Page 226 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

“And how do they even move that many people around efficiently?” Gunter said.

“With the portal.” Lina made it sound so easy.

Chalo tossed up his hands. “I thought you said the Jaeggi didn’t have much magic. They can make portals?”

Lina rolled her eyes as only a teenager could, and Nikki smothered a laugh.

“An internet portal. It’s a place where we can all log in, get information of where we are traveling to, when we’re supposed to leave, and what we’re supposed to bring. If we are ever separated from our clan, it’s the only way we can find each other again.” She turned her attention back to Alric. “They’re in the Alps in Italy. The closest town is Masseria, which is along the Rio Mareta near the Austrian border with Italy.”

“Impressive,” Rodrigo drawled.

“I was in training to be a runner, one of their supply gatherers. If the clan has to suddenly move, we’re taught to memorize critical pieces of information like location details in case another clan member can’t quickly fetch you.”

“That’s good. Thank you, Lina,” Cameron said with a warm smile.

“This is very helpful. We can pull everyone back to the castle and plan in safety,” Roca said.

Nikki’s heart sped up a little. They knew where the Jaeggi were. It wouldn’t be long now before Alric and the other kings cooked up a plan of attack. The battle was getting close, and there was no doubt in their mind Gunter was going to be right in the middle of it. His dragon was going to risk his life and fight the Jaeggi.

Yes, they wanted the Jaeggi wiped out once and for all, but…Nikki suddenly had a lot of people they wanted to protect. And the idea of going into battle where they could possibly be hurt didn’t sit well with Nikki. Revenge was battling it out with the need to keep people safe, and Nikki didn’t know which emotion would win.

“There’s just one thing,” Lina interrupted, seeming to cringe a little. “They won’t be at Masseria for long. Just one more week and then they are going to move again.”

“What?” Ravi gasped from the back of the room. Nikki jumped. Ravi could be incredibly loud without meaning to be. “Why so quickly?”

“The main host of the Jaeggi has been in the Alps location for over a month. Since the attack in Czechia, they’ve been waiting for everyone to gather before moving again.”

“Where are they moving next?” Cameron asked.

Lina shrugged. “They don’t tell us until moving day, and even then they might tell the groups a meet-up point but not the final destination. Only Thomas and his most trusted people know the final location.”

“Wait, you said they’ve been waiting for everyone. Does that mean the entire clan will be in one place in the next week?”

Lina nodded in answer to Alric’s question. “It doesn’t happen all that often or for long,” she replied.

“Then we have no choice. We need to strike before they have a chance to move and scatter yet again.” Alric paced back to his vacated seat and rested his hand on the back. “Cameron, take Lina and Nikki to see Cassie. Make plans to safely contact Lina’s family and then pull all the information you can from the portal.”

The consort nodded once, his expression serious and stern. “Got it.”

Alric looked at the three kings. “Contact your people to be ready. I’m calling a war council together this evening after dinner. We make final plans for our attack. We hit the Jaeggi’s current stronghold before they move again, and we will destroy them before they harm another mage or dragon. Gunter, inform Dieter and Lisette. They will need to be present as well.”

“As you wish, Hoheit.”

Nikki watched the almost feral smile spread across Alric’s mouth while gold flashed through his deep blue eyes. “We will finally defeat the Jaeggi and bring an end to this war after five hundred years.”

Nikki just prayed they got to keep their dragon when all was said and done.

Gunter paused just past the threshold of the War Room, his stomach clenching around the remains of the dinner he’d picked at. Too much had been on his mind—both preparations and worries.

Nikki had barely spoken throughout the meal. They’d just huddled close, one hand resting lightly on Gunter’s thigh as if they expected him to fly away at any moment.

It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell Nikki not to worry, but that was foolish. Of course they would worry. Gunter couldn’t stop himself from worrying.

The worry grew worse now that he was in this room again. After the death of Alric’s father, they’d planned a final assault to end the war on the Jaeggi in this room.

More than five hundred years later, they were back to plan another final assault to end a war they’d thought long since buried and dead. He thought he’d be feeling more excitement and relief that they were all racing toward a conclusion to their troubles with the Jaeggi.

But all he felt was fear and dread. The last battle this size with the Jaeggi had resulted in the death of so many dragons and mages. The Burkhard fire dragons were so few now. The wind dragon numbers even smaller. The ranks of mages were the worst of all. How many people he regarded as family and friends were going to be lost in this battle?