Me and My Shadow (34 page)

“Kostya?”

Kostya and Cyrene had been silent during the entire scene with Fiat, a fact I found interesting given suspicions about Kostya's involvement with the rogue blue wyvern.

His black eyes moved from Fiat to his brother. “The black dragons feel that Bastian's claim is stronger than Chuan Ren's.”

She didn't like that, but turned her gaze to Drake.

He was silent for a few moments before saying slowly, “About this, I am in agreement with Kostya. Bastian's claim is stronger.”

“You pathetic little mewling bastard,” Chuan Ren said. “Ever afraid to go against popular opinion. What about you?” Her eyes went to Gabriel. “Think well before you vote, for I will not release the Song Phylactery should your vote cause me to lose confidence in you.”

My jaw sagged for a moment at the audacity in her threat.

“We had an agreement,” Gabriel said, his voice a little rough around the edges. Tension built inside him, but like Chuan Ren, he had masterful control over his emotions. “You were released from Abaddon as part of that agreement. You must honor that, or run afoul of the weyr.”

Muscles in her jaw worked for a second. “The weyr does not control me!”

“My vote is also for Bastian to have Fiat,” Gabriel said in defiance of her fury. “It is his dragons who have suffered the most by Fiat's actions, and the survivors must determine how justice will be meted out. The red dragons suffered little in comparison.”

“You have just damned your mate to bear the shard forever,” Chuan Ren snorted, tossing her head.

“No, he hasn't.”

The voice that spoke was low and soft, but firm in its intent. Chuan Ren looked first in shock, then unmasked rage as Jian walked over to Gabriel, bowed, and presented him with a golden box. “I made the agreement on behalf of my mother. I will honor it even if she is temporarily of another mind.”

Gabriel didn't wait for Chuan Ren to respond. He simply took the box, handing it to Maata before thanking Jian. “It will be returned shortly.”

“I know,” Jian said simply, turning to face his mother's wrath.

“We are done here,” she snarled, her hands fists as she shoved him out of the way, pausing at Gabriel. “I expect the phylactery to be in my hands by the time the sun sets tonight, or I will destroy you and your little mate.”

Gabriel said nothing, just arched a brow at her. She muttered under her breath as she charged out of the room, Li scattering muttered apologies as he followed in her wake.

Jian inclined his head to everyone and left, as well.

“I wouldn't want to be in his shoes,” I said softly.

Gabriel smiled a slow smile. “I think he will make a very fine wyvern one day.”

“Wyvern? I didn't think it was possible for the child of a wyvern to be one, as well. Don't you have to have a human parent?”

“Yes.” Gabriel leaned close and whispered in my ear, “I thought at first that he was her actual son, but have since learned that my first suspicion was correct—her children are all dead. The term ‘son' in this instance implies an heir rather than a blood relationship.”

“But she just said he wasn't her heir, and he acknowledged Bao as wyvern.”

“She was warning him that she would disinherit him should he go against her wishes. As for Bao—I am not privy to what went on within the red sept, but I suspect he was following the wisest course.”

“Thank you,” Bastian said, watching as his guards hefted the now-comatose Fiat onto their shoulders and hauled him out of the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim leather envelope, handing it to Gabriel. “The Marcella Phylactery. I know you will guard it well.”

“Indeed we will,” Gabriel said, accepting it. A sense of relief filled me—we had all the shards now, all the pieces needed to re-form the dragon heart.

Bastian hesitated. “I would like to see the heart re-formed, but I will understand if you are not comfortable with the thought of me being here.”

“The decision is not mine to make,” Gabriel said, turning to me. “May must perform the ceremony. If she wishes privacy to do so, I cannot gainsay her.”

I glanced at Gabriel, trying to judge whether he had a preference, before I answered. “It won't bother me to have you present, Bastian, although I don't promise there will be much to see.”

He smiled. “I will just make sure that Fiat is taken care of, then. I will return as quickly as possible.”

