Origin (Scales 'n' Spells 1)

Cameron sighed, closed his eyes, and struggled with answering. That was a whole other can of worms he didn’t feel emotionally up to opening right now. But she’d just call and pester him until he answered. Unlike himself, Cassie had never given up on magic being alive and well in the world. She was freaking out right now in a good sense.

Baldewin cast his phone a glance. “I see the word dragon on that screen; who are you telling about us?”

“Oh.” Shit, he likely shouldn’t be careless about who he told. Cameron mentally kicked himself for being an idiot. “Uh, I promise you won’t be mad about it. I only intend to tell family. I’m texting my sister Cassie right now.”

The big man’s expression cleared. “Ah, yes. The sister and grandmother you mentioned. We’d dearly love to talk to them.”

“Yeah, them. And the feeling will be mutual, trust me. Hang on, if I don’t text back in a minute she’ll fry my nuts.” Cameron tried to craft the most succinct reply he’d ever managed in his life. Turns out Halmeoni was right. We’re a magical family. Dragons mucho excited about meeting someone from Noh Clan.

Does that mean I get to meet them too? Cassie asked and the phone practically pulsed with her excitement.

They want to

I really want to. Let me figure stuff out.

In other words, Cassie would join him in Germany as soon as she could manage it. That figured. Cameron heartily wished that somehow, he could switch places with his twin right now. If Cassie were in his shoes, she’d already have jumped right in, no hesitation.

His mind circled back around, and Cameron questioned something he hadn’t had time to think of before. “Baldewin. Ravi found me first.”

“Yes?”

“But how did he find me? I mean, did you guys use a spell or something? You picked me out of the crowd somehow.”

Baldewin seemed happy to hear the question. “Our mages in the clan attempted a seeking spell, but it hadn’t locked on to you before Ravi found you. We can smell your magic.”

Cameron blinked at him. Then blinked again. “Uhh…you serious?”

“Quite serious.”

“Well, that puts a different spin on things. You’re literally saying I smell like magic to you?”

“Precisely as our other mages do. Yes. Your blood sings with it.” Baldewin shot him a slight smile, bordering on enigmatic. “You know that scent in the air, right before a major lightning storm sweeps through? Where it smells electrifying and moist and full of power? That’s what magic smells like.”

Cameron absorbed that information, sat with it for several seconds. So, it wasn’t like the spell they used had misfired or got tangled up and gave the wrong results. They weren’t relying on a spell at all, but their own senses. Kind of hard to argue with that. Cameron could see precisely one flaw in their logic.

“Okay, but—hear me out—but what if I’m not really magical? What if I’m more a recessive gene, a carrier of magic, but it’s not active in me?”

Baldewin was a good listener. He didn’t immediately shoot Cameron down but thought about it for a long moment. “I can see why you asked that question. I don’t believe that’s the case. People who are recessive carriers of magic don’t smell that way. They smell like your average human. We don’t detect anything from them.”

“Oh.” Cameron took in a deep breath, held it, let it out again. Okay, that was a more direct answer than he actually knew what to do with. His brain felt fit to bursting, like a water balloon on the edge of exploding. Maybe he should stop asking questions.

So, of course, his mouth immediately came out with another one. “Alric—should I be calling him the king or something? I never got to ask earlier.”

“No, it’s not necessary. He’s not truly a formal person. Unless he corrects you, feel free to use his name.”

“Okay, thanks, that worried me. Anyway, Alric hinted that things were wrong earlier. That mages are somehow important to you guys? Why? I don’t get the link.”

Baldewin shot him that measuring look again, as if weighing how much to tell him. “We don’t have time for a full explanation before reaching your hotel, but will a simple one suffice for now?”

“I think simple is all my brain can handle right now.”

“Very well. Dragons cannot have children with each other. It is only through mages that we are able to bear children.”

Cameron stared at him, a man waiting for a punch line. When none came, he blurted, “Wait, can male mages get pregnant?!” Cameron suddenly had a vision of himself nine months along and carrying twins and ye gods, no.

“What?” Baldewin responded in equal alarm and surprise. “No! No, I didn’t mean that. We have alternative, magical means for same sex couples to have children. It’s just that the majority of mages are female, you see. It’s predominantly through them that we have children. The other reason mages are so important is that dragons have no ability to work magic. So we only have the magics we do because of our mage clan members. Much of our protections and such come from our mages. Our numbers have dwindled badly over the years. We’re tough, but not immune to disease or injury. People sometimes get into accidents or contract a disease even magic can’t cure. And no mage mates means no children to replenish our population, and it is—” Baldewin sighed and for a moment looked a century older than the late thirties he appeared. “It breaks my heart, to tell you the truth. Our mages have always been a joy to us. Not only because they help us have children, but because of the magic and wonder they bring with them. Most of us have been without mates for over five hundred years. So few mages survived the war. We protect any we find automatically.”