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  He leaned back, his head cradled by the high back of the chair. “The situation is complicated.”

  I kissed his chin. “I think that’s going to be the understatement of the year. I’m so confused, I don’t know where to begin asking questions.”

  Drake slid another longing glance toward the bed. “I don’t suppose you would care to follow the others’ lead and put this off until morning? I am very tired, but not so tired I cannot pay homage to you as is your due.”

  I flinched at the word “homage.” It brought up a horribly nagging feeling that I should be focusing on the situation with Bael rather than the more pressing dragon situation. But Bael had given me five days, and I’d only spent two of them. “I think I’m due a few answers first. To be honest, I don’t understand why you were so angry with me about rescuing you. You sent me the dream telling me you needed help, after all.”

  “You mentioned a dream before, but it is untrue. I sent you no dream.”

  “Then how do you explain the fact that I dreamed about a wind horse?”

  He looked startled for a moment, pulling from his pocket a tattered green scrap of fabric that matched the one I’d woken up with.

  “That’s it!”

  “I was going to bring this home for you, but then we were captured,” he said slowly. “I did not send you a dream message, kincsem. I would have endangered you by asking you to find me, and as it happens, I am furious with Gabriel for doing just that.”

  I touched the dirty bit of prayer flag. “I guess your subconscious was less stubborn than your waking mind. Oh, stop looking at me like that—everything turned out OK. Besides, there are more important things to focus on than what might have been.”

  His hand slid along my thigh. “Such as my desire to make love to you?”

  I stopped his hand from climbing any higher, knowing full well that once he bent his mind to seduction, there was nothing short of nuclear war that could stop him. “I would be perfectly happy to let you make wild, passionate, steamy dragon love to me, but first you have to answer a couple of questions.”

  His chest heaved with resignation, his pupils black slits in a field of green that glittered with speculation and no little amount of passion. “Very well. You may ask me three questions.”

  “Oh, we’re back to three questions, are we?” I asked, smiling against his mouth as I remembered the first wildly erotic dream I shared with him. “All right. First question: was it Kostya you went away to help?”

  “Yes.”

  I waited for more information, but none was forthcoming. “Who was keeping you prisoner?”

  “I don’t know.” His expression turned thoughtful as he narrowed his gaze on the flames in the fireplace. “I thought at first Chuan Ren had found Kostya, but upon reflection, I decided it could not be her. She would not have let me live if she had me in her power. The one holding us prisoner was very careful not to be seen, and used only mortals to bring us food.”

  “Hmm. There were two dragons Gabriel found outside, but he said they weren’t red dragons. What about that one you knocked out in the hallway?”

  He shook his head. “I did not recognize him, nor did I have time to examine him for signs of a sept. I do not know who he was.”

  “Crap. OK, last question—”

  “Your third question was about the dragon in the hallway. Now I demand payment for my amiability.” Drake pushed me off his lap just long enough to stand up and scoop me into his arms, marching determinedly to the bed. With moves I didn’t even try to follow, he stripped himself, then me, and before I could form a single word of protest, he tossed me onto the bed.

  “That question was part of the second one, and you know it,” I said, trying to look indignant, but failing miserably when he ran his hand up the bare calf of my leg. I shivered at his touch.

  His mouth kissed a path around my belly, heading northwards to my breasts. “Very well. Since I am fond of you, I will this once grant you an additional question. But make it quickly, before I become too busy to attend mere words.”

  I stopped stroking his back and pinched him hard enough to make him rear back. “Fond of me? You’re fond of me?”

  He grinned, his eyes dancing as wickedly as his fingers, which had found extremely sensitive flesh. As if the touch wasn’t enough to drive me senseless, his grin melted me completely. Drake in his usual sober mood was sexy as hell…Drake being playful was downright irresistible. His head dipped again as he licked a shape onto my stomach, breaking fire to it to set it alight.

  It was a heart.

