of war very seriously, and I have no doubt whatsoever that they will make several attempts to harm you in an attempt to make me yield. I suspect they are the ones behind the hit-and-run accident, as well.”
“Great, that’s all I need—the red dragons on my back.”
“You need not fear on that score, kincsem” His eyes glittered at me with restrained heat. “I will allow no one to harm you. What else did you have to discuss with me?”
I shifted my mental gears from murder attempts to more intimate matters. “Something a bit more personal. I want to talk about what happened in Budapest and what it means to us now.”
“Ah.” He sat back, giving me a long look. “I take it you’re about to lambaste me again for your lack of fore sight.”
I took a deep breath. No other man—no, no other person—in the entire world left me simultaneously frus trated, enraged, and so much in love it made me giddy with joy just to look at him. “No, I’m not going to lam baste you again for anything. I realize now that I went into this arrangement blind, and although it would have been nice to have someone tell me what exactly was going to be expected of me as a wyvern’s mate, I am will ing to take my share of the blame for not asking enough questions.”
A light flared for a moment in Drake’s eyes, dying al most immediately. “If only you had been this reasonable in Budapest.”
I carefully set down the table knife I’d been gripping. “You’re not going to bait me into an argument, Drake. I want to talk to you about what’s going on, but if you have no desire to participate seriously in a discussion about the possible future of our relationship, then this is a waste of time.”
He was silent for a moment, his fingers drawing lazy circles on the tablecloth. I shivered a little, knowing the sort of fire those fingers could stir within me. “You wish to negotiate?”
“Yes.” I nodded. Negotiate was as good a term as any, and one to which Drake responded well. “Things got out of hand in Budapest. I’m the first one to admit that and to admit that I was as much to blame for it as you were.”
I waited to see whether he’d object to that, but he didn’t say anything, just inclined his head for me to continue.
“But I’ve had some time to think, and sort things out, and really work through what it is I want from life.”
“You wish to be a Guardian,” Drake said, his face im passive. I was instantly suspicious.
“I am a Guardian. There’s nothing anyone can do about that now. I may not be formally trained, and I may not ever be recognized officially as one, but I’ve made my peace with the fact that I was put on this earth to wrangle demons and watch over portals to Hell.”
“Is that so?” Drake asked in a deceptively soft voice. He was silent again for a moment, but there was a banked fire in his eyes.
I opened myself up to it for a moment, embracing that dragon fire that seemed so natural to me, watching with amazement as my fingernails burst into flame. One by one I doused the dragon fire by dipping my fingers in my water glass.
“I take it you believe there is another reason for my existence?” I smiled to myself as I sipped my iced tea. I knew exactly what he was going to say.
“Do you know how wyverns are born?” he asked, causing me to choke on a piece of chipped ice. That’ll teach me to be smug wherever Drake was concerned.
“You said that dragons are born in human form, not. . . er.. . hatched or anything, so I assume it’s the normal human way.”
He shook his head, sipping from his glass of dragon’s blood. “I did not mean literally. A wyvern is born, not created. He has one dragon parent and one human. Wyverns ascend to their positions by right of tanistry, so they are not necessarily the direct descendant of a wyvern.”
“You have a human parent?” I asked, stunned by that revelation. “You’re only half-dragon?”
“No, I am completely a dragon,” he
“Great, that’s all I need—the red dragons on my back.”
“You need not fear on that score, kincsem” His eyes glittered at me with restrained heat. “I will allow no one to harm you. What else did you have to discuss with me?”
I shifted my mental gears from murder attempts to more intimate matters. “Something a bit more personal. I want to talk about what happened in Budapest and what it means to us now.”
“Ah.” He sat back, giving me a long look. “I take it you’re about to lambaste me again for your lack of fore sight.”
I took a deep breath. No other man—no, no other person—in the entire world left me simultaneously frus trated, enraged, and so much in love it made me giddy with joy just to look at him. “No, I’m not going to lam baste you again for anything. I realize now that I went into this arrangement blind, and although it would have been nice to have someone tell me what exactly was going to be expected of me as a wyvern’s mate, I am will ing to take my share of the blame for not asking enough questions.”
A light flared for a moment in Drake’s eyes, dying al most immediately. “If only you had been this reasonable in Budapest.”
I carefully set down the table knife I’d been gripping. “You’re not going to bait me into an argument, Drake. I want to talk to you about what’s going on, but if you have no desire to participate seriously in a discussion about the possible future of our relationship, then this is a waste of time.”
He was silent for a moment, his fingers drawing lazy circles on the tablecloth. I shivered a little, knowing the sort of fire those fingers could stir within me. “You wish to negotiate?”
“Yes.” I nodded. Negotiate was as good a term as any, and one to which Drake responded well. “Things got out of hand in Budapest. I’m the first one to admit that and to admit that I was as much to blame for it as you were.”
I waited to see whether he’d object to that, but he didn’t say anything, just inclined his head for me to continue.
“But I’ve had some time to think, and sort things out, and really work through what it is I want from life.”
“You wish to be a Guardian,” Drake said, his face im passive. I was instantly suspicious.
“I am a Guardian. There’s nothing anyone can do about that now. I may not be formally trained, and I may not ever be recognized officially as one, but I’ve made my peace with the fact that I was put on this earth to wrangle demons and watch over portals to Hell.”
“Is that so?” Drake asked in a deceptively soft voice. He was silent again for a moment, but there was a banked fire in his eyes.
I opened myself up to it for a moment, embracing that dragon fire that seemed so natural to me, watching with amazement as my fingernails burst into flame. One by one I doused the dragon fire by dipping my fingers in my water glass.
“I take it you believe there is another reason for my existence?” I smiled to myself as I sipped my iced tea. I knew exactly what he was going to say.
“Do you know how wyverns are born?” he asked, causing me to choke on a piece of chipped ice. That’ll teach me to be smug wherever Drake was concerned.
“You said that dragons are born in human form, not. . . er.. . hatched or anything, so I assume it’s the normal human way.”
He shook his head, sipping from his glass of dragon’s blood. “I did not mean literally. A wyvern is born, not created. He has one dragon parent and one human. Wyverns ascend to their positions by right of tanistry, so they are not necessarily the direct descendant of a wyvern.”
“You have a human parent?” I asked, stunned by that revelation. “You’re only half-dragon?”
“No, I am completely a dragon,” he
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