Embers (Scales 'N' Spells 4)

“How many are in the Jaeggi Clan?” Chalo demanded.

“Where the hell are they?” Roca growled.

“Hey!” Nikki snapped, slamming their hand down on the table. They leaned forward to glare down the table at the earth and metal dragons. “She’s a kid. Give her a second.”

Both kings looked chastened while Rodrigo stifled a laugh. Nikki threw a warning look over his shoulder at Alric for good measure, and the dragon just grinned. They were all crazy.

“There’s roughly eighteen hundred in the clan total. I think last I heard, the main core of the clan was about thirteen hundred. Another four hundred are assigned to hunting and gathering supplies—both food and elements.” Lina paused and rubbed her forehead. “And then about eighty or so scouts. They’re the ones looking for other mages to bring back to the clan.”

“Do you know if they’re currently holding any other mages like me?” Nikki asked.

“A few,” she said, wincing. “Not as many as usual. They lost a lot in the attack in Czechia. With the clan scrambling, they haven’t brought many new ones in.”

“That’s good,” Rodrigo murmured. “If they don’t have a lot of mages on hand to drain, they might not have a lot of magical firepower to fight us with.”

“Where are they?” Alric demanded.

“And how do they even move that many people around efficiently?” Gunter said.

“With the portal.” Lina made it sound so easy.

Chalo tossed up his hands. “I thought you said the Jaeggi didn’t have much magic. They can make portals?”

Lina rolled her eyes as only a teenager could, and Nikki smothered a laugh.

“An internet portal. It’s a place where we can all log in, get information of where we are traveling to, when we’re supposed to leave, and what we’re supposed to bring. If we are ever separated from our clan, it’s the only way we can find each other again.” She turned her attention back to Alric. “They’re in the Alps in Italy. The closest town is Masseria, which is along the Rio Mareta near the Austrian border with Italy.”

“Impressive,” Rodrigo drawled.

“I was in training to be a runner, one of their supply gatherers. If the clan has to suddenly move, we’re taught to memorize critical pieces of information like location details in case another clan member can’t quickly fetch you.”

“That’s good. Thank you, Lina,” Cameron said with a warm smile.

“This is very helpful. We can pull everyone back to the castle and plan in safety,” Roca said.

Nikki’s heart sped up a little. They knew where the Jaeggi were. It wouldn’t be long now before Alric and the other kings cooked up a plan of attack. The battle was getting close, and there was no doubt in their mind Gunter was going to be right in the middle of it. His dragon was going to risk his life and fight the Jaeggi.

Yes, they wanted the Jaeggi wiped out once and for all, but…Nikki suddenly had a lot of people they wanted to protect. And the idea of going into battle where they could possibly be hurt didn’t sit well with Nikki. Revenge was battling it out with the need to keep people safe, and Nikki didn’t know which emotion would win.

“There’s just one thing,” Lina interrupted, seeming to cringe a little. “They won’t be at Masseria for long. Just one more week and then they are going to move again.”

“What?” Ravi gasped from the back of the room. Nikki jumped. Ravi could be incredibly loud without meaning to be. “Why so quickly?”

“The main host of the Jaeggi has been in the Alps location for over a month. Since the attack in Czechia, they’ve been waiting for everyone to gather before moving again.”

“Where are they moving next?” Cameron asked.

Lina shrugged. “They don’t tell us until moving day, and even then they might tell the groups a meet-up point but not the final destination. Only Thomas and his most trusted people know the final location.”

“Wait, you said they’ve been waiting for everyone. Does that mean the entire clan will be in one place in the next week?”

Lina nodded in answer to Alric’s question. “It doesn’t happen all that often or for long,” she replied.

“Then we have no choice. We need to strike before they have a chance to move and scatter yet again.” Alric paced back to his vacated seat and rested his hand on the back. “Cameron, take Lina and Nikki to see Cassie. Make plans to safely contact Lina’s family and then pull all the information you can from the portal.”

The consort nodded once, his expression serious and stern. “Got it.”

Alric looked at the three kings. “Contact your people to be ready. I’m calling a war council together this evening after dinner. We make final plans for our attack. We hit the Jaeggi’s current stronghold before they move again, and we will destroy them before they harm another mage or dragon. Gunter, inform Dieter and Lisette. They will need to be present as well.”