“Her German is terrible,” Lisette tossed out.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “My brain was made for spells, not foreign languages.” Which made Tori laugh loudly because she was learning the foreign language for spells just fine.
“So, we haven’t run you off yet?” she teased him.
Laughing more, he shook his head. “Not yet. I just spoke with King Alric and Mage Lisette about what I saw with the Jaeggi. Your king is very…kind, I think is the best word.”
“Oh, he totally is,” Cassie agreed. “Big teddy bear in many ways. So, the meeting went well? Good. Come have some fun with everyone.”
He cast an uncertain, longing glance toward the tables. “I’m sure they’ve got a rhythm going. I don’t want to disturb that.”
“Nonsense,” a woman called as she stirred one of the cauldrons. “We’re running behind and could use an extra hand.”
“Tori,” Lisette introduced, “at this table is Carla, Melissande, and Ha Na.” She turned him in another direction and pointed to three more women. “And that’s Elissa, Jana, and Gisa. Everyone, Tori.”
Everyone called out general hellos to him.
“We truly are running a bit behind schedule, Tori,” Lisette said with a shrug. “It’s why I brought you in. If you can mix a potion on a woman’s skin and save her with only half the ingredients you need, some simple lotions and shampoo are well within your capabilities.”
He saw the serious expression on her face and reeled a little at the realization that she meant it. To her, he’d already proven his magical ability. Cassie sitting there, alive and whole, was testament to his knowledge as a mage.
And really, shouldn’t he think of it the same way? He blinked at the thought, mind spinning. He’d fought off four mages with just reflected sunlight and got a burned-out mage back on her feet with on-the-spot magic, all while winging it. If he could do that, shouldn’t shampoo be a breeze?
Tori almost laughed at himself, a sardonic and bitter thing. Just how much of his clan’s attitude was responsible for how he saw himself now? He might not have the same experience and training as the capable women in this room, but by god, they weren’t holding that against him. They had invited him to join him. So what was he dithering around for, waiting for that invitation to expire?
Excitement bubbled up at the idea of them truly taking him seriously. He sucked in a breath for courage and drew on a smile. “Sure. Where do you need me?”
The woman with the purple hair and white apron swallowing her whole immediately threw up a hand. “Here! I can’t keep up with those crazy people over there.”
Melissande and Carla laughed but kept mixing and stirring things.
He went to her table, looking at the array of leaves, flowers, and jars of liquids lined up in order. “I take it you’re ingredient prep?”
“That I am.” Ha Na gave him a smile and pointed to the papers taped along the wall. “Those are our measurements, and we dump the ingredients in this bowl here. They come and grab it, pour it into a cauldron, and then we repeat the process.”
“Alright. I’ll start chopping.” Tori was positive he couldn’t screw that up.
“Gloves,” Ha Na cautioned, handing latex gloves over. “The peppermint is strong this year, and it’ll soak right into your hands.”
Good idea. He slipped them on with a snap. The bright green leaves had clearly been harvested recently, as the stems were still fresh. He cut them into large strips and dumped them into a food processor where he put the speed on low, turning them into more of a paste. Ha Na took over the liquid measurements as he handled peppermint, lavender, and rosemary. “Are we making shampoo for hair growth?”
“We are,” Ha Na confirmed, still pouring things together.
Carla slipped over to grab one of the already prepped bowls and mentioned, “It’s one of our main products, always sells very well. That and the willow bark.”
Willow bark was an amazing topical aspirin and great for injuries. “You use just willow bark?”
She cocked her head at him. “What else would you put in it?”
Shit, had he just put his foot in his mouth? “Um, well, when I mix it for me, I usually add frankincense and cinnamon.”
“Oooh,” Melissande said excitedly behind him. “We should totally do that. I can see how that blend would work well.”
Lisette waved a hand at them as she headed for the door. “I’ll grab the ingredients. I want to try this, see how well it works. Tori, you’re mixing it for me!”
Tori watched her skip out the door and blinked. Um. What had he just gotten himself into?
Baldewin strolled into the War Room later that afternoon, and some of the anxiety that had been plaguing him finally started to unravel. Tori’s meeting with Lisette and Alric had gone well, and he seemed to be gaining more self-confidence as time passed. As he’d hoped, the clan was a wonderful fit for the new mage, and he was starting to bloom right before their eyes.
Of course, the mage was in safe hands with Lisette. She had a firm but gentle touch. She’d be able to get to the root of Tori’s worries, properly assess his skills, and get him on the right path. Baldewin knew in his soul that Tori was a great mage, he just needed the right teacher to show him the way. Lisette would handle it all with no problems.
For now, all that would have to wait. The larger concern at present was the continued threat posed by the Jaeggi. It was clear after the attempts to grab Tori and the attack on Cassie that they were still incredibly dangerous and growing bolder.
The War Room hadn’t gotten much use in the last few centuries. When he was younger, Alric had told him how his father had used this room to plan strategies against the Jaeggi during the war. Baldewin hadn’t been present at the time, since he didn’t have an official place on the king’s council. During the war, he’d only been the best friend and unofficial bodyguard of the prince.
Now as a royal retainer and head of the royal guards, Baldewin was present for all meetings of the king’s council.
The War Room was one of the few dour and grim rooms in the entire castle, which seemed fitting considering the types of meetings that were held there. Ancient weapons hung on the walls, reminders of battles from long ago. In the center of the room was a long, wooden table that shone brightly in the overhead light.
But as serious as the room was, Cameron’s presence seemed to change the air slightly. The young man’s ever-present smile and look of love at his mate lightened the mood a little. He sat on Alric’s right, forcing Dieter to move down a seat. Not that the old advisor minded one bit.
Dieter had bragged to Baldewin more than once that Cameron had an incredibly quick mind and was incredibly astute when it came to reading people. Two very good traits, since Dieter was already training Cameron to act as a type of advisor to Alric. Both Alric and Dieter subscribed to the theory that a king was only as good as the people who advised him.
Baldewin walked around the table to take his usual seat next to Dieter. Across the table sat Gunter, the royal researcher, on Alric’s immediate left. Ravi was next to Gunter, excitedly telling Cameron about some game he’d been playing the night before with some of the other dragons who served as guards.