Magic and Mayhem: How To Date A Dragon (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Baba Yaga Saga Book 2) by Donna McDonald Read Free Book Online Page A

strange look pass among several members of the council. The first glance originated from Arlane but spread to others. At the risk of being convicted of magical treason, I still would not trust Carol’s or Hildy’s mage training to anyone on the Council of Witches. The Chosen Ones would be far safer in the care of someone who cannot be bought.”
    Jezibaba stood transfixed. “You’re actually serious, aren’t you?”
    Nathaniel nodded. “Yes. I probably should have shared my fears before now, but it seemed presumptuous of me. Nothing in the last eight years has changed my opinion regardless of the lack of evidence to validate my instincts.”
    Jezibaba studied the chalkboard while she gnawed at her bottom lip. She hated all nervous habits because they betrayed her real emotions. Goddess, she was tense. She was running low on power and now this. Nathaniel was never wrong. Never.
    She walked to a seat and sat, breathing deeply to maintain her focus.
    “I’m tired Nathaniel… very tired. It’s been eight years and how much progress have I made in removing threats from Carol and Hildy’s lives? I haven’t even been able to find that wraith travelling weasel of a warlock who used his magic to help the mutant dragons. I know Nigel’s working for someone on the council because he bragged about it. They’re getting a lot damn better at hiding him from me.”
    “If I might interrupt your self-pity for just a moment…”
    Jezibaba chuckled. “See? There was a time I would have killed you for a remark like that. Now it just makes me laugh. I’ve gone soft.”
    “No. You’re feeling insecure because things are changing faster than you can adapt to them. Life gets hard when you’re raising children and that’s essentially what you’ve been doing. I have every confidence you’ll take that nasty Nigel down eventually… just as you have all the others.”
    “Will I? I was ready to quit this work over a hundred years ago. I don’t know how much longer I have it in me to be the Jezibaba.”
    Nathaniel walked to a nearby chair and sat down too. “I think that every day, M’lady. Not about you, but about my own waning contribution. I think my time in your service is nearing an end.”
    Jezibaba snorted. “Waning contribution? Yes. That’s a good term for it. We’re both waning, you and I. And the replacements are nowhere near ready to take over yet.”
    “No, M’lady. They’re not.”
    Jezibaba sighed—something she rarely did in front of anyone. She turned to face Nathaniel and met his concerned gaze beneath his cowl.
    “What choice do we have but to allow them this risk? Nearly all the best mages in the world sit on the Council of Witches. If those mages can’t be trusted to train my successors, who can be? I can teach them to be smart in the middle of a real fight, but it takes a true teacher to draw out the deepest magic in a person. Goddess… I fear for them, Nathaniel. I fear for them in a way I haven’t feared for anyone before.”
    She hung her head until Nathaniel reached out and put a hand on her arm—something he’d only done a dozen times in all the years he’d known her. Her gaze met his determined one under his cowl.
    “If you will allow me to intervene, I know a very powerful teacher, more magical than anyone currently sitting on the council. Unfortunately, the mage I know is not known for being cooperative with others. He’s quite the legend for his contrary nature and deservedly so.”
    Jezibaba shook her head while she laughed. “I know of only one magical who is that anti-social. But surely you’re not talking about Zenos? No one knows where he came from or how old he is or who he serves. That mage is a total enigma.”
    Nathaniel lifted his chin. “Here is what I know… Zenos serves no gods. He seems to hate them as much as he does all of humanity. Honor is the only weakness he has. Zenos owes me a favor and it’s long past time I collected.”
    “ He owes you? How do you know