Page 262 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

“Isn’t it?” North agreed. The tree in question was white and displayed the full Nutcracker Suite, each figurine beautifully crafted. “When I was a child, I was obsessed with that movie. The animated one, you know. I watched it until my parents couldn’t stand it anymore, and the DVD somehow got lost. My ma felt bad about it, I think, and she got me a Nutcracker that Christmas. I immediately snuck if off to my room and kissed it, hoping he’d turn into a prince. I was so disappointed when he didn’t, I just about cried.”

“How old were you?”

“Six.” North shook his head at his past self, amused now. “Why I thought that would work, I don’t know. It’s not like Clara ever kissed the Nutcracker Prince. Maybe I was mixing up my fairy tales?”

“As children are wont to do.” The anecdote was cute, and Warin tried not to be alarmed that a young mage had tried his own brand of magic on a Nutcracker.

North caught the expression on his face and stopped. “Uh, what? That’s a strange look.”

“Magic in children usually develops quite early,” Warin answered, still stuck on that mental image. “It just crossed my mind that if you’d wished so hard for the Nutcracker to turn human, it might well have done so.”

North stared at him, jaw steadily dropping. “Oh shit. Oh shit, you’re right, my magic might have tried it. I mean, it wouldn’t have worked, no spell in the world can do that. I don’t think. But it certainly would have done something, if the conditions had been right. I didn’t have any spell elements in that house growing up, not until I was a teenager. That might have been my only saving grace.”

“Likely so.”

“The dangers of ignorance,” North muttered, still looking poleaxed. “I didn’t think of it in that light. Just watch, I’ll have nightmares about that now. You know, I was going to buy a Nutcracker here, just for the memory, but now⁠—”

“No, let me buy one for you,” Warin encouraged. “You’re well in control of your magic, there’s no danger.”

“You sure? You’ve bought me so much already.”

Warin didn’t know how to explain that he wanted to spoil North. That his dragon insisted on spoiling North. The mage’s reaction to being handed a red coat had almost undone Warin utterly. No one should be that touched, that confused, over a simple coat. Over a color. His reaction alone told him volumes about North’s family. No one really seemed to see this young man or know how to love him properly. North’s love of color and vibrancy was obvious. Warin had barely been around him ten minutes and figured it out. Anyone who tried to shoehorn this beautiful man into a bland box did North a grave disservice.

It urged Warin to spoil him, to somehow undo the damage done. To show that North could have everything he wanted here, be anything he chose. There was nothing Warin would not give him, if North asked for it.

“I like to make you happy.” Warin didn’t know how else to say it and cursed the words for their inadequacy.

“Aww, Warin. You don’t have to buy me things to make me happy.” North popped up and leaned in for a chaste, sweet kiss. “You make me happy. Kissing you really makes me happy.”

Warin took the hint and kissed him, a slow, sensual glide of give and take. He might have been a bit too smug doing so. North wanted only him? Warin could definitely supply that. And kissing the man in his arms was absolutely his pleasure.

He ignored the ringing phone in his pocket for a long moment before it finally annoyed him enough he pulled back with a sigh. North stayed in the circle of his arm as he answered the phone with a gruff, “What?”

Gunter responded, “Surely you’ve found him winter gear by now.”

“We have.”

“Then tell me where you are. I’ll drive up and get you.”

North leaned into the phone and suggested, “It’s nearly lunch time. Can’t we eat first before we get on the road?”

“We might as well. Text me the address, Warin. You two find a place to eat while waiting on me.”

Warin had absolutely no intention of doing that. He’d text Gunter the address, fine, but if he wasn’t going to get to kiss North the rest of the day due to their chaperone, he was going to make every minute count now.

North stared out the car window at the ever-increasing amount of snow covering the ground as they drove higher and higher into the mountains. The roads looked as if they’d been plowed recently, pushing the white stuff into tall piles on either side of the road. The late afternoon sun cast the pine trees in golden light while the snow sparkled like mounds of diamonds.

They were riding through a fairytale scene, which was only enhanced by the fact they were fast approaching a real German castle with dragons lurking inside.

While North was toasty warm in the car, he was grateful Warin had insisted he acquire some more appropriate winter attire before they went another step farther. Munich’s temperate hadn’t been too bad, but everything looked colder now that they were climbing to a higher altitude. Naturally, it had been hard to be cold with all the kisses he stole from Warin. His concern and tenderness, his touch and deep laugh warmed North in ways no other person ever had.

They were arriving later at the castle than Warin had planned, forcing him to report back to his king at least twice to explain the hold up. Not that it was North’s fault! At least not entirely.

Except that maybe the shopping excursion had taken a few hours. By that time, it was just sensible to stop for lunch. And then, there was the fact that they were in Munich at Christmastime. Come on. North had been shocked to find himself in Brussels, but now Munich? He couldn’t pass up the chance to see just a tiny glimpse of the city decorated for the holidays. And he was much safer now that he had two dragons crowding close to him like he was some secret European prince in desperate need of protection.

Warin was proving to be the worst kind of enabler, and North was trying soooo hard not to take advantage of it. He really was being good. The new coat and warm, colorful clothes were already too much, but when they’d slipped into the Christmas market, Warin had also picked up a box of fresh baked Lebkuchen for him as a sweet treat, and North had been pretty sure he was going to cry right there in the middle of the crowd.

Who did these kinds of things for a guy?