Me and My Shadow (18 page)

“Nora had a little issue she had to deal with—something about a kobold outbreak in Islington. But as soon as she's done cleaning that up, we'll put our heads together about your problem,” Aisling said.

“I don't want to put you to any trouble,” I said, glancing at her large stomach. “You probably don't feel like moving around much. Is there any word on when the baby might come?”

She sighed and patted her belly. “Bean—my midwife—said she could try inducing labor, but she didn't recommend it. Evidently, it's not unheard of for a baby of mixed parents to take a bit longer than normal. So I'm going to tough it out a few days more before we decide if it's time to force the latest green dragon to hatch.”

“Hatch?” I looked at her in horror. “You don't mean—”

“No, no, no eggs!” she said, laughing. “Dragons are born in human form. And stop worrying about asking for help; I don't mind doing it at all. In fact—” She cast a swift glance across the room to where Kaawa and Catalina sat deep in conversation. “In fact, I'd be grateful for an excuse to do things other than listen to my mother-in-law tell me how inadequate I am, so your problem will be a welcome distraction.”

“What problem is that?” Drake asked as he strolled over to hand his wife a bottle of water.

I sat silent, feeling guilty about involving Aisling when she must be focused on the approaching birth.

Drake looked from me to Aisling, his emerald eyes narrowing. “What problem?” he repeated, a bit more forcefully this time.

“It's nothing, sweetie, just a little . . . issue . . . May has run into. Nothing to get your knickers in a twist over.”

Drake's gaze went wary. “You are not doing anything even remotely dangerous,
kincsem
.”

“I wouldn't consider any such thing,” she replied, smiling up at him. “Not so close to baby time, anyway. May simply has a little point regarding demon lords she'd like cleared up, and I know if Nora and I put our heads together, we can give her an answer.”

The wary gaze slid to me, assessing me for potential hazards to his mate. I smiled at him, as well. “I just want a little information, and won't require Aisling to do anything at all other than think.”

“See that you don't.” He rejoined his mother and Kaawa after giving us both a warning look.

“Bossy,” Aisling muttered fondly as he left. “Oh, good, there's Nora now. We have a little issue for you to work on,” she told the woman who entered the sitting room, Jim following her. Nora was, I knew, technically Aisling's mentor, but I suspected their relationship was more on par with partners than a teacher and student. Nora was in her early forties, black, with warm, dancing eyes behind red-rimmed glasses.

“What sort of an issue? Good morning, May. I understand you've come to visit Aisling for a bit.”

“Just a few days until we can find a new house. Ours was demolished by a very angry dragon.”

Jim snorted. “Understatement of the year, babe.”

“Don't you have something to do?” I asked the demon.

“Did it, and I won't go into specifics because Ash'll tell me I'm disgusting,” Jim said with a little Muttley snicker.

“You've been watching cartoons again, haven't you?” Aisling asked it.

It did the wheezing snicker again.

I gave Nora a brief recap of the events of the last few days, including my visit to Bael.

Her eyes grew wider and wider as I explained.

“He gave you Magoth's powers?” she asked in disbelief.

I nodded. “I don't want them, so the question is, what can I do to get him to take them back?”

She looked at Aisling. Aisling gave me a half smile. “You know Bael as well as I do, May. Probably better.

Can you imagine making him do anything, much less take back something he forced on you against your will?”

“No.” My shoulders slumped. “You're right, of course, but I was hoping one of you might have some sort of trick up your sleeve that I could use. I can't keep them. Not with the dragon shard—it's just too dangerous.”

“Absolutely,” Nora agreed.

“The only thing I can think of is to pass them on to someone else, someone you trust not to use them,” Aisling said.

“The people I trust I wouldn't burden with the powers, and the ones I don't trust I'd never consider, so I'm kind of at a loss—”

The door slammed open, startling everyone in the room.

