Chapter 14
The next morning found Nikki curled up at Gunter’s side.
Gunter was fast asleep on his back, still dead to the world, looking peaceful for once.
Usually Gunter frowned a little—ever so slightly—as he concentrated on his books or his research.
It was rare to see his face smoothed out. It made Gunter look so much younger.
Nikki loved this moment, basked in it, really.
They were snuggled in against Gunter’s side, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the warmth pouring off his skin.
It crystalized in their mind, the sensation of being welcomed into Gunter’s bed like this.
Nikki could only hope it became more routine in the future.
Surely, after the way Gunter had pinned them to the bed last night, kissing and kissing Nikki like he couldn’t get enough, it meant Nikki had finally gotten over that hurdle.
Surely, Nikki and Gunter would now start dating properly?
The alarm went off next to Gunter’s bed. Gunter flailed awake, swore at it in some language Nikki couldn’t begin to identify, and slapped at it. Then he flopped back, dislodging Nikki again, only to blink up at them. “Oh. Hi. Morning?”
“Good morning,” Nikki murmured. For a split second, they weren’t sure of their welcome.
Gunter gave them a small, warm smile. “I much prefer you cuddled in with me rather than lurking at the edge of the bed. Just for the record.”
Nikki about collapsed in relief. “Me, too. Um, want me to get you something? You look really hungover.”
With a pained moan, Gunter drew a pillow over his face. “Please and thank you.”
“Right. Um, try to get in the shower? I’ll fetch something and be right back.”
Really, Nikki wanted to cuddle and bask in having Gunter, but it clearly wasn’t the right mood for it. Gunter wasn’t feeling well, they had to meet Dimitri soon, and there just wasn’t the time Nikki wanted.
Which sucked, but Nikki was (supposedly) an adult. They could deal. Gunter’s well-being too precedence anyway.
Rushing about to get a hangover cure together, showering, and getting clothes on took up all the time. It wasn’t the way they wanted this morning to go. Not only because they wanted to linger in the moment, but because they had a few concerns, too.
Gunter was in rough shape. Like, ragged, probably-shouldn’t-have-crawled-out-of-bed shape. They also weren’t entirely sure how much Gunter remembered of last night.
Nikki remembered every glorious second of being held in the dragon’s arms and being kissed absolutely senseless.
Gunter had wound down eventually, and they’d ended up cuddled together on his bed, falling asleep that way.
Nikki had mixed feelings about stopping where they had but were glad in the end they’d stopped there.
Gunter had been very, very drunk, and anything farther than a steamy make out session wandered into dubious consent territory.
Honestly, Nikki was happy Gunter had finally made a damn move.
And while they would prefer it if Gunter remembered all that as well, it didn’t matter too much because Nikki fully intended to make out—and much more—again and again and again.
Gunter was theirs. At least the dragon was starting to figure that out.
They were slightly worried about Gunter not being on board with kissing Nikki sober, but—well, really, only slightly. No one could kiss like that and it be a ‘mistake’ the next morning. Nikki refused to believe it.
Preparations ready, they hurried to the courtyard to meet Dimitri, and quickly took flight. Nikki was just glad the flight didn’t take too long and wasn’t difficult for Gunter’s sake. Worry for their dragon kept them occupied until they landed, and then they had other things to worry about.
It was a pleasant enough day with the sun shining brightly overhead in blue, cloudless skies.
The birds were chirping and flitting overhead, even if they refused to land one claw in the middle of the former stronghold.
The cheerfulness of the day did little to soften the destruction and decimation of the old buildings.
Nothing looked as if it had changed since their last visit.
Trash and debris continued to litter the ground.
The remains of the building were blackened and crumbling.
A bad storm would probably help knock a few of the wobbly walls down.
The grassy areas looked a little wilder and more weed infested, but wildlife appeared to be skirting the region, as if they could sense this was a dangerous plot of land.
Nikki glanced over at Gunter to see him glaring and then wincing at the sun overhead.
He tenderly rubbed his temple, as if his skull was threatening to crack open with his headache.
From what they’d gathered as they’d passed through the dining hall to collect breakfast, Alric was also laying low this morning.