  “Perhaps fond is too mild a word,” he conceded as I pulled him down on top of me, my hands and mouth going wild on him. I was suddenly desperate to feel him inside of me, needing the joining to reassure myself that he was safe, and that nothing could take him away from me. He must have sensed that need in me, because he didn’t torment me with teasing touches as he normally did; he simply gave me what I wanted, fulfilling the need to hold him deep within me, so deep he was an integral part of my very being.

  “If that’s fond,” I said some time later, pressing a kiss to his damp chest as I scooted upward along his body until I could peer down into his face, “I doubt if I could survive a stronger emotion.”

  His eyes were closed, his face relaxed, his fingers drawing lazy patterns of fire on my behind. One side of his mouth quirked. I kissed it, decided I liked the taste of the quirk, and kissed it a couple of more times, sucking his lower lip into my mouth until he opened his eyes, a spark of interest in them. “You are a demanding woman, kincsem. I will do my best to rise to the challenge you pose, but I fear the events of the last few days will make me a bit slower than normal…”

  “I have no doubt you’d meet that particular challenge,” I answered, squirming when his fingers slid lower. “But that’s not actually what I was hinting at. You still owe me a question.”

  He closed his eyes again, his chest rising and falling more slowly now that we were both recovering from the passion of a few minutes past. “I have never understood how women have the energy or desire to conduct lengthy conversations after lovemaking. I am male. I must rest after I have met your not-insubstantial wanton demands.”

  “Uh-huh. And if I did this—” My hand slid down his chest, trailed over his belly, and wrapped around interesting scenery southwards. His eyes shot open. “—You wouldn’t suddenly be wide awake?”

  “What did you wish to know?” he asked, the slow smolder in his eyes gaining brilliance.

  “I know Kostya is a black dragon. I know you used to be one before your princess grandmother claimed you as a green dragon, and you were made wyvern. I know that the silver dragons were part of the black sept, but they left because of a horrible wyvern named Baltic.”

  His fingers stilled, tightening around my butt, his eyes on me but his attention somewhere else.

  “But what I don’t know is what Kostya has to do with Gabriel. You said yourself the black sept wasn’t around anymore—so even assuming there is bad blood between the two septs, why would Gabriel want Kostya dead?”

  Drake was silent a few minutes, a pain so profound within him that even I could feel it. “Kostya’s coming was foretold by Baltic.”

  “Oh? In what way?” I spoke slowly, a heavy weight of oppression upon me as if I didn’t want to hear the answer.

  The fire in his eyes died. “Kostya’s existence means the end of the silver dragons.”

  16

  “So, that’s it? That’s all he said? Just that Kostya means the end of Gabriel and his sept?”

  “That’s it. Have you seen my pregnancy vitamins?” I opened one of the drawers in the bathroom, poking through an assortment of cosmetics looking for the large bottle of prenatal vitamins.

  Jim nodded toward the door leading to the bedroom. “On the nightstand. You do realize those are human vitamins, right? They probably won’t work now that you’re not mortal.”

  “The silver dragon doctor said they wouldn’t hurt, althou
gh it is a bit of a pain taking both dragon and human vitamins. Still, it’s nice that I evidently get to forgo all that morning sickness crap.”

  “Hey, less barf has always equaled good in my book. So, why didn’t you ask Drake to explain?”

  I took my glass with me into the bedroom, shrugging as I washed down one of the large vitamins with a swig of water. “Can’t hurt. And I didn’t ask him because he was tired, I was tired, and he promised to explain everything today.”

  “Uh-huh. You’ll notice he managed to leave the house before he did that.”

  I finished dressing, having more than a bit of a struggle to close the waistband of my pants. “Damn. Now even my fat pants aren’t fitting. I guess I’m going to have to go shopping soon.”

  “What’s that, dear?” Paula’s head poked through the open doorway as she tapped on the jamb. “Shopping, did you say? I’m so glad to hear you say that. I know you thought that bondage outfit you purchased was lovely, and I agree that the cream skirt is very pretty indeed, but truly, the whole effect of the ensemble is not the sort of memory you want to leave your guests with. Oh.” She turned around in the room, obviously looking for someone. “But who were you talking to?”

