The Dragon's Flame (The Chronicles of Terah # 2)

by Morgan, Mackenzie

  Theresa darted forward and grabbed Sari in a tight hug. “You have no idea how good it is to see you, and to be here again.”

  Sari laughed as she bent down to hug Theresa. “I have missed you so much! I thought you never would get here.”

  Theresa stepped back a little and turned towards Hayley to introduce her. “Sari, I’d like for you to meet my assistant, Hayley.”

  Kevin grinned as Hayley stammered out a hello, and then he said, “Well, I’m going to leave you in Sari’s more than capable hands now. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”

  Kevin still had his key in his hand, but before he could turn it, Sari shook her head and said, “No. Wait. Mother told me to remind you that you are supposed to stop by the house before you go back to Milhaven.”

  Kevin nodded. “That’s right. I’m glad you said something. I had completely forgotten.” Then he lifted off the ground and floated up the side of the mountain toward Wildcat Peak and Ashni’s house.

  When he got there, he found Ashni in the kitchen, taking a tray of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven.

  “Good timing,” Ashni said as she set them down on top of a cooling rack. “I was afraid you had forgotten. These will be ready to take up in just a minute. Would you like something to drink while we are waiting?”

  Kevin shook his head. A large basket sat on the kitchen table with a cloth over the top. Kevin picked up a corner of the cloth and peeked inside.

  Ashni laughed and said, “Yes, there is something in there for everyone. I packed a couple jars of strawberry preserves for you, several dozen cookies for Chris and Darrell, and I am sending a cake to Karl and Joan. The fudge is for Steve.”

  “Smells heavenly,” Kevin said as he took a deep breath. “This’ll make everyone’s day, Ashni.”

  “Just make sure you get some cookies out for Darrell before Chris gets to the basket,” Ashni said with a grin.

  “I will.”

  Ashni picked the warm cookies up with a spatula and laid them out on a piece of cloth. Then she lightly folded the cloth over them and placed it on top of the others in the basket. “Be sure that Chris gets those while they are still warm. He really likes them fresh from the oven.”

  Kevin nodded, picked up the basket, thanked her, and turned his key.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  When Kevin returned to his bedroom, it was empty. He opened the connecting door to Chris’s room, but Chris wasn’t in there, so Kevin went down to his office with the basket of goodies. Chris wasn’t in there either. He set the basket down on his desk and unloaded it. Then he opened the door to the reception area.

  Ariel stood up and looked at him expectantly.

  “Do you know where Chris is?” Kevin asked.

  “He said something about finding Darrell and working out, whatever that means.”

  Kevin nodded.

  “Would you like for me to find him for you?” Elin asked eagerly.

  Kevin shook his head, “No, thank you. I’ll go.” He stepped back into his office, picked up the warm cookies for Chris and a batch of the others for Darrell and went outside to the practice yard where Chris and Darrell were sparring with swords. They stopped when Kevin walked up.

  “Here,” Kevin said as he handed the chocolate chip cookies to Chris. “Ashni sent these to you, and told me to be sure you got them while they were still warm.”

  Chris grabbed the cloth and quickly unfolded it. The delicious aroma of fresh baked cookies wafted through the air, “Ahh,” he sighed. “Manna from heaven.”

  Darrell laughed and said, “Share, Chris, share.”

  Kevin handed a batch of cookies to Darrell. “She sent these to you, mainly because she wasn’t sure you’d be quick enough to get any of Chris’s.”

  Darrell opened his batch and grinned. “Chocolate oatmeal, my favorite. I’ve got to send her something the next time you go, something nice.”

  “Me, too,” Chris mumbled with his mouth full. After a quick swallow, he added, “Darrell, we’re through for now. I’ve got to find some milk.”

  Darrell nodded and slipped his sword in the sheath he wore on his belt. “Let’s go down to the kitchen.” Then he turned to Kevin and asked, “Are you going to join us?”

  Kevin shook his head. “Not right now. I’ve got a few more deliveries to make. I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Darrell left for the kitchen, but Chris hung back for a second. “Are you okay?”

