Light My Fire (22 page)

I smothered a little smile. Gabriel had politely asked
Drake for permission to apply his mouth to my wound—
silver dragons having a natural healing property to their
saliva—but Drake refused, pointing out that the ointment
based on the saliva was just as good.

“Well, I’m just grateful you were around to help me out. Have you been here long? The last time I saw you
was in Paris.”

“Yes, right before you fell in front of the train. I came
directly to London.”

“Ah, the train. I do not believe a satisfactory explana
tion has been given regarding those events. Perhaps Gabriel
can shed some light on the situation?” Drake said in a
mildly curious tone.

Gabriel shrugged and began repacking his first aid kit. “I doubt it. I saw Aisling fall forward, but before I could
move, Fiat snatched her up. She seemed unharmed and
safe in Fiat’s care. I had pressing business in London, so
I left once I saw that she was all right.”

Hmm. Why did I feel like he was leaving something
out?

“I am unharmed and safe, so I guess all’s well that
ends well,” I said with a pleasant smile. “Would you guys
mind if I changed? I didn’t bleed a lot, but it’s still mak
ing me feel itchy. Are there any special instructions,
Gabriel?”

“None. The wound has closed, as you can see. It
should be healed completely in the next few hours.”

I waited until the two men left before opening the door
to the bathroom that Jim had adopted as its room. “Jim,
what do you know about... what on earth are you doing?”

Jim looked up from where it was paddling around the
mammoth sunken tub, filled to the rim with expensive-
smelling bubbles. “I’m a Newfoundland. Water dog, re
member? Besides, Pal bought me a devil ducky toy and I
wanted to see if it stained the water red the way a real
devil does.”

I peeled off my shirt and, with a damp washcloth, wiped up the dried blood that had dribbled down my
belly. “What on earth are you talking about? You’ve never stained the water red.”

‘That’s because I’m a demon, not a devil. Sheesh. Do
you see cloven feet? Honestly, Ash, you really need to
read that book Nora gave you. It gives the classifications
of all beings with origins in Abaddon, devils included.”

A few seconds passed in which I debated pointing out
yet again that it was unfair to expect me to learn every
thing in the short span of time I’d been in the Otherworld,
but I decided there were more important things upon
which I could expend energy. “What do you know about
Gabriel?”

Jim paddled to the other end of the tub, disappearing into a pyramid of bubbles. “Gabriel the silver wyvern?”

“Yes. I want you to tell me everything you know about
him. And yes, that’s an order.”

A martyred doggie sigh emerged from a Jim-shaped
bubbly figure. “He’s the wyvern of the silver dragons.
He’s a healer. He makes goo-goo eyes at you when you’re
not looking. He’s been wyvern since 1947 and was born
in French Polynesia.”

I sat on a marble bench and frowned. “That’s it? That’s
all you know?”

“Yes, that’s all I know,” Jim said, its black face peer
ing out of the bubbles. “What’s with the quiz? Do I get
bonus points if I tell you what color socks he’s wearing?”

“No bonus points; they’re gray.” I sat staring at the
murky shape I made in the steamed-up mirror. “Is there
any reason you know of that Gabriel would want Drake
dead?”

Jim jumped out of the tub, its body going into over
drive as it shook off the water. I screamed and leaped
back, snatching up a bath sheet to throw over the wet dog.

I used another to mop up the splattered water and bub
bles that dripped off me. “Thank you so much! Now I
have to change my pants, as well!”

“You said you wanted to get clean. I’m just doing my
demon lord’s orders.”

“Answer my question!”

“No. There’s no reason I know of that would leave
Gabriel wanting to off Drake.”

“Hrmph.” I ordered Jim to remain in the bathroom
until it was presentable, marching to the bedroom to change into something dry and lacking in bloodstains.

“You going to tell me why you suddenly think Gabriel
is the Terminator?” Jim asked, poking its head out of the
bathroom as I ran a brush through my hair. “Last I saw, you were all happy-happy around him, sighing over his
dreamy silver eyes and dimples.”

I threw the brush at Jim. It ducked. “I just want to
know why he pushed me in front of the train.”

“Why do you think he did that? He’s your friend.”

“Yes, he is, but he’s the only one who was standing
next to me on the platform. Not to mention the fact that he didn’t try to save me once I fell. His bit about seeing
me safe with Fiat is just a little too much. In fact, it pretty much points a finger right at him. And why is he in London now? Is that a coincidence? Are all the accidents I’ve had lately a coincidence? I figured it was the red dragons
after me, but now I’m not so sure.”

“What, being shish kebabbed wasn’t enough proof for
you that the red dragons have a contract out on you?” Jim
shook its head. “Talk about paranoid.”

“On the contrary, if anything, it makes me more sus
picious of the other accidents. Those were subtle. Shov
ing a sword through me was a whole different level of
attack.”

“You’re nuts, lady.”

“So I’ve been told.” I blew Jim a kiss and went to the
door, pausing to look back at my demon. “Why didn’t
you say anything when we were visiting Ariton?”

“The day you read the demon rule book is the day the
world will learn what real fear is. I’m a demon, right?”

“For the moment. I’d be happy to turn you into an ex-
demon,” I warned.

