Chapter 18
C ameron was fit to be tied by the time he made it back to the castle. Alric called Baldewin on the way back up the mountain, and he issued orders to both Baldewin and Sasha to go immediately to protect Cassie.
Baldewin met them at the door, a satchel with a very long handle sitting at his feet.
The female dragon next to him had a similar bag.
Cameron gave her a good look over as he climbed out of the car.
He remembered seeing Sasha before, being introduced to her, but he didn’t know her all that well.
She looked something of a cross between a bodybuilder and a model.
She was another blonde, blue-eyed beauty who was more striking than pretty with her strong bone structure.
Cameron wasn’t sure why Alric had chosen Sasha, other than she gave the impression of being tougher than boulders.
“I need an address,” is how Baldewin greeted him.
Cameron smacked his forehead for not considering the logistics of sending help. “I’ll text it to you now. How soon can you guys catch a flight?”
Baldewin snorted as if he’d just asked a silly question. “We’re flying, young mage. No planes for us, although we’ll take one on the way back to accommodate your sister. Lisette, I have the Noh Amulet on me.”
“Wait,” Lisette cautioned, hurrying around the front of the car. “I’ll put some power in it so it works. I assume Cassie is a mage but test her parents and grandmother too while you’re over there. Make sure.”
Baldewin just nodded.
Cameron got sidetracked from his question and asked the more immediate one. “If they all test positive, will you bring them all back?”
“We’ll have to,” Sasha answered, then look to Alric. “Correct, Hoheit? If they found Cassie, they can find everyone else too.”
“Correct.” Alric turned to Cameron, his hands splayed apologetically. “I do not wish to force anyone’s hands, but their safety is our priority. We need them here to safeguard.”
Cameron actually would prefer it. “I’ll call my parents, then, and Halmeoni. Tell them what’s going to happen. Baldewin, that’s Cassie’s address. Make sure to say hello before barging in, otherwise you’re getting a baseball bat to the face.”
Baldewin grinned at him. “I like your sister already. Sasha, let’s go.”
They grabbed up bags, throwing the handles over their necks before shifting into dragon form.
The bags they must have had custom made, as the handles were just long enough to go around their necks and fit to the base of their throat.
In seconds, they shook out their deep, maroon colored wings and were flapping and lifting off.
Cameron ducked in closer to Alric to avoid their beating wings and the backlash of wind.
Once they cleared the rooftop, and he could hear again, he asked Alric urgently, “I still don’t understand why they’re not flying via jet over there? Wouldn’t that be faster?”
Alric clearly had other things he needed to get to—he was antsy and shifting on his feet, but he took a moment to answer.
“In fact, we can fly as fast as a commercial jet. Or near enough to make no difference. By flying directly there themselves, they avoid the delay of airports. They’ll reach Cassie in roughly seven hours. ”
A dragon’s speed was that of a jet’s? Seriously?! Cameron stared at him for a long second, trying to compute that and mostly failing. “Wow. Yeah, okay.”
Alric’s head turned, and he started shifting that direction before catching himself. “Cameron, I’ll come to you later and we’ll speak, but I have to attend to several things right now.”
“Yeah, it’s okay, go,” Cameron urged him. Alric’s responsibilities were more important than answering all of his questions right now. Cameron could ask them later.
Alric gave him a thankful nod, his hand squeezing Cameron’s once in reassurance before he turned on his heels and hurried off. He called out to people as he made his way quickly into the castle.
Giving himself a shake, Cameron went into a different door, heading up to his bedroom. There were things he needed to do as well. Once there, he threw himself into the chair in front of the cold fireplace and applied himself to making many, many phone calls. Starting with his parents.
The bad guys had caught his family unaware twice. It was time to reverse those tables and get the upper hand as much as possible.
* * *
The phone calls didn’t go all that well.
Cameron spent a good three hours talking to everyone.
His parents were understandably upset someone was targeting their children.
They wanted both him and Cassie to come home—and what good would that do?
Cameron argued against it, Cassie argued against it, and in the end his parents relented and agreed that being surrounded by dragons did sound safer.
With them settled, it became a waiting game.
Cassie kept her phone on her, Facetime up so that he could keep an eye on the situation.
They didn’t say much to each other, just waited.
Cameron paced the room more than once, burning off nervous energy.
Cassie, on the other side of the ocean, did the same.
