Me and My Shadow

by Katie MacAlister

  “She was warning him that she would disinherit him should he go against her wishes. As for Bao—I am not privy to what went on within the red sept, but I suspect he was following the wisest course.”

  “Thank you,” Bastian said, watching as his guards hefted the now-comatose Fiat onto their shoulders and hauled him out of the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a slim leather envelope, handing it to Gabriel. “The Marcella Phylactery. I know you will guard it well.”

  “Indeed we will,” Gabriel said, accepting it. A sense of relief filled me—we had all the shards now, all the pieces needed to re-form the dragon heart.

  Bastian hesitated. “I would like to see the heart re-formed, but I will understand if you are not comfortable with the thought of me being here.”

  “The decision is not mine to make,” Gabriel said, turning to me. “May must perform the ceremony. If she wishes privacy to do so, I cannot gainsay her.”

  I glanced at Gabriel, trying to judge whether he had a preference, before I answered. “It won’t bother me to have you present, Bastian, although I don’t promise there will be much to see.”

  He smiled. “I will just make sure that Fiat is taken care of, then. I will return as quickly as possible.”

  “That was very exciting,” Nora said, her eyes alight with interest. “I had no idea you could be so deadly, May. When you vanished from sight, and then reappeared behind Fiat, I gasped. I truly gasped. It was magnificent.”

  “We mates have to do what we can to take care of our wyverns,” Cyrene piped up, putting her arm through Kostya’s and giving him an adoring look.

  My lips twitched a little at the martyred expression on his face.

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I couldn’t help but ask him.

  “No,” he said, then smiled when Cyrene bit his arm. “But it seems I have little choice. Your twin insists I can’t live without her, and unfortunately, she’s correct. Maddening, but correct.”

  I laughed at the look of outrage on Cy’s face as she poked him in the chest, and would have warned Kostya of what he could expect living with her, but at that moment, two things happened.

  Aisling appeared. “Drake, that thief taker is at the door. Pál won’t let him in until you give him the OK.”

  Drake started to leave, but she stopped him by putting a hand on his arm. “There’s one other thing.”

  He frowned down at her.

  “My water broke while I was in the bathroom. I think the baby’s annoyed, because she gave me a hell of a contraction, and I have a nasty, suspicious feeling that another one is—”

  Her face screwed up in pain as she gasped and doubled over.

  Drake roared and scooped her up, carrying her up the stairs as he called over his shoulder, “Get the midwife!”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “That’s probably the midwife,” I said, leaping down the last couple of stairs to run to the front door. “I’ll get it, István. You go back and keep Drake from murdering Gabriel, will you? Savian tried, but got knocked out cold for his efforts.”

  István rolled his eyes but, at the sound of Drake yelling, bolted up the stairs.

  “Ouch,” Jim said from where it sat on a settee, calmly reading the paper. A crash reverberated through the house. “Did that sound to you like the noise a wyvern’s head makes when he’s slammed up against the wall? ’Cause that’s what it sounded like to me.”

  “I told Gabriel to stay out of the way and let his mom deal with Aisling, but he insisted that he’s had more experience with dragons than she has. I just hope Drake calms down and realizes he’s trying to help.” I glanced at one of the security systems that scanned visitors at the front door, saw the green light that indicated the person was not armed, and punched in the code to unlock the door, flinging it open with a relieved, “Thank heavens you’re here. Aisling isn’t fully dilated, but Drake is going berserk—oh.”

  The person standing on the steps wasn’t the midwife, wasn’t even a dragon for that matter.

  “My interest is not with Aisling Grey today, fully dilated or not,” Dr. Kostich said, brushing past me into the house, followed by a man and a woman. “I told you that I would return just as soon as my apprentices could be summoned. This is Jack and Tully. We are here to make plans regarding the dragon you refer to as Baltic.”

  “I’m sorry, but things are a little hectic right now. Perhaps you could come back later? Aisling has gone into labor, and everyone is running around making sure she’s comfortable.”

  “I just told you my business was not with her,” Dr. Kostich answered, stripping off leather gloves and removing his heavy overcoat. “We will meet with the green and silver wyverns to discuss matters. I have exactly two hours I can give this subject.”

