again and showed it to him with a gesture toward the screen.
Baldewin took it in with a growing frown. The building looked barely acceptable—white on white with a grey roof in a style from many decades ago, with trim that seemed warped by sun and time. There was a vacancy light in the window, as well as rates listed off on a white sign below it, a clear indication that this was a cheaper motel. Frankly, it looked more like a converted barracks building than a motel to him.
“Not a great place to stay for long. He’s got a room there. You see why I think he’s not doing so well.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t look it,” Baldewin agreed slowly. He straightened, already forming a game plan in his mind. “I’ll need to go pack a few things. This might take some days to do.”
“Go for it. I’ll start sending you and Warin all the information I’ve got.”
“Danke, Cassie.” He left, putting together a mental list of what to pack. Thinking of it, he texted Warin to ask if they got travel expenses. The reply quickly came back yes, and Warin was on it. Not that Baldewin was surprised. Alric would spare no expense to bring a new mage into the clan, to make sure every single precious mage was safe.
News spread quickly around the castle that another mage had been found. Baldewin was stopped several times on the way to his room by various people asking for confirmation and whether he knew anything. He patiently repeated the news that they’d found a mage, a man in Helsinki. He was going with Warin to meet him. Yes, today.
Excitement and fresh hope rose with every person he spoke to. For those not mated—and there were many—it meant an opportunity where none was before since dragons could only mate with mages.
Five hundred years.
Even for a long-lived dragon, it was a long time to wait for a sign. A breath of hope. A little proof that mages weren’t gone from the world completely. That dragons would once again start finding their mates, that they would find the love and completeness they’d all been raised to believe in but that had been stolen away with the Great Dragon War.
Baldewin shared in their enthusiasm, which was why it was so easy for him to be patient with every interruption.
Five hundred years of waiting had brought them Cameron, Cassie, and their grandmother, Ha Na. Now they’d uncovered Nestori Taavi. Maybe they were only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it came to mages. Maybe Baldewin’s mate was just around the corner, waiting to be discovered. It probably wouldn’t be this Nestori. The odds were against him finding his mate so quickly. But soon. He had to cling to the hope that he’d find his mate soon.
Baldewin finally made it to his room and packed three changes of clothes and a few odds and ends, as he didn’t want to have to stop and shop for necessities if he could help it. Then he went back down to the dining hall for a quick lunch, where he got even more questions. Warin joined him halfway through, with his own plate in hand.
“I see we had the same thought,” he greeted as he sat across the table from Baldewin.
“Might as well eat before we leave,” Baldewin agreed as if Warin had voiced it aloud. “Everything settled on your end?”
“Yes. I think we can leave right after we eat. I haven’t had a chance to look at what Cassie sent, though.”
Baldewin had been showing the man’s picture for a good hour now, off and on, so it was easy to pull it back up for Warin’s sake.
Warin tucked a lock of his dark hair back over his shoulder, narrow face lighting up a little at what he saw. “He’s handsome.” Then his face fell a little into a frown. “He looks a bit…strained? I don’t know how to say it, but like there’s something wrong behind his smile.”
“If you look at his work history, it doesn’t show a good picture.”
Baldewin did not understand it, really. Mages throughout history were revered for their talent; they didn’t have to go begging for jobs or struggle to make ends meet. Had the world so changed? Or was this mage like Cameron, possessing magical talent but unaware of his own ability?
Taking his phone out, Warin scrolled through the information, his frown growing. “I see what you mean. Did he move to Helsinki hoping for