Breath (Scales 'n' Spells 2)

“Alric said he would be happy to meet with you tomorrow at your convenience. He understands that you would like to rest up today,” Baldewin murmured.

“That’s very considerate of him.”

Baldewin placed his hand on Tori’s forearm and squeezed. “You don’t have anything to worry about. You’re going to like him and Cameron, I swear.”

Tori opened his mouth to tease Baldewin, but the words got stuck in his throat as he watched Alric spin Cameron around and then pull him tight into his arms. The king proceeded to tango his mate out of the dining hall and down the hall while Cameron’s laughter rang out. Several people clapped, and a few others called out, but Tori didn’t catch what they were saying. From their smiles and playful tone, he could guess it was friendly teasing.

“Was…was that normal?” Tori finally choked out.

Warin snorted and returned to his soup. “For them? Yes. Definitely.”

Okay, then the royal family was certainly…interesting and in love. Tori could see it in the way Alric kept his arm around Cameron and how they looked at each other, as if they were the only two people in the entire world. Just completely lost in each other.

And then, of course, there was the playful applause from the rest of the clan for the couple. They were clearly happy for their king.

After dinner, which included a rather fabulous lihapullat, Baldewin showed Tori around the castle a little more. A very good thing, since he felt at least ten pounds heavier and wasn’t sure if he was going to fit into the lovely clothes Baldewin had recently purchased for him.

He marveled at the beautiful murals, the exquisite library, and glimpsed the warm and inviting classroom where Lisette taught all the new mages of the clan. It was vastly different from the grim and bleak classrooms Tori had known over his lifetime. But his worry remained that the classroom wasn’t going to make a difference when it came to his dyscalculia. The problem was the man, not the room, ingredients, or teacher.

When they reached Tori’s room again, he invited the dragon inside with a smile. It had been too long since he’d last managed to steal a kiss, and here, they were at least away from prying eyes. Tori’s heart pounded, and his palms grew sweaty as he watched Baldewin enter, his hands shoved into his pockets as if it was the only way he could keep his hands to himself.

“Are you sure your rooms are to your liking?” Baldewin asked for the third time since picking him up for dinner. “If you don’t like them, I could see about you being moved. I think there are some rooms on the higher floors if you’d like a different view of the mountains. Or—”

Tori cut him off with a laugh. “The rooms are amazing. I’ve never stayed anywhere so lovely in my entire life.”

“I’m glad. You know, they could be your rooms permanently, if you’d like.”

Crossing the short distance between them, Tori placed his hand on Baldewin’s chest, loving the little catch in his breath. He liked to think he affected the dragon as much as the dragon affected him. “It’s a little early to be thinking about staying. I still have to meet with your king and the head mage. God only knows how many other people I need to meet with to get the proper approvals.”

Baldewin was already shaking his head, his hand sliding over Tori’s to cover it and hold it in place. “That’s it, but it’s not necessary. You’re a mage, and all mages are welcome in Burkhard so long as they don’t mean any harm to the dragons and other mages that live here. I know you see the upcoming meetings with Alric and Lisette as tests, but they’re not. They simply want to get to know you.”

Tori leveled a skeptical look at Baldewin, but the dragon only smiled back at him. “Life isn’t that easy, Baldewin. There are always tests and a need to prove yourself. I have to prove that I deserve to be here, that I can pull my own weight.”

“I’m not worried about that.”

“Then what are you worried about?”

“That you’ll decide you’d rather be on your own or out exploring the world. That you don’t want to stay here with a bunch of crazy dragons.”

A low chuckle broke from Tori’s throat. “I’m finding that the best adventures are with a bunch of crazy dragons.”

“That’s good, because I know that Warin and Ravi and Sasha and Cassie would very much like you to stay. And Gris, since he wants to cook for you.”

“Are they the only ones?” Tori asked in a light, teasing voice.

Baldewin’s grin grew a little wicked, and he dipped his head, taking a step closer to Tori. “I would very much like for you to stay, as well.”