The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume II

Quinnault’s army near the capital. By then he won’t have a populace to draw troops from.”
    S’murghit, how did one fight dozens of small battles without a single man directing the whole? Nimbulan needed masses of men to direct in an overall plan. He had no skill interpreting battle on the level of a single patrol.
    “King Lorriin, when does he march?”
    “He takes the city of Sambol tonight. Then he sails down the River Coronnan to take the capital, raiding as he goes.”
    “S’murghit!” Nimbulan said aloud this time. Guilt began to creep upward from his gut to his mind, clouding his thinking. “When did Quinnault have time to woo a princess and sign a marriage treaty? I knew I should have sorted through the offers for him before I left the city.”
    “The marriage negotiations took place in secret over many moons, led by Nimbulan, the king’s magician,” the sergeant replied as if the question had been addressed to him.
    “That is interesting news to me.” Nimbulan raised one eyebrow, biting his cheeks to keep from laughing at the ridiculous rumor. Nervous laughter.
    “Quickly. We have to leave now. I don’t like Amaranth’s breathing.” Myri bounced the baby in her arms, trying to break the empathic link between the infant and the men.
    “Yes, we will leave. Scarface, can you arrange a delayed release from the thrall for these men? Powwell, set up a summons to Lyman at the Commune.”
    Powwell looked at his feet. Red tinged his cheekbones.
    “I’m sorry, Powwell. I forgot you never mastered that spell before Televarn kidnapped you. I’ll do it, as soon as we are away from here.” Nimbulan, too, looked at his boots. If Powwell had been able to work the spell well enough to keep in contact with Nimbulan during the first few moons of Myri’s exile from the capital, Nimbulan would have known of her pregnancy. He would have broken away from his responsibilities in the capital to be with her.
    Instead, he had deluded himself that all was well with her because he did not hear otherwise.
    That thought sobered him. Did he love her enough to sacrifice his work in the capital and with the Commune to be with her for her own sake, or only for the child of his own body he had wanted so desperately?
    He’d waited until Shayla had broken the Covenant between humans and dragons to seek out the cause.
    “Maybe the gate has opened again,” Yaala said, still staring at the grouping of rocks and trees that had been their portal from the heart of the volcano. “I’ve got to find out what happened to Yaassima. Hanassa should be mine, not left to whatever riffraff decides to step in.”
    “The sequence and the timing of the dragongate are random,” Powwell said harshly. Embarrassment at his failure to work a basic communication spell still tinged his face. “It needs an arch shape to solidify—even if only a shadow. Maybe the sunlight changed the opening. Maybe Kalen fell into a different location when the gate couldn’t open here.” Hope brightened his eyes.
    “We have to get safely away before these men recover,” Nimbulan reminded him. “I have to get this information back to Quinnault immediately, before he enters into this disastrous marriage. I won’t leave you behind like I left Rollett. It’s a long walk back to the capital.” He stretched his arms as if gathering his little band into a herd.
    “You won’t leave me behind, but you’ll desert Kalen. You’ll let her die because you won’t budge to help her. Just as you deserted Myri when she was pregnant and needed you most,” Powwell said bitterly.

Chapter 32
     
    Q uinnault watched Katie march up the three steps of the dais, rolling her eyes in disbelief. His gut turned cold in despair. Visions of his solitary life stretched before his imagination. Having given his heart to her, he couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else. Without this marriage he’d lose the port, he’d lose his credibility with his Council. He’d lose the stability of an heir.
    She had to pass this test. She had to survive and become his wife!
    He had fended off assassins last night. He only wished he could intervene with the dragon for her.
    “Where is Nimbulan, Lyman? He should be here, presiding, advising. Helping,” he whispered into the old magician’s ear.
    “He’s off being a daddy and restoring the Covenant with the dragons. We’ll know if he’s done that if a dragon responds to my summons.”
    “Myrilandel had a baby? Why didn’t Nimbulan