  “Uh…just myself. And Jim, of course, ha ha ha.”

  “You always did have such an odd sense of humor,” she said with a tolerant smile as she glanced at her wrist. “Now, we have just enough time to visit one or perhaps two shops before we meet with the new wedding planner.”

  “What new wedding planner?” I asked, confused. “What happened to Imelda?”

  “Oh, my dear, can you seriously ask that after what you put that poor woman through? She quit, of course! I’m not saying that it isn’t very inconvenient having to find a new wedding planner at this late date, especially since Drake insists that a wedding be organized in the next few days, but still, you must admit that you drove Imelda to the breaking point with the fiascoes of the last week. I told Drake that this morning, when he asked me to give you a hand with arranging yet another wedding, but you know how men are. They want results and don’t care how it’s done. Now, as I said, we have two hours before our appointment with the new wedding planner. I would be happy to go shopping with you although I must insist we not be late to the appointment.” Paula gave me a gimlet-eyed look. “They will be quite hard put as it is to deal with the demands of an immediate wedding and a bride who isn’t wholly committed to the ceremony.”

  I was unable to keep from smiling. “I don’t think my commitment to Drake is in question, although I’m going to have to beg off the appointment this morning. I’ve simply got too many things going on, Paula. Can’t you do it for me? You know the sort of ceremony we want to have—simple and short, with a reception to follow in an appropriate venue. I’ll get my assistant to help you, if you like.”

  Paula squawked a bit at the idea of attending to the wedding details on her own, but after I pointed out that she was sure to arrange something much nicer than I could possibly do with limited time, she toddled off happily. “Although don’t send me that odd man you call an assistant,” she said before leaving. “I honestly don’t know why you keep him on. He’s always telling me about how much more organized his previous employer was…”

  The door closed on her words. The second it clicked home, I turned to Jim. “Drake left? Where did he go?”

  The demon shrugged. “Like I look like a psychic? Dunno where he went, but things are bound to get dicey around here with your stepmom running around.”

  “On the contrary—bless his heart, Drake obviously thought of that and dumped the wedding onto Paula’s lap to keep her from getting underfoot. Well, I guess I’d better get the worst over with until Drake comes back. I assume my uncle is downstairs?”

  “Oh, yeah. And how.”

  Jim’s annoyingly cheerful voice followed me downstairs as I braced myself to meet the displeasure of my formidable uncle.

  “Morning, Rene. Er…have you seen my uncle?”

  His lips twisted into a wry smile. “He is in the lounge. Would you like some company?”

  “Lord, yes. I’d love a whole battalion of you,” I said, mentally girding my loins as I opened the door to the living room. To my surprise, Uncle Damian wasn’t the only one occupying it.

  “Nora!” I said, rushing forward to hug her.

  She hugged me back, her face alight with pleasure. “I’ve missed you. Hello, Jim.”

  “Hey, Nora. How’s Paco? Still snack-sized?”

  “But of course. Chihuahuas don’t ever grow past that.”

  “Not that I’m complaining, but what are you doing here? Aren’t I on the verboten list for Guardians?” I asked.

  Her gaze slid over my shoulder. “I am here on official Guild business.”

  I turned to see who she was looking at and froze solid on the spot. Or so it felt for a moment while my body had an intense memory of being squashed by one of the most powerful men in the Otherworld. “Dr. Kostich. Good morning. It’s a pleasure to see you,” I lied, my palms suddenly going sweaty.

  “Aisling Grey,” he said, inclining his head. Just the act of him saying my name sent little zings of electrical shocks through me.

  “Er…I take it you both met my uncle, Damian Carson?”

  “Yes, we had that pleasure.” Nora’s smile was polite, but I sensed a less happy emotion was giving her grief. She glanced at the archimage again, but he stood silent, apparently engrossed in admiring the collection of jade and gold dragon statues that lined the marble mantelpiece. “We are here at the request of Caribbean Battiste. I have been asked to represent the Guild, while Dr. Kostich is acting on behalf of the L’au-delà committee. We are here to discuss resolving the situation concerning your proscription.”

