Chapter 10
Tori wasn’t really awake as they headed to the hotel’s parking lot the next morning. He’d only had one cup of coffee, and that wasn’t sufficient to get the brain cells going. Just as well that Baldewin was driving this morning.
Both dragons walked ahead of him, carrying bags and looking all fit and sexy. The view from back here was admittedly excellent. Baldewin especially had a very nice ass. Tori would have smacked himself for thinking that even two days ago. It was funny how quickly things could change.
After Baldewin had treated his hands and bought him clothes and guitar strings, he’d sort of lost the last of his wariness with the man. Baldewin was just too kind. Too patient. How do you possibly keep mistrusting someone like him? Tori certainly couldn’t.
And that kiss on the nose. What had that been about, anyway?
A man had never done that to him, and Tori had alternated between shivering under the memory of that touch, brief as it had been, and convincing himself it wasn’t that big of a deal and Baldewin didn’t mean anything by it.
Even though a part of Tori really, really wanted Baldewin to mean something by it.
Shit, he was such a lost cause.
He was so wrapped up in his head, reviewing the events of last night—again—that it took him far longer than it should have to realize something was off about the car.
It had a faint glow in the morning light, a sigil scrawled over two of the doors.
Baldewin was only two strides away from the car when Tori understood what he was looking at.
“Wait! Both of you stop.”
When the dragons didn’t do more than turn and glance at him, confused, he put his guitar case down and quickly snatched their arms, hauling them back. “Wait. The car’s been booby-trapped with a spell.”
Both of them immediately backed another foot away, staring at the car anxiously. Warin spun to put his back to the car, looking out in other directions.
“What does the spell do?” Baldewin demanded urgently.
“I think it’s supposed to—”
A whisper, a pfft sort of sound, and then Warin groaned, dropping heavily to his knees.
Tori had no chance to figure out what was going on before Baldewin hauled him in, using his own body to shield Tori.
The soft puff of air whispered again, and Baldewin grunted. This close, he had a better chance of cataloguing the sound. Shit, was that a dart gun? Had someone just tranqed both dragons?
Baldewin slowly crumpled sideways, taking Tori with him, although the fall was controlled enough that neither of them hit the pavement too hard.
Tori tried to wriggle free, but Baldewin’s hold was still firm, although it loosened with every second as the tranquilizer chased through his system.
He lifted his head up enough to see over Baldewin’s shoulder and got his first visual.
“Four of them,” he reported grimly, mind racing.
Shit, what to do? With his protectors down and no elements to work magic with, Tori was a sitting duck. Running would not help him, not if they were armed with tranquilizer darts.
“Kiss me,” Baldewin groaned.
Tori spared him a wide-eyed glance. “What?”
“Kiss me.”
“Seriously, not the time!”
“Dragon’s breath is powerful,” Baldewin explained, fighting to keep his eyes open. “Use it to work a spell. Kiss me.”
Oh. Oh, that made much more sense. Tori leaned in immediately, the kiss awkward at this angle and quick out of necessity.
Still, the impression of warm, soft lips filtered through Tori’s panic, and he couldn’t help but wish he could do that again later.
Properly. You know, when bad guys weren’t on the verge of capturing them.
He didn’t have time to think, and that’s what he needed to buy them first. Time. He popped up onto his knees and used the dragon’s breath coursing through his own lungs, sparking his magic, to call on the strongest ward he could create. “Tuella gev adi!”
A shining dome of gold power slammed into place, hard enough that it cracked the pavement under it, leaving a sizeable dent in the shape of a perfect ring.
The barrier encircled the three of them, as well as the car.
Tori stared at the ward in amazement, lost in wonder at his own creation.
He had never in his entire life created a ward as powerful as this one.
Scratch that, none of his spells had been this strong before. Dragon’s breath. Just dragon’s breath could do that?
What if he were bound to a dragon with access to his life force?
He shook the thought off and looked at the Jaeggi. All four men had halted in their tracks, staring at the ward in frustration. They were smart enough to not touch it. Shame. It would have thrown them back if they had. Tori spared them a sneer before he concentrated on Baldewin and Warin.
“Hang on, guys,” he urged, checking their pulse and breathing.
He quickly jerked out the tiny darts and tossed them aside.
He wouldn’t put it past the Jaeggi to get the dosage wrong on purpose, and he didn’t want anyone dying on his watch.
Both dragons appeared woozy but still breathing, their eyes tracking his movements.
So, he had dragon noodles, but they were otherwise fine.
“Can you drive?” Warin slurred.
