Light Dragons 03 - Sparks Fly

thus incorporeal) state, solidified again with a besotted look on his face.
    “Er ... just a second, Constantine. Aisling, could I have a quick word with you?”
    “Of course,” she said, gesturing toward a side door. “Private, I assume?”
    “Yes. It’s ... er ... mate business. Constantine, please do not try to challenge Gabriel. I’ll be back in a minute.”
    May and I followed Aisling into a small sitting room.
    “Ysolde does not command me. About my sept, Tauhou-” Constantine was saying as I closed the door.
    “What’s up?” Aisling asked, propping one hip against a small table.
    “I want to ask you a strange question,” I said carefully.
    “Whoa! Sex talk in private?”
    Aisling rolled her eyes at the demon as it entered the room. “Hush, you. What sort of strange question?”
    “It’s about Drake.” I considered how best to phrase my question.
    Aisling made a face. “You’ve known him a lot longer than I have, judging by the vision you had a few months ago.”
    “I knew him, but didn’t know him, if you know what I mean. Ugh. That sentence was confusing. What I want to know is whether you trust him.”
    She blinked at me.
    “OK, that one didn’t come out right, either.” I thought for a moment, trying to find the words that would not offend, yet make it clear what I was after. “If you weren’t Drake’s mate, and you had something very valuable that could possibly be misused, would you trust him to hold it without abusing it?”
    She laughed, to my surprise. “That’s an easy question. I did, and I did.”
    “You did?”
    May looked as confused as I felt. “What did you trust Drake with that was so valuable?”
    “Have you ever heard of the Tools of Bael?”
    May’s eyes widened. “You didn’t have one of them!”
    Aisling nodded. “I did. That was how I met Drake, as a matter of fact. He stole the aquamanile I was sent to Paris to deliver. It turned out to be one of the Tools of Bael.”
    “I’m not familiar with that. What exactly are the Tools of Bael?” I asked.
    “You don’t get to Abaddon much, do you?” Jim asked, snuffling me.
    “I have enough things going on in my life that fortunately, no, I don’t.”
    “The Tools of Bael are three gold objects that individually allow the bearer to tap into the power of Bael. Or they did. I heard from the Guardians’ Guild that they were destroyed shortly before Bael was banished. But before he was, they were objects of great power, and the three of them together had basically limitless power. Enough to topple the mortal world itself.”
    “And you gave one of those to Drake?” I shook my head. “Before you were his mate? How did you know he wasn’t going to use it?”
    “Because I knew by then that Drake might be many things, but he has never been power hungry. And he could have done a whole lot more damage than you know-you see, he already had possession of the other two Tools. He had to give them over to Bael a few years ago, but never once did he consider using them. So in answer to your question, yes, absolutely I would trust him with an object of great importance. Were you planning on giving him one, perhaps in payment for a certain task?”
    “That’s what I’m thinking, yes. It just depends ... ”
    “Depends on what?” she asked.
    I smiled. “On some things that haven’t quite come together. Thanks for the honesty.”
    “Any time,” she said, escorting us back into the library.
    “And thank you for the wonderful lunch. My compliments to Suzanne. May, Gabriel-it was a delight to see you again, and just as soon as Baltic and I get settled in a home while Dauva’s being rebuilt, I’ll have you all over for dinner. In the meantime, Drake, consider yourself employed. I’ll be in contact about ... er ... things.”
    Aisling hurried after us as I all but dragged Constantine to the door while saying the necessary polite things, but avoiding the penetrative look Aisling bent upon me.
    “Where are you taking me, my forceful one?” Constantine said as one of Drake’s redheaded guards opened the front door. “I am not done with the silver pretender-”
    “Yes, you are. Thanks, István. It was nice seeing you again. Pavel sends his best to you and Pál. Constantine, stop digging in your feet. I have something I want to say to you.”
    “Something private regarding our plans?” he asked, following me when I exited the house. “Or something intimate? You wish for me to destroy Baltic once and for