Dieter joined him seven hours in with a relieved smile. “Cameron. Sasha just called. They’ve landed outside of the city and they’re in a taxi now, heading toward your sister.”
He let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Thank god. Hear that, Cassie?”
“ Loud and clear ,” Cassie responded, sounding relieved.
Dieter came over to lean over his shoulder and see the phone. “Hello, Cassie. I’m Dieter. We haven’t met yet. I am the king’s advisor.”
Cassie waved back. “ Hi, Dieter, nice to meet you .”
“And you. We want to fly you back on a jet. It’s a bit hard for us to hold a passenger for such a long flight. May I have your information so that I can buy a ticket for you?”
“ That’s sweet of you, Dieter. Sure. Um, while you’re doing that, can you buy one for Halmeoni?” Cassie rolled her eyes a little. “ She’s already packed and on her way over here. She said if I’m going to see you guys, she is too. ”
“Of course. I’ve brought my laptop up with me.” Dieter held the slim silver casing up in illustration. “And I can buy your tickets at the same time.”
Cameron would rather not have his grandmother there while they interrogated a bad guy, but there was no stopping the woman. He’d already had this argument with her and lost. Halmeoni was far, far too excited about all of this.
A knock sounded on Cassie’s door and she abruptly stood up and demanded, “ Password !”
Baldewin, bless him, played along like a champ. “ All dragons are sexy .”
The picture on the phone jerked as Cassie jogged for the door. She opened it wide, and Cameron caught snatches of Baldewin and Sasha entering. “ Thanks for coming so quickly. That stalker bastard is in the living room. He woke up about an hour ago. ”
“ Has he said anything ?” Sasha asked in her low alto voice.
“ Hasn’t had a chance,” Cassie replied. “ And hello, I didn’t get your name ?”
“ I’m Sasha. ”
Cameron rolled his eyes. He could hear it in Cassie’s voice. His sister had just decided Sasha was yummy beyond words.
“ Cassie, if you don’t mind, we’d like to test you first .”
“ Yeah, of course. I want to know if I’m a mage too .”
Cameron heard his door click open, Alric and Lisette joining them in his sitting room.
Alric strode directly to him, leaning over his other shoulder, his hand warm as it cupped the top of Cameron’s arm.
It felt good to have him in contact like this.
Cameron appreciated it and leaned into the man.
Alric was comforting and grounding in a way that he needed.
Frankly, Cameron had been through enough of a roller coaster over the last several hours. Some stability would be nice.
And Alric was definitely that.
Lisette hissed out a breath. “Another mage, as we suspected.”
Cassie’s voice rose in excitement. “ So the glow means I pass ? Awesomesauce. Oh man, that almost makes up for this idiot. But does that mean he came after me because I’m also a mage ?”
“ Let’s ask him and find out .” Sasha stalked into view and then out of it again, heading supposedly for the man still duct taped on the floor.
“Cass, prop the phone up so we can see the room,” Cameron requested. “We’re having trouble following what’s going on over here.”
“ Yeah, sure, hang on. ” The phone was set down on a table, then adjusted a little to be propped up, the view changing as she moved it. “ There. Good ?”
“That’ll work, thanks.”
They collectively held their breath as Sasha removed the duct tape over the man’s mouth. Cassie had been very thorough in securing the man. He looked like a duct tape sushi roll. And panicked—the whites of his eyes clearly visible as he looked up at the two dragons leaning over him.
Baldewin propped him up so he could speak a little easier before asking, “ Why are you here ? How did you find her ?”
No answer.
Frowning, he repeated himself in German. Still no answer. He switched languages three more times, and the man stared at him but didn’t respond. Didn’t even try to speak.
“I think he understands you fine.” Alric leaned in a little more, his voice flat with anger. “He just doesn’t want to answer.”
Baldewin cracked his neck to either side. “ Oh, I can make him answer. He might not like my methods, though .”
The man paled, wriggling futilely against the duct tape. He hadn’t the leverage to get it off, and it ended with him falling sideways again with a thump.
“ I’ll get Cheryl. ” Cassie went for the baseball bat lying nearby. “ If we’re getting violent, I get first crack at this asshole. I’ll show you what it’s like to be at the mercy of others, you fucking bastard. ”
Lisette abruptly leaned over, grabbing the phone and snapping out, “BACK AWAY FROM HIM, NOW!”
Wait, what? Cameron had no chance to ask for an explanation.