“That was very exciting,” Nora said, her eyes alight with interest. “I had no idea you could be so deadly, May. When you vanished from sight, and then reappeared behind Fiat, I gasped. I truly gasped. It was magnificent.”

“We mates have to do what we can to take care of our wyverns,” Cyrene piped up, putting her arm through Kostya's and giving him an adoring look.

My lips twitched a little at the martyred expression on his face.

“Are you sure you know what you're doing?” I couldn't help but ask him.

“No,” he said, then smiled when Cyrene bit his arm. “But it seems I have little choice. Your twin insists I can't live without her, and unfortunately, she's correct. Maddening, but correct.”

I laughed at the look of outrage on Cy's face as she poked him in the chest, and would have warned Kostya of what he could expect living with her, but at that moment, two things happened.

Aisling appeared. “Drake, that thief taker is at the door. Pál won't let him in until you give him the OK.”

Drake started to leave, but she stopped him by putting a hand on his arm. “There's one other thing.”

He frowned down at her.

“My water broke while I was in the bathroom. I think the baby's annoyed, because she gave me a hell of a contraction, and I have a nasty, suspicious feeling that another one is—”

Her face screwed up in pain as she gasped and doubled over.

Drake roared and scooped her up, carrying her up the stairs as he called over his shoulder, “Get the midwife!”

Chapter Eighteen

“That's probably the midwife,” I said, leaping down the last couple of stairs to run to the front door. “I'll get it, István. You go back and keep Drake from murdering Gabriel, will you? Savian tried, but got knocked out cold for his efforts.”

István rolled his eyes but, at the sound of Drake yelling, bolted up the stairs.

“Ouch,” Jim said from where it sat on a settee, calmly reading the paper. A crash reverberated through the house. “Did that sound to you like the noise a wyvern's head makes when he's slammed up against the wall? 'Cause that's what it sounded like to me.”

“I told Gabriel to stay out of the way and let his mom deal with Aisling, but he insisted that he's had more experience with dragons than she has. I just hope Drake calms down and realizes he's trying to help.” I glanced at one of the security systems that scanned visitors at the front door, saw the green light that indicated the person was not armed, and punched in the code to unlock the door, flinging it open with a relieved, “Thank heavens you're here. Aisling isn't fully dilated, but Drake is going berserk—oh.”

The person standing on the steps wasn't the midwife, wasn't even a dragon for that matter.

“My interest is not with Aisling Grey today, fully dilated or not,” Dr. Kostich said, brushing past me into the house, followed by a man and a woman. “I told you that I would return just as soon as my apprentices could be summoned. This is Jack and Tully. We are here to make plans regarding the dragon you refer to as Baltic.”

“I'm sorry, but things are a little hectic right now. Perhaps you could come back later? Aisling has gone into labor, and everyone is running around making sure she's comfortable.”

“I just told you my business was not with her,” Dr. Kostich answered, stripping off leather gloves and removing his heavy overcoat. “We will meet with the green and silver wyverns to discuss matters. I have exactly two hours I can give this subject.”

“Yes, but—”

He pinned me back with a look that had me wanting to shadow. “This is not a courtesy visit, Mei Ling, nor is your participation optional.”

I was aware of a subtle pressure to do as he bade, a pressure that would probably have sent a mortal running to do as he wanted without thinking twice about it. But I was not a mortal, nor was I about to let him run roughshod over everyone.

“Ooh, a demon. Can I pet it?” the man named Jack asked as he examined Jim.

“If you give me five bucks, I'll let you rub my belly,” Jim said, rolling over onto its back.

Jack laughed and obliged.

I turned back to Dr. Kostich. “I'm sorry, but things are too disturbed right now to have this meeting. Aisling is in labor.”

“And, according to you, will probably be so for hours,” snapped Kostich, shouldering me aside and heading for the sitting room. “We could have this business done before she has need of her wyvern.”

I hesitated a second, wondering if we could deal with Kostich and get rid of him before Aisling gave birth. From what I knew of birthings, they weren't fast or immediate.

