by AJ Sherwood
“Me,” Ravi lifted a hand briefly in the air. “And Dieter, and of course Gunter. Dieter sort of inherited the position, as he was the previous king’s retainer. He helped Alric take over the role and then just stayed. Sometimes the only person Alric will listen to is Dieter. Alric chose the rest of us.”
“Indeed I did.” Alric came to stand at Warin’s side, looking them over with his mouth curled at the corners, indicating he was pleased to see Cameron surrounded by dragons. “Ravi I chose for his fighting prowess. You’ll discover he’s the fastest in the clan.”
“You chose me for my good looks and stunning personality too!” Ravi protested.
Alric’s eyes cut to him with such a deadpan expression Cameron snorted a laugh. Ignoring the dragon, he continued, “I asked Baldewin because I can trust him, and we’ve known each other so long that we can anticipate how the other wants things done. It’s turned out to be a very good decision. Gunter, I needed his mind. That said, he’ll surprise you by how well he fights.”
“He fights dirty,” Ravi confirmed, scraping up the last of his icing.
Sasha shuddered. “More like, he fights scary. You never know what strange move he’ll use to attack with. I swear he lies awake at night, thinking of how to be more efficient in killing things.”
“I think he actually does do that,” Ravi confirmed seriously. He shrugged it off just as easily.
Warin tilted his head back to look up. “Hoheit, I think Cameron should be pulled into game nights. It’s an excellent way for him to really make friends with people.”
“I quite agree. I’m not sure what the plan for the next game night is. Has anyone asked Ranulf?”
“No, we just thought of it,” Sasha explained.
“Ah.” Making a decision, Alric extended a hand to Cameron. “Come, let me introduce the two of you. It’ll be easier to ask him directly.”
“Yeah, okay.” Cameron popped up, coming around the very long table in order to reach Alric’s side. As he walked, the thought came to him that every moment he spent near Alric, his perception of the man changed. He’d initially only seen a very handsome man with a gentle smile. Now, when he looked at Alric, he saw not only the king, but the man himself—the flaws, strengths, and hopes that embodied this man. And the more he learned, the more interesting Alric became.
Cameron really disliked shallow people who had no hobbies or personality, like they were unformed lumps of clay. He’d unfortunately met a fair share of them in his life. Alric was anything but. The man was complex, and intriguing, and he really had to stop drawing Cameron’s attention like this. As it was, Cameron couldn’t tell if Alric shared the attraction. And if he did, why wasn’t he interested in making a damn move?
It was a little frustrating. Cameron felt the burn of it.
Alric drew him to another table and hailed a man who was built much like a tank on legs. Not fat, just solidly built and with a bushy beard halfway down his chest. “Ranulf.”
“Yes, Hoheit?”
“Our guest wishes to join in on game night.”
“We’d be happy to have him.” Ranulf left the chair with more agility than Cameron expected and came around to shake hands. “Hello, Cameron.”
“Cameron, this is Ranulf,” Alric finished the introduction. “He’s in charge of all the mechanics in the castle, including the vehicles. A very handy man. Ranulf, what game is set for this upcoming session?”
“Halo. We’ve not had a good Halo night in ages. You ever play that one, Cameron?”
“Me and every other boy in my generation, seems like,” Cameron answered with a laugh. “I haven’t picked it up in ages, though. Hopefully muscle memory comes back to me. What time?”
“We generally start at seven. We’ve got a gaming room set up in the right wing, up near Ravi’s room. I think we have enough controllers to go around.”
“Ranulf!” someone called.
Ranulf turned at the hail. “Oops, looks like something’s not working right. Give me just a minute, Cameron, Hoheit.”
“Sure.” Cameron watched him go for a moment. “So he’s sort of the clan’s handyman?”
“That’s a good way of thinking of it,” Alric agreed. “There’s little the man can’t fix.”
“I’ll remember that.” Turning back to Alric, he studied the man more carefully. What he saw, or rather the absence of it, relieved him. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”
Alric’s expression turned puzzled. “I’ve been fine all day.”