  “Why don’t we sit down and talk about it.” I waved Nora to a chair, one eye on Dr. Kostich. My uncle stood with his back to the window, his hands clasped behind him, his eyes watchful. Rene nodded toward the door, clearly asking if I’d like him to give us some privacy. I shook my head. He sat next to Nora, giving me a gentle smile that did much to bolster my spirits. Jim meandered over to the archimage, clearly intent on conducting a gender check, but stopped when I hissed a warning under my breath. “As you both know, I’m very anxious to have the proscription lifted so I can return to my Guardian duties. And training, naturally.”

  “You do not believe you are beyond the training given to apprentices?” Dr. Kostich asked, lifting one of the dragons to examine it. His voice was mild, but the aura of power surrounding him didn’t escape me in the least. I remembered all too well how easily he’d stopped my heart while we were in Budapest—I wasn’t about to underestimate him now.

  “I believe that I have had more practical experience than most apprentice Guardians, but as I’m sure Nora can attest, I am far from learned in the art of controlling my abilities. Or even understanding the full extent of them, although I’m getting more of a handle on them.”

  He set down the dragon and turned slowly to face the room. “Abilities which include the dark power?”

  Jim sat next to me and leaned on my leg, a warning look in its eyes. It didn’t have to bother, however. I was fully aware of the fine line I walked regarding everyone in the committee. I chose my words carefully. “I have not used dark power since I was proscribed. It has been with me daily, tempting me to use it, but I have resisted despite all its attempts, and I will continue resisting it until the day comes when it can no longer speak to me.”

  Do you seriously believe you can ever be free of me? That time will not come, Aisling Grey.

  “It is not easy for me to ask people for help, especially when those people are strangers to me. But I have asked the Guild for help in lifting the proscription because with each passing day, it becomes more and more difficult to resist the lure of the dark power,” I said bluntly.

  Nora gasped.

  Told you so.

  I kept my eyes on Dr. Kostich, knowing it was important that he understand the si
tuation. “I don’t want to use it. I have fought against it each day. And god knows, I hate to admit there’s something that I can’t handle on my own, but I know, deep down I know that if I don’t have help in ending the situation, the time will come when I can’t resist it any longer.”

  It is inevitable. Give in to your fate. Be what you were meant to be. Do not prostrate yourself before lesser beings in an attempt to deny what you are.

  The room was so silent, I could hear the faint noise of London traffic through the triple-glazed windows. Dr. Kostich watched me silently, his gaze crawling over me in a manner that left me feeling itchy and restless.

  “I wonder if you appreciate the full extent of the powers you are so willing to dismiss,” he said finally, surprising me into a little jerk.

  “The dark power, you mean?” I asked. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

  “Yes. Most people who were granted the ability to use it would not be so eager to lose it. In fact, I cannot think of a single instance where such a thing has happened, which leads me to believe that you do not fully understand exactly what it is you have been offered.”

  I looked at the others in the room, unable to believe what I was hearing, but didn’t find enlightenment on my friends’ faces. Nora looked as surprised as I felt. Rene was wearing his inscrutable look, and Uncle Damian just looked down right suspicious.

  “I’m…are you implying I should use the dark power despite what it is?”

  “I am not saying anything of the kind,” he answered evenly. “I simply asked if you understand exactly that of which you seek to rid yourself.”

  A snappy retort was ready on my lips, but I closed my mouth on it as I thought about what he was asking.

  How I love it when you turn your full attention to the possibilities. He is right, you know. In the end, no one has ever refused me.

  For a second, I let the dark power fill me. The door in my mind swung open, and all the possibilities lay before me in a glorious array. Dr. Kostich was surrounded by a corona of power, but as the warm, thick insidious darkness filled me, I wondered if I could take him on.