Page 10 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

Ravi dared a peek over his shoulder. A woman half-leaned out of a van window, a mic thrust forward in her hand like a lance. Damn, at least a few of them had managed to get into cars quickly.

He was running out of time. No pun intended.

In his panicked state, Ravi’s eyes almost skipped over the figure on the bike completely. What caught his attention was the slim, masculine build straddled so confidently over the bike, the hint of a handsome face under the helmet, currently watching him with interest.

Handsome man plus bike. Win!

Ravi spun like a dancer, changing directions so he was moving toward the motorcycle. He threw himself onto the back of the bike, arms automatically going around the man’s middle even as he ordered, “Drive, fucking drive!”

The man spluttered a laugh for some reason, but thankfully gunned it. The motor roared as the bike took off, creating the most interesting vibration through all of Ravi’s bones. Tightening his hold on his unexpected savior, he leaned close, carefully moving his body and shifting his weight with the man so as not to wreck them.

He’d never been on a motorcycle before. This was amazing! The nimble little machine weaved through the streets and growled like it was a mechanical dragon. They took a sharp turn and zipped around another corner before plunging down a narrow alley, quickly putting distance between them and his pursuers. He chanced a glance over his shoulder to find the journalists had been reduced to a distant crowd that was shrinking by the second as they got farther way.

Oh, yes! Ravi had to get one of these things. If he couldn’t streak across the sky in his dragon form, then a motorcycle was definitely the next best thing.

And it would be even better if he could get this wonderful-smelling man to teach him how to ride a motorcycle on his own. Without thinking, Ravi hugged the man and pressed his nose against his neck, taking another deep sniff. It was all rather intoxicating. The narrow escape, the rush of the wind, the man’s smile, the rumble of the engine, his rescuer’s wonderful smell—wait.

Waiiiit. He knew that scent.

A delighted smile exploded over Ravi’s face. “Hot damn, I have a mage!”

“I have a dragon!” the man responded with a laugh.

Score! Ravi was almost proud of himself, except he hadn’t actually connected the scent to the man until now, so probably no brownie points. He leaned into the man’s back, wanting to ask a lot of a questions. Probably couldn’t while riding, it was hard to hear over the wind in his ears and the bike’s motor. His ears could manage it okay, but he didn’t think the mage’s could.

The mage, bless him, his children, and his dog, sped well out of town and away from pesky reporters trying to chase Ravi. They didn’t stop until they were near the curve of the mountain, in a more secluded spot with trees, and only then pulled over to the side of the road. Gravel crunched under the bike’s tires as they slowed to a halt. Ravi hopped off as the bike stopped, as he wanted to get a better look at this man.

The mage apparently felt the same way, as he pulled the helmet off and looked up at Ravi curiously.

Oh daaaaamn. That was fine. Hot mage, me likey. Ravi blinked and ordered himself not to drool.

The features were distinctly Asian, the face sculpted and narrow, eyes so dark as to be almost pitch black, his inky hair falling in a smooth glide down his back in a ponytail. Really, if he’d donned a kimono and been handed a katana, he’d look like a samurai in search of an enemy to slay.

Ravi’s clanmates were going to take one look at the man and lose their shit. No other possibility.

“Hello, handsome mage.” Ravi greeted him with a wide smile. “Welcome to Sonthofen, and thanks, really, for getting me out of there. Short of shifting and flying out, I wasn’t sure how to manage that. With those narrow streets, my wings couldn’t fully extend. I’m Ravi, and you are?”

“Sora. Sora Vo, nice to meet you. I’m glad I ran into you. I wasn’t sure how to approach the castle.”

The man’s voice was smooth, like warm chocolate. If he read the phone book, Ravi would happily listen for hours, such was the fine quality of his voice. He had to force himself to listen to the words themselves and not just the tone.

“So, you’re here to…?”

“Oh, I saw the interview with King Alric and his consort on the news. About how they’re no longer in hiding and are seeking mages. I’m very, very interested in meeting you all.” Sora rubbed at the back of his head in a sort of sheepish gesture. “I wasn’t sure how to contact you. And waltzing up to the main gate and demanding to be let in seemed…rude.”

“Like a dojo challenger?” Ravi offered, grinning.

Sora snorted a laugh. “Something like that, yeah. But meeting you is a lucky coincidence. You can tell me, is it alright if I come up?”

“Please do! We’re really happy to see mages. I’ll escort you in, no problem. But it wouldn’t have been a problem even if you had come up unannounced. We have a lot of people showing up to the castle gates these days. Some of them are mages, some aren’t, so sorting that out is something of a hassle. At least this way, you get to avoid the chaos.” Ravi put a hand on the man’s shoulder and leaned in, warning seriously, “Just be aware, you’re going to get glomped.”

Sora blinked back at him, not following. “I’m sorry?”

“Five hundred years, man. Five hundred years of cold winters and not enough mages to snuggle. My clanmates felt the dearth, let me tell you, and you’re handsome enough to be a model, so you’re definitely going to get glomped. Possibly licked. Take it in the spirit it’s meant, okay?”

Sora blinked some more. “I—thank you? And I’ll remember that. Really, you’ve not had any new mages at all in five hundred years?”

“Not since the Dragon War,” Ravi sighed, the memory of it washing through him like a wave of old pain. He was used to it, but it would never completely fade. “Some of our mages survived—the ones already mated. Six in total.”