they can do more surgical strikes, as you’ve seen here.”
“I am…horrified to hear that.” Sora felt like even those words weren’t strong enough. Rage and growing unease slithered along his chest like a python, gripping uncomfortably tight.
“We’re not exactly pleased, ourselves.” King Alric sighed, and he seemed a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. “Especially with so many new mages here, who can barely do all the defensive spells. It’s worrisome. I’m afraid we’ve not put our best foot forward with you, Mage Vo. I know you’re here on behalf of your family, to report back to them. I cannot safely promise that we can protect them. Still, I hope they will come and speak with us, at the very least.”
Sora spoke from the heart as he promised, “I’ll do my very best to convince them.”
Sora stayed firmly at Ravi’s side all through the cleanup of the foyer and aided in the repair spells to the windows and front of the building to close it up. Even in this mild weather, it wasn’t advisable to leave the place like this. It would take more than a day’s worth of work, but the main structure was back in place. Tarps covered the windows until new glass could be ordered, as they’d been shattered so thoroughly that even with magic repairing them, they’d remain brittle and fragile. Everyone agreed that ordering in new glass would be the smarter way to go.
He lent his magic toward wards to boost the security and got many a thanks and even one exuberant hug from Cassie. Which surprised him, certainly. They were just so grateful for any helping hand, it was conversely worrying to him.
He fed Ravi a sumptuous dinner, a partial reward for a job well done, and then without compunction drugged the dragon up to his eyeballs with a sleeping potion. With that much in his system, even an active wind dragon should sleep soundly for eight hours. And it bought Sora time to safely sleep in a bed instead of staying camped out near Ravi all night.
Not to mention, time to make a very important phone call.
Sora waited until he was alone in his bedroom before pulling out his phone and calling his mother once again. She answered quickly, no doubt eager for news.
“Sora!” she greeted happily. “What news have you to share?”
“We were attacked.” Sora let the dark, unhappy mood he was in sound loudly in his tone. Now was not the time to pull punches or shield his mother from the danger he was facing.
She sucked in a breath. In a rush, she demanded, “How badly? Are you hurt? Can you come home immediately?”
“I’m not hurt.” Sora knew to answer that question first. “Not a scratch on me. A suicide bomber, a Jaeggi, infiltrated the castle and tried to blow it to bits. Ravi caught her, or tried, chasing her through the castle. He deflected the blow, and it damaged the front of the foyer. It’s left him injured and immobile for the next several days.”
“Oh. Oh dear, Sora, this really doesn’t sound safe anymore.”
“I don’t think this clan has truly been ‘safe’ since the Wars. It’s bad enough that King Alric apologized to me for the danger, said that he completely understood if my family wouldn’t come and meet with them. They don’t have any real knowledge of the healing arts. I offered at least a copy of our healing spellbooks. Healing. Spellbooks. Because they don’t know more than the basics.”
His mother tried to get a word in edgewise.
Sora wasn’t having it. He was on a roll now, his anger and heartache overriding his usual level of patience.
“From what I’ve gathered from his clan—and they are extremely proud and protective of their king—that man carries a grievous injury from the Dragon Wars. He can’t even fly, and still, he doesn’t ask for anything for himself. He’s worried about his clan. That his mages won’t be able to heal those truly injured. That people might die on him because of the attacks they can’t always prevent, because they don’t have the necessary medical knowledge. And despite all of that, he won’t demand anything from me. He won’t demand to speak with any of you. He respects our caution, our fears, and doesn’t order me to do anything contrary to my family’s wishes.”
She made a deflated noise. “You’re angry about this.”
“I’m livid.” He was nearly shaking with it, that was how angry he felt. “I’ve made true friends