Me and My Shadow - Katie MacAlister [108]
“That was very exciting,” Nora said, her eyes alight with interest. “I had no idea you could be so deadly, May. When you vanished from sight, and then reappeared behind Fiat, I gasped. I truly gasped. It was magnificent.”
“We mates have to do what we can to take care of our wyverns,” Cyrene piped up, putting her arm through Kostya’s and giving him an adoring look.
My lips twitched a little at the martyred expression on his face.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” I couldn’t help but ask him.
“No,” he said, then smiled when Cyrene bit his arm. “But it seems I have little choice. Your twin insists I can’t live without her, and unfortunately, she’s correct. Maddening, but correct.”
I laughed at the look of outrage on Cy’s face as she poked him in the chest, and would have warned Kostya of what he could expect living with her, but at that moment, two things happened.
Aisling appeared. “Drake, that thief taker is at the door. Pál won’t let him in until you give him the OK.”
Drake started to leave, but she stopped him by putting a hand on his arm. “There’s one other thing.”
He frowned down at her.
“My water broke while I was in the bathroom. I think the baby’s annoyed, because she gave me a hell of a contraction, and I have a nasty, suspicious feeling that another one is—”
Her face screwed up in pain as she gasped and doubled over.
Drake roared and scooped her up, carrying her up the stairs as he called over his shoulder, “Get the midwife!”
Chapter Eighteen
“That’s probably the midwife,” I said, leaping down the last couple of stairs to run to the front door. “I’ll get it, István. You go back and keep Drake from murdering Gabriel, will you? Savian tried, but got knocked out cold for his efforts.”
István rolled his eyes but, at the sound of Drake yelling, bolted up the stairs.
“Ouch,” Jim said from where it sat on a settee, calmly reading the paper. A crash reverberated through the house. “Did that sound to you like the noise a wyvern’s head makes when he’s slammed up against the wall? ’Cause that’s what it sounded like to me.”
“I told Gabriel to stay out of the way and let his mom deal with Aisling, but he insisted that he’s had more experience with dragons than she has. I just hope Drake calms down and realizes he’s trying to help.” I glanced at one of the security systems that scanned visitors at the front door, saw the green light that indicated the person was not armed, and punched in the code to unlock the door, flinging it open with a relieved, “Thank heavens you’re here. Aisling isn’t fully dilated, but Drake is going berserk—oh.”
The person standing on the steps wasn’t the midwife, wasn’t even a dragon for that matter.
“My interest is not with Aisling Grey today, fully dilated or not,” Dr. Kostich said, brushing past me into the house, followed by a man and a woman. “I told you that I would return just as soon as my apprentices could be summoned. This is Jack and Tully. We are here to make plans regarding the dragon you refer to as Baltic.”
“I’m sorry, but things are a little hectic right now. Perhaps you could come back later? Aisling has gone into labor, and everyone is running around making sure she’s comfortable.”
“I just told you my business was not with her,” Dr. Kostich answered, stripping off leather gloves and removing his heavy overcoat. “We will meet with the green and silver wyverns to discuss matters. I have exactly two hours I can give this subject.”
“Yes, but—”
He pinned me back with a look that had me wanting to shadow. “This is not a courtesy visit, Mei Ling, nor is your participation optional.”
I was aware of a subtle pressure to do as he bade, a pressure that would probably have sent a mortal running to do as he wanted without thinking twice about it. But I was not a mortal, nor was I about to let him run roughshod over everyone.
“Ooh, a demon. Can I pet it?” the man named Jack asked as he examined Jim.
“If you give me five bucks, I’ll let you rub my belly,” Jim said, rolling over onto its back.
Jack laughed and obliged.
I turned back