“Yes. I will.”
“Mages need to hear how important they are to you.” Baldewin looked over at Warin to find that his old friend was staring directly at him. Baldewin quirked one corner of his mouth up. Yes, message received loud and clear.
“Thank you for your supportive words, Warin,” Baldewin murmured.
“Figured it would be best if we had our heads pulled together before we step off this plane and face the massive welcoming party waiting for us.” Warin turned and strolled back to the seat he’d selected toward the front of the plane.
Baldewin pushed to his feet and stood over Tori for a second. His body was relaxed except for a little wrinkle between his brow, as if some part of his brain was still aware he was on a plane. Baldewin carefully smoothed the tip of his finger over that wrinkle, and he relaxed.
“I’ll watch over him. Keep him safe,” Sasha offered.
Baldewin nodded and moved to the front of the plane, dropping into a seat next to Warin. He felt utterly drained, but they were nearly home. It had only been twelve days ago that he’d met Tori for the first time, and it already felt like the mage was becoming his entire world. How was that even possible? And so fast.
Of course, Sasha would laugh at that. Her fall for Cassie could almost be measured in hours rather than days.
When a dragon’s mate was found, time ceased to matter. And Baldewin was beginning to strongly suspect that Tori was his mate.
“Have you received any news from Alric or Dieter since we got in the air?” Baldewin asked, trying to force his mind to something other than an unconscious Tori.
“Only that we will be met.” He paused and rubbed his jaw. “However, I have heard from Ravi.”
“Oh god,” Baldewin muttered, and Warin chuckled.
“Yeah, we might need to make sure Tori is awake the second the wheels touch the ground so he can be warned. Cameron and Ha Na will be there to greet us along with Lisette.”
“Which means Alric will also be present.”
Warin nodded. “Along with a dozen other dragon guard.”
“A dozen?”
Warin shrugged one shoulder and lifted a hand. “Well, five mages in one place. The current mandate is that there must be two dragons per mage. In addition, the king will be there, and he must be protected.”
Baldewin wanted to argue that there were already three dragons on the plane, but he had to admit they were all exhausted after days of travel and the excitement over the attack on Cassie. The three of them definitely needed some rest. They weren’t in top fighting form.
“Any other news from Ravi?” Baldewin asked with a sigh.
“Only that news of Cassie’s injury has spread. The entire castle is upset. The mages are largely working on double-checking all the protective spells on the castle. And each mage is being trailed by at least one dragon at all times. Poor Alric is going to have his hands full until Cassie is bouncing around the castle halls again.”
That was to be expected. Mages were incredibly rare, and the dragons of Burkhard Castle would closely guard the few they had. Everyone also adored Cassie. They would worry over her until her voice could be heard ringing through the rooms again.
Baldewin closed his eyes and tipped his head back, trying to relax. They still had another hour until they were on the ground, but Baldewin knew he wouldn’t feel better until he had Tori safely inside Burkhard walls.
Baldewin barely fought the urge to pull Tori into his arms as the jet taxied along the runway to the hangar where they would be met by a horde of dragons and a handful of worried mages. Tori had woken easily from his sleep and immediately started checking on Cassie, even though he might have asked Baldewin to confirm at least twice that they were firmly on the ground.
Cassie had suffered no problems during the flight, and her color continued to improve. She was clearly on the mend, but everyone would feel better when she was safe at home.
With nothing left to do, Tori sat stiffly in a chair, his leg bouncing while he gripped the arms of the chair tight enough to make his knuckles white. This was not about flying or being in a plane. Baldewin suspected this was about meeting a bunch of dragons and mages. Tori was about to be thrown into the deep end of the pool.
Baldewin had hoped he’d be able to introduce him to the clan slowly, ease him into a crowd of dragons and excited mages.
“They are going to adore you,” Baldewin murmured.
A nervous laugh left Tori, and he shook his head. “I think I’m going to be the least of their concerns.” His smile was crooked when he looked over at Baldewin. “While I would never wish harm on Cassie, it is nice of her to take the focus off me.”