Origin (Scales 'n' Spells 1)

“Ah. Well, look around and tell me what you see.”

Bless him for being one of those people who didn’t ask where he was. It irritated Cameron when people asked that after he said he was lost. “Okay, so I’m at a four-way. There’s stairs going up at the end of the hallway, and I can see the mountains out one window. Um, a painting of a dragon in flight along one wall, it’s a rather big picture.”

“Blue carpet runner on the floor?”

Cameron looked down. “Yup.”

“Ah, I know where you are.”

“Great! So how do I get to the dining room from here?”

“Why don’t you wait a moment? I’m not far away and I can walk up with you. I’d like lunch, too.”

“Even better.” Cameron really wanted to get to know the clan better. For one thing, it would be a waste not to. How many people got to meet and befriend dragons, especially in these modern times? But too, there was so much possibility here. Cameron wanted to investigate it.

And the best way to do that would be to make friends.

“Ah, there you are.”

Cameron heard the double echo of a voice coming through both the phone and his own ears. He turned and spotted Baldewin coming through some doorway that led to some place and seriously, didn’t they have a map of this place?

Ancestral home. Probably not. Dammit.

Baldewin pocketed his phone as he approached, stride easy. “Good news is, you’re not as lost as you think you are.”

“No, see, if you say that, it means I was really close to my destination this whole time, and it makes me feel even more like an idiot.”

A bright grin flashed on Baldewin’s amber face. “No, think of it as you were close, and you just second-guessed yourself. Come on, follow me, and you’ll see what I mean.”

Turning, he fell into step with the man. And this time, he paid strict attention where they were going. He had a master’s degree in engineering, for fuck’s sake. He could figure out one measly castle.

That would sound more impressive if the castle wasn’t currently winning.

“I’m a little surprised you texted me,” Baldewin admitted, head canted in curiosity.

“Well, you’re one of the few people I have a phone number for,” Cameron pointed out. Oooh, wait, this hallway actually looked right. And not just familiar because he’d been lost in it before.

“Truly? We’ll need to address that. There’s many here who would love to be on better terms with you.”

“Oh yeah?” Cameron’s stride got a bit of pep to it. “I’d like to make friends. Um, does everyone here speak English? Because my German is currently about thirty words.”

“We all do, yes. If you live long enough, you slowly conquer most of the main languages in the world.” Baldewin shrugged, as if this was a given. “So don’t hesitate to go up and speak to us. We can all understand you.”

“Awesomesauce. That was one of my concerns.” Cameron didn’t want to be one of those people, the ones who assumed you had to speak in their native tongue and didn’t try to meet you midway. “I should probably learn more German, though. All things considered.”

Baldewin looked cautiously hopeful. “Do you plan to stay with us, then?”

“I mean—look, can I be perfectly honest with you?”

“Please do.”

Something about the man invited sharing a confidence. Cameron’s mouth opened and far more than what he intended poured out of it. “The idea of going back to the US has no appeal for me, not really. I’d much prefer to stay here, study magic with Lisette, and get to know all of you. I’m trying not to let excitement overwhelm me and make my decisions because I can get so enthusiastic that I get in over my head too fast, but yeah. I’m really in no hurry to leave. It’s fascinating here. And I’d like to make friends with all of you, at the very least.”

Baldewin’s expression was soft and warm, beyond pleased. “We like you as well and would dearly like to be friends. You may stay as long as you wish. And please, feel free to ask me for help. To ask all of us for help. I still remember walking into various foreign countries and not knowing the language or the customs. It’s confusing and better navigated with a friend.”

“Thanks,” Cameron replied in relief. “I mean, danke. I’ve got to start using what German I do know.”

“We’ll teach you more as you go along,” Baldewin encouraged. “And I know that you texted me because I’m one of the phone numbers you have, and I’m glad for that. But let’s get you more phone numbers, ja?”

“Sounds great.”

“And do you have Alric’s phone number? I gave it to you; did you save it?”

“Oh, yeah, I did,” Cameron assured him.

There was an arch to Baldewin’s eyebrow that spoke volumes. “You can call him, too. In situations like this, I mean. He’ll be happy to aid you.”