“I guess hate never makes sense.” Nikki shook their head, focusing again on the problem at hand. “I’ve tried laying hands on a phone, but with no luck. Everyone is hyper vigilant about keeping their phones on them. I think they’re expecting trouble because they have you.”
“I mean, they’re right. There’s definitely trouble coming.”
Nikki stared at the cuffs once more, looking as if they were deep in thought. “Ravi. I think there’s a manual override to those cuffs.”
“Manual override…as in keys?”
“Color me crazy, but I think so. I see a very slender slot for it, and it’s looking pretty key-shaped.”
“So…they created it just in case?”
“I mean, their magic is pretty shoddy sometimes.” Nikki spread their hands in an open shrug. “It rarely works right the first time. I think they always have backup plans. It’s why they were so quick to go back to the drawing board with their plan for you.”
“Yeah? But why are they holding me like this? I mean, do they honestly think my clan won’t find me?”
“We are in the middle of nowhere. No exaggeration. This place doesn’t even officially exist on a map anymore. I think they’re pretty confident your clan will have a hard time finding you. And then if they do find you, maybe they’re hoping to swap you for an unmated dragon.”
Ravi didn’t like that idea. Not one bit. “So, if I’m getting out, it’s best if I do it under my own power.”
“Our power, but yeah. You still sure that if I can get the cuffs off you, you can fly us out of here?”
Snorting in amusement, Ravi promised them, “I fly people all the time. Sora and I just went flying a while ago.”
Saying the words sent a sharp pain through his heart as Sora’s laughter from that night echoed through his brain. Soon. He’d be flying Sora again really, really soon.
Clearing his throat, he continued, “You’re not big enough to give me any issues. I think we’ll need to do this under the cover of darkness, or create a diversion. I’ll need more than a few minutes to get us out of range of any weapons or spells they want to throw at us.”
“I’ve been thinking about that, and I know the perfect diversion.” Nikki rubbed their hands together in open glee. “Tell you what. I’m going to go find that key. I will bet anything it’s in Thomas’s office; he’s really careless about where he leaves things. Like, everyone goes in and out of there, and I bet the key is in a drawer or hanging on a wall or something.”
“You really sure?”
“Yeah. What, you think they let me into the libraries on purpose? Or the storage rooms where all the elements are?”
Ravi grinned at them. Nikki really was his kind of people. “I like the way you roll. Alright, grab the key. Clothes?”
Nikki eyed him up and down, estimating with their eyes. “I think I can find something that might fit you. I’ll see what I can grab. And then you switch to your dragon form and fly us out of here. Will you be able to get a bearing once we’re out? Like, if you don’t know where we are, how do you plan on getting home?”
Leaning in a little like he was about to share something supersecret, Ravi confided, “I’m part homing pigeon.”
Nikki snorted. “Sure. You’re not a lizard, but you are a pigeon. Got it. Okay, give me a few minutes. I’m off to steal a key. And blow shit up.”
“Okay.” Ravi watched them slip back out with a smile. Nikki, he had a feeling, was going to fit right in with the Burkhards. They already had the family motto down pat.
When in doubt, blow it up.
Sora clung to Sahan’s back as the wind dragon streaked through the sky toward Prague. Bitterly cold wind bit at his face and violently tugged at his hair, but he didn’t pay it any attention. With each flap of Sahan’s bright blue wings, Sora got that much closer to his mate.
Ravi was still alive. He could feel it like a second pulse right behind his heart. He could feel Ravi’s deep and unyielding love for him, but he could also feel his mate’s fear and anger. Other strange emotions…like surprise. But not bad surprise. More like a pleasant surprise. Maybe his Ravi had found an ally. Sora mentally crossed his fingers that he had. All the same, they needed to hurry if his dragon was going to remain alive.
Looking to his left, he saw King Alric riding on the back of the Ice Dragon King, his jaw clenched and his expression fierce. If only there had been time for King Alric’s shoulder to mend. The Fire Dragon King could be flying into battle right now. But despite his limitation, he looked as if nothing would stop him from reaching Ravi.
Cameron rode with Baldewin, who flew beside Rodrigo with the same determined expression. The young mage had already faced the Jaeggi and looked ready to tear them apart.
When word had spread that Ravi had been kidnapped by the Jaeggi, nearly the entire castle volunteered to charge into danger to rescue their stolen clanmate. Tears sprang to Sora’s eyes at the thought of the love and devotion Ravi’s family felt for him, but the wind quickly whipped them away.
All the kings and their mage mates were in the air now, along with half the dragons of Burkhard. A full thunder of dragons filled the sky, making no attempts to mask their presence.
If the humans didn’t already believe dragons were real, there was no room for doubt now. Dragon roars trumpeted, and angry flames bellowed out, scorching the sky. The kings of the Earth and Metal Dragons had once talked about the fiery tempers of the fire dragons compared to the slow, methodical logic of the earth and metal dragons. Flashes of that temper were on full display, and Sora had to agree with them.
Ravi was theirs, and they would have him back.
Much to Sora’s displeasure, their progress was slow. It had taken close to an hour to get the dragons in the sky. Spell ingredients had to be safely packed while other spells were prepared in advance, in anticipation of the fight they would have on their hands.
Even after they took to the air, King Chalo demanded they make two separate stops prior to reaching Prague in case the Jaeggi had traveled west, back toward Germany. Sora couldn’t fault his logic. There was no reason to risk flying right over Ravi and then having to turn back.
The sun was rising over the horizon when Sahan finally reached the Charles Bridge. There weren’t many pedestrians at this hour, but a steady trickle of commuters were headed in to work.
He circled once, sending people running away and shouting, before he landed delicately on the bridge. He allowed Sora to slide to the stones before he shifted back to human form. Other dragons landed carefully on the bridge or on the closest bank, allowing their passengers to hit solid ground before shifting, while most of the dragon host stayed in the air, circling the city.
Humans scattered, but all of them had their phones raised as they snapped pictures and captured videos of their arrival. Sora paid them little attention as the other mages ran forward to the last spot Ravi had been seen to try their seeking spells.
But within seconds, Sora’s hopes were crushed again.
Lisette shook her head. “I’m sorry, but we’re still getting nothing.”
“He can’t still be wearing all the masking charms,” Sora snapped.