Page 247 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume One

“It’s a distinct possibility,” Lisette admitted. “I certainly can’t think of another. I can’t speak to what purpose they would use the spell, but I assume it’s to find a dragon.”

To do what? was the unspoken question in the room.

Warin didn’t have the patience to sit and wait for this person to find him. And frankly, if there was to be trouble, he didn’t want it here. For the first time in five hundred years, they had young mages to think of and protect. Like hell would he allow possible danger near them.

But what if this mage didn’t bring danger? What if this was a lone mage like Tori or Cameron searching for a dragon mate? Just the idea seemed too big to even dare wish for. Dragons had been seeking their lost mage mates for centuries, and now one was quite literally tugging on Warin’s tail. He had to go.

“Hoheit, I wish to go and seek out this mage.”

“A scouting mission?” Alric’s forehead wrinkled slightly as he thought. “I agree that seems wise, as we have no information at this time. But I don’t want you to go alone. Gunter, will you accompany him?”

Gunter nodded immediately, eager. “I’ll gather some equipment. If we do find the mage, then can we engage, Hoheit?”

“Use your best judgement on that. But stay in contact, regardless. I don’t wish for either of you to be hurt. This might be a trap, a way for the Jaeggi to draw you out of our defenses.”

So Alric had realized it as well. No surprise there. Their king had a tactically sound mind. “We’ll be cautious going forward. Gunter, I feel that we should fly. We can quickly get out of area that way.”

“I’m all for it. I’ll meet you in the courtyard in five minutes.”

Warin gave his king a quick bow and left as well. He’d need to throw a few clothes together into a bag. Lisette had said the mage was some distance away, but who knew how far that actually was.

He rather hoped it was the Jaeggi. Warin wouldn’t mind squashing a few of the murderous bastards.

Coffee.

Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.

Coffee made the world go round and North’s brain work. He needed more coffee since he wasn’t stopping long enough to catch up on his sleep.

From the hills of Georgia to bustling London to beautiful Brussels, North was moving as quickly as he possibly could. Time was not on his side. He half expected one or both of his parents to jerk his leash at any second and demand he return from this foolish venture.

But if he could just find a dragon, prove to them it was all real. They ignored the magic, but they couldn’t ignore a dragon. Come on, it’s a dragon!

And if they finally faced the fact that magic and dragons were real, then they would have to face that he was destined for so much more than…concrete and their bland, black-and-white world.

Maybe it wasn’t just about proving it to them. Maybe he needed to believe it was all real, that he was destined for something more, something greater with this gift. If dragons did still exist, then he’d finally have the proof he needed to take that final step to break out on his own.

North shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the bite of cold in the air. He didn’t want to think about going back to Georgia or his parents’ determination to make him work at the family concrete company. Right now, his future stretched out in front of him in a sea of endless, unrelenting grey. Grey concrete, grey dust, grey rocks, and grey life.

Things were definitely not looking grey at that moment. He’d splurged on a metro ticket from the hotel into the city central and holy crap! It was worth every euro. This old city was decked out in her finest for the Christmas season. Twinkling fairy lights dripped from nearly every building, store fronts were filled with ornaments and elaborately decorated gingerbread, and the people—everyone was so nice and smiling.

Of course, those four years of Spanish he’d been forced to take in high school weren’t doing him a bit of good since the wonderful people of Belgium spoke French, German, and/or Dutch, but with it being Europe, he hadn’t needed to search too hard to find a kind soul who spoke English.

And no one seemed to bat an eye at a little lost, blond twink wearing a touch of make-up. Just to bring out his eyes. And maybe a hint across his cheekbones because they really were his best features.

Maybe if he didn’t find a dragon, he could just disappear into Brussels. He’d learn this town inside and out, welcome all the flustered tourists, and answer their questions like he’d been born in this place and not his strange little Georgia town. Or he’d learn to make chocolate or waffles. No, fries! Americans thought they had an obsession with fries. It was nothing compared to what he saw in Brussels.

Yes, he could be right at home in this colorful town of friendly people, good food, and exquisite old architecture.

Really, the dragons needed to come first.

Brussels was an excellent back-up plan, though.

North strolled along the tidy streets with the other tourists, pausing to snap pictures here and there on his phone. He wanted to remember everything about this place. His stop in London had been painfully brief and not included any sightseeing. Just hitting the ground, a cheap motel, a spell, and then he was on the next plane he could get to Belgium. He was not making that mistake here.

As he reached the Grand Place, his breath caught in his throat. This was unlike any town square he’d ever seen. Massive Christmas trees were set up in the center and glowed faintly with white lights against the bright sun in a pure blue sky. On either side of the square, tall buildings rose up shoulder to shoulder with stair-step gables, their gold filigree winking in the sun and highlighting the ornate touches. It was like stepping into a fairytale story. He half expected to see a prince and princess waltz through the center of the square, circled by singing bluebirds.

Okay, he needed to focus. Coffee and then he was going to find a travel agency. He’d talked to a worker at the central metro station, and they’d advised him to pop in any of the travel agencies for advice on which train to take into Munich and how best to get into the Alps. Apparently, they were best equipped to handle lost tourists working their way across the continent.