Snorting, Cameron drawled, “Liiiies. Lies and slander. You were obviously in pain earlier when addressing the whole clan. We all picked up on it.”
The king went abruptly still, dark eyes sharp on Cameron. “How could you possibly tell?”
“You get little pain lines here,” Cameron lifted a hand and traced a line out away from Alric’s eye with his thumb, a gentle caress. Alric’s eyes darkened perceptibly at the touch, and wasn’t that fascinating? Playing with fire, Cameron upped the ante a bit and deliberately caressed the tip of Alric’s bottom lip as he traced another line around his mouth. “And here. I noticed them when I was standing next to you.”
“I see,” Alric replied, voice a touch hoarse. “My mistake. I thought I was hiding it well.”
“I really wish you hadn’t tried.” And look at that face. Alric clearly liked Cameron touching him. Cameron may or may not be oblivious at times (Cassie claimed he missed cues all the time) but right now? This moment? A blind eye couldn’t miss Alric’s reaction. The King of the Fire Dragons didn’t have as good of a poker face as he thought he did. And this close, there was no chance in hell Cameron could miss his reaction.
Alric was attracted alright. Cameron wished he understood why Alric wouldn’t make a move. Why he wouldn’t do more than this light, occasional flirtation that teased but promised nothing. What was holding the man back?
He didn’t know. But he’d figure it out. And if Alric was incapable of making a move, well, Cameron didn’t have a problem doing it instead. Alric was far too intriguing and sexy. Like hell would Cameron let the man slip away without even trying to date.
That would be too much of a waste.
Cameron turned slowly in place, looking around himself in a hallway that looked remarkably like the hallway he’d just left. It wasn’t that he was lost, per se. It was just that he didn’t know where he was in this insanely large castle and had a limited grasp on how to get to his destination. And while he had a good sense of direction, generally speaking, this place made a labyrinth look like a child’s playground.
“The Burkhard Castle,” he muttered to himself sourly. “Brought to you by the letters W, T, and F. No, seriously, where the hell am I? I was over there”—he was pretty sure about that—“and that led from Lisette’s workroom, so…yeah, no, I’m not even going to pretend I have a clue. I am all out of clues. Right. So, that leaves the question of who can I text that will not make fun of me for this?”
He didn’t have a lot of options, mostly because he didn’t have a lot of phone numbers for people yet. Cameron was firmly against the option of wandering the hallways like a ghost, bemoaning his fate. Texting someone who was both kind and patient was the ticket.
Alric?
Hell, no, that would be super embarrassing and NOT the impression he wanted to leave on the man.
Ravi? Cameron didn’t have his number yet.
Warin—shit, also didn’t have his number.
Hmm, who did he have? Cameron had gone through a flurry of introductions and passing his phone to people, so he wasn’t actually sure who’s number he’d gotten. He unlocked it and started scrolling through his contacts. Okay, looked like he had Lisette and Baldewin. Lisette would be a given; of course she’d come after him.
Baldewin…hmm. Cameron didn’t have a lot of experience with Baldewin yet. He’d talked to the man maybe three times, but he had a good impression of him. Baldewin struck him as a solidly good guy who could always be depended on. Also, probably not
the type to laugh at a guy who was lost in a castle.
Decided, Cameron texted him. Hey, Baldewin, I could use a little help.
Instead of getting a text back, Baldewin immediately called. “Ja, hallo,” Baldewin answered, sounding distracted.
Oh, maybe not a good time to ask for help. Cameron gamely asked anyway. “Hey, Baldewin. I’m, uh, maybe a little turned around?”
Baldewin went from distracted to focused in two seconds. “Turned around how?”
“Turned around in the castle, I mean. I took a wrong turn, I think?” Several wrong turns was more like it. “I’m not sure how to get to the dining room. I was heading there for lunch.”
“Ah. Well, look around and tell me what you see.”
