Prologue #2
“Hoheit, we searched the bunker and found only three mages alive,” Baldewin was reporting. “We’ve got about a dozen corpses, so drained of magic they died of it. But the survivors we might be able to save yet. They’re in poor shape but strong enough to make it back to Burkhard if we hurry.”
Alric nodded, his expression growing dark. Gunter’s heart skipped at the thought of so many mages losing their lives while in Jaeggi hands.
“Start rounding up volunteers without riders to take them to Burkhard. I want a protection detail with them. Leave immediately. We’ll follow shortly,” Alric commanded.
Ravi sighed heavily, leaning against Sora. He looked exhausted to his very core. He was also wearing a pair of pants about five sizes too big for him. Where the devil were the dragon’s clothes? Gunter decided he didn’t really want to know. This was Ravi.
Alric turned his attention to Ravi. “I’ve got dragons looking, but any sign of the ones who took you?”
“It was that guy, Thomas. And, no, I’ve not seen any sign of him.” Ravi shifted his weight, eyes falling on Nikki, who still clung to Gunter, half hiding behind his body. “Where’s Thomas?”
Nikki flinched at just the mention of the man’s name. The slender mage moved out from behind Gunter a little more and shrugged. “There’s a back road. Odds are he used it, him and the others, to escape. You’re not going to find them. The vans are warded against seeking spells.”
Gunter bit back a curse. So close. After all this time, they’d gotten so close to finally destroying the Jaeggi.
But the anger started to fade the second his eyes dropped down to Nikki, who was closely watching everyone.
It wasn’t a total loss. They’d recovered Ravi.
They’d saved Nikki and a few other mages just like him.
But that still left the problem of what to do with the new mage. It wasn’t like he could go through the rest of his life with a mage-growth on his body.
“Umm…Hoheit? Ravi?” Gunter’s nervous voice rose above the gathering. “A moment, if I may?” When Alric looked to him, he motioned to the mage who had moved to partially hide behind him again.
Ravi pressed a kiss to Sora’s jaw and then jogged over, fighting the pants trying to fall down. “Hoheit, everyone, this is Nikki. They helped break me out of the Jaeggi cell and created the first explosion that distracted the Jaeggi.”
Interesting. Twice now, Ravi had used they or them when referencing Nikki. Gunter glanced back down at the mage still holding onto him. Perhaps non-binary? Genderqueer? He’d use neutral pronouns for now and clarify later.
“Wow! You did that?” Cameron asked. He straightened, as if finding new energy at the mention of a destructive spell.
“That was amazing!” Tori added as he came to stand next to Baldewin.
“No! You’re not practicing that at the castle,” Alric said quickly and then turned his attention to Nikki. “Thank you for saving Ravi. We are in your debt.”
Nikki gave a small wave, a crooked smile sneaking out. “No problem. I think. I kind of slammed together some sunlight, griffon feathers, and diesel fuel.”
Gunter’s heart leapt into his throat. “Oh my word!” If Nikki had added too much griffon feathers to that combination, they could have blown the entire compound off the map. There would have been no rescue effort. Everyone would have been destroyed.
“I’d like Nikki to come back to Burkhard Castle for a while. Just until they can figure out what they want to do next,” Ravi continued.
“Of course. Nikki, you are very welcome at Burkhard.” Cameron took a step toward Nikki, and the mage actually backed up, putting themself further behind Gunter. Cameron’s eyes darted to Ravi in panicked question, demanding to know what he’d done to scare Nikki.
Mages scary, Ravi mouthed. Cameron still looked confused, but he nodded and retreated into Alric’s arms.
“We would be honored to have you at Burkhard for as long as you wish,” Alric added smoothly.
Nikki relaxed a little, their fingers digging a tiny bit less into Gunter’s arm. “Can I ride with you, Ravi?”
“I would very much like to carry my mate,” Ravi admitted, tilting his head toward Sora.
Nikki nodded, cheeks flushing. “Oh. Yeah. Of course. Makes sense.”
