“Could you and Alric arrange the plane? I’m sure Cameron would be happy to have his sister back sooner.”
Baldewin nodded. “I’ll ask Alric to send his private jet. It’s big and safe. Plenty of room for you to be comfortable, and it will give us at least a few hours to help Cassie recover.”
Tori could only nod. No matter how safe Baldewin told him this flight was going to be, his nerves would not go away. The only thing he could do was focus on getting Cassie healed while he left the logistics of travel to the dragons. With any luck, he’d be unconscious with Cassie soon enough and wouldn’t have to worry about being thousands of meters in the air.
Baldewin’s stomach was in knots as he watched Tori’s sleeping form. Even before they could get him near Alric’s jet, panic had been setting in. He’d barely been able to get the mage to drink the sleeping potion he’d made. Thank god it had kicked in almost immediately, leaving him to carry Tori’s limp body onto the plane.
He hated this. Every damn bit of it.
Yes, the flight was only two hours, and then they’d be safely in Sonthofen, surrounded by a dragon guard to escort them up to the castle.
But in the meantime, two mages were stretched out in the back of the plane on a plush double bed. Sasha was lying beside Cassie, as much of her body wrapped around her mate as possible. Baldewin was seated in a chair beside the bed, unable to tear his eyes from the trio.
Sasha was not doing well. Even though Cassie was steadily improving, he had no doubt the dragon was beating herself up over Cassie’s state. He knew it because ugly thoughts were still streaking through his head over Tori.
He never should have let Tori and Cassie out of his sight. Even though they’d had a perfect afternoon hunting dwarves in the city the day before, that did not mean they were safe from the Jaeggi. While he was sure Tori had cast the masking spell perfectly, there was no proof it had stopped the Jaeggi from finding them.
And he seriously doubted that Tori forgetting his amulet for ten minutes was responsible for them being found. Before they boarded the plane, Tori had told him he’d accidently left his amulet on the sink that morning. But ten minutes couldn’t have been enough time for the Jaeggi to locate them, formulate a plan of attack, and reach them. He refused to believe it.
Even if there was a small chance, it didn’t negate that the dragons were there to protect the mages. They never should have left the hotel room alone.
Baldewin leaned forward and shoved his fingers under his glasses to rub his eyes. As he did, the same vision that had flashed through his head all day returned. What if the Jaeggi had attacked Tori instead of Cassie? He wasn’t bound to a dragon. Would he be dead right now? Would he have died before Baldewin could even reach him?
Just the idea of Tori lying lifeless on the lobby floor made Baldewin sick to his stomach and his hands shake. He couldn’t even summon up rage for the attacking Jaeggi. There was just suffocating fear and pain.
“You both need to stop,” Warin said sharply.
Baldewin dropped his hands and tipped his head up to find Warin standing over him. His legs were spread wide, braced against some mild turbulence as they headed toward Germany. Warin scowled at Baldewin and then turned it on Sasha, who was also looking up, her arms tightening around Cassie’s limp form.
“You don’t understand what it’s like to have your mate attacked, to almost lose them,” Sasha snarled.
Baldewin flinched. Tori wasn’t even his mate. They were still getting to know each other. But this attack, looking at Tori’s unmoving body, was enough of a mental shove to force Baldewin into realizing that the mage meant far more to him that he’d let himself previously admit.
“No, I don’t, and I hope it’s something I never have to experience. I know you’re hurting right now,” Warin said firmly, his eyes moving from Sasha to Baldewin. “But is this self-incrimination and worry helping either of them? I thought our bonded mates could feel our emotions. Do you think even in Cassie’s current state she can’t feel your worry? How upset you are that this happened while you were a short distance away?”
“I should have been there,” Sasha said brokenly into Cassie’s slim shoulder.
“And you will be next time, but I know Cassie does not blame you for what happened. Your mate still loves you with all her being.”
Sasha nodded, and some of the tension seemed to slip from her shoulders. “I know.”
“Then you need to think happy, reassuring thoughts for her. Think only of her getting stronger, and she will.”
“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.”