  “Yes, but—”

  He pinned me back with a look that had me wanting to shadow. “This is not a courtesy visit, Mei Ling, nor is your participation optional.”

  I was aware of a subtle pressure to do as he bade, a pressure that would probably have sent a mortal running to do as he wanted without thinking twice about it. But I was not a mortal, nor was I about to let him run roughshod over everyone.

  “Ooh, a demon. Can I pet it?” the man named Jack asked as he examined Jim.

  “If you give me five bucks, I’ll let you rub my belly,” Jim said, rolling over onto its back.

  Jack laughed and obliged.

  I turned back to Dr. Kostich. “I’m sorry, but things are too disturbed right now to have this meeting. Aisling is in labor.”

  “And, according to you, will probably be so for hours,” snapped Kostich, shouldering me aside and heading for the sitting room. “We could have this business done before she has need of her wyvern.”

  I hesitated a second, wondering if we could deal with Kostich and get rid of him before Aisling gave birth. From what I knew of birthings, they weren’t fast or immediate.

  He took my hesitation as acknowledgment, gesturing toward me as he went into the sitting room. “Let us be done with this business quickly.”

  As he disappeared, I stared after him, wanting to give him the rough side of my tongue, but knowing it wouldn’t be a wise course.

  “Arrogant, pushy mage,” I said under my breath.

  The man named Jack evidently heard me.

  “Archimage, actually. That’s the difference, you know,” he said, looking up from where he was squatting next to a gently moaning Jim, scratching the demon’s belly. “We lowly mages don’t get to push anyone around, but the second you become an archimage? Blammo! You’re da man.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude,” I muttered.

  He stopped scratching Jim (over the demon’s protests) and strolled over to me, a friendly smile on his face. “No offense taken. I’ve never seen a real doppelganger before. You’re not what I expected.”

  He was slightly taller than me, with short, bright red hair, and a heavy splattering of freckles.

  “I have to admit that I’m having a bit of trouble with you, as well,” I said with a smile. “You are a mage, yes?”

  “Would my apprentices be anything but mages?” Dr. Kostich asked from the doorway. He looked annoyed. “Is this a delay tactic?”

  “No. I’ll get the others, although I make no guarantee that Drake will be willing to leave Aisling. Or Gabriel, for that matter.”

  He grunted and returned to the room.

  Jack’s smile changed to an outright grin. “He may seem a bit brusque, but he’s actually really concerned about this dragon mage.”

  “I have no doubt he is.” I took his coat, and the one handed to me by the silent woman.

  “Jack!” Kostich yelled from the room. “Bring me the satchel!”

  Jack grabbed a leather case and waggled his eyebrows at me as he hurried off to do his master’s bidding.

  “Hiya. I’m Jim,” the demon said, strolling over to sniff the woman. It looked puzzled for a moment. “You’re not a mage.”

  �
��Yes, I am. Well, I’m an apprentice,” she said, giving Jim’s head a quick pat before turning to me. “Dr. Kostich said you were a dragon’s mate?”

  “That’s right. I’m May. Gabriel, the silver wyvern, is my mate.”

  She examined me curiously for a few seconds before excusing herself with a slight smile. “I’m sorry. I’m being intolerably rude, aren’t I? It’s just that I’ve never seen a wyvern’s mate. I expected you to be . . . bigger.”

  “Unlike Jack, you look just how I expect a mage to look,” I said with a little smile of my own.

  “How’s that?” she asked, her eyebrows rising slightly. She was a tall woman, tall and willowy, with long, straight ash blond hair, eyes so dark they were almost black, and a narrow, delicate-boned face. There was something comfortable about her, a sense of ease and warmth that reminded me of the pleasure found in returning home after a long trip.

  “Well . . . I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but it’s been my experience that mages are always very reserved, keeping to their own. They’re very controlled, as well. And extremely mysterious, like they are holding tight to any number of secrets, and that pleases them.”

