Dawn of the Mages (The Magic Wakes Book 2)

by Charity Bradford

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  Book 3 in the Magic Wakes series

  DAWN OF THE MAGES

  Book 2 of THE MAGIC WAKES

  Charity Bradford

  Other Books by Bradford

  The Magic Wakes Series

  The Magic Wakes (Book 1)

  Dawn of the Mages (Book 2)

  Coming soon:

  Demon Rising (Book 3)

  A Dragon's Birth (Book 4)

  Stellar Cloud: A Short Story Collection

  Fade Into Me

  DAWN OF THE MAGES

  Copyright © 2017 Charity Bradford

  Cover Art by Tamara Hart Heiner

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a book review. Electronic distribution of this book or the facilitation of such without the permission of the publisher is prohibited.

  ISBN: 1978441738

  ISBN-13: 978-1978441736

  To Nathan, Kiah, Ashlee, Adam, and Cole

  Sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone in

  order to find the strength inside.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Four tiny suns washed out the sky, casting a mauve twilight over the dragon council. The dismal planet had been the dragon's first world. It resided in a cluster of dying stars that had long since drifted outside the galactic disk. Life had ceased, and only cold barren rocks existed in the perpetual dusk. The dragon lords never stayed long, but it remained the preferred meeting ground when between spheres.

  Jewel shuddered at the thought of living here. There would never again be warmth from the suns or life to fill the air with sound or smell. She'd been here an hour and already missed Sendek. With a sigh she returned her attention to those around her.

  Dragons of every age and size filled the amphitheater-like valley. The dominant green clan took the place of honor on the field, but equal numbers of reds, blues, and silvers lined the perimeter. The hiss of their steamy breath conveyed the underlying tension as they waited for her report.

  Feeling small in the midst of so many other dragons, Jewel paced the center of the circle before two males. One green, the other blue. Their normally bright colors dulled by the dim light on the planet. She wished she could see them in the blaze of Sendek's suns once more. In the brightness of that planet they had shone with glittery opalescence equal to the spirits burning inside the flesh and bone bodies. This was her chance to convince them to return to the home of her heart.

  "Lords Jenska and Elvin, the humans on Sendek have made a course change." She studied the gathering carefully. Dragons were logical and cold on the surface, but she knew some of them harbored strong emotions. She would need to play by the rules in order to stay in their favor. Several necks stretched long to get a better view of the returned prodigal. She had spent most of seven thousand years hidden deep in a cave on Sendek.

  "How does this concern us?" Elvin, the blue dragon questioned.

  Jewel snapped to the present. "Because of recent events, it may be possible to return to a seeded planet. They need our help, and are willing to be instructed." She struggled to keep her voice calm, formal. Don't let them see the emotion simmering.

  Elvin made a low chuffing sound and rubbed his foreleg across his sapphire chest. "I remember my last day on Sendek. Men do not want to learn from dragons. I have the scars to prove it."

  The tenuous hold on her emotions snapped. "Fa! That dragon body doesn't carry the scars of the old one."

  Dragons hissed and snorted, some in disapproval others in the effort not to laugh. Jewel may not have held a high rank in the council, but that had never stopped her from speaking her mind. Especially where Lord Elvin was concerned.

  "Maybe not, but I feel them all the same, my Jewel." He swung his head closer. "I've missed you."

  "Don't change the subject." Her eyes glittered as she rounded on him, all attempts at keeping appearances vanished. Her heart pounded. The weight of thousands of eyes made her bolder. "The magic has awakened once more. Our descendants need guidance. Your guidance."

  "Jenska?" Elvin deferred to the jade dragon at his side.

  "It's too great a risk. We will continue to the next world as planned."

  Jewel tipped her head back and roared. "I tell you I've searched their minds. Sendek has the potential for success. They've made great strides on their own. They've protected their wild lands, the air quality is better than when you left, and they are reaching out to the stars."

  "Others have attained the stars, but their hearts were not ready to be one with the dragons." Elvin spoke low, but all could hear his voice echoing in their minds.

  "Stubborn man," Jewel hissed.

  "I'm no longer a man, just as you are no longer a woman. We are more than we were."

  "Exactly. You are the same spirit that first lived in the body of a man. A man who joined with dragons." She circled him, but pleaded with the crowd. "History has once more set the stage for an evolutionary change. Sendek requires a second look."

  Silence filled the chilly air as the dragons held their breath. Jewel looked over their numbers, willing them to understand. "My children's descendants survived the Signum's purging. Their posterity knows the strength of magic again, but they lack boundaries. You can provide that."

