The Dragon Nimbus Novels: Volume II

their enemies.
    “Without a focus, we can’t do more than push back the enemy for a day, maybe two. With a focus we could barricade the border with SeLenicca but not the northern coast or the southern border with Rossemeyer.” And the pass that leads to Hanassa where Moncriith claimed the title of Kaaliph.
    “What if we randomly rotated the wall so that invaders never knew where it would or would not be?” Quinnault offered.
    “Too time and energy consuming. All my magicians would be engaged in doing nothing but maintaining the wall. We wouldn’t be available for healing, communication, soil fertility—nothing but border patrol. That would defeat the whole purpose of the Commune, to make magic available to all of Coronnan for the benefit of all of Coronnan.”
    “The dragons are waking. Maybe they have a solution.” Quinnault cocked his head, like Myri did, listening.
    “I need them to fly over the border and tell us precisely where each of the armies is at the moment we set the spell. Presuming we can.”
    “Shayla is landing in the courtyard of the school.” Myri wandered in, rubbing sleep from her eyes and yawning. She hadn’t slept much either.
    Nimbulan welcomed her into his arms. He rested her head against his shoulders as she fought sleep.
    “Why is Shayla coming here?” he asked as he kissed her forehead.
    “She has a gift,” Lyman said as he bounced into the room with a disgusting amount of energy. “She says she found your focus.”
    “Glass. The dragons have made something of glass.” He remembered the whisper across his mind last night as he pondered the problem.
    “That would be my guess,’ Lyman smiled. Age lines dissolved from his face.
    “Are you getting younger, old man?” Nimbulan peered at his friend.
    “I wish,” he replied and winked at Myri. “I have too many lifetimes to complete for that to happen. Come, come, we mustn’t keep Shayla waiting. She’s anxious to get on with this business, so she can get to the work of building a nest for her next litter. A new litter of dragons. I remember the last one, over twenty years ago. . . .” He looked sharply around at the others to see if they had noticed his reverie.
    “You were there at the birthing,” Myri said, eyes alight. She didn’t show any surprise that a human had been allowed to view Shayla’s babies when man-made magic had injured her and caused her premature labor and subsequent stillbirth of fourteen of the young. Myri and her familiar Amaranth had been two of the six survivors—asexual purple-tipped dragons with a distinct destiny separate from the dragon nimbus.
    “Of course, my dear. I gave you and Amaranth your names.”
    “What is he talking about?” Nimbulan whispered to Myri. “Why was he there?”
    Myri smiled obliquely. “Dragons have to have some secrets, Lan.”
    “Enough reminiscence.” Lyman clapped his hands with enthusiasm. “Shayla commands our presence.” He ushered them out of the palace and across the bridge to School Isle amid a growing throng of citizens. Wide-eyed and gape-jawed people stumbled over each other as they watched the sky rather than their feet.
    Nimbulan realized that dawn had come around again and he hadn’t slept more than a few hours in the last four days. Why did dragons always insist on presenting their surprises at this awful hour?
    “Because the light makes them appear more spectacular,” Myri answered his unvoiced question.
    “I must be tired to lose control of my thoughts.” Grimly he scrubbed his face with his palm, hiding a yawn behind it. At least he’d eaten his fill every few hours, restoring some of his energy.
    “Your thoughts are always close to mine, Lan. You can’t hide anything from me.” She squeezed his arm affectionately.
    “Apparently, your anger toward me for leaving you alone so long has evaporated. I wish my guilt would fade as quickly. I have a lot to make up for.” He held her tight against his side, glad to have one complication removed from his life. “As soon as this is over, I will send journeymen on quest to rescue Rollett and Kalen. This time I will stay by your side.”
    “A good plan, Nimbulan. Keeping my family together is more important than venting my anger.”
    “I’ll remember that you are listening if I should ever be stupid enough to look at another woman.”
    “You’d better not even think about it.” She punched his arm affectionately.
    He winced. His nerves were worn thin and everything