  Her smile grew a few degrees warmer. “That is a very apt description of mages, but I’m afraid that I am a much duller creature than that. I am not a very successful apprentice, you see. Dr. Kostich hopes that the experience to be gained by helping with this mysterious dragon will go far to further my education.”

  “I’m sure it will.” I nodded toward the sitting room. “If you want to go in there, I’ll go see if I can get the others, although honestly, this would be better done another time.”

  “According to Dr. Kostich, there is no time left,” Tully said, gliding toward the door. I watched her for a moment, startled by the word as it popped into my mind. She didn’t just walk; she glided, her movements so graceful they were almost dreamlike.

  “May,” Jim said, nudging my hand with its wet nose.

  “Why do I have a feeling that’s a truer statement than I’d like?” I asked myself as I made a beeline for the stairs.

  “Because it is true,” Jim said, following me.

  I glanced down at it. “What do you mean?”

  “That Tully person isn’t a mage.”

  “She said she was.”

  “Yeah, well, she lied. Or no . . .” The demon’s face twisted into an abstracted expression. “Not lied. Just wasn’t speaking the truth.”

  “What’s the difference?” I asked as we headed down the hall toward Aisling’s room. I froze for a moment when I saw who was stretched out on the floor, Tipene hovering over him, before I bolted the last few steps. “István! I asked you to stop Drake from killing Gabriel. How badly is he hurt?”

  “Not seriously,” the love of my life answered, his lip split, and his right eye swollen shut. “Drake was a little upset when Aisling had a particularly hard contraction. Savian tried to intervene.”

  “I think I’m dead,” Savian moaned from where he lay on the floor of the bathroom next to Catalina’s room.

  “I’d hate to see what Drake would do when he’s really upset,” I said, gently touching Gabriel’s face. “You would insist on being in there.”

  “My head is killing me.” Savian hauled himself up to a sitting position, his hand gingerly feeling his face. He touched a tender spot, wobbled for a moment, then fell backwards onto the bath mat. “Ow.”

  Gabriel grimaced as Tipene applied a bit of salve to his lip and eye. “I have delivered more dragons than my mother. Her experience is mostly with mortals, but Drake did not feel that mattered. He preferred her to me.”

  “Seriously, I think I’m dead. Could one of you nice healers come and heal my broken head?”

  “I think, my love, that in this you should have heeded your mother,” I said, gently kissing his nose when Tipene had finished with him.

  He gave me a lopsided smile. “I’m willing to concede that point. Is the midwife here?”

  “I’m a ghost, aren’t I? I died and now you all can’t hear me, and I’m going to spend the rest of my life haunting this bathroom with a headache that would drop an elephant. Hello,” Savian said as Jim wandered over and peered down into the thief taker’s face. “Are you an angel?”

  “Ex-sprite, now a demon. Ash isn’t going to like you bleeding all over her bathroom. You gonna clean all your brains and gunk up? Someone could slip on them and hurt himself.”

  “My brains,” Savian whimpered, and I took pity on him.

  “No midwife as yet, although she’s expected momentarily. Tipene, would you?” I asked, nodding toward the prostrate Savian.

  Savian greeted him with soft little coos of relief.

  “I’m sure your mother will do just fine with Aisling,” I told Gabriel as I helped him to his feet. “Unfortunately, the person at the door was Dr. Kostich.”

  Gabriel’s smile slipped. “Don’t tell me he’s here to discuss the situation with Baltic?”

  “Yes. Do you think Drake will be willing to leave Aisling?”

  He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could do so, a tremendous blast shook the house, the force of it so great I could feel the entire structure shake.

  I shadowed out of sheer instinct, following Gabriel as he spun around and raced down the stairs. Behind me I could hear Drake’s bellowed question, but I paid that little mind as I leaped down the last couple of steps into the entrance hall.

  Another percussion blast shook the house, the shock wave of which caused painful pressure on my ears. “Agathos daimon! What is it?” I asked as I deshadowed.

  The three people standing staring at the front door slowly turned to face us. Tipene and Maata skidded to a stop behind us.

  “We’re too late,” Dr. Kostich said, his face utterly blank. “He’s here.”

