Embers (Scales 'N' Spells 4)

“No. Not alright. But you’ve clearly made the decision and I don’t get a say.”

Gunter looked beyond pained. “I think I approached this wrong. I didn’t mean to make you angry with me.”

“Gunter, there are no words in this universe to make ‘you’re staying behind’ palatable. Trust me on that. And until you change your mind and let me resume those scouting missions, I’m going to be pissed about it.”

The dragon’s expression turned sad. “I see.”

“Now, leave. I’m too angry with you for you to stay.”

Gunter’s eyes went so wide they nearly fell from his skull. He blinked and his gaze followed where Nikki was pointing toward the door. “Oh,” he whispered.

The dragon quickly got to his feet and walked to the door, his head hanging. Nikki watched from the corner of their eye as Gunter grabbed the handle and paused. “Nikki?”

“What?” they snapped. Nikki clung to their anger while their heart was crying out for the dragon.

“May I have a kiss good night?”

It pissed them off more that even while angry, Nikki couldn’t deny Gunter his request. Even if they were fighting, they didn’t want Gunter to think a single fight could make them stop wanting him. Gunter was asking for a kiss. How could they harden their heart against that? They walked straight into Gunter’s open arms, clinging for a moment before Gunter brushed the sweetest kisses across their eyelids, the tip of their nose, and finally their lips.

“Try to keep in mind that you are precious to me and I truly don’t want to see you hurting,” Gunter murmured against their mouth. After one more too-quick kiss, Gunter was slipping out the door, leaving Nikki feeling restless, anxious, and very determined.

They could see Gunter’s point, but that was not going to deter them. They’d find a way to get around this ‘Nikki needs protecting’ bullshit.

And in the meantime, get through that chapter. Might as well. Nikki was too frustrated now to even think of sleeping. And they were suddenly a lot more motivated.

The next day, Nikki remained undecided if it was good the two of them were spending a few hours apart. Breakfast had gone as it usually did, with Nikki putting a small glass of fruit juice on Gunter’s tray along with his coffee—a dragon could not survive on coffee alone—and Gunter complaining he didn’t need any fruit. That was about all they said to each other, really. Nikki was still a little too upset to really engage Gunter in conversation. And mostly scheming on how to get around Gunter’s grand plans.

As they finished their food, Cameron stopped by their table, looking alert and cheerful. “Are you ready to head to the workshop?” he asked with a broad smile.

Nikki’s stomach squirmed around the eggs they’d eaten, but they put an answering smile on their lips and nodded. “Of course.” They pressed a quick kiss to Gunter’s jaw as they stood. “I’ll catch up with you later today.”

“Already? You’re leaving already?” Gunter demanded, sounding confused and more than a little disgruntled over the idea.

“We’re making the amulets today. You knew this,” Nikki reminded him.

“Yes, but you’re starting already?”

Cameron chuckled and stepped closer to Nikki. “Don’t worry, Gunter. We’ll take good care of them. Lisette thinks we should be done well before dinner.”

“Don’t forget to eat lunch,” Nikki admonished and then swept out of the dining hall with Cameron while Gunter’s mouth hung open in confusion.

Nikki was a little nervous about this, honestly. A room full of mages was enough to put them on edge. On the other hand, some of these mages had become friends. And Nikki was tired of living in fear, tired of feeling like they needed eyes in the back of their head. It was better to face the fears, prove there was nothing to worry about. Right? No one had tried to harm them since entering the Burkhard Clan. If Nikki didn’t start trusting now, then when?

And maybe Nikki was a little motivated about showing Gunter how wrong he was. Nikki was no longer the delicate person they’d come into the clan as. They’d grown and adjusted this much, hadn’t they? Take that.

Cameron explained the workshop they were gathering in was not the same one they used to make some of their health products, but rather a room for generic projects and testing new ideas.

Upon entering, Nikki’s first impression was cozy. There were the standard tall, blacktopped tables covered with what they needed for the amulets, but there were also overstuffed, colorful chairs for relaxing in over in one corner. Fresh flowers filled bright blue and yellow vases, and there were several woven rugs in a rainbow of colors on the floor. There was even a coffee bar.

Tall windows looked out on blue sky and mountains still tipped with splashes of snow. It was sort of like walking into a fairytale. Nikki half expected to see three plump fairies with tiny wings whizz through the room in a golden cloud of fairy dust.