Page 159 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

Nikki looked up, still braced with a hand against the wall, a shoe in the other. “It’s these shitty shoes. I bought them cause they’re so pretty but they’re mangling my feet. I thought maybe I just needed to break them in? But they’re going to break my feet before they give any.”

Gunter saw the problem once he was close enough to get the right angle. The shoes had rubbed the back of Nikki’s heels raw, to the point that one of them was lightly bleeding. He came in closer, putting an arm around Nikki’s back to help steady the mage before they toppled backwards on the stairs. “Here, come into my room. I’ve got a healing balm that will put your feet back to rights.”

“Okay.”

Testing the waters a little, Gunter slipped another arm under Nikki’s thighs and lifted them into a bridal carry. Was this okay?

Apparently, as Nikki immediately put both arms around Gunter’s neck and batted eyes at him in an outrageous way. “You’re so good at coming to the rescue. My hero.”

Gunter snorted. “I’d say it’s my pleasure, but let’s get you shoes that aren’t going to kill your feet. This castle requires far too much walking. There’s no need to torture yourself with bad shoes.”

“Amen.”

Gunter carried them into the room, gently setting Nikki down in his favorite chair near the fireplace, only to retreat to the bathroom for a warm, wet washcloth and a jar of Sora’s special balm that could cure anything short of a dismembered limb. Gunter had no idea what was in the jar, to be honest. Just that it seemed to be a cure-all for a lot of things.

He swiftly carried it back to Nikki, who had already cast off the other shoe as if it was set to poison them. They were banished to the inside of Gunter’s fireplace.

“Is that a hint?” Gunter asked as he set everything down on the small round table next to Nikki.

“I know it’s not really the weather for it, but those things deserve to burn.”

Gunter cocked his head but had to agree; no point in keeping ill-fitting shoes. He turned his head, shifting just enough that he could spit fire at the grate, burning the shoes to cinders in a few seconds.

Nikki clapped, beaming at him. “You’re seriously my hero. Good job.”

“Your wish is my command,” Gunter deadpanned. Kneeling at Nikki’s feet, he carefully washed both heels, getting any grit or germs out, then applied the balm with gentle fingers.

“Oh! That feels good. What’s in it?”

“No idea. Sora makes this up by the batch and practically everyone has a jar of it. It’s good for cuts, scrapes, rashes, bug bites, you name it. It feels cool. Let it air and harden, and don’t peel it until morning. Your heels will be perfectly healed by that point.”

“Good to know.” Nikki caught his face with both hands and leaned in, kissing Gunter with a light caress of lips. Pulling back only an inch or so, they murmured, “Isn’t that the usual reward for the dashing knight? A kiss.”

“So it is,” Gunter responded huskily. His lips tingled under the impression of that kiss, and it bolstered his confidence a little. Because while teasing, Nikki had still chosen to kiss him a second time. And Gunter could only take heart in that.

Looking into those sparkling eyes, Gunter felt both hesitation and need warring within him. He found himself praying: Please want me for me.

Please.

Nikki eyed the clock above the fireplace. It was nearing that time. And their grumbling stomach let them know it, too.

Most of the time, Nikki passed the day with Gunter in peaceful silence. They both had their own things to read and research, and when it got too quiet, Nikki could sidle in closer to Gunter and ask what he was doing. Right now the silence was weighing on Nikki. They’d now kissed Gunter twice and gotten zilch. Zip. Nada.

What did a person have to do to rev up a dragon’s engine?

Seriously, Nikki was starting to wonder if this attraction was all one sided.

Gunter did like them hanging around, though. Nikki was confident in that. And sometimes Gunter looked at Nikki in a way that made Nikki’s heart flutter. The more time passed, the more comfortable Gunter was swooping in and picking Nikki up, too.

Maybe Nikki just needed to give him more time? He did have a lot on his plate to think about.

Although honestly, waiting had no appeal. Nikki and patience weren’t exactly buddies.

Sighing, they looked down at their grumbling stomach. Maybe a good meal would give Nikki some sort of inspiration about what to do next. Right now, they were certainly coming up empty.

Nikki got up and nudged him, a single-finger poke against the shoulder. “Gunter.”

The dragon grunted without looking up.