Page 5 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

Alric reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He hit a number and lifted it to his ear. The conversation was quick but sounded polite in comparison to telling the other man off. Cameron just wanted to watch him, admiring his confidence and the sense of authority rolling off him. It was nice. He was tired of people his own age who came off with a smug, know-it-all attitude. Alric’s quiet confidence was from years of experience. Was he older than Cameron had first thought? He’d thought maybe mid-thirties, but was he older, like in his forties?

Maybe it was the dark suit and tie that still appeared perfect despite the day of being jostled by the crowd. He couldn’t picture Alric in jeans and a T-shirt. Though, he wished he could picture the man naked.

Not that Cameron was looking for a Daddy. He was quite capable of managing his life on his own. He didn’t need anyone doing anything for him.

But there was no denying that it was nice to just relax and let someone else handle things for a little while.

The conversation was over in a few seconds, and Alric was returning his phone to his pocket. He looked at Cameron with a small smile and warmth in his dark eyes. “Shall we?”

“Who was that?”

“A friend. I asked him to go ahead of us and make sure a quiet table is reserved.”

“The owner won’t mind?”

Alric shook his head, a smile playing faintly on his lips. He deftly positioned Cameron on his left side while directing him away from the crowd and onto a quieter street, moving away from the heart of the festival. This wasn’t the first time Alric had done that. It was clear something was wrong with his left arm. He rarely used it and actually kept it tucked away behind his back, even when he gestured. Cameron wanted to ask, but he was sure anything out of his mouth would sound rude or make Alric uncomfortable.

But how he positioned Cameron was incredibly sweet and protective. He was keeping his stronger arm free to hold off the crowds and defend Cameron as needed.

They walked four blocks away from the main thoroughfare of the festival, the sounds of music and people growing fainter with each step. Streetlamps were starting to pop on to hold back the growing darkness. Cameron knew he should feel nervous about being in a city he didn’t know after dark, but he couldn’t summon up the logical fear. Not with Alric.

In the middle of a block, Alric started down what looked to be a dark alley, and Cameron’s self-preservations finally kicked in. Thank God.

“The restaurant is down this alley?” Cameron asked, hesitating on the sidewalk.

Alric flashed him a reassuring smile and motioned toward a set of stairs leading down into what looked like a basement for the building. “This place is a little more true to your description of hole-in-the-wall.”

“You do know that most horror movies include a part where the hero idiotically goes down into a basement,” Cameron muttered, still warring with himself over whether to continue or turn back. He refused to be too stupid to live.

“True. But most basements don’t lead to an ancient cave system that includes one of the best wine lists in the city.”

Fuck it. Call him stupid.

“The restaurant is in a cave?” Cameron asked, taking a small step forward.

“Yes. I think you’ll like it.” Alric extended his left hand to Cameron, beckoning him forward. Cameron couldn’t stop from locking his eyes on it, taking in the hint of old scars along the side of his hand. As if realizing what he’d done too late, Alric balled his hand into a fist and dropped it back to his side. A scowl marred his handsome face as he looked down at the ground. “But if you’d rather not…I can take you⁠—”

“No, I want to see it,” Cameron said, quickly cutting him off. Alric had made himself vulnerable for Cameron. He’d done nothing all day to make Cameron question whether he was trustworthy. He’d protected him from the crowds, filled him with interesting information, and made him laugh. He gently placed his hand on Alric’s left shoulder and lightly squeezed. “I’ve never had dinner in a cave.”

The light returned to Alric’s eyes and he smiled. Cameron’s heart stupidly flipped over in his chest and he ignored it. He was not going to think about why he enjoyed making Alric smile.

“You will love this. I know it.”

Cameron followed him through and almost instantly felt better. The alley was narrow, certainly, but there was beautiful, rich murals painted on the walls. Some of it was breathtakingly stunning dragons in flight. Narrow alley, yes. Dark, crime-ridden alley? Obviously not. Maybe it was just his American instincts at play, here. Germany was, after all, one of the secure countries in the world.

Alric led the way down the stairs and into the building. There were more winding stairs and some enormous oak barrels that looked as if they stored wine or beer or maybe even whiskey. At the end were a few more stairs and then an arched entrance that led into what was clearly a cave, its rough-hewn stone walls alight with dancing candlelight. The air was several degrees cooler, chilling the sweat still coating his skin.

Cameron was in awe of the place. The ceiling was higher than he’d expected, disappearing into darkness, while the floor plan was largely open with a scattering of tables covered in pristine white cloths. More candles in hurricane glasses glowed on the tables. In the center of the room was a large bar made of hefty rough timbers and a sparkling rainbow of hundreds of bottles of alcohol.

But the true color came from the banners—dozens of colorful old banners emblazoned with images of dragons. There were more with strange symbols and images he felt sure were linked to mages, but he didn’t know what any of them meant. Just things he remembered from his childhood thanks to his grandmother’s crazy stories.

“What do you think?” Alric asked in a low voice.

“I’m expecting to see a dragon wander through blowing fire because these people are too close to his hoard,” Cameron said with a grin. The entire cave had a feeling of stepping back in time.

Alric snorted softly. “No self-respecting dragon would keep his hoard where humans could stumble across it.”

Cameron laughed and started to ask how Alric could be so confident when a short man in a smart suit hurried over to them, sidestepping a couple servers and a woman who looked to be the hostess. He immediately fell on Alric, fawning over him in a flurry of German like he was a prince visiting from his royal castle. Alric greeted him with his usual easy charm, his expression stoic but mildly friendly. Not quite the same smile he’d been flashing Cameron all day.