Free The Mage of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen Page A

something furry against my ankles. It’s not my fault. I’m not trying to steal him, I swear.”
    “I don’t think anyone would ever accuse you of that,” Meg said. “Who would want to steal that cranky thing?”
    Maurel frowned. “He’s not a cranky thing! He’s a good kitty. He just . . . he just needs to stay in his own home.” She turned back to Lyrimon and gave him a gentle pat on the head, then pointed at him. “Stay!” she said firmly. Then she marched out.
    Lyrimon promptly jumped down from the desk and started to follow her. Anders closed the door before he could.
    “Sorry, my furry friend. The little princess said
stay.
So stay you must.”
    Lyrimon looked at Anders and growled ominously. Then he vanished.
    Meg stared. “Where — where did he go?” Calen had told her the gyrcat could do that, but she thought he’d been exaggerating.
    “Oh, he’s still there,” Serek said absently. “You just can’t see him.”
    Somehow that wasn’t very comforting. Meg found a chair and sat cross-legged upon it, tucking her dress around her knees and ankles.
    “So,” Anders said, walking over to sit across from her. “What brings you here at this hour, Your Highness?”
    “Is it too early to send another bird?” she asked. “I can’t bear all the waiting.”
    “It’s better after dark,” Anders said. “More dramatic.”
    Meg looked at him, uncertain as to whether he was joking. It was never easy to tell with him. She waited for Serek to jump in with a sardonic comment, but before he could, the door banged open again. Meg thought she caught a glimpse of a half-visible cat-shape rushing out as the mages she’d passed in the hallway earlier crowded back in.
    “Serek,” the one in front said, “it’s started. Mages have begun leaving the Magistratum to join Mage Krelig.”
    Serek had gotten to his feet as soon as they had entered. “How many?”
    “Maybe only a handful, for certain. So far. But you know there were some only waiting for someone else to be the first.”
    Serek nodded grimly. Anders leaned forward toward Meg. “You’d best be on your way, Princess. This will be Magistratum business, and nothing you need to hear.”
    Meg wouldn’t have minded staying; even listening to bad news about the Magistratum seemed preferable to having to go back to waiting around and doing nothing. But she knew they wouldn’t let her stay. Best to leave now, before Serek threw her out less gently than Anders was attempting to do.
    “All right,” she said, rising. “I’ll come back later.”
    Anders glanced at the other mages, then back at her. “I don’t think we’ll be sending a crow tonight, I’m afraid. We’ll try again tomorrow evening.”
    Meg felt frustration swelling inside her but managed not to say anything she might regret. At least Anders was honest with her. And there were so many crows out there already. . . . Surely skipping one night couldn’t make much difference. She just wanted to be doing everything they could, every second. But she knew there were other important things going on, too.
    She left, closing the door behind her. She didn’t really need to think about where to go next. Jakl was the only one who could make her feel any better now.
    Meg felt him become aware that she was coming and couldn’t help smiling as she felt his pure, uncomplicated happiness in response. She caught herself walking more quickly, then gave in and ran the rest of the way.
    The dragon was sitting up alertly, waiting for her. As always, seeing him brought a surge of joy and pride and awe. She knew what he looked like, of course, and she could always feel him through the link, but being with him in person amplified everything — she always felt slightly more alive, slightly more
there,
when she was with him. And he was so beautiful! She thought he’d just about reached his full size, and he towered over her, wings folded tightly behind him, green scales glinting in the afternoon