Page 122 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

“Yeah, just need a second. Did you remember to grab some clothes for me?”

“I did, but I don’t think you’re going to be too excited about them. I couldn’t find yours.”

Ravi shook his head. “Pants. Pants would be nice. I’m afraid of all my important bits freezing off. My mate really appreciates those parts.”

Nikki slowly released him, flashing a nervous grin before moving over to the knapsack they’d dropped upon entering the cell. Ravi placed one hand against the cold white wall to steady himself. Too many hours of hanging up like a side of beef, not to mention being underground, had left him unsteady on his feet. If he could get aboveground, breathing fresh air, he would be fine.

After some digging, Nikki tossed him a pair of somewhat dirty jeans. Ravi didn’t care, as long as they covered him and…okay, problem.

Ravi pulled them up to his waist and looked down at his feet, swallowed by six inches of denim. They were way too long, not to mention that a second Ravi could have climbed into the waist. He gathered the excess jeans in one hand and looked at Nikki, who was standing and had pulled the knapsack onto their back.

“Did you steal these from a giant?”

“You really don’t want to know where I got them,” Nikki muttered, not meeting his gaze.

Yeah, Nikki was right. He didn’t want to know. With the Jaeggi, it was a safe guess the previous owner probably wasn’t alive any longer.

Ravi started to reach for Nikki to usher them out of the cell when a sharp sensation had him gasping. Sora. Sora was there.

And he’d just started tapping into Ravi’s dragon power to fuel his own spells. Ravi leaned back against the cell wall and had to blink back an unexpected swell of tears. His mate. Oh, god, it was like a constant flow of love and support. The connection ran so deep and was so intimate that it was knocking the wind out of him.

He’d listened to Alric, Baldewin, and Warin swapping stories about their mates tapping their energy for the first time, or the slow trickle of power that constantly ran from the dragon to the mage. There had been such a glow of happiness and pride on their faces. This was such a big part of what a dragon was born to do, and Ravi hated to admit that he’d been envious.

In all the chaos and excitement at the castle, the topic of Ravi supplying power to Sora hadn’t come up. They’d simply forgotten. Sora had been casting spells almost as long as he’d been walking, and he’d never needed a dragon to support him.

But he was here now, pulling energy from Ravi to support his magic.

To fight the Jaeggi.

Fuck. Ravi needed to find his mate, now.

“Ravi? Are you okay?” Nikki asked, reaching for him.

“Yep, but we’ve got to move, now. My family is definitely here and needs our help.”

With his jeans held in place with his left hand, Ravi grabbed Nikki’s hand and pulled them behind him. He eased out the door and looked both ways down the hall. The area was empty of people. Lines of doors identical to his ran down both sides of the hall, but all was silent except for the low sounds of battle and the shake of the earth. Probably the earth dragons.

“Right,” Nikki called out behind him, but he didn’t need the instruction. He could smell the faintest hint of fresh air. The way out.

Ravi paused and looked down at the long line of doors. He didn’t know who else was down here. Trapped mages clinging to life, assuming any of them were still alive after the Jaeggi’s draining sessions. He didn’t want to leave anyone behind, but they needed to take care of the Jaeggi first. Shoving away from the door, Ravi promised himself that they would search every inch of this compound to make sure every imprisoned mage was set free.

Moving briskly down the corridor, Ravi tried to keep Nikki behind him so he could protect the young mage should they encounter any Jaeggi. Free of the manacles, he could technically shift now, but with the low ceiling and narrow hallway it would have been difficult to move quickly.

“The moment we get outside, I want you to stay close. I’m going to shift into my dragon form.”

At least as a dragon, he’d be in a better position to fight back. He glanced over his shoulder to see excitement shining on Nikki’s face rather than fear.

“Will I get to see you fly?”

Ravi grinned. “You’re going to fly with me. I need to keep you away from the Jaeggi.”

Nikki put their fist into the air and started moving a little faster.

Another right turn and they reached a parking area filled with cars and frantically running Jaeggi. Not one paid any attention to him and Nikki. They were all looking to escape. He would deal with them later. First, he needed to find Sora, to let his family know he was safe.

At the far end of a parking area, the road sloped upward and sunlight poured down. The wind gusted through the parking area and danced around Ravi as if it was glad to see him. Ravi breathed it in, ignoring the hints of smoke and gasoline fumes. Hitching his pants up higher, he pulled Nikki along the outskirts of the parking garage, steering clear of the Jaeggi. They flitted from one car to the next, using them for cover as they moved. That worked until they reached the gangway. With no cover to be had, they went with the only option left.

They ran for it.