“Haven’t the Jaeggi done enough damage? They’ve robbed us of magic, of mates, of an entire world rich with wonder. Isn’t that enough?”
“I’d think so. They apparently have a different view.” Cameron shook his head. “So, you see, I don’t blame your family for their caution. Alric has enacted a rule that any Burkhard mage leaving the castle must be accompanied by at least two dragons. We don’t want you to feel trapped or that your freedom is limited, but it would ease our minds greatly if you’d allow our dragons to accompany you when you travel in the area.”
Sora’s mouth bobbed open for a moment as he tried to even pull his thoughts together enough to speak. “They’ve attacked mages here? This close to the castle?”
“They’ve kidnapped me, and tried for North and Tori, so they’re very active in Germany. Or were, as I hope we’ve scared them off for now. There are so many new mages coming in, after all, and they’re ripe for plucking as they don’t know to be on guard. Or even how to be on guard.”
“That is…alarming. In all the worst ways.”
Sora scrubbed a hand over his face. This was so much worse than he’d expected. He couldn’t begin to guess at how he would relay this information back to his parents, to the rest of the clan.
“Trust me, I know. We’re trying to guard people as they come in, but of course not everyone has a way of notifying us. My sister’s put together a welcome website, but we’re constantly tweaking it to add more information. She barely had the site up in time for the interview. Like I said, we didn’t expect this much enthusiasm so quickly. Anyway, how long will you stay with us? Are you interested in joining any projects?”
Sora had half-expected the first question, but not the second. “I thought a week or so, if that’s alright. I wouldn’t want to be in the way.”
“That’s perfect, and you can stay longer if you wish.” Cameron got an impish twinkle in his eye. “I think our dragons are hoping for longer.”
“Yes, so Ravi warned me. But what projects are you referring to?”
“Oh, we do a whole line of beauty products and holistic treatments here. It’s one of our main sources of income. If you’d like to join in and do some brewing, we’d love to have you. We also have a good number of new mages—myself included—who always appreciate some help learning magic from someone with more experience.”
That would give him a better way of evaluating their magical skills. “Of course. Just let me know when and where.”
“Perfect. I’ll speak with—” Cameron cut himself off at a knock at the door. “Enter!”
Someone Sora didn’t recognize poked his head around the door. The man had warm amber skin and black hair shorn very short, with thick black glasses on his nose.
“Hey, sorry to interrupt. Can I borrow you for a few minutes?”
“Will it literally be a few minutes? Or more like an hour?”
“More like an hour, knowing our luck.”
Cameron sighed. “Yeah, had a feeling. I’m sorry, Sora, can we continue this conversation later?”
“Of course. I know your time is valuable.”
“More like I’m trying to be in six places at once.” Cameron shrugged and left the chair. “But I’ll touch base with you again after dinner.”
“As you wish.” Sora followed him out, then continued down the hallway and up two flights of stairs to his own room. He greeted people as he went, everyone friendly and smiling.
But too few. Far too few.
Ravi had said there had been a little over fifty people in the clan, before Cameron came. And only five new mages to add in the past several months, not counting any mages who were trickling through the gates now. A dragon clan with not even sixty people in it. It was absurd. Had the war so decimated them that, even after five hundred years, this was the growth they’d managed? It sat extremely ill with him. Especially since his own family flourished as if the war had never touched them.
He entered the room that he’d been given, a very nicely appointed room that wouldn’t have been inappropriate for a visiting dignitary. It was a silent testament to how this clan viewed mages. How preciously they regarded them. Sora had not once felt unwelcome here—quite the opposite. He’d been enthusiastically greeted, even with the clan being overwhelmed by the crowd at the gates.