Bless him for being one of those people who didn’t ask where he was. It irritated Cameron when people asked that after he said he was lost. “Okay, so I’m at a four-way. There’s stairs going up at the end of the hallway, and I can see the mountains out one window. Um, a painting of a dragon in flight along one wall, it’s a rather big picture.”
“Blue carpet runner on the floor?”
Cameron looked down. “Yup.”
“Ah, I know where you are.”
“Great! So how do I get to the dining room from here?”
“Why don’t you wait a moment? I’m not far away and I can walk up with you. I’d like lunch, too.”
“Even better.” Cameron really wanted to get to know the clan better. For one thing, it would be a waste not to. How many people got to meet and befriend dragons, especially in these modern times? But too, there was so much possibility here. Cameron wanted to investigate it.
And the best way to do that would be to make friends.
“Ah, there you are.”
Cameron heard the double echo of a voice coming through both the phone and his own ears. He turned and spotted Baldewin coming through some doorway that led to some place and seriously, didn’t they have a map of this place?
Ancestral home. Probably not. Dammit.
Baldewin pocketed his phone as he approached, stride easy. “Good news is, you’re not as lost as you think you are.”
“No, see, if you say that, it means I was really close to my destination this whole time, and it makes me feel even more like an idiot.”
A bright grin flashed on Baldewin’s amber face. “No, think of it as you were close, and you just second-guessed yourself. Come on, follow me, and you’ll see what I mean.”
Turning, he fell into step with the man. And this time, he paid strict attention where they were going. He had a master’s degree in engineering, for fuck’s sake. He could figure out one measly castle.
That would sound more impressive if the castle wasn’t currently winning.
“I’m a little surprised you texted me,” Baldewin admitted, head canted in curiosity.
“Well, you’re one of the few people I have a phone number for,” Cameron pointed out. Oooh, wait, this hallway actually looked right. And not just familiar because he’d been lost in it before.
“Truly? We’ll need to address that. There’s many here who would love to be on better terms with you.”
“Oh yeah?” Cameron’s stride got a bit of pep to it. “I’d like to make friends. Um, does everyone here speak English? Because my German is currently about thirty words.”
“We all do, yes. If you live long enough, you slowly conquer most of the main languages in the world.” Baldewin shrugged, as if this was a given. “So don’t hesitate to go up and speak to us. We can all understand you.”
“Awesomesauce. That was one of my concerns.” Cameron didn’t want to be one of those people, the ones who assumed you had to speak in their native tongue and didn’t try to meet you midway. “I should probably learn more German, though. All things considered.”
Baldewin looked cautiously hopeful. “Do you plan to stay with us, then?”
“I mean—look, can I be perfectly honest with you?”
“Please do.”
Something about the man invited sharing a confidence. Cameron’s mouth opened and far more than what he intended poured out of it. “The idea of going back to the US has no appeal for me, not really. I’d much prefer to stay here, study magic with Lisette, and get to know all of you. I’m trying not to let excitement overwhelm me and make my decisions because I can get so enthusiastic that I get in over my head too fast, but yeah. I’m really in no hurry to leave. It’s fascinating here. And I’d like to make friends with all of you, at the very least.”
Baldewin’s expression was soft and warm, beyond pleased. “We like you as well and would dearly like to be friends. You may stay as long as you wish. And please, feel free to ask me for help. To ask all of us for help. I still remember walking into various foreign countries and not knowing the language or the customs. It’s confusing and better navigated with a friend.”
“Thanks,” Cameron replied in relief. “I mean, danke. I’ve got to start using what German I do know.”
“We’ll teach you more as you go along,” Baldewin encouraged. “And I know that you texted me because I’m one of the phone numbers you have, and I’m glad for that. But let’s get you more phone numbers, ja?”
“Sounds great.”
“And do you have Alric’s phone number? I gave it to you; did you save it?”
“Oh, yeah, I did,” Cameron assured him.
There was an arch to Baldewin’s eyebrow that spoke volumes. “You can call him, too. In situations like this, I mean. He’ll be happy to aid you.”
