The Broken Dragon: Children of the Dragon Nimbus #2 by Irene Radford Read Free Book Online

the stash of jerked meat in her pack within Lady Ariiell’s litter.
    “You can help the lady, Val,” Da added. “You may be the only one who can.”
    Then they both stepped back and away, leaving her to her journey, and maybe her destiny.

    “I have a feeling we are missing something,” Glenndon said quietly to his parents—Jaylor and Brevelan. Almost three months in the capital and he still couldn’t bring himself to admit that the king was his father. All evidence aside, King Darville had three beautiful daughters and a lovely and gracious queen. They’d been a loving family long before Glenndon came into their household. He felt like an intruder even if he was the acknowledged heir to the Dragon Crown. He’d been a part of Jaylor and Brevelan’s family since birth. The departing twins were more his sisters than the royal princesses; though Rosselinda, the oldest, and he shared a unique bond that went beyond half-blood, well into the realm of magical unity.
    How fare you, Linda?
He sent a quick mental probe to her at the Forest University, near Mama’s home. The huge stone building behind him was the old University, abandoned near eighteen years ago, and re-inhabited by magicians only recently. Da was still sorting out which master magicians taught and resided at which edifice.
    Maigret makes her potions way too complicated. I’m sure there’s an easier way. . . .
Linda’s thoughts drifted away from him.
    Satisfied that she thrived in her temporary exile, Glenndon turned back to his parents. “What are we missing, Da?”
    “Besides your brother Lukan? We’re always missing something. There is always a lord, or a merchant, or a foreign ambassador, or a rogue magician with a grudge against us. We can’t anticipate all of them,” Da said, avidly watching as the two caravans began winding their way out the gates—newly repaired after a short-lived rebellion of lords and an invasion by Krakatrice.
    Glenndon didn’t want to dwell on the monstrous black snakes that tried very hard to turn lush Coronnan into a desert. Maybe that was what bothered him. This place, the scene of the final battle just a few months ago.
Stargods! I thought we killed them all. Who would be so stupid as to import more. No one can control them
,
he sent to his father, knowing he’d pick up the tight line of communication.
    I don’t know. But there has to be a magician involved at some point in the plot. The dragons are keeping an eye out for any stray and hatchling snakes. They haven’t called me out to help fight any since we capped the Well with clay so that it can breathe. The Well of Life does more to control invaders than individual lords with their armies, or a dragon, or a single magician
.
    Glenndon couldn’t help examining the entire courtyard with all of his senses, physical and magical. And then there was the Well of Life—the source of all magical energy in Coronnan—intricately linked to ley lines, Dragons, and the Tambootie trees, all three necessary to each other. Magic permeated the courtyard, because of the Well and the leftovers from centuries of magicians, journeymen, and apprentices training and practicing here. How could he tell if anything new and dangerous crept up on him? Even his bodyguard Frank—waiting by the pedestrian gate, giving him privacy with his family—would be hard put to sense what was wrong and out of place.
    Glenndon needed to be elsewhere, now that Lillian’s caravan followed Valeria’s onto the main road heading south. They’d separate in five or seven days, Val heading west toward Aporia and the mountains with Lady Ariiell, Lillian continuing south before angling east to Saria.
    As if sensing his restlessness, Jaylor looked over Mama’s head to him. “I need to take your mother home. Will you visit for a few days?”
    “I wish I could. King Darville—uh—Father has given me the responsibility to receive new ambassadors. There’s one just come from Amazonia, the first