Breath (Scales 'n' Spells 2)

“Are you sure? I don’t want to trouble you.”

“No trouble. I want to do it. Please.”

Baldewin could only nod. He did want to fly, but his dragon was torn over the treat of flying and the disappointment of leaving Tori’s side. This morning, he had been whining about wanting to fly. Now he just wanted to curl up next to Tori and nuzzle his soft hair. Crazy damn lizard.

Maybe Baldewin would make a quick pass around the city before returning to the hotel. He didn’t want Tori to think that he didn’t appreciate his work, and he also wouldn’t hear the end of it from Warin if he didn’t go.

At Tori’s request, he followed the mage into Tori’s room where he could use the mirror. With the same grace and skill he’d exhibited with Warin, Tori quickly cast the spell, and Baldewin felt a light tingle wash over his skin from head to toe. The smug smile on Tori’s lips made his heart skip a beat.

Unable to fight it any longer, Baldewin leaned close and placed a kiss on the tip of Tori’s nose. The mage gasped lightly, and Baldewin smiled.

“Thank you for such a wonderful and generous gift, mage. I am honored.”

“You’re…you’re welcome,” Tori stammered, sounding so very surprised.

Yeah, Baldewin was gonna fix that. He would understand his worth. The whole world was going to know that Tori was an amazing mage and a treasure to be cherished.

Tori wasn’t really awake as they headed to the hotel’s parking lot the next morning. He’d only had one cup of coffee, and that wasn’t sufficient to get the brain cells going. Just as well that Baldewin was driving this morning.

Both dragons walked ahead of him, carrying bags and looking all fit and sexy. The view from back here was admittedly excellent. Baldewin especially had a very nice ass. Tori would have smacked himself for thinking that even two days ago. It was funny how quickly things could change.

After Baldewin had treated his hands and bought him clothes and guitar strings, he’d sort of lost the last of his wariness with the man. Baldewin was just too kind. Too patient. How do you possibly keep mistrusting someone like him? Tori certainly couldn’t.

And that kiss on the nose. What had that been about, anyway?

A man had never done that to him, and Tori had alternated between shivering under the memory of that touch, brief as it had been, and convincing himself it wasn’t that big of a deal and Baldewin didn’t mean anything by it.

Even though a part of Tori really, really wanted Baldewin to mean something by it.

Shit, he was such a lost cause.

He was so wrapped up in his head, reviewing the events of last night—again—that it took him far longer than it should have to realize something was off about the car. It had a faint glow in the morning light, a sigil scrawled over two of the doors. Baldewin was only two strides away from the car when Tori understood what he was looking at.

“Wait! Both of you stop.”

When the dragons didn’t do more than turn and glance at him, confused, he put his guitar case down and quickly snatched their arms, hauling them back. “Wait. The car’s been booby-trapped with a spell.”

Both of them immediately backed another foot away, staring at the car anxiously. Warin spun to put his back to the car, looking out in other directions.

“What does the spell do?” Baldewin demanded urgently.

“I think it’s supposed to—”

A whisper, a pfft sort of sound, and then Warin groaned, dropping heavily to his knees.

Tori had no chance to figure out what was going on before Baldewin hauled him in, using his own body to shield Tori.

The soft puff of air whispered again, and Baldewin grunted. This close, he had a better chance of cataloguing the sound. Shit, was that a dart gun? Had someone just tranqed both dragons?

Baldewin slowly crumpled sideways, taking Tori with him, although the fall was controlled enough that neither of them hit the pavement too hard. Tori tried to wriggle free, but Baldewin’s hold was still firm, although it loosened with every second as the tranquilizer chased through his system. He lifted his head up enough to see over Baldewin’s shoulder and got his first visual.

“Four of them,” he reported grimly, mind racing.

Shit, what to do? With his protectors down and no elements to work magic with, Tori was a sitting duck. Running would not help him, not if they were armed with tranquilizer darts.

“Kiss me,” Baldewin groaned.

Tori spared him a wide-eyed glance. “What?”

“Kiss me.”

“Seriously, not the time!”

“Dragon’s breath is powerful,” Baldewin explained, fighting to keep his eyes open. “Use it to work a spell. Kiss me.”

Oh. Oh, that made much more sense. Tori leaned in immediately, the kiss awkward at this angle and quick out of necessity. Still, the impression of warm, soft lips filtered through Tori’s panic, and he couldn’t help but wish he could do that again later. Properly. You know, when bad guys weren’t on the verge of capturing them.