“Thought you could hide from me, eh?” Magoth shouted, hauling a green dragon in behind him.“Thought you could simply leave me to sizzle away in the basement while you . . . while you . . .” He came to a stop, and not because the dragon who answered the door to him finally managed to halt him. He stared at me. He squinted. He stood, hands on hips, his mouth hanging slightly open as he examined me as if he hadn't seen me before.

“I'm sorry,” the green dragon apologized, casting a nervous glance at Drake. “He got past me before I could tell him that I'd ask the silver mate if she would see him.”

“You've got dark powers,” Magoth said finally, just a split second before realization struck him.

“Oh, god, no,” I murmured, wanting to slip into the shadow world. I contented myself with slumping over and dropping my forehead to my hands.

“Hoo, boy, now it's gonna hit the fan,” Jim said, sauntering over to me. “Man, Ash, I said ‘it,' not the other word. Stop looking at me like that!”

“You have
my
powers!” Magoth bellowed, his fingers flexing as he stalked stiff-legged toward me. The dragon shard, riled up already, tried to push me toward him. “You treacherous little bitch! You thieving, conniving, despicable little two-timing backstabber.” The words evidently struck him, for he paused for a moment before suddenly throwing himself at my feet, prying one of my hands off my head and clutching it in order to press chilled, wet kisses to it. “Fire and brimstone! You are the most perfect woman I've ever met!”

“Oh, god,” I said again, head still in my remaining hand, squelching down hard on the shard. I would not give in to it. I had fought it and won, and I would continue to fight it.

Jim smirked. “Oh yeah. Nothing turns on a demon lord more than a touch of maleficence. Nicely done, May.”

“Oh god, oh god, oh god,” I moaned into my hand.

“I knew one day you would admit that you wanted me,” Magoth said, still pressing slobbery kisses onto my knuckles. “You've made me the happiest demon lord on earth. Take me, my adorably evil one. Take me like a two-bit gigolo! Ride me like a rented mule! Bitch slap me as you've never bitch slapped before! Only with your tail, because you know how much I love that.”

“I believe that will be enough,” Drake said, taking charge of the situation.

Magoth glared over his shoulder at the wyvern. “Who are you?”

“Drake Vireo, wyvern of the green dragons, and the owner of this house. I am also a friend to Gabriel, and I can assure you he would not appreciate you wiping your lips all over his mate's hands.”

Magoth got to his feet, still holding my hand, tossing his head and leveling Drake a look that had intimidated many a minion over the centuries. “She is
my
consort. I have the right to put my lips wherever I like on her, dragon.”

“No, you don't,” I said, finally managing to get my hand free from his grip. I shoved him none too gently aside. “You divorced me several weeks ago.”

He donned a sultry pout. “I didn't mean it. I was angry. Besides, it takes more to divorce a consort than simply saying you want to divorce her.”

“Such as?” I asked.

“Death,” Nora said.

Aisling nodded. “Banishment works, too, although that's trickier to pull off, since technically the banishee is still alive.”

“There is also a repudiation ceremony,” Nora continued as she eyed Magoth. He gave her a quick leer, then snatched up my hand again, rubbing my knuckles in a way that made my teeth grind. “But as that requires the sacrifices of fifteen virgin souls, it's not often done.”

“Aisling did it with chickens one time,” Jim piped up.

I stared at her in surprise.

“Bael didn't specify who the souls had to belong to,” Aisling said with a nonchalant gesture. “I thought roast chickens were ideal because they were an answer to his demands, and dinner, all in one.”

“It's a dessert topping! It's a floor wax!” Jim said. “It's the answer to all your demon lord problems!”

“No more
Saturday Night Live
reruns for you,” Aisling told it firmly.

“So what you're saying is that I'm stuck with him?” I asked Nora.

“What is going on over here? Who is this dark and compelling man who wears the tight breeches?” Catalina demanded to know as she and Kaawa came over to join the fun. She eyed Magoth as if he were a piece of candy being offered to her.

He didn't so much as throw a glance her way.

“This is Magoth, my . . . er . . . for lack of a better word, boss,” I said, introducing her. “Magoth, this lady is Drake's mother, doña Catalina de Elférez.”

