaths came short and sharp until the cold morning air chased the fog of sleep from his mind.
    Slowly his breathing returned to normal, and he thought in logical patterns once more. The woman he’d held most of the night was Brevelan. He had slept by her side in the rough shelter of the almost-cave. He had dreamed of her, but they had not lain together as a man and a woman.
    The blasted wolf had seen to that. The beast had slept between them most of the night; Mica curled up with him. Any lustful thoughts Jaylor might have had were successfully squashed by the fuzzy barrier represented by the animals. Jaylor wasn’t sure when Wolf and Mica had wandered off to their own morning pursuits.
    Cautiously, Jaylor worked a small spell. He lifted a few spare twigs into the embers of the fire and reignited them. His magic was intact!
    He lay back down on the hard ground, grateful that his natural lusts had not overcome his good sense. His arm automatically stretched to bring Brevelan’s sleeping body closer.
    He pulled the rough blanket up to cover them both more fully. Her warmth relaxed him while her natural scent filled him with more energetic ideas.
    It was morning and he was at his most susceptible. He really should move away from her—and soon. After watching her rise one morning in the hut, he had always made sure he was well on his way to the bathing pool before she slid from the protective warmth of her enticingly large bed. Her shift covered her entire body, but it was old and thin. The nearly sheer muslin couldn’t hide the delectable shapes and shadows of her