Light Dragons 01 - Love in the Time of Dragons

rescued you. He was unbalanced then, but he became uncontrollable after you sided with Constantine Norka against him.”
    “I what?” I asked, feeling at a loss.
    “I might have been able to reason with him if it wasn’t for you!” Kostya accused me. “He wanted you. He was willing to take you despite the fact that you were a silver dragon.”
    “Should we be offended by Kostya’s implication?” May asked Gabriel. “I have my dagger. I could poke him with it a few times.”
    Cyrene shot her twin an outraged look.
    “Perhaps later,” Gabriel told May.
    “But you spurned him, and bound yourself to Constantine Norka instead!” Kostya’s face was dark with anger. “Baltic was furious! His madness knew no bounds after that.”
    “I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, my anger starting to cool. I looked around at the dragons gathered at the table, embarrassed by my show of temper. “Sorry, can I just . . . thank you,” I said as Bastian stood and held out a hand to assist me off the table.
    “You cannot deny what happened in the past,” Kostya said, his voice and face sullen.
    “I wouldn’t dream of trying. But I don’t think I’ve gotten to this betrayal in my visions. I assume it will come at some point, but I have to say that I find it difficult to believe.”
    “Kostya, this is old history,” Drake said, one eyebrow raised at the black dragon. “The blame for the Endless War has long since been settled. You cannot try Ysolde for that crime.”
    “There wouldn’t have been an Endless War but for her!” Kostya declared.
    “I thought Chuan Ren started that war?” Aisling leaned close and asked her husband.
    Chuan Ren narrowed her eyes at Aisling, her mouth moving silently as if she was speaking a curse.
    Aisling quickly drew protection wards over herself and Drake.
    “Kaawa said Ysolde tried to stop the war by bringing the dragon shards together to re- form the dragon heart,” May said. “She would hardly do that if she was responsible for the whole thing.”
    “That was later, after she realized what she had started,” Kostya said stubbornly.
    “You know, not even I think that makes any sense,” Cyrene said, looking at him. “Seriously, punky, I think we’re going to have to go to some anger management classes. You need to learn how to let go and move on.”
    “The black dragons—” he started to say.
    “Are not the reason Ysolde has been called before the sárkány ,” Drake interrupted in a forceful voice.
    “Exactly what crime did Baltic commit that you’re all so intent on punishing me for?” I asked, suddenly tired and emotionally drained.
    Drake looked at me with eyes that held infinite sadness. “The deaths of sixty-eight blue dragons, killed by Baltic almost two months ago.”

Chapter Seven
    S ilence filled the conference room as every person—every dragon—looked at me. I shivered, rubbing my arms against a sudden chill.
    “Lucky me. I’m out of it for five weeks, lose my job, learn my husband is a rat to beat all rats, and now I find out that evidently I’m the girlfriend of a homicidal maniac. Is that it? Is that all you guys have to hit me with? Because I’m not quite over the edge yet.”
    “There is the matter of who held Kostya prisoner in his aerie for seven years,” Cyrene said thoughtfully. “No one seems to know for sure who captured him there, but I think it was your mate, so by rights, you should be charged with that, too.”
    “Thank you,” I told her. “That did the job.”
    Before anyone could react, I spun around and started for the nearest exit. I didn’t make it, naturally, but I knew I wouldn’t.
    Kostya was there at the door. “You will not escape justice again, Ysolde de Bouchier.”
    I slapped him. It felt so good, I slapped him again, then stepped back, my hand over my mouth because I’d never struck another person in my life.
    That I could remember.
    Well, there was nailing Baltic in the groin, but that was just a dream.
    “I’m sorry,” I stammered, horrified. “I don’t know what came over me. Not that you didn’t deserve it, because if anyone deserved to be slapped, you did, but still, I’m shocked that I actually struck you. Did I hurt you?”
    Cyrene screamed and ran toward us, clearly about to launch herself at me, but Kostya caught her before she could attack.
    I just stared at them as she struggled to get free, cursing me roundly as she fought him, my eyes filling with tears. I’d