Light My Fire
Page 38

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 peering 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 overdrive 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 bubbles 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 suspicious of the other accidents. Those were subtle. Shoving 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, taking 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 afterthought. ‘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 position of wyvern.”