“Yeah. Yeah, but I need to remove the spell they’ve got on the car first. It’s meant to trap us in. Hang on.”
Tori stayed kneeling and half-turned to see the car better.
He didn’t know what spell they’d used—it frankly looked strange and sort of slanted?
The power of it didn’t glow right, reminding him vaguely of the way the magical auras on his two would-be kidnappers had looked off.
Distorted might be the best way to describe it.
But he could see the intent of the spell, as that was written across the door, and that was enough for him to know how to counter it. He drew on the remaining dragon’s breath in his lungs, and what reflected sunlight around him he could, forcefully commanding, “Klak aese!”
The spell binding the car splintered and dissipated like smoke in a high wind. Good.
Tori turned, got a shoulder underneath Baldewin, and heaved him up.
It was awkward as hell, with Baldewin being taller and larger, but Tori wasn’t weak in a physical sense.
He’d done hard labor most of his adult life, and it was handy now, as he was able to haul Baldewin into the passenger seat and get him situated.
Baldewin settled with a groan, obviously fighting the drug in his system. And apparently winning, if he was still awake. Maybe their dosage had been off in their favor.
Tori didn’t question it just then; he wanted out of there before the Jaeggi figured out a way around his ward.
They were still milling outside, glaring at him and talking among themselves as if not sure what to do, but determined to stop him from leaving.
Fat chance, that. Tori had no compunction in running them over.
He started with Warin, who was easier to haul up, as the man was slimmer in build, and half-carried him over to the car and settled him into the back seat.
He almost left the luggage scattered but decided to take the five seconds to throw everything into the trunk.
Five seconds now would save them aggravation and money later.
And Tori didn’t have any money to spare.
Everything in the trunk, he almost dove right into the driver’s seat, then realized Baldewin still had the keys in his pocket. Plus, he would rather have a little magical power on him just in case the Jaeggi tried something as he passed them. A ward on the car itself would also be a good idea.
He hesitated a split second, then shook it off. Baldewin was the one who’d urged Tori to kiss him in the first place; he wouldn’t mind supplying him with more dragon’s breath. Probably. He opened the passenger door again and asked Baldewin carefully, “Keys?”
Baldewin’s eyes were on him, words slurred. “Front pocket.”
Tori carefully patted both pockets, felt the bulge of the keys, and dug them out with both care and speed. “Sorry to ask. Can I have another kiss?”
Something that might have been a smirk teased at the corners of Baldewin’s mouth. “Aww, you do like me.”
“You’re joking right now? Seriously?” Tori rolled his eyes, then kissed Baldewin again.
This was smoother, less frantic and with a better angle.
He didn’t linger, though, not more than the three seconds he needed to collect dragon’s breath.
Even though his traitorous libido really wanted to kiss Baldewin longer than that.
He pulled back, trying not to feel awkward or blush.
He largely failed at both. Shaking fingers fumbled with the key for a moment as a heady mix of adrenaline, fear, and excitement rushed through him.
Then he carefully shut the door and walked around the car to slide into the driver’s seat, starting up the car.
The engine was running before he put his hand on the dash and cast another ward over the body of the car. This time, he parsed out the magical power he’d been given instead of using most of it in one go. “Tuella gev adi.”
The ward slid into place, a light golden glow that conformed to the outlines of the car’s body.
It was as strong as the other ward, just as able to deflect attack.
Tori marveled at it for a split second, unable to comprehend how much easier it was to work a spell when using an element from a dragon.
Was it any wonder why his mage ancestors were so eager to partner up with dragons?
He shook the thought off, backing up and out of the space. He had no idea where to go, but he needed to get them out of there. The Jaeggi had a gun aimed at the windshield, and they were shouting something threatening at him, but it didn’t faze Tori.
With a whispered word, the protective dome came down in a wash of magic.
A feral grin stretched from ear to ear as he hit the gas, and the car leapt forward, forcing them to jump or become road pancake.
Unfortunately, all of them had good enough reflexes to get out of the way.
Tori wouldn’t have minded breaking a few limbs after that kidnapping attempt.
He exited the parking lot with a touch more speed than was advisable, merging into the light morning traffic and heading away without any real destination.
Driving was all fine and well, but he couldn’t just drive.
And with two heavily drugged dragons down for the count, it was up to him to protect everyone.
At least for a while. They were both groaning and shifting, so obviously the tranquilizer was wearing off quickly, but still.
They weren’t fighting fit and likely wouldn’t be for a while.
Shit. Tori really hated this morning already.
For the next few minutes, at least, he’d focus on getting some distance between them and the Jaeggi.