  Kevin nodded. “I think so. I know I’m better than I was this morning. Do you want to go with me to Walnut Springs?”

  “Unless you want to go by yourself,” Chris answered. “By the way, your bodyguards are getting a little put out with you. It seems you’ve been taking off without them a lot lately.”

  Kevin laughed. “Guess I have at that. Okay. Tell you what. You go on down to the kitchen. I have to find Karl and Joan. Ashni made a cake for them. She sent Steve some fudge, but I figure he’ll be in the dining room soon for lunch. Why don’t I meet you there? I’ll eat a bite, and then we’ll go find both of my bodyguards. One can wait with you in Walnut Springs, and one can go with Karl and me to pick up supplies.”

  “Nice solution,” Chris said with a nod. “See you in a bit.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  By the time they returned from Walnut Springs, it was dinnertime. As soon as Kevin finished eating, a cloak of fatigue settled over him. He could hardly keep his eyes open. When Steve and Laryn asked him and Chris to join them in a game of Octuro, he begged off, saying that the last week was catching up with him and he needed some sleep. About that time, Tyree walked into the dining room and was drafted to fill the empty slot. Kevin quietly slipped out of the room while they were setting up the game.

  When he got to his room, he slowly undressed, shut all the glowstone boxes, and stretched out on his bed. His thoughts ran over the past couple of days, and he suddenly realized just how close he had come to getting killed, and how glad he was that he was still alive.

  A smile slowly spread across Kevin’s face as the image of Rhianna standing in the clearing in Crinsor Run filled his mind. He saw the fading sunlight turn her long blond hair into waves of shimmering gold, and he saw that wonderful smile that lit up her whole face and turned her eyes into sparkling rubies. He wanted nothing more than to put his arms around her and hold her. As his mind slowly shut down and sleep crept in, he sighed to himself. She was definitely worth living for.

  Far away, in a meadow high on a mountain above Crinsor Run, Xantha was grazing in the moonlight. His head jerked up as Kevin’s thoughts reached him. He tossed his head and pawed the ground in agreement. Yes, she was definitely worth living for, and worth staying on Terah for. Kevin had found his mate, even if he didn’t realize it yet.

  Chapter 38

  Mapleton

  Earlier that day, about the time that Kevin and Karl were leaving to go pick up supplies for Walnut Springs, Robyn heard a rapid knock at his front door. Chanz started running around in circles and barking excitedly in anticipation. When Robyn opened the door, Chanz leapt up on the visitor and the two of them rolled around on the floor, wrestling. After a few minutes of play, Robyn’s visitor, Pauli, flopped over on his back with his arms and legs up in the air. Chanz sat back on his haunches and cocked his head up towards Robyn as if to say, “Yes! I won again.” Then Pauli sat up on the floor and started scratching Chanz behind his ears.

  Pauli was almost thirty-five years old, and although he was a little smaller than most men, he was solid muscle. His black hair had a few specks of gray and was beginning to thin a little along the hairline over his forehead, but his beard more than made up for anything he was losing on top.

  Robyn had known Pauli’s family since Pauli was about ten years old, and had kept an eye on the boy after Pauli’s father died a year later. He had even set up an apprenticeship for Pauli with Tanner, one of his oldest friends. Pauli had finished his apprenticeship about six months ago.

  “What brings you around during the middle of the d
ay? Couldn’t you find anything better to do?” Robyn asked in a teasing tone.

  “I just got a letter from Rolan,” Pauli said as Chanz rolled over to have his belly rubbed.

  “From Rolan? What in the world did he want?”

  “He said that there’s a district sorcerer’s position opening up and that I might be perfect for it.” Pauli’s smile spread from one ear to the other. “Can you believe it?”

  Robyn frowned. “Did you send him a letter asking for a position?”

  “No, that’s the best part. Tanner recommended me. Rolan said that Tanner said that I had all the skills, that I was smart, and that I would make a good district sorcerer.”

