Up in Smoke - Katie MacAlister [39]
“I am willing to recognize both the sept and the wyvern,” Fiat said suddenly, smiling at Kostya. It wasn’t a nice smile in the least, but at least he wasn’t ranting or baiting the ever-volatile Kostya.
“I knew I liked you,” Cyrene told Fiat, beaming at him. “Not enough to leave Kostya for you, you understand. I’m not fickle at all, despite May saying the opposite, but that is very kind of you to show such support for Kostya after you were so snarky to him earlier.”
There was silence for a moment while everyone stared at Cyrene.
“You see?” Kostya finally said. “Fiat is ready to recognize my right to be here. A simple vote will end the matter once and for all.”
“The issue of recognition of a black dragon sept is not why the meeting was called,” Gabriel countered, a frown darkening his expression. “This sárkány is to establish which of the two blue dragons who claim they are wyvern should be acknowledged as such, nothing more. You have not petitioned the weyr in the proper manner, Kostya.”
“You break the rules when it suits you to do so,” he answered with a pointed look at me. “Why should I not do the same?”
“Damn straight!” Cyrene said.
I tried to catch her eye, but she was clearly enjoying herself too much to allow me to rain on her parade by appealing to her reason . . . what remained of it.
“Gabriel is correct,” Drake said slowly. “A sárkány is called for a specific matter of business, and was done so in the correct fashion by Bastian in order to receive official recognition of his right to the title of wyvern. If you wish for the weyr to consider the matter of the black dragons, you must proceed via proper channels, Kostya.”
“This is a foolish waste of time. He was named by Baltic to be his successor; thus, he is wyvern. I move for the recognition of Kostya, and reinstatement of the black dragon sept into the weyr,” Bao said, snapping off each word.
“I concur,” Fiat said quickly. “The blue dragons are officially prepared to recognize Kostya and his sept.”
“You have no right to speak for my sept,” Bastian said quickly, a little wisp of smoke escaping him.
“And you have no right to address an issue that did not call the sárkány,” Gabriel told Bao.
She bared her teeth at him in what I assumed was meant to be a smile. Covertly, I reached for the dagger I keep strapped to my ankle, my fingers curling around the reassuringly solid length of its handle.
“These rules are antiquated. Why should we not deal with all weyr business at once?” she countered.
“It is not the way of the sárkány,” said Gabriel, turning a fearsome glare upon the two blue dragons. “The sooner we attend to the matter at hand, the sooner we can all leave. Shall we get started?”
“It was your mate we were all forced to wait upon,” Fiat snapped. “Clearly, you fear the arrival of Kostya and his sept and are doing your best to keep them from the weyr, but the rest of us have no such problem. Let us deal with the matter here and now, once and for all while we are all gathered.”
“I vote yes on Kostya,” Cyrene said, making herself more comfortable on his lap.
Kostya looked like he was thinking about dropping her onto the floor, but at a raised eyebrow from me, he stopped fidgeting.
Gabriel, however, was as tense as a snake about to strike. I gave his knee a little squeeze to remind him that fighting with Fiat would serve no good purpose, no matter how much he deserved to be punched in the face.
“He is too afraid of what might happen should the black dragons be recognized,” Kostya sneered, his expression as dark as night. “He knows the silver dragons should never have been recognized in their own right.”
“You know, I think I have to agree with Kostya on this,” Cyrene started to say, but I had had enough.
“I realize that I’m new to the position of wyvern’s mate, and I’m probably speaking out of turn,” I said, standing to gain a slight height advantage over everyone sitting, “but I’ve just about