  Jenska broke in with his deep baritone. "What makes you think they are ready for us?"

  "The female has Elvin's eyes, and I could smell his strength and magic in her blood." She paused to take a deep breath. "Her lover has my markers. They are as we were, and have found each other the way we did centuries ago."

  "That doesn't mean they are ready to bind with dragons." Jenska snorted. "Elvin?"

  Elvin paced a tight circle between her and Jenska. Every muscle tensed. He spoke low and directed his words solely to Jewel.

  "I'm curious my Jewel, but we must think of the dragon-kin. They've allowed us to be reborn as one of them. It's our duty to protect them. Not give in to our human desires. Jenska is rig
ht. We must move on."

  Jenska nodded his approval before addressing the council. "We will proceed to the chosen solar system. Perhaps we will have better luck with this new world. Start the portal process immediately."

  The multitude of heads nodded, stirring the steam into eddies. One by one the dragons flew off.

  Jewel waited by Elvin's side until they stood alone on the field. She hated this planet and longed for the solitude of her magma chamber on Sendek. The heat from her husband gave little consolation. There had to be a way to convince him to return to their true home.

  "Elvin, we must go back. They have the potential to join us in their next life."

  "That isn't reason enough."

  "There are others. Without our guidance they will fall back into war. Their current peace will be shattered."

  "Whatever peace they've achieved is an illusion. It's not in their nature to welcome it for long." His sides expanded with a giant sigh. "Even now I crave more action."

  "We made dragons better when we bonded with them, and they made us stronger." She rested her head next to his. "Before us they stagnated for millennia. It's time they took another leap forward. The people of Sendek will push them to the next level of evolution, but we must help the humans first. You have to stop deferring to Jenska."

  "It's not that simple."

  "It is." She looked him in the eye. "Plant the seeds of religion and visit them."

  "It's too late for that."

  "I'm not giving up."

  Elvin spoke straight to her mind. "I don't want you to."

  CHAPTER TWO

  Talia packed the last of her personal items in the box. She could hear the trees whispering in the background of her consciousness. Their chatter full of the mundane tidbits that came from life rooted in one area. Gneledar had been her safe place, but she'd move to Joharadin. At least this time she didn't fear it would bring about her death.

  A couple of weeks had passed since the gathering of mages. Together they had combined their energies and spoken the words to unbind the Dragumon. The death of the human-dragon hybrid had also ended the prophetic nightmares she'd suffered all her life.

  Another presence teased her mind, its pressure gentle, yet persistent. Instead of allowing her husband to speak to her telepathically, she glanced up at him.

  Landry stood in the doorway. "You okay?"

  She sealed the box. "Yes."

  "We can come back to Gneledar any time you want."

  "I know. The move is the right thing to do. I need answers I can't find here. The gossip nets are full of discussions about the Dragumon. You have to admit, it's weird they spoke modern Dovan instead of an ancient form."

  He stepped closer and pulled her into a hug. "Yes, but as soon as you get lost in research it'll be months before we get a moment to ourselves. Let me take you away on a proper honeymoon first. The Dragumon's ship will still be there when we get back. Let the SEF start without you."

  Talia inhaled his clean scent. If the trees sounded like home, his arms felt like it. His love made her want to run away with him, but her career at the Space Exploration Foundation (SEF) had helped her survive years of loneliness. She couldn't walk away yet.

  "I won't be able to relax if I'm missing out on the discoveries. Let's get away after we study the ship." She headed down the hallway. "I'll need a break then. Come on, let's get this stuff loaded."

  He grabbed another box and followed. "You need a break to recuperate from the Dragumon."

  Talia laughed. "It's been almost a month since the Dragumon, and I haven't had a single dream. My nightmares are over for good. I don't need time to recover from that."

  "Maybe, but your dreams were prophetic. It seems like you'd always have that gift." Landry followed her down the hall.

  She paused. "I didn't consider that. The dream always concerned the one event. All twenty-eight years. If I was going to dream about another incident wouldn't it have happened already?"

  "I don't know." He shrugged.

  Talia pushed her way outside. Four people stood in the clearing.

  "Oh! What are you doing here?" she asked.

  Why didn't you tell me we had company? She asked the trees.

  They are not a threat. The tree's indifference moved through her. Of course they wouldn't feel anxious about a few people.

  An old man with streaks of gray in his dark hair stepped forward. "Are you leaving?" He pointed at Landry. "Heard you recently got married."

  "I'm moving to Joharadin, but keeping this house too."

  "It would be best if you sold it." The man glanced at the others behind him. "Stayed in Joharadin."

