Page 158 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

As they drove slowly through the town, Tori suddenly twisted in his seat and then laughed.

“What did you see?” Baldewin inquired as the mage shook his head.

“A shop called Black Magic.”

Baldewin’s brow furrowed. That was a strange name. “Do you think it would have the ingredients you need for the glamour spell?”

Tori laughed again and shook his head. “Definitely not, but I wouldn’t mind stopping there. It’s a chocolate shop. It looks like an old-fashioned apothecary shop turned into a chocolatier.”

Baldewin nodded, making a mental note. Tori needed chocolate. He would get Tori chocolate.

“Are you kidding me?” Tori scoffed as they parked in front of the hotel. A valet jumped forward, quickly opening their doors. Tori hesitated, looking over at Baldewin with one eyebrow raised in a mocking question. “A little extravagant, don’t you think?”

“After the place you were staying, I thought you could use some extravagance. Plus, when added to where you were staying, it all evens out to a relatively moderately priced trip.”

Tori snorted. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“It should,” Baldewin muttered at Tori’s back as he climbed out of the car. The dragon bit back a groan as he unfolded his long body and got to his feet as well. It was so nice to stand and stretch after the last two hours. Over the roof of the car, he caught a knowing smirk from Warin, but his friend wisely kept his comments to himself.

Okay, yes, maybe the hotel was a little extravagant, but Tori deserved thousand-thread-count sheets and room service for at least one night. He needed to understand that he was worthy of being treated as a treasure because that was exactly what he was. To hell with his old clan. He was going to be a Burkhard mage. Baldewin could feel it.

Check-in was a quick affair, and they were escorted off to the suite. Tori gave him some more questioning looks, but at least Warin stopped smirking at him. The dragon understood the moment they walked in why Baldewin had chosen this hotel. The suite had two bedrooms off the main sitting space. It allowed them to be close to Tori while giving him the privacy he needed. Safety first.

After getting settled and washing up, they headed into the city to gather the last few ingredients. They lucked into a little shop that had a couple items and then a pharmacy for a small mirror.

Back in the suite, Warin stepped forward first, and Tori cast the glamour spell on the dragon without hesitation or a single mistake, which was more than a little confusing. The mage had said more than once that he was horrible at magic and that Alric wouldn’t want him in the clan because of his lack of skills. The glamour spell wasn’t overly complicated from what Baldewin could tell, but he wasn’t sure Cameron and Cassie could cast it just yet.

Baldewin couldn’t take his eyes off Tori. There was a swan-like elegance to his movements. He had the natural grace of a ballet dancer with his poise and the smooth arc of his hand through the air. The rich scent of magic poured off Tori, and Baldewin sucked in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs as long as possible. Tori was born to do magic. It was clearly written in every fiber of his being.

“There,” Tori pronounced with a nod. “You’ve got three hours, Cinderella. Get your dragon butt in the air.”

“Boah!” Warin exclaimed, looking down at himself for a second. With a wide grin, he wrapped an arm around Tori’s shoulders in a quick hug before releasing him to stride toward the suite door.

Baldewin chuckled and shook his head as Warin hurried away. The man was probably going for the roof to shift and launch himself into the sky straight over Vecrīga.

Turning toward Tori, Baldewin smiled. “I thought we would grab something to eat and get a little shopping done before Warin returns.”

“Baldewin,” Tori started in a firm voice, “are you sure your king is going to be okay with you spending this kind of money on me? I’m just worried that you’re treating me to all…this,” he said, waving his hand at the beautifully appointed room, “and he’s going to be angry with you because I’m not some prize. Not some great mage.”

Closing the distance between them, Baldewin carefully gripped Tori’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping his face up so he had to meet Baldewin’s gaze. “I know your clan told you some horrible things, but I am telling you now: You are a treasure. You are a great mage. I’ve seen you work two spells, and your grace is breathtaking. I can smell the magic on you. You are a great mage, Nestori Taavi. You were born to work magic the way the rest of us were born to simply breathe. And if I must, I will tell you this every day of your life until you finally believe it.”

“Oh,” Tori breathed. His entire body seemed to relax as he stared into Baldewin’s eyes. It would be so easy to lean forward and capture his plush lips in a sweet kiss. As it was, his thumb was already straying against his wishes to brush against the edge of Tori’s bottom lip.

Cursing his dwindling self-control, Baldewin released Tori and took a step backward and cleared his throat. He was supposed to be protecting the mage, not seducing him. “Shall we go?” he asked.

“Um…yeah…sure,” Tori said slowly, as if he were waking from a dream. “But dinner needs to be something simple and cheap. No more of your crazy spending.” Tori shook a finger at him, and Baldewin nodded. Dinner could be cheap, but it was clear when Baldewin mentioned shopping, Tori didn’t realize he meant shopping for the mage.

They ended up at a cute little restaurant called Šefapāvars Vilhelms, which served simple but hearty fare at low prices. Baldewin admired the wood beams and brick accents of the building. Tori seemed to relax a little more, and they easily chatted about the various places Baldewin had been in his long existence.

As the sun started to set, they wandered around Vecrīga, pausing to admire the grand House of the Blackheads and the adorable cats perched atop the peaks of the Cat House. It took more than a little goading, but he finally managed to get Tori to wander into some clothing shops.

“Just a couple things, Tori,” Baldewin coaxed.

Tori narrowed his eyes at him, looking as if his temper was about to flare, forcing Baldewin to think quick.

“I’m only thinking about your comfort. You’re going to be meeting the king, the consort, his retainers, the head mage. The entire clan, really. Wouldn’t you feel more comfortable greeting them for the first time in some new clothes?” Tori deflated, and Baldewin inwardly winced. He hadn’t meant to crush the man’s confidence. “I think you look just fine.”

The narrowed eyes returned, and his lips pressed into a hard line. Baldewin remained undaunted as he stepped closer to the man. He carefully threaded his fingers through Tori’s hair, pushing it back from those mesmerizing eyes so he could see them widen slightly. “It’s the truth. I like your casual look. The light scruff on your jaw. The way your grey eyes sparkle behind your dark hair. But I know that many people feel more confident when they have new clothes. Not that you need confidence.” Baldewin leaned closer so he could whisper in Tori’s ear. “I’ve seen you cast spells. I know firsthand how amazing you are.”