Light Dragons 01 - Love in the Time of Dragons

call a sárkány .”
    “Um . . . all right,” Aisling said. “I guess since you’re a member of the silver sept, you can do that.”
    I didn’t correct the incorrect assumption. “I want to discuss with the weyr these deaths of the blue dragons. Baltic and I will attend the sárkány together.”
    An intake of breath greeted that statement, but it was impossible to tell which woman made it.
    “Since I know the weyr believes Baltic to be guilty of those deaths, and I believe he’s innocent, we must have the opportunity to discuss the situation with everyone. For that reason, Jim will remain in my custody until it’s over.”
    “You do realize that all I have to do is summon it, right?” Aisling asked.
    “Oh, yes, I know you could summon it in a heartbeat.” I crossed my fingers. “But you won’t.”
    “I won’t? Why not?”
    “Because you are a woman of honor,” I said firmly, praying my assessment of her character was sound. “In addition, you realize that Baltic needs to meet with the wyverns, and you know that they won’t mind their manners unless they have a compelling reason to do so, and you, as a fellow wyvern’s mate, understand the importance of making them act reasonably. For that reason, you’ll allow Jim to be a hostage for the wyverns’ good behavior.”
    “I’ll do all that?” she asked, but I heard amusement in her voice, and I knew I had her support.
    “You will. Jim will stay in my protection until Baltic has met with the weyr and been given safe passage out. I will not allow anyone to railroad him.”
    “Railroad him?” Aisling’s voice lost the amusement.
    May spoke softly, with no real inflection to her voice. “You have to understand that we have experience with Baltic, and although I realize you are his mate, and thus you want to protect him, he is not innocent of the blue dragons’ deaths. Gabriel was there. He saw the bodies. He questioned the two survivors.”
    “I have always heard that dragons valued their honor, which is why I will ask the wyverns to agree to allow us safe passage to and from the sárkány . Jim will be returned to you safe and sound once we are away.”
    Aisling was silent for a minute. “All right. I will trust you. But so help me, if Jim is harmed in any way—”
    “It won’t be. I just want the same guarantee for Baltic.”
    Aisling snorted.
    I gave her my cell phone number and told her to call me when a time for the sárkány had been set.
    “Ysolde . . .” May’s voice stopped me as I was about to hang up.
    “Yes?” I asked, somewhat wearily. I didn’t like having to be the bad guy, but someone had to end the conflict between Baltic and the weyr, and instinctively I knew he would not take any steps to do so on his own.
    “Baltic . . . forgive me for asking, but you don’t think he’s using some sort of a thrall on you? We haven’t known you long, but you don’t seem like the sort of person who would tolerate, much less protect, a man who murders in cold blood.”
    I smiled sadly at my feet. “No, he hasn’t enthralled me. That would involve sex, and . . . well . . . we haven’t.”
    “Baltic didn’t jump you the second he could?” Aisling asked, clearly agog at the notion.
    “No. He might have wanted to—all right, he did want to—but I’m married. He understands that until I can talk with my husband and inform him that I wish to have a divorce, I don’t feel it’s morally right to do all the things we’d like to do.”
    Silence greeted that pronouncement. I was about to hang up again when May said, “That’s very interesting.”
    “I’m glad my lack of a sex life is fascinating to you,” I said dryly.
    “I’m sorry, that sounded rude, didn’t it? It wasn’t intended that way. Ysolde . . . you said you had memories of the past. You must remember that dragons are very dominant when it comes to claiming their mates physically. That goes double for wyverns,” May said.
    “Oh, yes,” Aisling added with a little chuckle.
    “Yes, but this is different. That was in the past. This is now, today, in the present,” I explained.
    “Just the fact that you accepted him as a mate and he hasn’t . . . well! I think that says something,” Aisling added. “I think that says a lot of something.”
    “Yes, it says he has restraint. Call me when you have the time and day for the sárkány ,” I said, and hung up the phone, relieved it was over. “I just hope the rest of my plans go so well.”

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