Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly

a raised dog bowl.
    Jim sniffed and wrinkled its nose. “That’s not a burger! It smells like cereal and crap.”
    “It’s a vegetarian burger. It’s healthy and low fat, and it’s just what you need if you’re going to lose that extra ten pounds the vet says you need to drop. If you don’t want it, you don’t have to eat it. Now, let’s see ... Ysolde, our cook heard me talk so much about the wonderful food you had at the sárkány , she wanted to make sure you’d enjoy this lunch, so she went all out with the menu. Here we have panfried Tasmanian ocean trout with butternut squash gnocchi, and that is the orange-honey marinated beetroot, ricotta, and pine nuts tossed with a citrus dressing, and over there is a crisp flatbread, topped with Gruyère and ham.”
    “Oh man! And all I got was a low-fat crap burger!” Jim whined, watching with pathetic eyes as Aisling pointed out each dish. “I love Tasmanian ocean trout!”
    “Beetroot, ricotta, and pine nuts,” I repeated as we took our seats around the table laden with delicious food. “I’ll have to tell Pavel about that. I never thought of pairing up beetroot and pine nuts.”
    “Bet Pavel wouldn’t starve my magnificent form with crap burgers.”
    “It looks delicious, Aisling,” May said as she took a seat next to me.
    “Bet Gabe wouldn’t, either.”
    “I hope you like it. Suzanne felt we had some standards to live up to,” Aisling said with pride as she skirted Jim and pulled out a chair.
    Jim sighed and slumped over so its head was resting in its bowl. “Can I have the leftovers?”
    “No,” Aisling told it. “Eat your healthy burger.”
    “You didn’t even have Suzanne make me proper fries. These are sweet potato fries.”
    “You love sweet potato fries, and so help me god, Jim-”
    “I’m eating, I’m eating. But if I waste away to nothing and you have to get me another form because this one is skin and bones, I’m going to pick an elephant or something. Then you’ll really be sorry when it’s time to take me for walkies.”
    Luckily for Jim, the tempting dishes before us served as an ample distraction to keep Aisling from carrying through with her threat to banish it to the demon version of limbo. A short time later, when we were done moaning that we had all eaten too much of the wonderful lunch, Aisling called the meeting to order.
    “On our agenda today-” Aisling stopped as the door to the library was thrown open with a flourish.
    “Am I late?” asked the woman who stood there, her blue eyes lighting on the remaining food. “Oh goody, I’m not too late. Is that beetroot? I love beetroot!”
    “Cyrene,” I said, blinking a couple of times in astonishment at the sight of May’s twin when she hurried over to the table and helped herself. “I didn’t know ... that is, I wasn’t aware ... er ... ” I cast a helpless glance at May and Aisling.
    May gave a weak smile. “I meant to warn you that Cyrene was back in town, Aisling. She ... uh ... showed up last night to spend the night with us, and heard Gabriel mention the Mates’ Union meeting.”
    “Butternut squash gnocchi!” Cyrene squealed as she hauled over a chair and sat down with her loaded plate. “How did you know I loved butternut squash? Oh, and the union? Totally fabulous idea, Aisling. I’m so in on it.”
    “I wasn’t ... eh ... I didn’t think you would be interested in a mates’ union,” Aisling said, clearly floundering with the rest of us. “Drake never said anything about ... and you’re not really ... are you?”
    “Am I what?” Cyrene asked around a mouthful of trout and gnocchi.
    “What she means is, did the K-man lose his mind and take you back, or are you still boinking Neptune?” Jim said, spitting out a piece of parsley garnish. “You gonna eat that last bit of trout?”
    “Lose his mind!” Cyrene sputtered, outraged. “As if Kostya would have to lose his mind to beg me on his knees to return to him, which is naturally what has happened since I’m here now, aren’t I?”
    May, who had more insight into her twin than the rest of us, watched her with a wariness that was telling. “If you’re back with Kostya, then why did you spend last night with us?”
    “Kostie-kins has been out of town,” Cyrene said, waving away the question with her fork. “You know how lonely I get, so I’m sure he’d want me to stay with you until he gets back.”
    Aisling opened her mouth as if to speak but instead tipped her head on