Light Dragons 02 - The Unbearable Lightness of Dragons

the way home, I swear I’m never getting in a car with you again! Stop! It’s not our turn to go!”
    Baltic ignored both the blast of a car’s horn and its occupant, who was making several rude gestures as he proceeded through an intersection toward the main highway that would take us home. “I am a wyvern. We do not take turns.”
    “For the love of—ack! You almost hit that cow!”
    “Cows should be in fields, not on roads,” Baltic said, glaring at the bovine in the rearview mirror.
    I watched the cow in the side mirror, relieved to see it moving in a manner that indicated it was startled by its near-death experience but not hurt. “Agreed, but that doesn’t give you the right to almost run them down. Look, you scared the cow and now it’s bolted and knocked down that poor cyclist you flung into the ditch. We should stop and help him. He’s just lying stunned in the middle of the road. He could get run over.”
    “You should stop trying to change the subject and tell me what Kostich wants you to do for him,” Baltic countered.
    Pavel, sitting in the backseat, had turned around to watch the drama between the cow and the cyclist, but now turned back with raised eyebrows. One look at my face had him hunkering down with a book.
    “Are you willing to discuss lifting the curse on the silver dragons?”
    “No.”
    “I can be just as stubborn as you,” I told him, crossing my arms and trying not to notice how close he came to sideswiping other cars as he merged onto the main road.
    “I have had ample proof of that,” he muttered under his breath.
    “I am sitting right next to you. I can hear everything you say.” I damned his stubbornness, and wondered how on earth I was going to convince him to lift the curse.
    He switched to Zilant before falling silent. Although the rest of the trip was fraught with innumerable death-defying moments, we made it home in one piece.
    “Mate, you will tell me now what it is you have undertaken for the archimage,” Baltic said, holding me back as Pavel headed for the house. “Is it to do with the light sword?”
    “No.” I stopped trying to pry his fingers from my upper arm, admitting that he had done as I had asked and it was my turn to acquiesce. “He asked for my help with his granddaughter.”
    His eyes narrowed. “Why would he seek your help for that?”
    “Because she’s half dragon, and I was handy. She’s involved with some ouroboros dragons, and he wants her away from them. I promised to find out what’s going on and to aid her as best I can.”
    “An ouroboros tribe?” His gaze turned contemplative. “Is that why you were asking about them? Which tribe?”
    “I’m not absolutely certain, but I suspect they are the ones who imprisoned Kostya in his aerie.”
    He shook his head; then, taking my hand in a gentler grasp, he escorted me toward the kitchen door. “Ouroboros dragons are dangerous. I do not want you becoming involved with them.”
    “Dangerous how?”
    “They have no respect for septs, or the weyr.”
    “Neither do you,” I pointed out as we entered the kitchen to find Nico and Brom seated at the table, while Pavel was obviously about to prepare some paninis. “We’re technically ouroboros, too, so I doubt if we have much to fear from them.”
    Before Baltic could answer, Thala burst into the room. “There you are! You are late! You said you would be here two hours ago!”
    Baltic looked taken aback for about three seconds, before his expression darkened. “We were detained.”
    She tossed an angry glance my way, then took his arm and tugged him toward the hall door. “No doubt it was intentional. Isn’t Kostich friends with the green mate?”
    “Not according to Aisling.” I eyed the red peppers and turkey breast that Pavel was slicing.
    Thala ignored my comment. “The green dragons summoned you while Kostich was moving my mother’s sword to safety.”
    Baltic froze at her words. “He has moved the sword?”
    “Yes.” Her lips compressed as she shot me an unreadable look before continuing. “I told you that we needed to do more than simply establish the level of security at Suffrage House. Your woman obviously spoke to the green mate, and she told Kostich of our plans to take the sword. He has moved it from the vault there and taken it to the sepulcher.”
    “I would never betray Baltic in any way,” I said, slamming down a quarter wheel of Swiss cheese before marching over to Thala. “And if you ever again