“It is not fitting that you refer to your parents by their names. It does not show respect. You will therefore refer to me as ‘Father.’ I will leave it to your mother to decide if she wishes to tolerate you referring to her by her surname.” “No, it’s cool,” Jim said, plopping down next to the table, its head lying next to the phone so it could talk and hear. “Pavel made sage-roasted game hens for lunch, and I had a whole one to myself. He needs to give the recipe to Suzanne because it was seriously yummy. And Ysolde said she was going to brush me later. No, they stopped kissing, although Baltic’s hands are almost on her boobs. Right in front of the kid, too.” Baltic’s hands, which had indeed been moving up from my stomach, froze.
“I don’t like ‘Father,’ ” Brom said, his brown eyes serious as they considered Baltic.
“Papa?” I suggested, placing my hands over Baltic’s and leaning back into his chest. Despite the worry of the upcoming sárkány, I felt aglow with happiness. That Baltic cared so much about how Brom referred to him was a good sign. Brom would have a real father at last, one who cared about him.
“Yeah, yeah, but you’re overreacting, Aisling. I’m fine — no one’s hurting me. Ysolde keeps giving me scary mom looks, but I don’t think she can help it. Besides, it’s wild seeing Baltic being all lovey-dovey with her. How the mighty can fall.” Brom wrinkled his nose. “I’m nine, Sullivan, not two. How about ‘Dad’? The others at the mage school call their fathers Dad. Most of them. There’s that weird kid who calls everyone Carrot, but no one pays much attention to him.” Baltic’s fingers twined through mine. “You sent my son to a mage school?” “Dr. Kostich thought he might have some talents in that direction, so I enrolled him in it. Unfortunately, he seems to have inherited my lack of abilities when it comes to things arcane.” “Ixnay on the ecretsay ummonsay,” Jim said, casting a worried glance my way. “Oh, great, now she’s giving me another of those looks, the kind that says I’m going to be sent to my room without supper.” “You will if you don’t give me the phone,” I told it.
“Gotta go. Pavel said he’s doing goulash for dinner, and he promises it’ll be almost orgasmic.” “What’s—” Brom started to ask.
“Out!” I told the demon, taking the phone from it. “Brom, Baltic will be happy with ‘Dad.’ You go practice saying it somewhere else, please. And Jim, so help me god—” “I know, you’ll skin me alive or some other heinous act if I explain to Brom what ‘orgasmic’ means. I didn’t actually mean to say that in front of him. Sometimes I forget he’s only a kid.” “That’s all right,” Brom said, patting Jim on the head as the two of them exited the room. “Sometimes I forget you’re a demon. You want to play catch?” “Naw. Let’s go play on Pavel’s Xbox. He’s got a road-racing game I love.” “Aisling?”
“Still here. And you have my permission to yell at Jim. I can’t believe it’d say something so inappropriate in front of a child. Honest to Pete! It knows better than that! Drake, stop trying to take the phone away from me! I’m not done.” “I take it we’re off speakerphone?”
“Yes, I thought after that last argument, it would be better. Drake wishes to speak with Baltic, but I did want to remind you that should anything happen to Jim, I will rain down destruction as you’ve never seen it. Not that I think you’d do anything to it, because you seem very maternal, and we moms have a sense about those things, but I feel obligated as its demon lord to say that. Fine! You can have the phone. Sheesh, pushy dragons…” “Oh, Aisling?” I said, smiling to myself.
“Yes?”
“The next time you have Drake alone, ask him about a small inn in Paris called the Hangman’s Balls. Mention the year 1699.” “All right,” she said slowly. “I will. Here’s Drake.” “A moment, please,” I told Drake when he asked for Baltic. I held the phone to my chest. “You will be polite.” “I am a wyvern,” he said airily.
“You will not say rude things to Drake no matter what he says to you.” “You may leave. I will speak with the green wyvern by myself.” “We are trying to establish a relationship with these people. Please remember that.” He tried to take the phone. I hung on to it. “You may leave now, Ysolde.” “Not until you promise to be good.”
“I’m always good. Give me the phone.” “Just remember what I’ve said, that’s all.” “I am not a child who needs to be schooled in matters of weyr etiquette,” he answered, trying to pry my fingers off the receiver.
“You’re also notoriously short-tempered, don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks, and have a chip on your shoulder approximately the size of Rhode Island.” “Mate,” he said, a warning light in his eyes.
“Yes?”
“Do your many and varied sexual kinks run to spankings?” “I don’t have sexual kinks, and no — you wouldn’t!” I gasped as he tried to pull me over to the chair. “All right, I’ll leave, but if you mess things up after I’ve worked so hard to straighten them out, I will make your life a living hell — just see if I don’t!” As I closed the door I heard him say, “What? Yes, it worked. I recommend using the threat of it as a method of controlling an unruly mate—”
Chapter Sixteen
“By the rood, they can’t be early, can they?” I paused on my way through the French doors in the sitting room to peer out of the glass next to the front door. A car was pulling to a stop. “I’m not ready! We don’t have all the beverages out to the field yet, let alone the canapés!” “I can help you with the canapés,” Jim said, licking its lips as it emerged from the kitchen hauling a large basket. “Oooh, visitors?” “If your demon lord came early just to catch us by surprise — oh, no!” “Who is it?” Jim asked, peering around me. Its eyebrows rose. “Heh. This ought to be fun.” “What is Savian doing, telling everyone in the Otherworld where I am?” I muttered as I set down the tray of cut glass crystal goblets and opened the door. “Good afternoon, Dr. Kostich.” “Tully,” he said, inclining his head toward me. “I trust you will excuse my unannounced arrival. I have matters of great import to discuss with you.” “Actually, I’m a bit busy today. Could you come back another time? Say, next year?” The look he gave me said much, and none of it was in my favor. He strolled past me into the house, casually tossing over his shoulder, “I assume you have the von Endres blade by now. I have come to collect it.” “Oh, lord,” I swore, looking heavenward for a moment. “Why me?” “What’s going on… oh man. Greetings, your eminence,” Jim said, almost groveling toward Dr. Kostich. I didn’t wonder that the demon, normally the most flip of beings, had adopted a respectful air. Clearly it had come into contact with Dr. Kostich before.
I turned slowly back to the foyer, trying to think of a diplomatic way to explain to the head of the Otherworld that I would not be stealing Baltic’s sword.
“What are you doing here?” Kostich asked, staring at Jim where it sat in the center of the narrow hall.
Jim dipped its head again in a doggy bow. “Ysolde’s making me be a pack mule. I didn’t know you were going to be here, though. Not that there’s anything wrong with you being here,” it added quickly as it backed up a few steps.
“I dislike demons,” Dr. Kostich told it, his eyes narrowing and his fingers twitching as if he might cast a spell.
“Ysolde!” Jim almost yelped, hurrying over to press into my leg. “You promised Ash to keep me safe! Don’t let him do anything to me.” “You’re a demon,” I told it, patting it on its head nonetheless. “He can’t harm a demon. No one can but a demon lord. Not permanently, anyway.” “Wanna bet?” Jim peeked out around my leg at my former employer.