Embers (Scales 'N' Spells 4)

“You used cow parsley and oleander?”

“Yes. I just got them from the greenhouse.”

Gunter approached the table and picked up a leaf of cow parsley. “This?”

“Yes, that’s cow parsley.”

Gunter closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The muscles in his jaw jumped like he was clenching his teeth, or maybe just composing himself. Nikki tensed, waiting for yet another explosion of their making. But it didn’t happen.

Instead, Gunter’s hand shot out and grabbed Nikki’s wrist. In a blink, they were slammed against Gunter’s chest, the dragon’s rapidly beating heart pounding against their temple. Arms locked like iron bands around them.

“What?” Nikki said, voice muffled against Gunter’s warm skin. This rather unexpected hug felt more like a protective embrace than anything gentler.

“That was not cow parsley, Nikki. It’s hemlock. Their leaves are similar, but hemlock is more feathery and can be identified by its glossy sheen, which you wouldn’t have really seen in a dark greenhouse. If you had used a tiny bit more, you could have been killed.”

“Oh,” Nikki murmured, their own arms tightening around Gunter. That would have been really bad. And here they thought it was the oleander they’d screwed up.

“Please promise me something,” Gunter said into their hair, his voice surprisingly rough.

“What?”

“No more spells until you’ve had a few lessons with Tori. You’re skilled and powerful, but if you’re not careful, you could be seriously hurt. I—we can’t lose you.”

Nikki was glad they were smashed against Gunter because they could not stop their enormous grin. “I promise, Gunter. No more spells without some help.”

Some of the tension eased from Gunter’s frame and he released Nikki, which kind of sucked but was understandable. The poor dragon was exhausted and had just been scared from his sleep.

“I’m sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep. I promise to be good,” Nikki said, patting Gunter’s arm.

The dragon looked around the room, his frown deepening. “This won’t do. There’s still too much smoke.” With a final nod, Gunter bent and ushered Nikki back into the hallway. “You’re sleeping in my room until we can get this properly aired out and cleaned.”

Nikki was completely unharmed.

Nikki did not need to be escorted anywhere.

But Nikki kept their damn mouth shut. Gunter was feeling protective, and Nikki was going to wallow in it while they could.

They could docilely follow Gunter into his room, hiding a smile as they went. This kind of “punishment” was not helping to teach them a lesson about casting spells without supervision. Not when the result put them exactly where they wanted to be. But they’d been serious. They didn’t want to do anything to scare Gunter like that again.

For tonight, at least, Nikki could be good.

Despite what people might think, Gunter was not a heavy sleeper. It wasn’t that he was a light sleeper, either, the type to awaken at every noise. But he wasn’t oblivious in his sleep and could come awake if there was enough of a disturbance.

Like a certain mage sneaking into his bed.

Nightly.

Nikki didn’t weigh much, heaven knew, but even they created a shift in the mattress when they snuck onto the bed. The depression was enough to awaken Gunter. And it awoke him again when Nikki snuck back out.

Every morning. At dawn.

The first night, Gunter had chosen not to say much about it. Or anything, really. Of course Nikki would be unnerved in a new place, surrounded by mages they weren’t sure they could trust. If sleeping at the foot of Gunter’s bed gave them some measure of comfort, then it was a small price to pay. Gunter had complete faith that once Nikki settled in a little better, got to know and trust the others in the clan, this habit would cure itself.

Only it hadn’t.

Nikki’s entrance into his bed varied. Sometimes it was midnight, sometimes sooner. And sometimes, the mage came in smelling like they’d wallowed in the greenhouse. Gunter had always wondered what they’d been up to, until last night, when he’d found them post-experiment. And explosion.

Wind and skies, that had scared him right down to his marrow, seeing Nikki so close to losing life and limb. And the damn mage had been thrilled at the explosion, not at all put off by it.

Gunter would spank them, but he had the sneaking feeling they’d enjoy it.

He stood now on his balcony, basking a little in the cool night air, trying to clear his head. Last night had cast several things into sharp focus, and Gunter needed a second alone to sort the thoughts in his head.

Never in his life had he welcomed someone’s company as regularly as he did Nikki’s. It wasn’t that Gunter didn’t like people. They were just exhausting, and he could only take so much of them before he had to retreat. Nikki, somehow, was the exception to this rule. It was probably because even though Nikki was in the same room with him, they didn’t make any demands. Gunter didn’t feel like he had to entertain them.