  Robyn slowly nodded. “Do you know which district?”

  Pauli shook his head no. “All he said was that it was a novice position.”

  “So, are you going to take the job?”

  “If he offers it to me, I sure am,” Pauli answered quickly. “He’s coming to see me tomorrow, around lunchtime. He said we’d talk about the position and the terms of the contract, and then, if we reach an agreement, he’ll take me to my new district and introduce me to the minister! I’m so excited I can hardly wait!”

  “It is exciting, but are you sure this is what you really want? What about Vanda? I thought you were thinking about asking her to be your wife. Is this fair to her?”

  Pauli’s smile faded a little. “She knows I want to work as a sorcerer, so I guess she realizes that I’ll have to leave Mapleton, but we haven’t really talked about it. Maybe I should talk to her before I talk to Rolan.”

  “That would be a good idea.”

  “If she seems all right with it, maybe I should go ahead and ask her to marry me.” Pauli’s eyes lit back up. “Wow! What a weekend this is turning out to be! A wife and a job!”

  Robyn started laughing. “I know you’re excited, but slow down a little. Marriage is a big step, and so is accepting a job. This is the first job offer you’ve received, but there’ll be plenty of others. If you don’t like the terms, turn it down.”

  Pauli nodded, but Robyn could tell his words were bouncing off deaf ears.

  “I really want to pack tonight, but I’m afraid that’ll make me look overconfident. I don’t want Rolan to think I’m arrogant. Maybe I should wait until after he offers me the job to pack. What do you think?”

  Robyn couldn’t help but smile at Pauli’s enthusiasm. He just wished he didn’t have the feeling that something was wrong with Rolan’s offer. “I’d wait if I were you. You can always pack tomorrow, but it wouldn’t hurt to think about it a little, figure out what you want to take with you now, and what you can send for later.”

  “Yeah, I can always wait and let Vanda pack up the rest of it after I’ve gone. She can bring it with her when she comes.”

  “Don’t tell her that,” Robyn cautioned. “Let her volunteer to do it. Wives are funny that way. They don’t mind doing anything, as long as they don’t get the feeling that you expect them to do it. Let her think it’s her idea.”

  Pauli paused for a minute and just looked at Robyn. “What am I going to do without you? I don’t know anything about wives, or about being a district sorcerer. I’ll need all kinds of advice. Who am I going to turn to?”

  “I’m as close as the nearest falcon. But you won’t need much help. You’ve got good instincts. You’ll know what to do.”

  Pauli slowly stood up and took Robyn’s hand. “Thank you so much, for everything. You’ve been as much of a father to me as my real father was. I’m really going to miss you.”

  “You haven’t gone anywhere yet,” Robyn said with a grin. “Remember, you don’t have to accept this job. If there’s anything about it that you don’t like, turn it down. If you think it’s too far away, turn it down. It’s your choice. No one can order you to go.”

  “I know,” Pauli said, the smile coming back into his eyes. “Guess I’d better go find Vanda. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

  “Just let me know how it goes. If you decide to take the job and don’t have time to come by before you go, send me a letter as soon as you get there. I’m expecting to hear from you, so don’t forget.”

  “I won’t. I promise.” Then Pauli walked over to the door where Chanz had stationed himself. He leaned down and scratched Chanz’s head. “I’m going to miss you, too, old guy. Take good care of that old man over there, will you?”

  Chanz barked his answer as Pauli walked out the door.

  Pauli hadn’t even gotten out of the yard before Robyn wanted to call him back and tell him not to meet with Rolan. He had a really bad feeling about it.

  According to his informant at the castle, Rolan had sent letters to quite a few experienced sorcerers claiming that he had several district positions to fill and asking about their apprentices. Robyn knew that at least six other novices had been recommended because their tutors had written to him about Rolan’s letter, wondering if he had any idea where the vacancies were. There was no telling how many other novice sorcerers had been recommended that he knew nothing about.