  Talia shifted the weight of the box and leaned into her husband. She hoped to use their telepathic connection to feel the underlying emotions from the group. That was one of his magical gifts. However, she didn't hear any whispered thoughts or emotions from anyone around her. Landry had his mental walls firmly in place.

  She sent a mental query anyway. "What are you hiding from me?"

  He didn't acknowledge her question, but stepped away breaking any chance she had of piggybacking on his talents.

  "What's this really about?" he asked the group.

  "If she leaves, so will the others."

  "What others?" Talia watched her husband's shoulders tense.

  A woman with waspish features pushed the man to the side. "We always knew you were different, but you kept to yourself so it didn't matter. The others live with us. Teach our children. It's wrong."

  "I don't understand. They're the same people they were before the Dragumon attack." Talia's brow creased. Even though her town had always been afraid of her, she assumed they'd embrace the others who had saved them from certain annihilation.

  The woman slapped the arm of the man beside her. "Tell her what we came to say."

  "She's already leaving. There's no need." He waved the others back down the path toward Gneledar. "We'll leave you to finish packing."

  "But the others?" The woman continued to nag as the group walked through the vine-covered archway, their voices trailing off.

  "That was weird." Talia took a deep breath and transferred the weight of the box again. Her arms ached, and a strange dread blossomed in her stomach. "How many mages came from Gneledar? There couldn't have been more than four or five."

  Landry opened the door of their new scytheglider and put his box inside. "It's already starting."

  "What?" She handed him her box.

  "Nothing." His brow wrinkled in thought. He pressed his lips tight and didn't relax his shoulders.

  "Landry?"

  "We've got lots to do. Let's get to Joharadin before dinner."

  "Talia getting settled?" Stefan waved Landry to an empty seat on the patio.

  Landry nodded and sank into the chair, grateful to spend time with his cousin. They hadn't had as much time to chat since Stefan officially became king.

  A soft floral scent drew Landry's gaze to the gardens. As the only square of green life in the city, its softness and color contrasted the steel and glass rising all around. An invisible energy barrier surrounded the palace grounds, effectively shielding it from the sounds of the city while protecting the royal family. It gave the semblance of peace and calm.

  Too bad it's all an illusion. "We need to talk."

  "Okay." Stefan set down his datapad.

  "Have you kept up with the net chatter surrounding the new mages?" Landry's fingers automatically drummed on the armrest.

  "I've got people listening. There's a lot to sift through. Most people are curious, but there's some fear as well."

  Landry nodded. He had expected this. "It's going to get worse. I'll keep better tabs on the general attitude toward them. The simple folk of Gneledar requested Talia leave today and implied they'd prefer she didn't come back."

  "What?" Stefan leaned forward in his seat.

  "Granted, they've always had issues with her. They're more superstitious than people here, but everyone has questio
ns about how to interact with this new element."

  "Maybe the Memorial ceremony will help. We'll honor those who died and the mages who helped destroy the Dragumon."

  "Somehow I doubt that will comfort the families who lost loved ones." Landry reflected on the good men and women they'd lost trying to fight the Dragumon. Many of his own men met their death while he hid with Talia on the other side of the city.

  "What else can we do?"

  "Keep looking for answers so people will move on." Landry stopped drumming and gripped the edge of the chair. "I'm taking Talia up to the Dragumon ship tomorrow. The SEF agreed to let us borrow Jaron's ship for the day."

  "I thought they were launching their investigation later in the week. Why doesn't she wait for them? For that matter why does she need to go?"

  Landry smiled while reflecting on Talia's determination. She'd never wait if she could pull strings to get what she wanted faster. And she wanted on that ship. For some reason she needed to walk where they had lived.

  "She needs closure. Think about it, she dreamed about those creatures all her life. There wasn't time to learn much about them before we had to stop them. She questions our actions."

  "She shouldn't." Stefan shook his head.

  "But she does. As for taking a SEF rocket into space, she's still scared to fly. You should see the way she grips the seat whenever we fly the glider. She's willing to use Jaron's ship though. For some reason she trusts his technology more than ours."

  Stefan nodded. "I get that. Why are you here instead of helping her unpack?"

  "Two things. We're going to need Jaron's ship again in a few months, or maybe a year from now."

  "Why?"

  Landry ran his hands through his hair. "We need to go to his homeworld. Learn all we can about their tech and the magic."

  "You're going to leave us?" Stefan stood and paced in front of the low wall.

  Landry stood too. He cursed himself for not breaking that bit of news better. "Not forever, but it's the best way to find the answers we need. We can talk more about it later. There's no rush for us to go."