The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume II

and happiness as they filled with dragon magic. He’d seen them do this before whenever a dragon was present.
    The Lords of the Council reacted differently. Most with the slight cringing of men faced with their fears but too prideful to run. Some closed their eyes and mumbled prayers. None of them reacted to the dragon with joy—though they had called Shayla to preside over this test.
    Slowly, as if moving in a world that measured time differently, Shayla dropped into the courtyard. The bulk of her massive, crystal-like body barely fit between Quinnault and the dais, yet somehow she managed to land gracefully with only a minor breeze to ruffle the king’s hair. Lyman scuttled adroitly out of her way, moving much more quickly than a man of his years should.
    Good morning, Shayla, Quinnault greeted the dragon. I hope the demands of my Council did not disrupt your day too much.
    (The selection of your queen is important, Quinnault Darville de Draconis. Unlike dragons, humans are not meant to live alone.) Shayla dipped her head in greeting to him. Then she turned her steedlike muzzle toward the small woman on the dais.
    Katie stood stiffly, unmoving, as if frozen in time. Her mouth hung partly open in awe. Quinnault saw her perfect white teeth and pink tongue caught in mid-gasp. He was enthralled by her vulnerability. He hadn’t recognized that quality in her before. Her small frame was filled with so much strength and humor there shouldn’t have been room for this weakness. His heart swelled with the need to protect her.
    (So, this is the thing you humans call love,) Shayla chuckled in the back of Quinnault’s mind. (My daughter possesses almost too much of it. I can no longer expect her to live the solitary life of a dragon. You must not force this on her.)
    He wanted to smile with the shared emotion. He didn’t quite dare. Katie was still vulnerable to both Shayla and the Council. I will do what I can to make sure that my sister, your daughter, is no longer alone. Why had he promised that? He had no idea how he could reverse the edict of exile for Myrilandel and not other rogue magicians.
    (Tonight, I will mate with my consorts as you mate with yours. The nimbus will be strong once more. ’Tis the wrong season, but a necessary symbol of our ties to you.)
    What I feel for this princess is more than lust of the body, Shayla. I need her at my side every day of my life. I need to share the big decisions and the small daily trivia with her. My life is incomplete without her.
    (It is the same, King Quinnault. I am no longer a solitary dragon, but part of a greater whole. Without my consorts and my children, I am less than I am now. Myrilandel has taught me this.) Shayla cocked her head as she examined Katie.
    Quinnault sensed puzzlement in the dragon. Then, Shayla turned her attention to Lyman.
    “Princess Maarie Kaathliin of Terrania,” Lyman said in a stern and commanding voice.
    Katie shook herself free of her paralysis and flicked a glance at the old magician. Her eyes returned quickly to the dragon before her.
    “Princess, the mental armor you have erected to block out any chance of illusion is very strong. If we cannot poke holes in your barricades to communicate with you telepathically, then we cannot create an illusion for you. The dragon is real. Touch her and know the truth.”
    Katie paused indecisively a moment, shifting her gaze from Lyman to the dragon, over to Quinnault and back to the dragon. After an interminable moment, she lifted her hand and stretched it forward, stopping a finger’s length from Shayla’s muzzle. She bit her cheeks and closed her eyes. Then, resolutely, she stretched the extra distance. Her fingertips brushed the soft fur, then jerked back as if burned. She opened her eyes wide and collapsed into a heap of white linen and tangled limbs.
    Quinnault leaped for the dais. In two strides he crossed the distance, shouldering Shayla out of the way. Mutely he lifted Katie’s limp wrist.
    His hands shook so badly he couldn’t find her pulse.
     
    Powwell stumbled over a tussock walking backward. He had to keep watching the portal to see if Kalen found her way through it. Nimbulan watched it as well, as if he expected Rollett to walk through it, too. The gate should reopen again soon. The air remained still, without trace of the hot blast from the heart of the volcano.
    Ahead of him, the others walked close together, hurrying away from Moncriith’s mercenary patrol.
    Myri and Maia