  Robyn knew all of the district sorcerers in Brendolanth, and corresponded with a lot of them. He hadn’t heard about any vacancies in the past year, and only one the year before that, but that one was definitely not for beginners, and besides, it had already been filled. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew he didn’t like it.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  By Sunday evening, Robyn’s anxiety over Pauli’s meeting with Rolan reached the point that he couldn’t ignore it any longer, so he walked over to Pauli’s house to see if he could find out what had happened. When he and Chanz got there, the house was quiet and dark. The front door was closed, but none of the curtains had been drawn over the windows.

  Robyn stepped up on the porch and knocked on the door. He waited a few minutes and knocked again. Finally he turned the doorknob and opened the door. He called out for Pauli, but there was no answer. He walked into the living room and looked around. Nothing had been disturbed. Everything was where it usually was.

  Then he went into Pauli’s bedroom. The bed was made and a soft brown blanket was folded across the foot. Robyn knew that Pauli’s mother had woven that blanket for him years ago and that there was no way he would have left it behind. Robyn opened a few of the drawers in Pauli’s chest of drawers. They were all full of clothes. Nothing appeared to be missing. As Robyn looked around the bedroom, he spotted Pauli’s extra pair of boots standing against the far wall next to his cleaning kit.

  Robyn walked back through the living room and on to the kitchen. The first thing that caught his eye was the pitcher of milk that was still sitting on the counter next to a mug. There was a loaf of bread and a wedge of cheese loosely wrapped in cheesecloth sitting on the cutting board. Fresh fruit was in a bowl on the kitchen table, and on a peg next to the back door hung Pauli’s cloak.

  Robyn sat down at the kitchen table and put his head in his hands. A deep sadness settled over him and he could feel tears gathering in his eyes and a lump forming at the back of his throat.

  By the time Robyn got back to his house, it was dark. He closed his curtains and sat down at his desk. He wrote to two of the sorcerers that Rolan had contacted, men that he had known for a long time, men that he trusted, men who were more loyal to him than they would ever be to Rolan. He asked each of them to check on the novice that they had recommended and find out what had happened. Then he sealed the letters and sent them off into the night.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Robyn didn’t hear anything from either of the sorcerers until Tuesday morning. In both cases, the novice had been contacted by Rolan and basically offered the position, dependent on an interview, just like Pauli had. And neither of those novices had been seen or heard from since meeting with Rolan.

  One of the novices had left his dog and horse without making arrangements for anyone to feed or water them. All of his clothes had been left behind, and food was left out in his kitchen, just as it had been at Pauli’s.


  The other novice had been married and he had left his wife and child behind. She had not heard one word from him since he left to meet with Rolan, and that had been a week ago last Sunday.

  Robyn read through the letters again. Something was wrong, really wrong, and he had to do something about it, but he had no idea what. He felt like his house was closing in on him, so he took Chanz out for a walk through the woods. After they had walked for several hours, Robyn realized that there was precious little that he could do. He couldn’t confront Rolan, and without something concrete, he couldn’t alert the other sorcerers or warn any of the novices. The only thing he could come up with was to let Myron know about the disappearances, but he didn’t see that there was much that Myron could do to protect the novices of Brendolanth.

  By the time he got back to his house, it was nearly time for dinner. He wrote a quick letter to Myron, and then he and Chanz walked into town. He reached the chapel just as Sister Glenice and her aides were sitting down to dinner. Sister Glenice quickly set a place for Robyn at the table and set a plate on the floor for Chanz.

  After dinner, Sister Glenice said, “Robyn, while I was out delivering teas over the weekend, a few of the farmers told me that they have some small jobs that they’d like for you to handle. Nothing urgent. I wrote their names down and a quick note about what they want you to do. I have the list in my office. Do you want to go over it now?”

  “Sure,” Robyn said as he got up from the table.

  Sister Glenice led the way to her office, and once Robyn was inside, she shut the door. “From the look on your face when you walked in, I’d say you have a letter you need me to send, right?”

  Robyn took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to Glenice. “How did you know?”