“Hallo, Baldewin. Wie geht’s dir?”
Baldewin smiled in approval. Cameron’s German was improving. “Ganz gut. I want you to speak with Tori.”
“Ehhh…why? I’m okay doing so, you understand, just what are you throwing me into?”
“I feel he won’t believe a dragon. But he’ll listen to another mage, one who knows what it’s like, coming into a dragon’s clan.”
“Ah. Is he still struggling with coming to us?”
“Ja.”
“Wow, and I thought I was stubborn. Alright, can’t hurt. Put him on. No, wait. Does he speak English?”
Baldewin had no idea. “Tori, do you speak English?”
Tori shook his head. “Finnish and Norwegian.”
“He said no, only Finnish and Norwegian.”
“In that case, give me a second. I’ve got…ha, that’ll work.” There were some rummaging sounds, something tinkling, then Cameron spoke a spell. “Alright, translation spell on the phone complete. Hand me to him.”
Tori accepted the phone gingerly and put it to his ear. “Hello?”
Because a dragon’s hearing was so keen and Tori stood close, it was easy to hear both sides of the conversation. Baldewin settled on the queen-sized bed, sitting on the edge next to Warin, and patiently waited. He prayed that Cameron was his usual charming self.
“Hello, I’m Cameron Pa—Burkhard. Burkhard, sorry, still getting used to my married name.”
Tori startled. “Uh—you’re the dragon king’s consort, right?”
“Yeah, that’s me. You’re Nestori Taavi? Am I saying that right?”
Tori threw Baldewin a shocked look, like he couldn’t believe Baldewin would just call up the clan consort. Baldewin shrugged. Royalty in a dragon clan didn’t operate like human royalty did. They were much more approachable. Cameron especially.
“You are.” Tori took in a breath and visibly settled, as if he’d squashed his nerves. “But please, call me Tori.”
“Tori it is. Baldewin says you’re hesitating strongly about coming to see us. And I get it, man, I do. You got told a lot of things growing up, and you’re only now finding out that they’re wrong, right? I was in the same boat. Told I wasn’t a mage, told that magic and dragons didn’t exist anymore, all of that. When Alric told me I was a mage, I was in denial.” Cameron paused for a second and gave a little snort. “I wanted to laugh in his face, and this was after I found out he was a dragon king.”
“Oh man…” Tori whispered with feeling. By his expression, he was completely lost in the story Cameron was weaving, seeming to forget that Baldewin and Warin were in the room.
“Of course, Alric kept pushing. If you haven’t figured it out, dragons can be really stubborn.”
Tori’s eyes darted over to Baldewin for a moment, the tiniest hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I might have noticed that.”
“Anyway, Alric kept pushing the point. I lost my temper and stormed out of the castle. He was afraid he’d overwhelmed me. And that was part of it because learning that everything I’d been taught was wrong, that was pretty overwhelming. I’m sure you’re feeling the same right now.”
Tori passed a hand over his face, and for a moment, he dropped his guard enough that his exhaustion showed through. “That’s certainly part of it.”
“I figured. But you know, the other part of why I was so mad was that it tapped into a dream I’d given up on. As a kid, I’d dreamed of being a mage. Of being able to fly and play with dragons. Growing up and hearing that wasn’t possible had broken my heart as a kid. When Alric told me I could do those things, the adult in me was mad that he was yanking my chain. Because on some level, I wanted him to be right. Are you struggling with the same issue, Tori? Is that what’s holding you back?”
This time, Tori was slower to answer, and he turned his face away from the bed so the dragons couldn’t see his expression. “Your Majesty—”
“Whoa, call me Cameron. Or Cam, if you prefer.”
“C-Cameron,” he corrected hesitantly. “Answer me truthfully. Would you still accept me if I’m not good at magic?”
“Of course! That’s what you’re worried about? Tori, my sister and I didn’t know a lick of magic when we arrived at Burkhard. Alric offered me a place in the clan while I was still trying to figure out my first spell. I heard you cast a freezing spell on Warin and Baldewin. That already puts you way ahead of me.”
Tori sat heavily on a cushioned footstool like his legs had suddenly given out. “Really?” The question came out as a barely-there whisper.
“Yes, really. The Burkhard Clan doesn’t want you because of what you can do but who you are,” Cameron said with feeling. “You are hope, whether you believe it or not. And my clan really needs that hope.”
“Thank you, Cameron.”
“And if you want to learn magic, we have the most amazing teachers. Seriously, I cannot wait for you to meet Lisette. If she can teach my stubborn, crazy grandmother how to cast spells, I have no doubt that she can help you.”