  A third blast hit the house. I covered my ears, biting back a cry of pain.

  Drake and his bodyguards jumped over the balustrade from the floor above, landing as light on their feet as cats. “Damn him,” Drake snarled, punching a few buttons on the security-system panel. “He would pick now to do this. István, put out the call to the others that we will need them. Pál, ready the lair. I’ll take Aisling down to it. He can bring the house down around our ears, but she’ll be safe in there. Kostich, what are you doing here?”

  “Trying to prevent disaster, but I fear I am too late.” He eyed us all for a moment, then spoke quickly. “We will do what we can to aid you. Jack, see to the seals on the ground floor. Tully, you take the upstairs rooms. Do not forget to set traps at any entrance point, no matter how insignificant it might seem.”

  Jack hurried off to do as he was bidden. Tully hesitated a second. “I don’t know that my traps and seals are strong enough to stop a dragon, master.”

  “They don’t have to stop them. They just have to alert us to any breach. Go now. I, myself, will see to strengthening the front door, since that appears to be where the focus of his attack is being made.”

  Kostich suited action to word, his hands flying in intricate patterns as he wove a net made of arcane magic across the front door.

  Drake watched him for a moment before deciding it was adequate. He turned to us. “Gabriel?”

  “This is my fight as much as yours,” Gabriel answered, pulling out the shadow sword. “More so, since it concerns my mate. We will form the frontline defense.”

  “Oh man, it’s Baltic?” Jim had managed to make it down the stairs without being heard, something not common for the hefty dog. “He’s got a hell of a sense of timing.”

  I left them planning their defense to hurry over to Jim.

  “What are you doing here? Go back and protect Aisling,” I ordered it.

  “She wanted to know what was going on. And she threatened to castrate me because I’m male, and that somehow makes me to blame for the pain.”

  “Well, go back and help Kaawa get her ready to move,” I said, shooing it.

  “I’m a dog,” it said in an exasperated voic
e. “No opposable thumbs, remember?”

  “You’re right.” I narrowed my eyes at it for a moment, pushed past my limit on patience. “Effrijim, by the power granted to me by your demon lord, I command you to take human form. Clothed human form.”

  “Oh, man . . . ,” it said, its voice a whine that trailed off as its body shifted form into that of a black-haired, black-eyed man of bulky build in jeans and a T-shirt. It looked down at itself. “How’m I ever going to tell Cecile about this?”

  “You can go back to your normal form just as soon as we take care of this situation,” I said quickly, shoving it toward the stairs. “Go help Kaawa and Aisling. And don’t scare her.”

  “Like she’s not gonna freak when she sees me come marching in without my fabulous form?” Jim trudged up the stairs, loosening the belt of its pants as it climbed. “I just bet you—aw, damn! I was right! This form totally sucks in the package department!”

  “GO!” I yelled, pointing at the top of the stairs.

  A fourth blast rocked the house, this time accompanied by the sound of glass tinkling in one of the back rooms.

  Nora appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide as she stared behind her. “I’m not quite sure. . . . Was that Jim?”

  “Yes. Is Aisling all right?” I asked as Drake came over to us.

  “She’s fine, just concerned about what’s going on.”

  “I’m taking her to the lair,” Drake said, moving past us at a speed that was most definitely not human. “Nora, you and René will stay with her?”

  “Of course. René is with her now, trying to distract her. Let me get some things to make her more comfortable. . . .”

  Nora ran after Drake, the two of them heading upstairs, as Tipene and Maata scattered, assumably to check the windows.

  Kostya suddenly emerged from the basement, tucking his shirt into his pants, his hair slicked back and wet. Cyrene was on his heels, her hair likewise wet, her clothing just as disarranged.

  “What’s going on?” Kostya asked. “We heard an explosion.”

  “We thought at first it was just really fabulous sex, but then we noticed the towels were coming off the shelf next to the sauna, and we realized something else was going on,” Cyrene said, hurriedly buttoning her blouse. “It’s Fiat, isn’t it? He’s come to steal me now that he knows I’m really and truly Kostya’s mate! I just knew he would.”