Gunter caught Nikki watching and immediately dropped his hand back to his side. He straightened his back and shoulders while forcing a smile to his lips. Oh, silly dragon. Trying to hide his pain.
Nikki pulled the knapsack they were carrying around and dug inside for a moment. They pulled out a thermos typically used for coffee and held it up to Gunter. “Drink this now to help with your hangover, since you wouldn’t pause long enough to drink it earlier.”
Gunter’s eyes widened. “You went to the spell rooms for supplies?”
Nikki chuckled and shook their head. “No, I didn’t make a spell or use any magic. All the ingredients came from the kitchens.”
Gunter unscrewed the lid and carefully took a sniff, his nose instantly wrinkling before he pulled it away from his face again. “Do I want to ask what’s in it?”
“A bunch of healthy stuff. I put in pickle juice, tomato juice, spinach, a raw egg, tabasco sauce—”
“I take it back. I definitely don’t want to know.”
“I looked online, and humans have figured out a lot of different concoctions for curing hangovers.” They paused, giving Gunter their most stern look as they pointed. “You need to drink that. All of it.”
Gunter took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for battle, and then took a big swig. After managing a couple swallows, he groaned and lowered the thermos again. “Oh lord, that is wretched,” he moaned. He looked at Nikki and winced. “I mean—”
A loud laugh escaped Nikki and they shook their head. “Oh, I bet it tastes horrible. It smells disgusting. Now, finish it.”
Nikki kept their expression stern even as Gunter eyed the thermos as if the ingredients had grown from the depths of hell, absorbing all the ghost peppers it could in its journey to the surface, for the sole purpose of tormenting Gunter in this very moment.
But Nikki did not budge. This was for his own good. They would not have a sick dragon.
Gunter swallowed down the last of it and quickly thrust the empty container back at Nikki, unable to have it in his presence a second longer. “Please tell me you were gracious enough to make that for Alric as well.”
“Actually, I ran into Cameron while I was in the dining hall. I made enough for him to give a glass to Alric.”
A wicked grin spread across Gunter’s lips, sending goose bumps across their flesh. They had wondered if their dragon had a naughty or evil side. Apparently so, and it was kind of hot.
“Good.”
“Are you feeling any better?”
Gunter ran his tongue over his teeth as he seemed to think about his answer.
He straightened, his eyes widening behind his glasses.
“Actually, I think I do. My headache doesn’t seem quite as bad, and I don’t feel nearly as achy as I did.
We’ll have to be sure to write down the recipe when we return to the castle.
I’m sure there are others who would benefit from this knowledge. ”
Nikki felt lighter despite their current location and task. They’d helped their dragon.
The sound of someone clearing their throat drew Nikki’s attention away from Gunter and to their other companion, Dimitri.
Nikki swallowed back a sigh. Right, back to the task at hand. They really did need to pay attention to what they were doing. The Jaeggi compound was no place for romance.
“If we’re all feeling better now,” Dimitri said in a dry, teasing tone.
Gunter glared, looking as if he wanted to barbeque the dragon, but he didn’t say as much. Instead, he lifted his chin and replied, “Right as rain. Let’s begin our investigation.”
Dimitri’s lips twisted like he was trying not to laugh.
He looked over at Nikki, his expression turning serious again.
“I know everyone wants to know more about how the Jaeggi magic works and what their plans are, but our one and only priority on this trip is to get a lead on where they were headed.”
Gunter huffed. “The garage probably would have been the best bet, but that went up in flames on our last trip.”
Dimitri grunted. “True. What about offices?” He looked at Nikki, his pale blue eyes narrowing. “Do you know if the Jaeggi had any offices their leaders might have worked out of? Or maybe some planning rooms?”
With due caution, Nikki moved into the center of the main square.
The compound was largely a single square with a variety of buildings ringing the greenspace on three sides.
Pointing toward the north at the broken shell of a couple towers, they said, “Those buildings there were like dormitories and apartments. Most of the Jaeggi Clan stayed there. That hole in the ground was the main opening to the underground rooms and a smaller garage. That’s where the new prisoners were kept. ”
“That’s where you found Ravi, right?” Gunter asked.