Breath (Scales 'n' Spells 2)

The best idea was to find a job as quickly as possible. He had enough basic skills that he should be able to find something within a busy city.

With a little money in his pocket, he would be able to rent an apartment or even travel out of Finland. Maybe head farther south. See the Mediterranean. He could think fast on his feet. He’d be able to survive, probably even thrive, on his own.

Yes, he would find a job and go from there.

And well, of course, avoid dragons at all costs.

This was turning out to be more difficult than Baldewin had first anticipated. He shuffled along the path with Warin, one ear trained on his companion’s phone conversation with Cassie and Lisette, the head mage of the Burkhard Clan, while he scanned the immediate area for their missing mage.

His initial excitement over Cassie finding a mage had quickly given way to the painful realization that Helsinki was no small town.

It was by sheer luck that Cameron had stumbled into their hometown of Sonthofen a couple months earlier. By god, it was stunning they’d found him in the massive throng of people at the Dragon Festival.

But now they had a missing mage in Helsinki.

The capital city itself was over seven hundred square kilometers, and Nestori’s motel was on the outskirts of the city, widening the possible area to nearly thirty-seven hundred square kilometers. There were more than a million people and thousands of buildings. How were they going to narrow down his location?

The obvious choice was to catch him at his motel room, but right now, it was Baldewin’s last choice. If the man was alone and had suffered a rough life already, he didn’t want him to feel trapped or in danger by approaching him in the one place supposed to be his safe haven. He also didn’t want to risk Tori spotting them near his motel unless they had no other choice.

Baldewin rolled his shoulders as they walked through Esplanadi Park. The large, open space cut through the center of the city and was filled with rich greenery, an explosion of colorful flowers, sculptures, and fountains. Even in the middle of the work week, people filled the main thoroughfare and lounged on the soft grass, enjoying the late-morning sun.

It was a peaceful place, a respite from the busy city that buzzed around them. The sidewalks outside the park were wide and peppered heavily with shops and restaurants for all the tourists. Helsinki was a popular stop for cruise ships, sending a steady stream of tourists into the city during the warm summer months.

The park was a pleasant spot to relax and take a break from wandering among the stone buildings, neoclassical columns, and white trim. Much of the architecture had a Russian feel, reminding him of long-ago trips to St. Petersburg. While he enjoyed the hustle and bustle, the green space was a wonderful escape.

And best of all, it was free.

If Nestori was struggling as much as Baldewin suspected, there was a chance he might be drawn to this area. It was a place that brought him close to potential jobs while not making demands on his wallet.

Frowning, Baldewin rolled his shoulders again. A knot from where he’d slept funny tightened next to his right shoulder blade.

The flight from Germany to Finland hadn’t taken too long, and his dragon had been happy to stretch its wings for such a length of time. They’d been lucky that most of the flight had been filled with cloudy skies to use as camouflage.

There had been too many whispers recently that dragons weren’t extinct, and Alric was in no hurry to prove those rumors correct. Their secrecy afforded them protection. Their numbers were too small, and it made Baldewin worry about the few mages that existed. If the world suddenly believed in dragons again, wouldn’t they believe in mages? Would the mages be at risk in a power-hungry world with no dragons to protect them?

Baldewin shuddered at the thought, turning his focus back to his hunt for Nestori Taavi. He would protect all mages, starting with this Nestori, whenever he managed to find him.

Warin ended the call and shoved his mobile phone into his pocket. “Well, Lisette and Cassie say we’re actually in the right area.”

“He’s in Esplanadi Park?”

The dragon nodded, his eyes dancing away from Baldewin to take in the hundred or so people who surrounded them, walking, sitting, and lounging on blankets in the grass. They could do this. The Dragon Festival had been far more crowded when they located Cameron. Of course, at the time, nearly every dragon had rushed out of Burkhard Castle to locate him. Right now, only he and Warin were searching for Nestori on the ground.

“They said they would call again if he leaves the park and give us a new direction to search in. It sounded like they were planning to take a small break and call in some fresh mages to initiate a new seeking spell.”