Tori stopped with his door only partially opened, and glared over his shoulder at Baldewin. He seemed unwilling to admit Baldewin had a valid point. “Fine. Fine, alright, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. Next time, give me the heads-up anyway. Before I go chatting with would-be-kidnappers like a fucking idiot.”
“Cross my heart,” Baldewin promised solemnly.
Tori looked only slightly mollified as he pushed the door open with more violence than necessary and stalked through. Baldewin immediately followed him, Warin at his heels, but he barely had a foot inside before his nose revolted.
It smelled musty in here, as if the ventilation hadn’t worked properly since the building was built (likely the case), and nothing got particularly well cleaned in between visitors (also likely the case.) Tori flopped down on the edge of a twin bed and gestured them to the other.
Baldewin sat, more than a little gingerly, although Warin didn’t seem to find an issue. He flopped down, leaning forward.
“You see now why we’re so anxious for your sake?” Warin waved a hand to indicate the world outside the room. “We’re not set up for long-term protection. Baldewin and I came out here just to meet you, invite you into the clan, and provide a safe escort. Not to serve as a protection detail.”
Tori groaned, looking visibly torn. “But what do they want? I mean, I’m from an allied clan. I should be the last person they try to kidnap! What is their goal?”
“I told you the truth when I said we don’t know.” The words were sour in Baldewin’s mouth. “We’ve tried investigating but have little to work from. They’ve been entirely too good at keeping their tracks covered.”
“But you’re sure they’re kidnapping mages, so that means you’ve run into them before, right? You mentioned them grabbing the king’s mate, but anyone else?”
“Ja, Cassie. She’s Cameron’s twin.”
Tori blinked at him. “A twin, huh. Just those two?”
Baldewin exchanged a weighted glance with Warin, not sure how to answer that question. But Warin seemed to think complete honesty was best with Tori, as he responded forthrightly, “We don’t know for sure. Cameron was the first mage we’d seen in almost five hundred years. In fact, you’re one of the handful of mages we’ve found since the war ended.”
Tori’s clear grey eyes widened, and his jaw slowly dropped. “That can’t be right. There are hundreds of mage clans! I know magic isn’t as common as it used to be—”
This would bring up a whole other argument, but Baldewin didn’t see any way around it. “Magic almost died because of the Jaeggi. They enacted a spell that traced all the main mage clans and destroyed them in one fell swoop. Only the smaller clans, like yours, have survived. They mostly went into hiding, and some did such a thorough job of it that they lost their legacy altogether. We had to tell Cameron and Cassie they were mages, that’s how much of their heritage had been lost.”
Tori looked between the two of them, brows drawn. “Wait. That’s it. That’s why you’re campaigning so hard to take me back. Because you have no mages.”
“Basically the case,” Warin admitted. “Any mage we find these days, we protect automatically. You’re far more precious than you realize, Nestori.”
“Oh hell. It makes so much more sense now.” A bitter laugh escaped him. “Even a male mage has some value to you, eh. Even one with no magical talent.”
Baldewin didn’t want to use this as an in-road to convince the mage to come with them, but his unease was strong. He didn’t like sitting here in this dank room. He didn’t like being away from his clan’s defenses when the Jaeggi were swarming like sharks scenting blood. And he truly didn’t want to stay here another minute longer. “No, that’s not the only reason. I told you, we don’t care about gender. You are a mage. That’s all that matters to us. All mages are precious to this world, whether you are mated to a dragon or not. Whether you are a magical prodigy or not. Mages represent a beauty and wonder that has been lost from this world for far too long. Your existence, your gifts, make this world a better place. And it is the duty and honor of every living dragon to protect every mage he finds. Even if you refuse to ever come to our clan, it is my honor to protect your life.”
Tori stared at him, his lips slightly parted in surprise. He wasn’t sure if Tori believed him, but at least he was listening.
“Shit,” Tori sighed, running a hand through his short hair, only to wince and jerk it away.
Baldewin got a good look at his palms and realized he was scraped up and lightly bleeding. Swearing, he immediately left the bed and knelt in front of Tori, capturing his hand to examine it. The mage flinched, and Baldewin immediately lightened his grip, making sure Tori felt free to pull completely away.