Page 245 of Scales ’N’ Spells: Volume Two

“You got one of those for me?” Nikki laughed, holding their hands up. Cameron nodded and tossed the ball to Nikki. Apparently, the mages had planned for this.

On Gunter’s right, Baldewin lumbered up and Tori slid from his back, pulling a similarly prepared spell from his messenger bag. The mage was windblown and streaked with soot—a side effect of riding a dragon into battle—but grinning as well.

“I’ve been waiting so long for this,” Tori said as he stepped up beside his dragon.

Nikki placed a hand on Gunter’s snout, drawing his gaze back to his mate. “Ready?”

“Everything that I am, I give to you, my mate,” Gunter said without reservation. All that he was, every beat of his heart, every ounce of fight in his soul, every breath in his lungs belonged to Nikki. Forever.

Gunter grunted at the first hard pull on his soul. All three mages cast the spell Cameron had designed more than a year ago that had saved Alric’s life and decimated much of the Jaeggi Clan. Nikki sucked down power like a starving man. Gunter couldn’t imagine where his slender little mage was storing it.

And then it burst out of them in brilliant red and gold. Nikki’s own dragon fire.

The spell slammed through the Jaeggi’s golden barrier as if it was tissue paper. The Jaeggi mages had no hope of standing against the combined power of three mated mages. Their screams shattered the air as they crumpled to the earth, broken and bleeding.

“For your crimes against dragons and mages, Thomas Jaeggi, we sentence you and your followers to death,” Alric intoned in a deep, ominous voice.

Thomas Jaeggi slightly swayed on his knees, his face bloody. But there was hatred burning in his eyes and twisting up his features. “Kill me, but this isn’t the end. Dragons don’t belong in this world. Mages will rise up. Mages will destroy you all!”

Gunter refused to hear another insane word from the madman. He roared with Alric and Baldewin, sending a blast of dragon fire straight from the ragged edges of his soul. It wasn’t enough to end his life. He had to erase him completely. His madness reminded him too much of Kaiser Jaeggi and the war that had killed his parents, his king, and countless other people he’d thought of as family. He destroyed this man and his followers for Ravi’s parents and all the lost wind dragons.

And he destroyed him for his mate, and all the pain Nikki had ever suffered at his hands.

When he finally ran out of fire, Gunter wobbled a little, but strong arms were there, wrapping around his neck, cuddling a sweet face against his scales. Nikki. His Nikki was safe and loved him.

Gunter stared at the charred earth for a long second. He’d dreamed of this day, when the Jaeggi were vanquished. When dragons no longer had to look over their shoulders or worry about mages being kidnapped. He’d expected to feel many emotions in this moment, when his dream became reality.

But really, the only thing he felt was a profound, bone-shaking relief.

Finally, it was over.

Their reign of terror was over. His clan and Nikki were safe.

In the end, that was all that really mattered.

There was a soft giggle and Gunter shifted his head enough to see Nikki’s mischievous grin. “You’re such hot stuff.”

Gunter wanted to say something equally playful, but his gaze was immediately drawn to the ugly bruises forming around Nikki’s throat and the dark smear of blood down their cheek. Teasing later. His mate needed proper care first.

Turning his head, he told Alric, “I want to get Nikki seen to. I’ll rejoin the battle afterward.”

“Assuming anything is left at that point,” Cameron said, cracking his neck to either side like a boxer getting ready to step into the ring. The consort jumped back into the leather harness with surprising ease and thrust one fist into the air. “Alright, sexy, charge!”

“Why am I your noble steed right now?” Alric sassed at him. He did move forward, though.

“You know, it’s funny, you’ve never complained the other times I’ve ridden you.”

Gunter ignored their banter as he turned, scooping Nikki up and quickly carting them out of the battlefield to where Sora was already set up with a mobile hospital. “How bad are you, Liebling?”

“Mostly bruises; it’s worse than it looks,” Nikki assured him, nuzzling against his scales. “I’m more worried about you, my dragon knight. You were so sexy defeating the enemy. I did good too, though, didn’t I?”

“You were fucking amazing. Never do it again, though, my heart can’t take it.”

“One epic battle is enough for me in my lifetime, promise.”

“Thank god.”

“But the explosion was so pretty. Cameron and I did a good job designing that timer.” Nikki’s voice got a dreamy quality to it. “Do you think Cameron would like to do more explosions with me?”