Okay, yes, maybe the hotel was a little extravagant, but Tori deserved thousand-thread-count sheets and room service for at least one night. He needed to understand that he was worthy of being treated as a treasure because that was exactly what he was. To hell with his old clan. He was going to be a Burkhard mage. Baldewin could feel it.
Check-in was a quick affair, and they were escorted off to the suite. Tori gave him some more questioning looks, but at least Warin stopped smirking at him. The dragon understood the moment they walked in why Baldewin had chosen this hotel. The suite had two bedrooms off the main sitting space. It allowed them to be close to Tori while giving him the privacy he needed. Safety first.
After getting settled and washing up, they headed into the city to gather the last few ingredients. They lucked into a little shop that had a couple items and then a pharmacy for a small mirror.
Back in the suite, Warin stepped forward first, and Tori cast the glamour spell on the dragon without hesitation or a single mistake, which was more than a little confusing. The mage had said more than once that he was horrible at magic and that Alric wouldn’t want him in the clan because of his lack of skills. The glamour spell wasn’t overly complicated from what Baldewin could tell, but he wasn’t sure Cameron and Cassie could cast it just yet.
Baldewin couldn’t take his eyes off Tori. There was a swan-like elegance to his movements. He had the natural grace of a ballet dancer with his poise and the smooth arc of his hand through the air. The rich scent of magic poured off Tori, and Baldewin sucked in a deep breath, holding it in his lungs as long as possible. Tori was born to do magic. It was clearly written in every fiber of his being.
“There,” Tori pronounced with a nod. “You’ve got three hours, Cinderella. Get your dragon butt in the air.”
“Boah!” Warin exclaimed, looking down at himself for a second. With a wide grin, he wrapped an arm around Tori’s shoulders in a quick hug before releasing him to stride toward the suite door.
Baldewin chuckled and shook his head as Warin hurried away. The man was probably going for the roof to shift and launch himself into the sky straight over Vecriga.
Turning toward Tori, Baldewin smiled. “I thought we would grab something to eat and get a little shopping done before Warin returns.”
“Baldewin,” Tori started in a firm voice, “are you sure your king is going to be okay with you spending this kind of money on me? I’m just worried that you’re treating me to all…this,” he said, waving his hand at the beautifully appointed room, “and he’s going to be angry with you because I’m not some prize. Not some great mage.”
Closing the distance between them, Baldewin carefully gripped Tori’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, tipping his face up so he had to meet Baldewin’s gaze. “I know your clan told you some horrible things, but I am telling you now: You are a treasure. You are a great mage. I’ve seen you work two spells, and your grace is breathtaking. I can smell the magic on you. You are a great mage, Nestori Taavi. You were born to work magic the way the rest of us were born to simply breathe. And if I must, I will tell you this every day of your life until you finally believe it.”
“Oh,” Tori breathed. His entire body seemed to relax as he stared into Baldewin’s eyes. It would be so easy to lean forward and capture his plush lips in a sweet kiss. As it was, his thumb was already straying against his wishes to brush against the edge of Tori’s bottom lip.
Cursing his dwindling self-control, Baldewin released Tori and took a step backward and cleared his throat. He was supposed to be protecting the mage, not seducing him. “Shall we go?” he asked.
“Um…yeah…sure,” Tori said slowly, as if he were waking from a dream. “But dinner needs to be something simple and cheap. No more of your crazy spending.” Tori shook a finger at him, and Baldewin nodded. Dinner could be cheap, but it was clear when Baldewin mentioned shopping, Tori didn’t realize he meant shopping for the mage.
They ended up at a cute little restaurant called Šefapavars Vilhelms, which served simple but hearty fare at low prices. Baldewin admired the wood beams and brick accents of the building. Tori seemed to relax a little more, and they easily chatted about the various places Baldewin had been in his long existence.
As the sun started to set, they wandered around Vecriga, pausing to admire the grand House of the Blackheads and the adorable cats perched atop the peaks of the Cat House. It took more than a little goading, but he finally managed to get Tori to wander into some clothing shops.