Cameron was shaking his head repetitively before Baldewin could even finish. “Yeah, no. No way. Not the impression I want to leave on the man, him finding me wandering around like a mindless zombie in his castle. Hard pass on that.”
Baldewin looked satisfied for some reason, and was that a smirk playing around the corners of his mouth? “You’re attracted to him, then.”
“Uh, duh? The man’s sex on legs, what is not to like?”
That bright smile was back as Baldewin chuckled. “Ah, Cameron. I’m glad you think of him that way. And that you’re frank about it.”
“I’m firmly of the opinion that we, as human beings, don’t compliment each other enough. And it doesn’t lead to good things. Take you, for instance. You’re fucking yummy, but when’s the last time you heard that?”
Baldewin stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Cameron with wide grey-green eyes. “I am?”
“See?” Cameron threw his hands out, vindicated. “No one should be uncertain about their own appeal. Especially you, man, that’s just sad. Every single dragon I’ve met so far has been really attractive in their own ways, and I bet half of you aren’t really aware of that. And if you think I’m vocal about this stuff, you should try my sister. When she gets here, you’re going to be loaded with compliments.”
Baldewin stared at him for a moment, perplexed. “Thank you. For the compliment. And I love how you think, young mage. We indeed don’t tell others often enough that they’re beautiful. We don’t compliment each other at all.”
“It’s not healthy.” Cameron shook his head and got them back in motion. “When Cassie was about thirteen, and puberty started, she hit this stage where her stomach pooched out a bit. All the hormones and changes, y’know? But she was getting flack about it from everyone, and it really hit her hard. I started telling her she was beautiful on a near daily basis. And because I did, I started to notice no one else really complimented friends and family. And I thought, there’s no way that’s a good thing. So I did it with everyone. And y’know, it made people really happy.”
“I see why he’s drawn so much,” Baldewin murmured in a rhetorical sort of tone.
“Sorry?”
“I hope you compliment Alric especially. He doesn’t think of himself as an attractive person.”
It was Cameron’s turn to stop dead. “Excuse me, what?! Okay, that’s just wrong. That’s a fucking crime against humanity. Alric’s so hot that my sister, who’s v
ery gay, volunteered to call him Daddy.”
Baldewin snorted a laugh, eyes twinkling. “You’re kidding.”
“I’m so not kidding. I will compliment that man until words pour out of his ears.”
“Do it,” Baldewin encouraged. “And next time you’re lost, call him. I’ll of course come to your rescue too, but he likes to help you.”
Cameron really didn’t like the idea of making a bad impression but…well, it was true that an easy way to connect to someone was by either helping them or accepting help. Maybe Baldewin had a good point there. “Yeah…yeah, okay. In the meantime, lunch?”
“Certainly.” Baldewin led him through a doorway, into a hallway showcasing more wood carvings than white walls, and pointed to a doorway at the far end. “Dining hall is through that door. See? I told you, you were close.”
“Okay, that’s just embarrassing.” Cameron growled in disgust. “I was literally two hallways away.”
“While we eat, I’ll try to draw up a quick map for you,” Baldewin promised as he led the way.
“I’ll take it.” Cameron wasn’t too proud to ignore a map when offered.
He shook the melancholic thought off and went to a more immediate concern—namely his stomach. The food was good here. Cameron recognized only some of it, but the smells were always enticing. As he queued up at the buffet table, he glimpsed through the open door leading into the massive kitchen and saw a familiar face. “Oh hey, Gisa, I didn’t know you were back there.”
“My day to cook,” she called back to him as she carried a tray of freshly baked rolls out. “We all take turns here. Well, almost all. Gunter is absolutely not to be trusted in the kitchen.”
“Bad cook?” Cameron guessed.
“No, he’s excellent when he’s paying attention. But he’ll often get an idea mid-process and abandon everything on the stove. After he set off the fire alarms for the third time, we let him buy us dinner.” Gisa pushed short blond hair out of her face, tucking it behind an ear and smiling at him. “How’re the magic lessons going?”