Light My Fire (39 page)

That can be arranged,
the dark power whispered to me.

I shuddered and pushed it away, still sick at heart at
what I’d done.

“You didn’t have to do that. I wasn’t going to die, so
you were perfectly safe.”

Drake sighed, capturing my attention again. “I do not like this rule of discussing my feelings that you
have bound upon me, but I like less the assumption you
have made. I yielded because it was the only thing I
could do to save you. I was not in a position of power,
nor could I count on Gabriel for assistance. I did what
was necessary.”

No. It couldn’t be. I shook my head, still disbelieving.
Maybe the poison had warped my brain and I was delu
sional after all. I pulled myself to my feet, swaying against Drake, allowing his warm, hard body to prop me up.

“You know what that means.”

“I do.” His jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with inter
mingled anger and passion.

My heart, leaden and sick, suddenly was enveloped in
a gentle warmth that did much to dispel the ills that had possessed it. “Are you sure? Really sure? It’s not some
thing else? Maybe you’re sick.”

His face grew harder. “Do you think I’m a fool that I
could mistake it?”

“No, but you don’t look very happy about it.”

“I’m not,” he snapped, irritation rampant on his hand
some features.

A smile curved my lips as I kissed the corners of his
mouth, ignoring the presence of those around us. “Are
you going to say it?”

“No.”

“Come on. I want to hear it.”

“No!”

I allowed all the love I had for him to show in my eyes
as I rubbed my nose on his. “Please?”

His face took on the most martyred expression I’d ever
seen. “If I say it once, do I have to say it again?”

“Yes. With increasing frequency. It gets easier with
time, honest.”

He sighed again. “I knew this would not come to a
good end. Very well, I’ll say it. But I reserve the right to
refer you to this conversation on occasions when you
wish me to say it again. Aisling, I love you.”

I fought hard to keep the smile off my face. Drake’s declaration of love was delivered in such a brusque tone,
I knew it had to be costing him a lot to admit the truth. “I
love you, too,” I answered, and welcomed his mouth
when it came to claim mine, my heart singing a joyous
song of happiness and fulfillment. His mouth was a hot
brand, burning mine, searing my lips and tongue with an
intensity that was almost painful. I waited for the rush of dragon fire that would follow his touch, wanting it to fill
me with his passion and love.

It didn’t come.

“Release my mate,” a cool voice spoke behind us.

I pulled away from Drake, frowning up at him for a
second before turning to level the glare of a lifetime at
Dmitri. “You annoying little crapbean!”

The room echoed with the sound of the slap I delivered
to Dmitri’s face. He looked surprised for a moment, then
furious.

‘Do you seriously think I would consent to being your mate after you sided with this worm to steal the sept from
Drake?”

Fiat said nothing as I gestured toward him, but his
hands tightened. I didn’t care how much I insulted him—
sept politics be damned.

“You have no choice,” Dmitri answered, giving me an
offensively possessive look. My hand itched to slap him again
.
“You are a wyvern’s mate. I am the wyvern of the green dragons. By the rules that govern the weyr, you are
now mine.”

“Just two days ago you refused to acknowledge me as
Drake’s mate. You can’t have it both ways!”

“I am the wyvern of the green dragons,” he responded,
giving me a slow smile. “I can have anything I want, in
cluding you.”

“Like hell! If you think I’m going to stand around and
allow a smart-ass upstart to ruin Drake’s life, not to men
tion mine, you can just think again. I’m not a friggin’
demon lord for nothing!” I snapped, spinning around to
find Jim, remembering in time that I’d sent him home to check on Istvan. I opened wide the door in my head and
pulled on Drake’s fire. “Effrijim, I summon thee!”

Nothing happened. No fire filled me with power, no
demon popped into view. My being was empty of Drake’s
fire, completely empty. There wasn’t even a smidgen left
of the slow-burning banked fire that had been present
ever since I’d accepted him.

“Goddamn it, you stole my fire,” I snarled, wanting to
lunge at Dmitri. I ran to Drake instead. Pal had been re
leased by Fiat’s men and stood next to Drake as well, his
face hard and blank. I put my hand on Drake’s chest. I could feel the fire in him, its warmth reassuring and
comforting. “What happened? Why don’t I have your fire
anymore? Is it because you yielded? I know there’s a stu
pid rule saying I’m not your mate anymore if you’re not
wyvern, but that’s just a rule, right? It doesn’t really apply
to us.”

His eyes were filled with pain. The sight of it sent my
spirits plunging again. “No,
kincsem.
You are my mate.
You will always be my mate. Nothing and no one can change that. The law may say you are mate to Dmitri, but you are mine, and I will not let you go.”

I leaned against him for a minute, drinking in his heat. “Then why can’t I share your fire anymore?” I asked in a whisper. “Is it because of Dmitri?”

His fingers swept over my face, wiping away more hot tears. “I do not think so. I think ...” He paused for a moment, his eyes so dark they looked black. “I think you have been proscribed.”

“Proscribed?” I searched my mental dictionary for a meaning and shuddered at the answer. “You mean I’m condemned? I’m damned?”

“Not damned,” he said quickly, raising his gaze to look at Pal. The two of them exchanged a look that left me shivering with cold. I rubbed my arms, aware, now that I’d lost it, just how much warmth and power Drake’s fire had given me.

