Light Dragons 02 - The Unbearable Lightness of Dragons

the least he could do was lift the interdict and let me rejoin the Magister’s Guild, but he sent back a bill for the thirty-seven years of training I had while I was his apprentice, so I figured I’d better let it drop.”
    “He’s such a pain,” Aisling said.
    “A huge pain,” May agreed.
    “Just like a sharp stick shoved up the—” Jim’s eyes opened wide when Aisling removed its plate from in front of it. “Hey! Demon starver!”
    “Hardly.” Aisling gave it back its hamburger and we all resumed eating our lunches.
    “I don’t like summoning him without a very good cause, and I’m not entirely sure I can do it again, since I wasn’t trying to summon him before, but I don’t see any other way to determine just what I’m supposed to be doing.” I took a thoughtful sip of lemon water, then added, “I’ll do it tonight. Baltic is supposed to go down to Burleigh House to eyeball the rough plan Pavel made, so he won’t be in my way when I summon the First Dragon.”
    May and Aisling looked at me in surprise. “You know about Burleigh?” Aisling asked.
    “Drake’s house in the Sussex countryside? Of course I do.”
    “Well, hell. That was supposed to be a secret from you guys. I guess I’ll have to tell Drake that Baltic knows where Thala is being held.”
    “As we’re on the subject of Thala . . .” I bit my lip. “I don’t suppose you two would like to help me get her out of there?”
    “Ahem!” Jim said loudly.
    “Sorry—you three. And Cyrene, of course, assuming she’s back from her water thing by then.”
    “You want us to help you break out the weyr’s prisoner?” Aisling was clearly astonished by the idea.
    “Yes, I do.”
    May and Aisling exchanged a glance. “Let me make sure we’re all on the same page, here. You want us to set free the woman who helped Baltic attack our house the day I had the twins?”
    “I realize that she’s no one’s favorite, but yes, I would like your help. In fact, I need your help.”
    “Why?” May asked.
    “Why do I need your help?”
    “No, why do you want her out?”
    “Oh, well, a number of reasons,” I said, putting down my fork and leaning back against the curved settle. “For one, Baltic wants her out, and if we don’t get her out peaceably, he’s going to attack. I don’t think anyone wants more dragon deaths—certainly I don’t.”
    “But she’s Baltic’s lieutenant,” May protested. “They worked together to try to destroy us.”
    “Yes, but that’s all changed.” I waved away the pesky events of the past. “Things are different now. And besides, she’s Antonia von Endres’ daughter. That might have some significance to the First Dragon’s task.”
    “There is that,” Aisling said thoughtfully.
    May gnawed on her lower lip for a moment. “Gabriel would be very angry if he knew I was working to free the weyr’s prisoner.”
    “Drake wouldn’t be angry,” Aisling said with a wry smile. “He’d go ballistic. It was our house that Antonia helped Baltic destroy. Drake’s still a little cranky about that day.”
    “Well, I was kind of hoping you guys wouldn’t tell.”
    May and Aisling exchanged another glance.
    “We couldn’t do that,” May said slowly, a light of amusement in her blue eyes. “But I think there’s a way we could work out a deal.”
    “What sort of a deal?” I asked, suddenly wary.
    “Dragons love deals,” Aisling told me. “You wouldn’t believe the things I can get Drake to do if I present it in the light of negotiations.”
    “Yeah, like the time you negotiated him into chasing you around the house while you wore nothing but a gold chastity belt?” Jim asked, snickering.
    “It was a medieval girdle, not a chastity belt, and from here on out I’m going to lock your door at night.”
    “Meanie. Bet Soldy would never lock me in my room just so she and Baltic could have a kinky three-way orgy with Pavel.”
    “I have never had an orgy, three-way or otherwise,” I told the demon, setting fire to its napkin with a flick of Baltic’s dragon fire.
    “OK, OK! No need to go overboard! You almost burned my garnish!”
    Jim went back to munching on its frilly lettuce as I considered the two women sitting across from me. “What deal is it you want to make?”
    “You want Thala free,” May said simply.
    “Yes.”
    “And you’re mated to Baltic.”
    “Yeees,” I said again, slower. “I don’t see where this is going.”
    “You want our help to free