The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume III: Volume III

have to get to my ship.” The cough passed. Kinnsell grabbed her around the waist and lifted her to her feet. She kicked his shins and bit at his restraining hands, never ceasing her wails and moans of distress.
    “Televarn can’t be dead! I know they lie to me!”
    “Where do we have to go in such a hurry, Maia? Tell me where, and I will take you there in an instant,” Kinnsell soothed. He couldn’t let her escape now. Not when he was so close to commanding the full loyalty of the bush lords.
    “You know the secret of the transport spell?” Maia ceased her struggles so suddenly Kinnsell almost fell forward on top of her.
    He shifted his balance and loosened his hold a little. The spurt of activity renewed the tightness in his chest. He held his breath a moment to control the cough. He’d be comfortable and warm as soon as he reached the shuttle. Then the cough would go away. He only felt overheated and chilled at the same time because this damned planet was so bloody cold, without the slightest knowledge of climate control.
    “Not a transport spell,” he replied when he controlled his breathing once more. He sought a metaphor the woman would understand. “I control a dragon. A very special dragon that lets me hide inside her. She will take us wherever you want to go. But first we have to get to her.”
    “A dragon!” Maia crossed her wrists, right over left, and flapped her hands in the bizarre ward against evil. Her eyes grew wide with respect and . . . and terror. “You control the renegade dragon, Hanassa?”
    “Whatever. Now come along this side path. We have to get to my dragon before she flies away on her own.” He doubted Jamie Patrick would order the shuttle returned to the mother ship by remote, but he never knew what his sons might do. One day soon he’d have to beat some discipline into them—as he should have when they were little, but he was too busy courting political favor to bother with children then.
    He kept his arm around Maia’s waist as they returned the few steps to the barely maintained side path. Deep shadows from overhanging trees cloaked them. Kinnsell shuddered in atavistic fear of the unknown darkness. He kept up a prattle of words to mask his uneasiness. “My dragon will shelter us and give us hot food and drink and comfortable beds until dark. Then she will fly away with us. Anywhere you want to go.” As long as it’s to the castle of my bushie lord. Once I show you to him, I’ll control the majority of King Quinnault’s Council and the king’s daughter. I’ll direct when and where technology is introduced. And I’ll collect tithes from these bushies as well as the rewards of bringing this world back into the fold of Terra’s Empire. None of my relatives stand a chance of winning the election as emperor once I bring this planet back into the fold.
    “I have never touched a dragon before. But I have seen one,” Maia said, caressing his face with gentle fingers. “I did not trust the dragon. I could not penetrate her thoughts. But she touched mine. She blocked out Televarn’s voice, and I did not know what to do without him.” Her wonderful hands slid down his back. “You can replace Televarn in my mind. Your talent is strong, Master Kinnsell. You can replace Televarn in the minds of all the Rovers. Your control of the Rovers can extend to all those who have even a trace of Rover blood in their veins, like Nimbulan and Lord Balthazaan.”
    Heat flooded Kinnsell’s veins wherever she touched him. He recognized the subtle psi power and allowed himself to enjoy her for a moment. Her words brought a smile to his face as well. His family enjoyed a similar mind-to-mind contact. But the O’Hara clan had better control, no one person could remain in the mind of another without permission. These Rovers needed a leader to direct them. Kinnsell was willing to employ them if they bent to his control as easily as the rest of this planet. He lengthened his stride.
    “You will not be able to penetrate my dragon’s thoughts. Only I can do that,” he said, warming to his story. Cyber controls could be defined as a form of mind-to-mind contact.
    The nagging cough returned.
    Maia touched his temple with the fingertips of her right hand and his chest with the flat of her left hand. Heat radiated from the points of contact. An electric buzz shot through his veins. The cough eased. She lingered, not releasing her healing touch. His vision narrowed, blotting out all but