“Heh. Not as easy as you’d think. Demons are servants
of demon lords. Ever hear the old adage ‘seen and not
heard?’ That applies to demons as well as kids. When we’re around other demon lords, we’re all hush-hush.”

“Ah. Don’t forget to clean up the bathtub.”

“What do I look like, a maid? I’m a dog! I don’t clean
anything but my own package!”

“And if you want to keep that package, you’ll make sure that bathroom is as spotless as when you found it.”

I went through the door, Jim’s exasperated, “Sheesh.
No wonder Ariton wants your support. You’re downright
mean,” following me down the hall.

“Am I interrupting?” I asked a minute later, poking my
head through the door to Drake’s library.

“No,” he said, waving me to a spot on the couch next
to him. “We were discussing the war. Gabriel has offered
to act as mediator between Chuan Ren and myself.”

“Oh, that’s nice of you.” Gabriel rose to his feet, tak
ing my hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. Say
what you will about the dragon boys, they sure had the
niceties down pat.

Gabriel kept a hold of my hand, his silver eyes smiling
at me. I clicked on my super-Guardian vision and gave
him the once over, wondering whether I’d see any sign that he had tried to kill me by shoving me in front of a
train. There was nothing other than a handsome, smiling
dragon, his fingers warm on mine as he gently caressed
my hand.

I struggled with my dark thoughts. If it wasn’t Gabriel
who pushed me, then who had? And why had Gabriel let
Fiat rescue me?

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Drake stood up to retrieve my
hand, pulling me beside him as he took his seat again.

“Jealous?” I asked Drake, rubbing my thumb across
his palm.

“I am a wyvern, mate. Wyverns do not get jealous.”

“No, we get even.” Gabriel winked at me as he sat
down.

I made a face. “Yeah, but evidently you don’t know
how to hang on to a mate once you’ve found one. What
was all that business about mates going along with the
job, not with the wyvern?”

“Oh-ho,” Gabriel said, laughing. “You told her about that? You’re a braver man than I thought, Drake.”

“He didn’t tell me. A green dragon said something
about it earlier. I am having major problems believing something so sexist and archaic is actually true.”

“Believe it; it’s true. It’s not really that big of a deal. There is lusus naturae, after all. It’s not like a mate can’t
be taken away from a wyvern through a direct challenge
for him or her.”

“Yeah, but at least in that case it’s the mate who is
wanted, not the job. In the first case, it’s more of an after
thought. ‘Won a wyvern’s position? Here’s your sept
credit card, your key to the wyvern’s washroom, and your
complimentary mate.’ Well, sorry, guys, this girl doesn’t
go in for wyvern swapping.”

“No one is asking you to,” Drake said dryly, his fingers
stroking mine. “Nor am I in any danger of losing the po
sition of wyvern.”

“You could still be challenged for her,” Gabriel said, a
mischievous look on his face.

“Why are you doing that?” I asked him, leaning into
Drake’s side. The events of the day had finally started to
sink in, and I was left feeling boneless with exhaustion.

“Doing what?”

“Teasing Drake like that.”

“Who says I’m teasing?” Gabriel asked, taking a sip of
the dragon’s blood Drake had evidently poured out ear
lier. I nudged Drake for a sip from his goblet, needing the
strength the fire of the drink brought me.

I frowned at Gabriel. “I say you are. We all know
you’re not going to challenge him for me. For better or
worse, I’m in love with him. I’ve accepted him as my
mate. I’m committed to the sept.”

“Nothing says you couldn’t change your mind.”

“I’m saying.” Drake was silent while I spoke, con
tently sipping from a silver goblet. I transferred my frown
to him. He gave a martyred little sigh and got up to get
me a glass of my own.

“Besides, you wouldn’t want a secondhand mate, would
you? I thought wyverns had more pride than that.”

The teasing smile faded from Gabriel’s eyes. Drake
handed me a glass and sat down beside me, wrapping one
arm around me.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have much of a choice. My
sept is cursed. Mates are not born to silver wyverns—
they must be taken by some other method.”

“Some other method being ... ?”

“Lusus naturae is the most common,” he answered, his
eyes flat.

I said nothing but took a big swig of my dragon’s
blood . .. only to find that it wasn’t dragon’s blood at all.
“What is this?” I asked Drake.

“Grapefruit juice. You like it.”

“Yes, I do, but that doesn’t mean I want to drink it all
the time. I wanted some dragon’s blood.”

“You can’t have it,” Drake said matter-of-factly. He set down his glass and gave Gabriel a long, cool look. “We are agreed, then, that you will maintain a position
of neutrality?”

“What is wrong with you? Why can’t I have it?” I
asked.

Drake flashed me an impatient look. “It has alcohol
in it.”

“So? It’s not like I’m on the wag— Oh, you are
not
talking about that ridiculous business again.” I clenched
my glass of juice and thought about how lovely it would
look dripping off his head. “Drake, it’s not happening.”

“We won’t know for sure one way or another for at
least a month or so,” he said mildly.

Gabriel’s eyes, which had been interested before, just
about popped out of his head. “You’re pregnant?”

“No! Drake’s insane, nothing more,” I snapped, setting
down my glass. “And I’m tired. So if you’ll forgive me, gentleman and irritating wyvern, I’m going to take my skewered belly to bed. Thank you again for the medical
care, Gabriel, and I’m very happy to see you again.”