Page 140 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

“Not something we were aware of. Thank you for that warning, Nikki.” Alric looked at Chalo again, this time clearly scheming. “I can’t leave here readily, too much is going on. With this information, do you want to try again?”

“It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to know we’re only one step behind them. I want to latch onto a trail, if I can. But I don’t think me going over there again will change anything.” Chalo raised his brows a little in question. “Nikki, will you go over there? It might not be me who goes, but someone will go in and try to pick the trail back up. That person would benefit greatly if you helped guide and safeguard them.”

Nikki didn’t even need to think about this. If there was any chance of getting revenge on the Jaeggi, they’d take it. “Of course. I’ll go anytime you wish.”

“I love that attitude, thank you. I’ll organize a party, and we’ll leave soon.”

The door opened, and Consort Cameron swept through. His eyes landed on Alric, and he growled in vexation.

“You,” he told his spouse tartly, “are supposed to be resting right now.”

Alric pointed to himself innocently. “I’m just sitting here, talking!”

“You are working, don’t give me that shit.” Cameron stalked to him, latching onto a hand and pulling Alric out of the chair. “You have major surgery this afternoon and you are on strict orders to rest.”

“I can rest after the surgery!” Alric protested, rolling his eyes expressively.

“Why are you such a workaholic? I am here to handle what you cannot, remember? And right now, you’re not supposed to be working.” Cameron addressed the room in general. “Sorry for this, carry on. I was sent by his doctors for operation prep, so you can’t have him for the next few days.”

“It’s not that time already.”

Cameron pulled out his phone and displayed the clock in front of his husband’s face in challenge.

Alric visibly deflated. “Oh. I guess it is.”

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Cameron deadpanned. “Off to the operation theater for you. Everyone, as you were.”

As abruptly as he entered, Cameron left, taking Alric with him.

Nikki watched them go, blinking. Well. That was one way to end a meeting.

Now what, precisely, was he supposed to do about this?

Gunter regarded the mage curled up in a chair. At his work table. In his library. Without any invitation to be there. And yet, despite that, they looked completely ensconced.

People came into the library to pester Gunter, or to consult with him about something. They came with purpose and left when satisfied. They didn’t just come in and sit and stay. Nikki doing that alone was weird enough, but then they doubled the weirdness by not demanding anything of Gunter. As if Nikki found Gunter’s very presence enough to satisfy them.

Strange concept. And likely not true; Gunter didn’t know what Nikki was here for. It wasn’t that Nikki stayed all day, only most of it. And consistently every day for the past twelve days. Surely there was some purpose behind this. Gunter just didn’t have enough pieces to see the overall puzzle.

And it wasn’t that he minded, per se, having someone nearby. But it was odd. He was used to being alone. This room should be quiet except for the noises he himself made. Not that Nikki was loud—far from it—but…anyway, it felt odd to have someone in here aside from himself for hours at a stretch.

Alright, time to get to the bottom of this. Gunter didn’t want Nikki to feel compelled to stay here, for whatever reason. The mage had been trapped in their life long enough.

Gunter wasn’t precisely sure how to go about getting the info—it seemed like a situation demanding delicacy. And he had none. But he could at least try, and call in reinforcements if he bungled it, right? Right.

Nikki held a pad of legal paper, sketching something out with concentration, the pencil blurring across the page. The sketch seemed a good conversational opener, so Gunter tilted his head to get a look. He was surprised by the quality of the sketch. It was a picture of a dragon in flight, a person strapped to their back. In fact, it seemed strongly reminiscent of Ravi and Sora.

“You’re a good artist. Ravi and Sora?”

“From their wedding day,” Nikki confirmed. They glanced up with a shy smile, and for a split second, Gunter found them adorable. “It was such a beautiful moment, when they lifted into the sky together.”

“It was,” Gunter said. It had been a beautiful ceremony in many ways. And Ravi and Sora were radiant throughout it, making even Gunter tear up a little to see his friend so obviously happy. Gunter was pleased for Ravi. Maybe a little envious he’d found his mate before Gunter had, but with the influx of mages coming into the clan, Gunter had faith his mate was coming. Soon. God, please let it be soon.

“Is that something you wish for? To be mated to a dragon?”

“Of course. I think all mages wish for that, on one level or another.” Nikki’s pencil stopped, but they still looked at the drawing. “I used to dream of it, when I was with the Jaeggi. That a dragon would find me and fall madly in love on the spot, and swoop in to save me. It wasn’t until I grew older that I realized I’d have to save myself.”

For some reason, Gunter felt guilty. “You were under too many wards. No dragon could catch your scent.”