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“Yeah? What do you have up your sleeve? A magic mongoose or something?” “Nope.” I paused at the door and tossed the demon a smile. “I have you.” I closed the door gently on the sound of its sputtering.

The phone calls, as I suspected, weren’t the most pleasant ones of my life.

“Ysolde!” Aisling gasped when I got through to her. “Are you all right? We just got home. May’s here, and she said you’ve been kidnapped. Did you get away from Baltic? Has he hurt you? If he has, you just let me know. I’m a professional — I’ll take care of him. I’ll just summon Jim from Paris, and we’ll—” “Er… I appreciate that offer, but it’s not necessary,” I interrupted. “About Jim… Aisling, Jim is with me.” “It’s what? Why is it with you? Oh my god! Baltic kidnapped Jim when he grabbed you, didn’t he? That bastard! That fire-breathing bastard! He had just better watch out the next time I see him, because I will do all sorts of evil things to him. He won’t ever have children, for a start. And I think I know of someone who can curse him—” “I would really appreciate if you didn’t do any of that,” I said, laughing. I could feel her surprise at the laughter, which, I admit, died quickly as I confessed, “Baltic didn’t kidnap Jim — I did.” The silence that followed the statement was broken only by the noise of another receiver being picked up. “Ysolde? It’s May. You’re all right? Are you hurt in any way?” “She said she took Jim,” Aisling said, breathing somewhat heavily into the phone.

“She did? I thought it went to Paris.” “It was supposed to.”

“Then why did Ysolde kidnap it?”

I sighed. “Because it saw that Baltic was with me. Look, this is going to be impossible to explain over the phone. I just didn’t want you thinking that Jim was in any danger. It’s here with us—” “With you and Baltic? What the hell?” Aisling said, her voice rising.

“Oh, knock it off,” I said irritably. Although I knew I had committed the wrong, I had expected that they would understand why I had done it.

“Did she just tell you to knock it off?” May asked Aisling.

“Yes, she did,” Aisling answered, sounding rather bewildered.

“I’m sorry for my rudeness, but honestly! I thought if anyone would understand what’s been happening, two wyverns’ mates would,” I said firmly. “Surely you two understand the strength of the bonds that tie you to your particular dragon. The same applies to me, no matter if I am in human form or not.” “But—” Aisling started to protest.

“No, there are no buts. You’re the ones who were so bent on insisting that I’m Baltic’s mate! For the love of all that’s holy, you were ready to condemn me to death because of that!” My own voice was rising now. I made an effort to stem my growing anger.

“I never wanted you to die,” May said quietly.

“Well, me either! I may be a demon lord, but I’m not a bad demon lord,” Aisling said quickly.

“You accepted Baltic as your mate?” May asked.

I rubbed my forehead. Another headache was blossoming. “Yes, I did. And because of that, I want to call a sárkány.” “Um… all right,” Aisling said. “I guess since you’re a member of the silver sept, you can do that.” I didn’t correct the incorrect assumption. “I want to discuss with the weyr these deaths of the blue dragons. Baltic and I will attend the sárkány together.” An intake of breath greeted that statement, but it was impossible to tell which woman made it.

“Since I know the weyr believes Baltic to be guilty of those deaths, and I believe he’s innocent, we must have the opportunity to discuss the situation with everyone. For that reason, Jim will remain in my custody until it’s over.” “You do realize that all I have to do is summon it, right?” Aisling asked.

“Oh, yes, I know you could summon it in a heartbeat.” I crossed my fingers. “But you won’t.” “I won’t? Why not?”

“Because you are a woman of honor,” I said firmly, praying my assessment of her character was sound. “In addition, you realize that Baltic needs to meet with the wyverns, and you know that they won’t mind their manners unless they have a compelling reason to do so, and you, as a fellow wyvern’s mate, understand the importance of making them act reasonably. For that reason, you’ll allow Jim to be a hostage for the wyverns’ good behavior.” “I’ll do all that?” she asked, but I heard amusement in her voice, and I knew I had her support.

“You will. Jim will stay in my protection until Baltic has met with the weyr and been given safe passage out. I will not allow anyone to railroad him.” “Railroad him?” Aisling’s voice lost the amusement.

May spoke softly, with no real inflection to her voice. “You have to understand that we have experience with Baltic, and although I realize you are his mate, and thus you want to protect him, he is not innocent of the blue dragons’ deaths. Gabriel was there. He saw the bodies. He questioned the two survivors.” “I have always heard that dragons valued their honor, which is why I will ask the wyverns to agree to allow us safe passage to and from the sárkány. Jim will be returned to you safe and sound once we are away.” Aisling was silent for a minute. “All right. I will trust you. But so help me, if Jim is harmed in any way—” “It won’t be. I just want the same guarantee for Baltic.” Aisling snorted.

I gave her my cell phone number and told her to call me when a time for the sárkány had been set.

“Ysolde…” May’s voice stopped me as I was about to hang up.

“Yes?” I asked, somewhat wearily. I didn’t like having to be the bad guy, but someone had to end the conflict between Baltic and the weyr, and instinctively I knew he would not take any steps to do so on his own.

“Baltic… forgive me for asking, but you don’t think he’s using some sort of a thrall on you? We haven’t known you long, but you don’t seem like the sort of person who would tolerate, much less protect, a man who murders in cold blood.” I smiled sadly at my feet. “No, he hasn’t enthralled me. That would involve sex, and… well… we haven’t.” “Baltic didn’t jump you the second he could?” Aisling asked, clearly agog at the notion.

“No. He might have wanted to — all right, he did want to — but I’m married. He understands that until I can talk with my husband and inform him that I wish to have a divorce, I don’t feel it’s morally right to do all the things we’d like to do.” Silence greeted that pronouncement. I was about to hang up again when May said, “That’s very interesting.” “I’m glad my lack of a sex life is fascinating to you,” I said dryly.

“I’m sorry, that sounded rude, didn’t it? It wasn’t intended that way. Ysolde… you said you had memories of the past. You must remember that dragons are very dominant when it comes to claiming their mates physically. That goes double for wyverns,” May said.

“Oh, yes,” Aisling added with a little chuckle.

“Yes, but this is different. That was in the past. This is now, today, in the present,” I explained.

“Just the fact that you accepted him as a mate and he hasn’t… well! I think that says something,” Aisling added. “I think that says a lot of something.” “Yes, it says he has restraint. Call me when you have the time and day for the sárkány,” I said, and hung up the phone, relieved it was over. “I just hope the rest of my plans go so well.”