“I have no interest in other women now that you have shown your true colors to me, my dark and deadly one,” Magoth murmured as he sucked my knuckles.

I tried to wrench my hand free. He just dug his fingers in harder, sending me a smoldering look.

“He smells like the demons,” Catalina said, strolling around behind him to get a look at the rear view. “He has magnificent buttocks, though.”

Magoth stopped sucking my knuckle to turn and look at her.

She ogled his pants for a moment. “
Very
tight breeches. I like tight breeches.”

“Mother,” Drake said, with a look on his face that spoke volumes.

“Do not mind him,” Catalina said, her eyes half-shut as she gave Magoth a come-hither look. “He does not like to think of his mama having lovers. But I am different. You remind me a bit of my husband. Drake, does he not look like your accursed father?”

“No,” Drake said adamantly at the same time Magoth pounced on a word I knew he would enjoy.

“Accursed?” he asked, giving Catalina a return ogle. “You have the unmistakable aura of one who truly understands the needs and desires that all demon lords feel. Tell me, my Spanish beauty, how do you feel about restraints with regards to lovemaking?”

“They are most necessary,” she said with a little shrug. “How would you be able to torment your partner if he could stop you?”

Magoth dropped my hand and all but shimmied over to her, pressing his lips to her palm. “I like how you think, my exotic little olive. And nipple clamps? Your opinion on them?”

“Again, necessary,” Catalina said. “Although I prefer piercings to clamps. Much more reliable when used for leashing purposes.”

A little shudder of ecstasy shook Magoth as his tongue swept out over her palm. “You are a woman who knows her pleasures.”

“Stop licking my mother!” Drake demanded, and looked like he was going to use bodily force to stop Magoth.

“Words I never thought I'd hear,” Jim snickered.

“On the other hand, whips are overrated,” Catalina volunteered. “A cat, however . . .”

Magoth trembled, his eyes closing for a moment. “One with hundreds of tiny little barbs?”

“Excellent for ensuring that you have your partner's full attention,” she agreed.

“Dear heaven, what hath we wrought?”Aisling asked, gesturing to Drake, who assisted her to her feet. “Potty break. Be back in a minute. Or maybe longer if they're going to go into any more specifics. Jim, heel.”

“What? Hey! I wanna watch and see if Magoth is gonna pork Drake's mom—”

The door closed on the demon's objections.

Kaawa, who had been standing watching the scene with a slight smile, met my gaze. “Perhaps now would be a good time for us to discuss what you will need to do to re-form the dragon heart.”

“Absolutely,” I said, with heartfelt appreciation at the suggestion. Anything that got me out of Magoth's way was going to have my full approval. “Drake, I hate to disturb you when you're busy scowling at Magoth, but is there a room we can use?”

“Mother!” Drake said a bit more forcefully, his green eyes glittering at Magoth, who, I'm sure it need not be said, totally ignored him. “You will remember your agreement—you may stay here so long as you do not upset Aisling.”

“She's not even in the room,” Catalina cooed, biting Magoth's ear.

“You know what I mean.”

I tugged on Drake's sleeve until I had his attention, saying softly, “He can't hurt your mother, can he? I mean that since she's a wyvern's mate, she's immortal, correct?”

“Immortal, yes. Possessing good taste?” He turned back to glare at Magoth. “Clearly she's failed in this regard.”

“Then if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you let them . . . er . . . for lack of a more circumspect phrase, go at it.”

Drake looked at me in surprise. Kaawa hid a little chirrup of laughter behind her hand as she pretended to cough.

“It will keep him off my back while I learn what I need to do with the shards,” I explained.

He didn't like it, but in the end, Aisling helped me persuade him that they couldn't do any harm to each other.

“Things are starting to get a bit tight around the seams, but I think we can squeeze you in,” Aisling said to Kaawa as we slowly made our way upstairs. “There's one last room free, although it's not normally one I'd put a guest in, especially such a distinguished guest as Gabriel's mom.”