Breath (Scales 'n' Spells 2)

He didn’t have time to think, and that’s what he needed to buy them first. Time. He popped up onto his knees and used the dragon’s breath coursing through his own lungs, sparking his magic, to call on the strongest ward he could create. “Tuella gev adi!”

A shining dome of gold power slammed into place, hard enough that it cracked the pavement under it, leaving a sizeable dent in the shape of a perfect ring. The barrier encircled the three of them, as well as the car. Tori stared at the ward in amazement, lost in wonder at his own creation. He had never in his entire life created a ward as powerful as this one.

Scratch that, none of his spells had been this strong before. Dragon’s breath. Just dragon’s breath could do that?

What if he were bound to a dragon with access to his life force?

He shook the thought off and looked at the Jaeggi. All four men had halted in their tracks, staring at the ward in frustration. They were smart enough to not touch it. Shame. It would have thrown them back if they had. Tori spared them a sneer before he concentrated on Baldewin and Warin.

“Hang on, guys,” he urged, checking their pulse and breathing. He quickly jerked out the tiny darts and tossed them aside. He wouldn’t put it past the Jaeggi to get the dosage wrong on purpose, and he didn’t want anyone dying on his watch. Both dragons appeared woozy but still breathing, their eyes tracking his movements. So, he had dragon noodles, but they were otherwise fine.

“Can you drive?” Warin slurred.

“Yeah. Yeah, but I need to remove the spell they’ve got on the car first. It’s meant to trap us in. Hang on.”

Tori stayed kneeling and half-turned to see the car better. He didn’t know what spell they’d used—it frankly looked strange and sort of slanted? The power of it didn’t glow right, reminding him vaguely of the way the magical auras on his two would-be kidnappers had looked off. Distorted might be the best way to describe it.

But he could see the intent of the spell, as that was written across the door, and that was enough for him to know how to counter it. He drew on the remaining dragon’s breath in his lungs, and what reflected sunlight around him he could, forcefully commanding, “Klak aese!”

The spell binding the car splintered and dissipated like smoke in a high wind. Good.

Tori turned, got a shoulder underneath Baldewin, and heaved him up. It was awkward as hell, with Baldewin being taller and larger, but Tori wasn’t weak in a physical sense. He’d done hard labor most of his adult life, and it was handy now, as he was able to haul Baldewin into the passenger seat and get him situated.

Baldewin settled with a groan, obviously fighting the drug in his system. And apparently winning, if he was still awake. Maybe their dosage had been off in their favor.

Tori didn’t question it just then; he wanted out of there before the Jaeggi figured out a way around his ward. They were still milling outside, glaring at him and talking among themselves as if not sure what to do, but determined to stop him from leaving. Fat chance, that. Tori had no compunction in running them over.

He started with Warin, who was easier to haul up, as the man was slimmer in build, and half-carried him over to the car and settled him into the back seat. He almost left the luggage scattered but decided to take the five seconds to throw everything into the trunk. Five seconds now would save them aggravation and money later. And Tori didn’t have any money to spare.

Everything in the trunk, he almost dove right into the driver’s seat, then realized Baldewin still had the keys in his pocket. Plus, he would rather have a little magical power on him just in case the Jaeggi tried something as he passed them. A ward on the car itself would also be a good idea.

He hesitated a split second, then shook it off. Baldewin was the one who’d urged Tori to kiss him in the first place; he wouldn’t mind supplying him with more dragon’s breath. Probably. He opened the passenger door again and asked Baldewin carefully, “Keys?”

Baldewin’s eyes were on him, words slurred. “Front pocket.”

Tori carefully patted both pockets, felt the bulge of the keys, and dug them out with both care and speed. “Sorry to ask. Can I have another kiss?”

Something that might have been a smirk teased at the corners of Baldewin’s mouth. “Aww, you do like me.”

“You’re joking right now? Seriously?” Tori rolled his eyes, then kissed Baldewin again. This was smoother, less frantic and with a better angle. He didn’t linger, though, not more than the three seconds he needed to collect dragon’s breath. Even though his traitorous libido really wanted to kiss Baldewin longer than that.