He took my hesitation as acknowledgment, gesturing toward me as he went into the sitting room. “Let us be done with this business quickly.”

As he disappeared, I stared after him, wanting to give him the rough side of my tongue, but knowing it wouldn't be a wise course.

“Arrogant, pushy mage,” I said under my breath.

The man named Jack evidently heard me.

“Archimage, actually. That's the difference, you know,” he said, looking up from where he was squatting next to a gently moaning Jim, scratching the demon's belly. “We lowly mages don't get to push anyone around, but the second you become an archimage? Blammo! You're da man.”

“Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude,” I muttered.

He stopped scratching Jim (over the demon's protests) and strolled over to me, a friendly smile on his face. “No offense taken. I've never seen a real doppelganger before. You're not what I expected.”

He was slightly taller than me, with short, bright red hair, and a heavy splattering of freckles.

“I have to admit that I'm having a bit of trouble with you, as well,” I said with a smile. “You are a
mage
, yes?”

“Would my apprentices be anything but mages?” Dr. Kostich asked from the doorway. He looked annoyed. “Is this a delay tactic?”

“No. I'll get the others, although I make no guarantee that Drake will be willing to leave Aisling. Or Gabriel, for that matter.”

He grunted and returned to the room.

Jack's smile changed to an outright grin. “He may seem a bit brusque, but he's actually really concerned about this dragon mage.”

“I have no doubt he is.” I took his coat, and the one handed to me by the silent woman.

“Jack!” Kostich yelled from the room. “Bring me the satchel!”

Jack grabbed a leather case and waggled his eyebrows at me as he hurried off to do his master's bidding.

“Hiya. I'm Jim,” the demon said, strolling over to sniff the woman. It looked puzzled for a moment. “You're not a mage.”

“Yes, I am. Well, I'm an apprentice,” she said, giving Jim's head a quick pat before turning to me. “Dr. Kostich said you were a dragon's mate?”

“That's right. I'm May. Gabriel, the silver wyvern, is my mate.”

She examined me curiously for a few seconds before excusing herself with a slight smile. “I'm sorry. I'm being intolerably rude, aren't I? It's just that I've never seen a wyvern's mate. I expected you to be . . . bigger.”

“Unlike Jack, you look just how I expect a mage to look,” I said with a little smile of my own.

“How's that?” she asked, her eyebrows rising slightly. She was a tall woman, tall and willowy, with long, straight ash blond hair, eyes so dark they were almost black, and a narrow, delicate-boned face. There was something comfortable about her, a sense of ease and warmth that reminded me of the pleasure found in returning home after a long trip.

“Well . . . I hope this doesn't sound rude, but it's been my experience that mages are always very reserved, keeping to their own. They're very controlled, as well. And extremely mysterious, like they are holding tight to any number of secrets, and that pleases them.”

Her smile grew a few degrees warmer. “That is a very apt description of mages, but I'm afraid that I am a much duller creature than that. I am not a very successful apprentice, you see. Dr. Kostich hopes that the experience to be gained by helping with this mysterious dragon will go far to further my education.”

“I'm sure it will.” I nodded toward the sitting room. “If you want to go in there, I'll go see if I can get the others, although honestly, this would be better done another time.”

“According to Dr. Kostich, there is no time left,” Tully said, gliding toward the door. I watched her for a moment, startled by the word as it popped into my mind. She didn't just walk; she glided, her movements so graceful they were almost dreamlike.

“May,” Jim said, nudging my hand with its wet nose.

“Why do I have a feeling that's a truer statement than I'd like?” I asked myself as I made a beeline for the stairs.

“Because it is true,” Jim said, following me.

I glanced down at it. “What do you mean?”

“That Tully person isn't a mage.”

“She said she was.”

“Yeah, well, she lied. Or no . . .” The demon's face twisted into an abstracted expression. “Not lied. Just wasn't speaking the truth.”