Page 267 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

“Oh Freddie, you need to get out of there. Those aren’t dragons. They are going to kill you or sell you for sex. I saw a documentary on that⁠—”

“They are! They are dragons. And mages. Gramps and I aren’t the only mages left. I’ve met them. I’ve seen them doing magic. All the old stories Gramps heard are true.”

A groan nearly escaped North when he saw his mother’s dark, skeptical look. He wasn’t sure if she didn’t believe him or simply didn’t care. Dragons, magic, and the family’s mage heritage had never meant anything to her. It was all about what she called the real world and the family’s image to the community, which already had a black eye because of North.

Boys weren’t supposed to like other boys.

Boys weren’t supposed to wear make-up. (Especially better than their own damn mothers.)

Boys weren’t supposed to like bright colors.

Boys weren’t supposed to be soft spoken.

The list went on and on and on. North’s entire person seemed to break every rule she had for what a boy was supposed to be, and he was so damn tired of trying to cram himself into the box she painted for him with all her rules and expectations.

This trip had always been about more than finding dragons. It was about getting away from all of his family’s rules and finally being himself for just a little while. It was about being able to breathe.

“Freddie, it’s time for this nonsense to end. You’re coming home tomorrow,” she announced in her firmest voice.

Now it was his turn to screech. “What?”

“No more galivanting off around Europe. Your spoiled brat routine is over. You’re not some entitled little prince who gets to have his way at the cost of his family.”

“No, not yet! I’ve been gone only a few days. I just found the dragons and the mages. Tomorrow, I’m working with the head mage. She’s going to teach me some new magic. We’re going to talk about the clans and what happened to the dragons. This was the whole point of the trip. I can’t stop now.”

The world was crumbling beneath his feet. No matter what he said, he could see his mother’s stern expression grow more resolute. “What about your family? Have you forgotten about your family, Freddie?”

North gritted his teeth. Every time she called him Freddie, it was like someone scraping a cheese grater across his nerve endings. She refused to call him North. All of them did. Except for Gramps. He respected that his grandson preferred to be called North.

“What about them? I haven’t forgotten my family. I just need to do this.”

“And all you’re thinking about is you. With this entire trip, you’ve only thought about you. Have you even considered what this is doing to your family? The cost burden this has been for us?”

“I’m using my own money. I saved for three years for this trip. You’ve only paid for a couple plane tickets.”

“And what about the money it’s costing us not to have you at the office? What about the family business?”

It was all North could do to not make a face and cringe at the mention of the family business. Concrete.

At the office, his entire world was grey and dirt and rocks. It was hard, ugly, cold, and a horrible fit for who he was. But his family didn’t care about who he was, only what they wanted him to be.

“You know we can’t keep covering for you. People deserve time off to be with their families at the holidays. We need you here. I still don’t understand how you could be so selfish as to run off on this stupid trip and abandon your family.”

“I’ve planned this for years. We discussed it. The only reason I went now is because we lucked into those super discounted plane tickets. I can’t drop everything now,” North argued, but by the look on his mother’s face, it was clear she wasn’t hearing a word he said.

“This is done, Freddie.”

“Ma—”

“I’ve heard enough. This family has sacrificed enough to give you this time to run around in foreign countries. You need to do your duty and come home now.” She sighed heavily and rubbed her hand across her forehead as if she had a headache. “No more of these silly fairytales about dragons and magic.”

“They’re not fairytales. Dragons and magic are real. I’ve met them. I’ve done magic. I’ve met people who can teach me more.”

“And what good is that in the real world?” she snapped. “How is any of that going to pay your bills or buy you a house or find you a wife to take care of you? It’s nonsense and you know it. It’s time to stop with these silly ideas. We’ve put up with it long enough. You’re not a child anymore, Freddie.”

“But I’m twenty-one. I have the right⁠—”

“Enough! It’s time for you to come home. I’m cutting off that credit card we gave you for emergencies. I want you to text me the name of the city with an airport closest to you. I’ll book you a flight home for tomorrow night. You be on that flight. You come home now. You’re not getting another dime out of this family. You belong here and that’s final.”