Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly

“I don’t follow what it is you’re trying to say. What does her source of power have to do with how dangerous she is?”
    “I am a shade,” he said, touching his chest.
    “Yeees,” I said slowly, still not seeing what it was he was implying.
    “I am made up of dark power, sweetling. That’s what a shade is, and why when we run out of it, we dissipate into nothing until such time as our consciousnesses have gathered up enough power to return to the mortal plane.”
    “So you’re saying that Thala could, what, suck up all your energy and destroy you for good?” I asked, giving the hummingbird vibrator to Constantine when he gestured for it. I moaned softly when he rubbed it along the top of my shoulder line, working it gently into the tight muscles there.
    “The opposite, my heavenly body. Exactly the opposite. Necromancers have power over liches; their abilities have little effect on spirits, bound or unbound. I’ve heard it said that necromancers avoid shades because they simply have no way to control us.”
    I spun around, staring at him. “They don’t? None whatsoever?”
    He shrugged and turned off the hummingbird, putting it back in the box before replacing it in his basket. I caught a view on the box of just in what manner the long proboscis was meant to be used, and hurriedly averted my gaze. “Shades are Risen, Ysolde. Necromancers deal with spirits who are not, and it is that from them that they make liches. So no, they have no power against us. Why does this amaze you?”
    “Because it means ... ” I bit my lip for a moment, weighing Baltic’s anger with Constantine to his overpowering dislike of Dr. Kostich. “Constantine, if I asked you to help us, would you do it? Without telling me every five minutes how much you love me and that I should leave Baltic for you?”
    “But I do love you, and you should leave that murdering-”
    “Without that, would you help us? If I asked you to?”
    His expression turned thoughtful, then canny. “With the necromancer?”
    “Yes. The animosity between you and Baltic notwithstanding, I think he would prefer to have you deal with Thala than Dr. Kostich. He still hasn’t forgiven Dr. Kostich for that incident that resulted in my dying. Again .”
    “I will not help Baltic,” Constantine said firmly. I opened my mouth to try to persuade him, but stopped when he took my free hand and continued. “But I will do anything that you ask me, my ripe little plum. Assuming you will reciprocate, naturally.”
    “Reciprocate how?” I asked, amused that even dead, dragons still enjoyed bargaining. “I’m not going to do anything against Baltic.”
    He made a face. “Unfortunately, I begin to believe your protestations regarding him are true. The help from you that I seek has nothing to do with him.”
    “Or Gabriel,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him to let him know I wasn’t going to budge on that point, either.
    “The silver dragons-”
    “Are happy with Gabriel.”
    “I started-”
    “No,” I said, pulling my hand from his to hold it up. “I won’t do it. If that means you won’t help me, then so be it, but I will not help you try to take the silver sept from Gabriel.”
    He pouted for a moment, then said with ill grace, “I love you, as I have said many times. You have requested my aid. By the code of chivalry that binds me to your side, I have no choice but to honor your wishes, and I will do as you ask.”
    “And in return, what do you want me to do for you?” I asked with no little wariness, knowing better than to fall for that chivalric-code crap. There wasn’t a dragon born who didn’t try to bargain for every favor done.
    He was silent a moment, his dark eyes searching mine. “I do not know when I will need your help, but I feel that time is very near. I ask simply that if I request your help, and you feel morally able to provide it, that you do so in recognition of any assistance I give you with the necromancer.”
    I bit my lip again as I thought furiously. Baltic wouldn’t like my promising to help Constantine any more than he’d like Constantine’s helping us with Thala ... but the needs must when the devil drives. “I agree. So long as it’s nothing I’m morally opposed to, I’ll help you.”
    Smiling, he made a move as if he was going to kiss my hand, but a voice stopped him.
    “Constantine Norka?” A tall, elegant woman of Indian ethnicity approached us. “I am Marsella.”
    “Yes, I am Constantine. This is