Light Dragons 02 - The Unbearable Lightness of Dragons

want a bite?” she corrected with a meaningful look at it.
    May pursed her lips.
    “Oh, sorry. I forgot you’re not . . . never mind. Ysolde, would you . . . no, you’re not, either. Er . . . moving on. I believe that’s taken care of all the business at hand, so if there are no other issues to deal with, I move we call this meeting officially over.”
    I smiled and lifted my wine. “To the successful completion of whatever it is the First Dragon wants of me.”
    “To no curse on the silver dragons,” May said, lifting her glass.
    “To peace amongst the dragons,” Aisling said, clinking our glasses with hers.
    “To sexy little Corgis with the fuzziest butts imaginable,” Jim added, slurping loudly out of its water bowl.

Chapter Four
    “ Y ou are being ridiculously obstinate.”
    “And you are being unrealistic.” Baltic jammed a few articles of clothing into a small bag. “I am the wyvern, Ysolde. You are the mate. I have yielded to you on more occasions than I like, but about this I will not.”
    It came as no surprise that he outright refused to lift the silver dragon curse. What did take me aback was his flat refusal to even consider the idea of meeting with the other wyverns.
    “If you don’t agree to meet with the weyr, then the whole thing is off.” I couldn’t help the note of pleading in my voice as I followed him when he went from the closet to the bed with a few more items of clothing. “Thala will remain a prisoner, and we’ll remain at war.”
    “The war doesn’t matter to me, and Pavel and I will effect Thala’s release when we return.”
    “At the cost of how many dragons?” I asked, slapping my hands on my legs as he zipped up the bag. “You said yourself that there was far more protection around her than you imagined. You can’t just waltz in and get her—you would have to fight, just the two of you against Drake’s huge army of men intent on keeping her prisoner. And much as you annoy me at times, I don’t want you killed!”
    “ I will not be the one to die,” he said with brash arrogance.
    “By the rood, man! I don’t want anyone to die!”
    He dropped the bag onto a chair next to the bedroom door. “I have decided, mate.”
    Tears of frustration sprang to my eyes. My throat worked for a moment as I watched him gather up his keys, wallet, and cell phone. “Please,” was all I could get out, but the word was imbued with emotion.
    He turned slowly toward me, his face dark. “You ask too much, Ysolde.”
    “I know. But I have to. Don’t you see? I want you safe, but I also want to have a future. You keep saying I’m a dragon, but you’re denying me the chance to have roots. I want to explore my dragon self, but I can’t so long as we’re outside of the weyr.”
    “The two things are not mutually exclusive,” he said, taking my hands in his and gently pulling me against him.
    “They are for me. We did a war once, Baltic, and it ended in unthinkable misery. I will not go through that again.”
    His eyes closed for a moment, his face twisted with the same pain I felt so deep inside me.
    “Please,” I whispered against his mouth, allowing myself to melt against him. “Talk to the weyr again. With Thala and Fiat cooperating, we can get all of the issues straightened out, and then we can be happy.”
    “I have you. I am happy.”
    I melted a little more, reveling in the taste and scent and feel of him, my hands drawing intricate patterns on his back. “Meet with the wyverns, give serious thought about lifting the silver dragon’s curse, and I swear that Aisling, May, and I will have Thala free by the time you return from Dauva.”
    He was still and silent for so long that I was about to give in to despair, but at last he swore under his breath, and kissed me swiftly. “I will do this one last thing for you, mate, but this is it! There will be no more boons! It is the absolute last one—do you understand?”
    “I understand,” I said, smiling up at him.
    His gaze slid toward the bed, but before I could do so much as kiss him, he sighed and gently put me away from him. “I will miss my flight if I allow you to thank me properly. I do not like this plan you have to free Thala, but I am aware that it is not you the wyverns want dead, so you may proceed with it despite my misgivings. You will not put yourself in any danger, however.”
    “So bossy,” I said, giving in to my desire and kissing him. “Fire. Please.”
    He bathed me in his dragon fire