Embers (Scales 'N' Spells 4)

“Good, I’ll pass that along. Everything else alright in there?”

“Seems to be. How is Alric?”

“He’s overworked his shoulder to the point that he’s on medical orders to sit the rest of this out.”

“Ah, understood. Tell Alric not to worry, we can take care of this.”

“Thanks.” Gunter hung up and relayed to Alric, “Rodrigo’s got it under control.”

“I heard him clearly enough.” Alric finally shifted back to human form, wincing as he did. It had to be painful, with his joints so inflamed.

Gunter moved out of the way, and Nikki joined him, shirt in hand while the magic goo finished drying. They removed themselves a few feet to give Alric some privacy but maintain a perimeter so no one else could just walk up and disturb the treatment in progress.

Nikki leaned their head against Gunter’s shoulder, nuzzling for a second. “How are you feeling about all of this?”

“I am…relieved.” Gunter paused, staring at the town still burning in sections, the area crawling with dragons and mages. “It’s surreal, honestly. I never knew how to picture this day. In my dreams, I saw it play out in so many ways. I thought I might feel victorious, or viciously self-righteous that it was us who won in the end. But all I really feel right now is grim relief.”

“They can’t hurt us anymore,” Nikki whispered.

“They can’t hurt us anymore,” Gunter repeated, and a weight lifted off his heart as he said the words aloud. “And in the end, that’s all I really wanted. Safety for my family. For me. Revenge didn’t matter to me as much as that.”

“Yeah. I hate what they did to my parents. How much we lost, as a world, as a magical community, because of them. They have a lot to answer for. But I feel like they did answer for it all, tonight. And with them gone, we can rebuild. You’re right, it’s just a relief at this point.”

Gunter was glad they felt the same way. He turned his head and kissed Nikki on the forehead. “How’re your ribs?”

“A lot better. Sora’s really amazing. And I think I’m dry enough to put the shirt back on, which I have to tell you, it’s cold out here. I really want the shirt back on.”

Gunter hadn’t noticed the cold. But he was also built to be warm at all times. He bent and checked Nikki’s goop by the illumination of the van lights, found it had dried, and helped Nikki put the shirt back on. Then he snuggled his mate in, sharing body heat so Nikki warmed up faster.

Nikki was happy to snuggle, wrapping both arms around his waist. “Gunter.”

“Yes, Liebling?”

“You were so cool back there, facing Thomas down. I honestly thought you’d break bones, you were slamming yourself so hard into the ward. How many bones were you planning to break, trying to get to me?”

Gunter thought about that for a second. “Two hundred and thirty-six bones in a dragon’s body.”

Nikki made a choked sound, part laugh, part something else entirely. “You crazy person. I love you for it. You seriously love me like no one else ever has.”

“You make it easy.” Gunter tilted their face up for another kiss.

Nikki grinned back up at him, eyes alight with joy. “You’re taking the words right out of my mouth. But Gunter, something you said to Thomas bugs me.”

“Yes, and what’s that?”

“Uh…I never really got your age? Like, were you serious when you said you were alive during the Dragon War?”

“I was, yes. I was young, but old enough to participate in the war.”

Nikki’s eyes crossed. “I feel like someone just took a chair to my back. Seriously?! But you have no issue with the fact that I’m so much younger?”

“I waited a long, long time for you, little one. You were worth every second of the wait. And the only complaint I have about you is that you like exploding things too much for my comfort.”

Nikki laughed, the joy in the sound infectious. “But it’s so much fun! Come to the dark side, Gunter. You get to see all sorts of pretty explosions.”

“How about we find you another hobby?”

“Oooh, you can give me a baby, how’s that? That’ll keep me occupied for at least a few decades.”

Gunter’s eyes widened at the mental image. Him and Nikki. With a baby. Oh god, what if they inherited Nikki’s gorgeous purple eyes? Or the sass Gunter enjoyed so much?

The prospect of children had faded very early on for Gunter. His clan had been so focused on survival, finding mages had taken all precedence. But with his mate in his arms, looking at him with such eagerness, that long-lost hope came rushing back in full force.

A baby.

A child of his own.

Gunter could only answer one way. “We’ll have to wait. Alric and Cameron take precedence, but…after them.”