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Sometimes I really would give anything not to make such statements. It just seems to tempt fate.
An hour and a half later, I looked up and asked, Did you get her settled?
Jim stomped down the stairs from where it had deposited Thala in one of the spare bedrooms. If by
settled you mean I dumped her on the bed and slapped a pair of handcuffs on her that you found,
yeah. Can I say just how kinky it is that you had a pair of handcuffs right there? Do you use them on
Baltic? Or does he use them on you?
Neither. They re Pavel s, I said, avoiding the demon s eye as I checked my phone. There was no
response to the text I had sent Baltic saying we d successfully retrieved Thala.
Seriously? Man, and he looks so normal. Did you ever get to watch him ?
No, I interrupted quickly, deciding a change of subject was in order. I frowned at the demon as it
squirmed uncomfortably. What on earth is wrong with you?
Big Jim and the twins don t like it in there, it answered, tugging at the crotch of the jeans I d lent it.
Oh, for heaven s sake you re the same size as Baltic, and I m sure that your genitalia aren t so
massive they can t fit into a pair of jeans.
Yeah, well, you try stuffing a human package into a pair of jeans without a pair of shorts on, it
answered, still squirming. That s a sensitive area, you know! You can t just cram them anywhere and
expect them to be comfortable.
I told you to take what you needed from Baltic s closet. You could have gotten a pair of underwear.
I m not wearing another guy s shorts! it answered, looking appalled. I don t know where they ve
been! Well, I do, and that doesn t reassure me any. Plus, do you think Baltic would like knowing
you re handing out his clothes?
I think he d prefer that to having you wandering around wearing nothing but a sarong made of two
sweaters. Stop clutching at yourself and sit down. I want to talk to you.
Uh-oh, it said, backing away. You ve got that scary-mom look on your face. Talk about what?
Ouroboros dragons.
Jim blinked a couple of times. You could at least feed me before you interrogate me.
It s two o clock in the morning, Jim. You don t need to eat now!
Sure I do. I spent a lot of energy hauling Thala around. She s no lightweight, you know.
I opened my mouth to protest, but thought better of it. Jim was an endless mooch for food, and would
likely be more forthcoming if it was fed. All right, I ll make you a blue-cheese-stuffed burger, but
you will tell me everything you know about outlaw dragons.
Deal, but it ain t much, only a few things I ve picked up from Ash and Drake.
By the time I made us each a burger, Jim had acclimatized itself to wearing clothing and sat docilely
enough at the kitchen table.
Baltic said that Fiat and some of his followers had been named ouroboros recently, I said, sitting
down to my very belated dinner. I know those dragons are considered outlaws now, but what about
the others?
What others? it asked around a mouthful of hamburger.
Surely there are other dragons who have been kicked out of their septs at one time or another? Or are
the blue dragons it?
Jim shrugged, dribbling a bit of blue cheese as it chewed. I don t know of any personally, but there
were some at Kostya s aerie, or so Gabriel said, and I don t know why he d lie about that unless it
was ex silver dragons holding Kostya prisoner, and I think he d know if it was.
Kostya, I said slowly, considering Baltic s former friend. I d forgotten that he was holed up in an
aerie for so long. Who held him prisoner?
Dunno. Drake still hasn t figured it out, and although he talks about going back to the aerie to look
for clues, he s too busy fawning over Aisling and the spawn to go to Nepal again.
What does Drake have to do with it?
He went to rescue Kostya and got nabbed himself. Ash and I rounded up a posse and went to rescue
them. I lost a couple of toes in the process, but got them back again with my fabulous new form. Jim
looked down at itself with morose dissatisfaction. My former fabulous new form. When are you
going to change me back?
I don t know how to, or even that I could if I did know. So Drake was at the aerie, too? That means
he must have seen the ouroboros dragons as well. Hmm. I think I m going to have to talk to Kostya,
since Drake is probably quite angry and not likely to tell me what I want to know.
Jim cocked an eyebrow and licked a bit of mustard off its upper lip. And you think Kostya will tell
you?
Yes, I said after a moment s thought. His animosity toward Baltic aside, yes, I think I can get him
to open up. If the dragons who imprisoned Kostya did so before Fiat and his followers were removed
from their sept, then that means there must be two separate tribes out there. But who are the second
group? And why would they want Kostya imprisoned? Why would they want to steal things from the
L au-dela?
You got me. You going to eat that half? Jim asked, nodding toward the remains of my hamburger.
Go ahead, but don t come running to me if you ve got an upset stomach in the morning. I shoved the
plate across the table to it and rose. I m going to get a few hours sleep. Can you keep an eye on
Thala until I get up?
Aw, man! Why do I get guard duty?
Because you re the only one here other than me, and you re a demon who doesn t technically need
sleep, whereas I m human. Er . . . kind of. And I do need sleep.
Shows what you know. Demons need sleep just like any other sentient being, Jim grumbled.
It ll just be for a few hours. I cleaned up the table quickly and started for the back stairs.
Can I at least have a gun or a Taser like Cyrene had?
I paused at the foot of the stairs, glancing back at the demon. There was a genuine look of distaste on
its face. Insight struck me. You truly do not want to be near Thala, do you?
It shook its head.
Why not?
She s not nice, it said with a grimace.
Not nice as in she s mean to demons? Abuses dogs? I asked, curious to know why a demon of its
power and connections would be so uncomfortable around Thala.
She s got a lot of power, Jim said after a few moments pause. She s half dragon, you know.
I know, but I also know she s a necromancer, and that has no influence on demons, so there s no
reason for you to be worried about being around her.
Jim said nothing, but it was clear there was more it could say. I thought for a moment of invoking a
demon lord s privilege to make it speak, but decided that it wasn t that important. Take a knife if
you re worried, but don t hurt her unless you have no other choice.
What do I do if she s gotta pee? it asked in a plaintive tone as I started up the stairs.
Undo her handcuffs and let her use the bathroom, silly.
But she ll whomp me!
I bit back the urge to tell him to whomp her back. Since she s hostile toward me, I don t want her to
leave the house until Baltic gets back and can talk to her, so just do your best for a few hours, OK?
Wake me at six, and I ll take over watchdog duty.
Jim s grumbles followed me up the stairs. While I got undressed, I eyed the big bed that normally
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