Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly

me as I finally turned to Baltic. “How?” I asked.
    The others in the room applauded and congratulated me.
    “We made a deal,” Baltic said, his expression grim.
    “What did you give him?” Dread quelled some of my joy. “Your talisman-”
    “No, not that,” he interrupted, a disgusted look on his handsome face.
    “Then what?”
    “Me.” Constantine appeared out of nowhere to take my hand and press a wet kiss to it. After a moment’s consideration, he continued up my arm.
    Baltic growled and snatched my hand away. Constantine gave me a little leer.
    “Oh my god, he didn’t just make Constantine a member of his sept, did he?” Aisling asked.
    “I think he did,” May answered. “I’m just ... wow.”
    My gaze met Baltic’s. Martyrdom was rife in his beautiful black eyes. “You did that for me?”
    “Yes.”
    I kissed him, murmuring, “Just when I think I couldn’t love you any more, you go and prove me wrong. This is the sweetest, the most thoughtful, kindest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
    “I don’t say it will be an easy thing to live under Baltic’s reign again,” Constantine said, striking up a pose. “But for Ysolde, I will bear it.”
    “And not be able to challenge Kostya again,” Aisling said, nodding at her brother-in-law. “Smart thinking, Kostya.”
    “Hmm. Now that I’m officially in your sept, I can challenge you for control of it,” Constantine told Baltic. “And Ysolde. I like that idea!”
    Baltic growled and lunged at Constantine, who shrieked and faded just as Baltic lifted him overhead in preparation for flinging him into the nearest wall.
    “Baltic, really! Don’t be breaking Dauva. The First Dragon went to considerable trouble to have it rebuilt, which really was a very nice present, when you think about it, although I would have preferred something along the lines of a large house rather than an exact reproduction of a medieval castle. Still, we’ll have lots of room for Brom and the baby to play, and for everyone to come and visit us when we’re not at Dragonwood.”
    Behind me, Constantine appeared on the long table, and started into reasons why Baltic should step down and let him be wyvern. Baltic, moving too fast for Constantine, leaped onto the table and caught him up by the throat, shaking him like a terrier does with a rat.
    “A happy end to another successful sárkány ,” Aisling said, biting the end of Drake’s nose. He looked outraged for a moment, then, with a grumble, pulled her up to kiss her mindless.
    I watched Baltic a bit nervously. I knew how much it must have cost him to accept Constantine into the sept, and that he did so of his own accord just to return Dragonwood to me ... .
    There was a smile on his face as he throttled Constantine, who squawked, his arms flailing around wildly.
    Baltic’s eyes met mine.
    “I love you,” I mouthed to him down the long length of the hall.
    “By my mate’s grace, you are allowed into the sept, but I reserve the right to name you ouroboros at any time,” Baltic warned, tossing Constantine aside. He jumped off the table and stalked toward me, his body moving with a sinuous grace that never failed to make my stomach tighten in pleasure.
    “You’re going to make me suffer for this, aren’t you?” I said as he approached me.
    “You will pay for making me go through this hell, yes,” he said, his eyes molten with desire. “Every single day of your life you will pay. Every. Single. Day.”
    I shivered in heated anticipation. “Oh good. Let me tell you about this new restraint system I picked up for you in England. It hooks over the door, and with it, we can-”
    He picked me up and carried me to the stone stairs leading to the upper level. “You will have to refrain from your more inventive fantasies until after my son is born, chérie . I would not have you or the babe hurt in your enthusiasm to placate my temper.”
    “Our daughter is going to be just fine with a few little additions to the normal routine, not that I find anything wrong with how you normally do things, but still ... hmm. I wonder if we could summon up another vision of when you and I used to live in Dauva. I bet there are some good ones to be had.”
    “Always you wish to engage in a foursome,” Baltic said, shaking his head while rounding the landing and starting down the hall that led to the master bedroom.
    I gasped. “Oh, I do not! Well, OK, I do now and again, but just with ourselves, and that’s not