There is an alternative. You do not have to be helpless,
the dark power said.

“What exactly is proscribed, then?” I asked.

Drake’s hands were warm on me. “It is a form of condemnation. It is seldom seen now, but I recall my uncle telling me of a dragon who had been such. It is not... a desired state. But we will find a way to cleanse you,
kincsem”

Perhaps not desired, but is it any worse than being helpless?

The voice of the dark power was growing stronger. Part of me wanted to push it back, ignore it, banish it from my being. But another part shrugged and asked what could be worse than what I’d already done? I accepted Drake’s power before I knew what it was or whether I wanted to spend my life with him. What was different in this situation?

Nothing is different. Power is power. It is the person wielding it who determines whether it is good or evil.

“Aisling’s well-being is no longer any concern of yours,” Dmitri said in an odiously bossy voice. He snapped his fingers, adding, “Come here, mate.”

Mate.
Fury filled me at that word on his lips. I looked up at Drake and knew I had to do something. I was not a woman who sat around waiting for others to rescue me. Drake himself had told me I didn’t need rescuing—he had confidence in my power and abilities.

You are a professional,
the voice said silkily.
You have power at your disposal, great power unlike anything you have known. Do you wish for him to see that, without it, you are weak and helpless?

“Aisling, do not do anything foolish,” Drake warned as I turned around to face Dmitri. “He is not worth the price you will pay. We will work this out together.”

And how many dragons will die in the inter-sept war that will follow?
the dark power asked.
How many innocent dragons will die because you did not take a stand when you could have? Do you wish their deaths to be on your soul? Or do you wish to fulfill your role as wyvern’s mate, and protect your sept?

I walked to the center of the room and held out my hands, blinded for a moment as I accepted the power that flowed up from the floor. The sins staining my soul were
my own concern, but I would
not
sacrifice others. “Effri
jim, I summon thee!”

Jim’s shape formed at my feet. It looked up at me,
pursing its lips. “Man. I never would have thought that of
you, Ash.”

“Demon, see thee that dragon there?” I pointed to
Dmitri, power rolling through me, filling me with its in
sidious warmth. I knew what I had to do, and although it
was morally wrong, I had no choice. It was the only way I could change things back to the way they were.

Dmitri’s smile dropped, a look of concern replacing it.
He glanced nervously at Fiat, who leaned against the
wall, a parody of Drake’s bored look on his face. “Aren’t you going to do something?” Dmitri asked him.

“I suppose,” Fiat answered, strolling toward him.

It was my turn to smile. “You’re next on my payback
list, Fiat.”

He bowed. “I look forward to it.”

“Um. Aisling? I really don’t think you want to go
there,” Jim cautioned, leaning against my leg to get my attention. “It’s not a good idea, no matter what anyone is
telling you.”

You have the power. Use it for good.

“Mate, do not do this.” Drake’s voice was warm and
calm despite the situation. “Come with me. We will work
this out together.”

I pulled the power hard, forming it, focusing it to do
what I wanted, its slow heat burning hot in my veins as I
narrowed my gaze on Dmitri.

“Fiat?” he asked in a high-pitched squawk, taking a
couple of steps to the side. His gaze skittered between me and the blue dragon.

Destroying him will be a pleasure,
the voice said.
A pleasure and a duty. You must do it to save the others.

I spread my hands, holding the power between them, ready to blast it into Dmitri.

“Do something!” Dmitri screamed, looking frantically at Fiat.

“Aisling! Do not do this,” Drake commanded, starting toward me. “To do so will put you beyond redemption!”

Deal with that later. Right now you have a job to do.

“As you will,” Fiat said as I hesitated, torn between Drake’s warning and my own instincts.

“Ash, this is bad. Really bad. Don’t do it,” Jim said in a low voice, its eyes worried.

The power was warm between my hands. I held it focused, ready to be used, but was confused about what I should do. Use it to save Drake and the dragons and damn myself even further?

You ‘ve already used the power. How can using a little more hurt? Do not be weak, Aisling. Be instead an instrument of vengeance. Right the wrongs.

“By the laws governing the weyr, I challenge you by lusus naturae for your mate, Aisling Grey.”

I turned to look at the man speaking the challenge. What was Fiat up to now? Why on earth would he want to challenge the man he’d just put into power?

“You ... you what?” Dmitri asked, clearly as taken aback as me. “What do you mean? You can’t do this!”

“No? Accept the challenge, and we shall see.”

More deaths. If Fiat wins, that’s what will be the re
sult. Do you want that?

No!
my mind screamed, sick of it all. I just wanted to live happily with Drake, being a Guardian, working for
the good guys. I didn’t want to be the instrument of
vengeance!

“I accept your challenge,” Dmitri said, his voice loud
but a bit unsure. “Name the form.”

“Aisling.” Drake’s hands were warm on mine. He
gently took them in his, pulling me toward him. “You
must listen to me. You said you trusted me.”

I dragged my eyes from Fiat and Dmitri to the man I
loved with every atom of my being. “I do trust you.”

The love was there in his eyes, filling me with more
happiness than I thought possible. “Then you must listen
 
to
 
me now. To do what you plan is wrong. I know that you
desire it for the right reasons, but you must not give in to
this new challenge that faces you.”