Page 169 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

She’d come that prepared?

Knowing she couldn’t readily speak his language, she’d created and worn that on the flight in so she could speak with him?

It was high-level magic, what she had done. The crafting said something not only of her skills but of her as a person. Apparently, everyone in the Burkhard Clan was thoughtful and kind.

Tori sat in the middle of the table, conversation flowing easily around him, looking at the bright smiles. He was wrapped in kindness on all sides, and the lesson hit all over again that these people were not his enemies. Far from it.

On the contrary, he was fast beginning to believe they could be friends. Happiness and an amazing feeling of peace started to seep into him. He’d never had this before, and he was starting to let himself truly believe this could be his new life.

Baldewin paid for all their dinners, and they sent a thank you to the chef for the food before leaving. As Tori stepped out of the restaurant, Cassie surprised him by linking their arms.

“Tell me more about this masking spell of yours,” she requested, all bright-eyed curiosity. “We checked the records before I flew out here, and no one’s able to figure out what spell you were using. Is this what your clan specialized in? Glamours?”

“It’s one of our strengths,” Tori answered, not sure what to do with this overly friendly woman. Were all Americans like this? He thought they had more of a personal bubble. Cassie seemed to be the type to obliterate every personal bubble she encountered.

“Yeah? That makes more sense, then. We lost a lot of knowledge because of the war, and everything the minor clans knew how to do seems to have gotten destroyed in the backlash. Which is seriously sad, but not much we can do about it. You can teach me the spell?”

“Sure.” Tori opened the hotel door for them, stealing a glance at her. Was she seriously intimating…? “You’ll help me make them?”

“Absolutely.” Punching a fist into the air, she sing-songed, “Craft night, baby! But let’s do something about your hands, first. Baldewin texted, said you’ve got some nasty road rash on your palms. I brought the awesomesauce to deal with it.”

Tori darted a look over his shoulder. He’d used Baldewin’s phone to text what elements he’d like to have on hand, but a salve for his palms hadn’t been on the list. Just when had Baldewin snuck that message in?

Baldewin caught his look and winked at him.

Oh dear, and there went his heart again. Tori was quickly falling into danger, here. Baldewin wasn’t even trying to seduce him, and he was melting by degrees. Just what would happen if Baldewin decided to pull out all the stops?

Tori’s willpower would vanish in a puff of smoke, that’s what would happen.

His companion caught the look, and whispered as she dragged him up the stairs, “And do tell me how you two ended up locking lips. Because wow, was that hot.” With her free hand, she made a show of fanning herself.

His face was back to burning. “That sort of just happened.”

“Yeah? And you want it to happen again.”

Tori made a snap decision to roll with it. Might as well. Cassie was obviously the type to tease. “Have you looked at him? I’m not dead; of course I want to climb him.”

Cassie threw her head back on a laugh. “I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine. Let’s settle on my bed. We can talk magic and sexy dragons.”

“You know, that’s probably the second-best offer I’ve gotten all year?”

“I don’t need to know what the best offer was.” She waggled her eyebrows in a truly ridiculous manner.

As they reached the suite, she released Tori only long enough to turn and face the trio of dragons. She skipped over to mate and lifted up on her tiptoes to present her with the sweetest kiss. Sasha made a grab for her, as if she intended to deepen the kiss, but Cassie quickly darted away again, as if she were half pixie.

“Nope,” she laughed with a wag of one slender finger. “Tori and I are going to have some important mage bonding time while we make the masking necklaces. No dragons allowed. You three play nice out here.”

“What will I do without my mate for sooooo long?” Sasha teased.

Cassie jutted out her bottom lip, giving a little pout. “My poor dragon. You will have to amuse yourself with tormenting Baldewin.” She laughed and spun back to Tori, ushering him into her bedroom before anyone could argue.

Closing the door behind him, they settled on her bed with the two bags of supplies she’d brought with her.

Tori went through the vials and cachets of things and felt suitably impressed. Everything was neatly labeled—in German, granted—and packaged, and even the flight here hadn’t damaged anything. Everything he’d requested and more was stashed in two black cases that looked much like leather tackle boxes.

“That second case is yours,” Cassie mentioned as she sat cross-legged on the bed in front of him. “When Lisette heard you had nothing on you, she about broke out into hives. Nothing worse for a mage than to be without any elements to work magic.”

“Believe me, I know.” The generous donation touched him. He trailed a hand over the case with light fingers, a little giddy. It was an incredibly nice gift to him, and expensive, to boot. The Burkhards must be very wealthy to spend money carelessly like they had with him.