“But there are plenty of dragons here who would be happy to take you back to Burkhard.”
Nikki’s purple eyes immediately lit up, and they gazed up at Gunter with the widest smile. “You’re so pretty as a dragon. And just as pretty in your human form. I would like to fly with you.”
Drat!
That same horrible sound which had escaped him when he was first handed Nikki erupted from Gunter’s lips again as the mage wrapped one arm tightly around his waist. Gunter lifted wide, panicked eyes to Alric and then Ravi.
He raised both arms up in the air, holding them out from his body.
This was unacceptable! He was not a mage babysitter.
He had important work to do. Nikki should be in the hands of mages who could help them.
Or at least some other dragon who wasn’t constantly called upon by the king. What was he supposed to do with Nikki?
Alric cleared his throat and smiled broadly at Gunter, hints of mischief glinting in his dark blue eyes. “Excellent choice!”
“Hoheit?” Gunter croaked.
“Gunter will carry you safely to Burkhard and keep you safe at the castle.” Alric then turned away, his attention already on their evacuation plan for getting wounded dragons and mages back to Burkhard safely.
As it was, the ice dragons were already putting out fires, and dragons were starting back for Germany.
Maybe once he managed to get Nikki settled in the castle, they would feel more comfortable meeting other dragons and mages. By this time tomorrow, Nikki would want nothing to do with a grumpy old dragon like him.
Yes, that sounded like a good idea.
Gunter moved them away from the other dragons and mages so he could safely shift back into his dragon form. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a harness, so he was forced to hold the mage in his arms. Not that Nikki seemed to mind. They cuddled close to him, seeming to soak up his body heat.
In a moment, they were in the air and racing back toward Sonthofen, Germany, and Burkhard Castle.
The mage fell asleep before they even reached the German border.
That was somewhat reassuring. At least Nikki wasn’t the type to dislike heights, like Tori.
The trust in that gesture relieved Gunter.
Gunter believed it was a mix of exhaustion and relief at finally being away from the Jaeggi.
And they were kind of cute when they were sleeping and relaxed in his arms. Kind of kittenish.
Except this kitten had the power to blow them all to kingdom come.
Gunter shuddered as his mind replayed exactly what elements Nikki had slapped together.
The sooner Nikki got some professional training, the better and safer it would be for all of them.
Nikki woke when Gunter started to lower them into the castle courtyard.
They took everything in with wide eyes and eagerness, but it was tempered with caution.
Gunter wasn’t quite sure why. Because it housed mages?
Nikki seemed to be wary of them earlier, so that could be it.
But something about the castle made them cautious.
Once on the ground, Nikki stuck close, though they no longer clung to Gunter, at least. If they passed anyone, Nikki questioned whether they saw mage or dragon in human form, and their guard stayed up.
But their fascination with the castle didn’t wane, their head panning one direction, then the next as they took it all in.
Briefly, Gunter considered placing Nikki in one of the rooms already prepared in anticipation of them locating more mages with the Jaeggi. And then he imagined the castle blowing up because Nikki had been left alone with unknown mages.
No, that wouldn’t work.
There was one set of rooms next to his currently unoccupied. That would do, at least until Nikki got over their fear of other mages. Then they could be moved closer to them at a later date. Yes, that would have to work.
“How many dragons live here?” Nikki asked.
“Normally, there are about fifty dragons. The castle is quite full of visiting dragons from the Valerii Clan, as well as from the Sodalicium,” Gunter replied as they took the central staircase up to his floor.
Nikki’s voice dipped a little softer as they asked, “How many mages live here?”
“That number feels like it’s changing constantly now. For a long time, we had fewer than a dozen. Now, with all the visiting mages and the new mages we’ve discovered, I’d say there are about thirty. Possibly more.”
An “eep” sneaked out of Nikki.
“But none of the mages here will ever harm you. They only want to help you and be your friend,” Gunter argued, but it was like talking to a brick wall. Nikki had no interest in being friends with a mage.