“You know,” Sophea said in a conversational tone of voice, “just once I’d like to understand what’s being said without wishing I had a dragon dictionary. What’s a weyr?”

“I like you,” Jim the demon dog said, snuffling at her sandals. “I like the sword, I like the whole Xena role play thing, and I like that you smell like someone who would give a starving dog some treats. Got any, as we’re on the subject?”

“Rawr,” Sophea told the demon, sending a little ball of fire to his feet.

“Gotcha,” Jim said, nodding and giving her toes one last sniff. “You both need some alone time. Luckily, I’m happy to chill in the buffet line. Ash, babe, lead me to the buffet!”

“We aren’t staying, silly,” Aisling told her demon. “We’re just here for a little bit. Although I do agree that the First Dragon seems kind of high-handed in asking us to come all the way to the Egyptian Underworld just to see a new wyvern made.”

Drake shot her a look. “Mate, you should not speak of the First Dragon in that manner. He is a god.”

“Demigod,” Rowan said without thinking, then made a face. “And if you’ve looked long enough at my mate—”

“I am so not your mate. Or maybe I am… I’m not exactly sure what’s going on here, other than I like you a lot, but I’m really thinking that this is not the time or place to try to work out a blossoming relationship, especially since my first husband—wyvern—whatever—didn’t last an hour after we were married.”

“You’re getting married?” Bee asked. She turned to Constantine. “We should do that.”

“We should?” he asked, looking startled.

“Kostya and I are getting married in St. Petersburg,” Aoife told Bee. “In September. He says it’s really pretty then, and it sounds very romantic.”

“Oh my gosh,” Gary the head said, bouncing up and down slightly in his jeep. “You three should totally have a group wedding! All the siblings together! Wouldn’t that be awesome? I can see it now—all the ladies in white, and the gentlemen in tuxes, and Jim and me leading the way with flowers. And afterward, we could have a ripping party!”

“I wouldn’t mind, if Bee didn’t,” Aoife said slowly.

“Hmm.” Bee appeared to think about this. “I suppose we could…”

“No,” Rowan said, and made shooing gestures again, this time with broader sweeps of his hands. “We want no part of your plans.”

“Well… hold on. Maybe we do. I mean, I’m not big on weddings at all, which is why Jian and I had ours at the courthouse, but I have to admit that a group party with your family sounds kind of fun,” Sophea said. “Not that I’m saying I want to marry you, because honestly, I still have a suspicion that there’s some sort of kiss of death thing going on with men I marry. I mean, the First Dragon was all set to off you before we winnowed down the number of deaths you owed him, and he decided to take you as one of them.”

“Ah, is that how this came about?” Drake nodded. “I wondered why he chose to forgive the debt.”

“He didn’t forgive it. He simply took our lives for those that were lost,” Rowan said stiffly.

“In other words, he saw reason,” Sophea said, flashing Rowan a smile that made him want to strip her bare and cover her with kisses. “Which is saying a lot considering that he was ready to smite Rowan where he stood. But back to this group wedding business…” She slid him a considering look. “If we did want to get hitched, then maybe that’s something we should consider.”

“See? Sophie is on board with it,” Gary said, his face scrunched up in thought. “I see it now… an orange blossom arch. The brides in ivory satin with lashings of antique lace trailing after them. Jim with baskets of flowers to be strewn. Me in a top hat, riding him, and cascading petals down the aisle…”

“Dude, I am not a pack mule. Not even for you,” Jim told the head. “But I do like the idea of a top hat. Aisling, can I have a top hat for the wedding?”

“Sophea,” Rowan told his mate, pausing a moment at that last word. He was a bit surprised at how strongly he felt toward her. Not that he wasn’t growing to be very fond of her before… the event… but now, no matter what she said, he knew in his heart that she was his mate, the woman placed on the earth to complete him and make him happy to the end of his days. Which had suddenly, thanks to the interference of the First Dragon, grown to an impossible number. “I’m at my limit. Either I’m going to have to fight every man here or I’ll kiss the breath out of your lungs in front of everyone.”

“Ooh,” she said with interest lighting her eyes. “Do I get to pick which you do?”

“Yes. And assuming you’re going to go for the kissing, I should warn you that if you don’t want witnesses to what I’m about to do to you after that, and believe me, I have a mental list that is growing with each minute you stand there being impossibly deliciously tempting, then you might want to ensure the others leave.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Jim said with a low whistle. He nudged Gary, and asked sotto voce, “You got a camera on you? A dragon claiming his mate for the first time is sure to be Internet gold. Viral video fame, here we come!”

“And I think that’s just about enough from you,” Aisling said before Sophea could reply to Rowan. She grabbed the demon by his collar, causing Jim to squawk, “Help, help, I’m being repressed!”

“You’re going to be a lot more than repressed if you keep that up,” Aisling told the demon, and with a backward look at Rowan, said simply, “It was very nice to meet you both. I’m glad you’re not a dragon killer any longer, not that I bought that whole story, because I know how stubborn the dragons can be about seeing things their way and only their way. Do let us know if you need any help with demons.”

“Don’t let us know,” Drake corrected her, taking her arm and escorting her from the room. “Mate, I’ve told you that you are not to undertake dangerous tasks while you are with child. I won’t have you risking yourself or the babe…”

“Three down,” Rowan muttered under his breath, looking out of the side of his eyes at Sophea.