Page 22 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
Xanath grunted. “Nothing we do is guaranteed, but this will certainly improve our odds of holding them back from our lands.”
“If I may, milord,” Skylar said, clasping her hands behind her back and dipping her chin in respect. “Aside from helping with the shield wall, I’ve also worked on my own special project for war preparations.”
While Aidan knew she and her parents, who lived in the sorcerers’ tower, had been working on their own contributions to the cause, he hadn’t had time to inquire about the details. Curiosity filled him as to what the young woman would reveal.
“Tell me.”
She gave him a shy smile. “You know I can freeze dragons, but I thought maybe I could make a potion others could use to do the same during the battle.”
He liked the concept of her idea, but it had obvious limitations. “It would require range to be effective. Our fighters on the ground need ways to knock the Kandoran from the sky or from approaching closer if they’re outnumbered on the field.”
“Of course. I’m told that’s why no sorcerer has bothered to use them in battle before, but they lacked modern weapons that humans and slayers can shoot at greater distances. After seeing what the poison arrows could do that Bailey’s friend, uh…” She frowned in thought before her expression brightened. “Oh, yes—Miles. The ones he’s been crafting. Anyway, we could develop something along those lines for stunning our targets.”
For a seventeen-year-old girl, she was already proving resourceful. No doubt she’d inherited some of her grandfather’s wisdom and strength. While her parents were somewhat talented sorcerers, neither could compare to Xanath’s level of skills. It wasn’t unusual for strong powers to skip generations.
“Just be certain all discussion and testing occur in secure areas,” he warned.
“Of course,” she said, dipping her chin.
“Speaking of which.” Morgan glanced over at her. “Now that we’re done with spelling the castle perimeter, our next priority is to set up a concealed dome area for range testing of weapons and joint training. That shouldn’t take as long since it will be in the open—maybe a few days. Ingo and Gia are helping me.”
Ingo and Gia were boy-girl twins born at the tower thirty-four years ago, when they still lived in Kederrawien. A shifter patrol had found their very pregnant mother out in a wasteland. Pure dragons had attacked her and her husband. He died fighting them, so she’d had time to run away. Two months later, she delivered the babies. She died of an illness ten years ago, but her son and daughter proved to be excellent enchanters. Ingo and Gia did much of the spell work for shifter weapons and clothes.
Aidan nodded at Morgan. “Good. At our next meeting, I expect you to reportthat the dome is ready to go. Soon, we will have teams from other dragon toriqan coming to plan and train with us. It will be necessary to have a secure site for them since they cannot enter the fortress, and we need a lot of space.”
“Of course,” Morgan said, adjusting his glasses. “Do you still want me to attend your meetings with the pure dragons?”
They’d had a few in recent weeks, and the young sorcerer accompanied Aidan for all of them. He didn’t like flying. That much he’d made apparent, but he had an incredible aptitude for erecting temporary shields that prevented outsiders from observing their discussions. Even Xanath could not compare to him.
Morgan continued to prove integral to their mission and had slowly begun showing more courage with his duties, which he’d need in the coming weeks. The young man only requested that no one ever throw him onto a green dragon’s back again. Fair enough. Aidan promised to do no such thing, though he could not speak for what the slayers, including his mate, might do. They seemed to enjoy making the sorcerer uncomfortable. He had never gotten the full story because Bailey would start laughing so hard when he brought it up that she never couldcatch her breath to explain. He supposed one must have needed to be there for it.
“Yes, we have another meeting tomorrow with the Shadowan.” He went on to detail what he’d learned the day before when the messengers arrived at the fortress. “We’ll depart from here an hour before sunset.”
He dipped his chin. “Of course, milord.”
Not only had Morgan proven powerful and clever, but he also knew how to show deference. He even managed to put most shifters at ease in his presence. If he could get past his fear of taking risks, he would become the perfect sorcerer ally. His offensive abilities would certainly make him an asset during the war.
“You have more potion to protect yourself from heat and fire?” Aidan asked.
Morgan gestured at Skylar. “Her mother got the recipe and has begun making it herself since that is her specialty. Everyone in the tower should be covered for a long time.”
Now that he mentioned it, Aidan recalled hearing about Xanath’s daughter concocting many useful potions for the war. He simply had too many things to worry about these days. It was all he could do to remember half of it, but thankfully, his advisors helped him keep track of those things.
“I would like to come along for the meeting as well,” Edythe said, lifting her chin. “For too long, we were left out of important meetings and decisions. I appreciate that you have made more of an effort, but it would be good to have an elder present to assist you in negotiating with the Shadowan pendragon.”
Aidan was surprised she asked, but he didn’t mind it. “It would be my pleasure to have you accompany me and provide guidance.”
“Good.” A look of approval filled her features. “I am certain we will work out an amicable agreement with them.”
Bailey touched his arm, sending a shiver through his body. Thoughts of the night before entered his mind, and it was all he could do to keep his features neutral. She had a way of distracting him with a mere look.
“May I go next?” she asked.
“Of course.” His voice came out slightly gruffer than he intended, but the twinkle in her eyes told him she knew exactly why.
The slayer turned to face the assembled group, dropping her hand from his arm. He immediately missed her touch. Unable to show it, he forced himself to concentrate on her words.
“You all may have heard about the trouble in Norman with a rebel group that doesn’t want humans working with shifters. I’m working to track them, but everyone should be careful when you’re outside the fortress. They attempted to kill the head of the town council yesterday by burning her home while keeping her trapped in it. Freya and I barely managed to save her.”
