Constantine rubbed his chin, his eyes on me. “I was asked to find the talisman. I hate to go back on a promise to do so. What do you think, Bee?”

I was touched that he even thought to ask me, given that my experience with dragons—and, initially, Constantine—had led me to believe they just did what they wanted without consideration for others. But I was wrong. Constantine was different. Where other dragons were overbearing and insufferable, Constantine was thoughtful, and kind, and considerate. I couldn’t think of any other man, let alone a dragon, who would care for a disembodied head, and yet there was Constantine, not only fixing up a new home for Gary (and making sure he stayed hydrated), but giving him a mode of transportation.

“I think you’re pretty awesome,” I said before I realized I’d spoken that thought aloud.

Constantine’s eyebrows rose. I felt my cheeks warming when Aisling stifled a giggle, and Drake looked embarrassed.

“Man, we going to have another mate? Can I watch when he claims her?” Jim asked, snuffling my leg. I swatted at him.

“I am not anyone’s mate, and stop wiping your nose all over me. It’s cold.” I turned to give Constantine a no-nonsense look, just in case he was listening to Jim’s babble. “I am responsible for lifting the curse. That’s what I was hired to do, and that’s what I will do, come hell or high water.”

“Abaddon,” Gary and Jim corrected at the same time.

“So my inclination is to say that we will get the talisman, since I’m the best person to know what will work and what won’t work. However—” I lifted a hand to stop Aisling at the beginning of her protest. “I am willing to change my mind if you can answer one question, Constantine.”

“Forty-two,” he deadpanned.

I stared at him for the count of three, then burst into laughter. “If I didn’t like you already, the fact that you’re a Douglas Adams fan would raise you high in my estimation. Unfortunately, the answer I need isn’t going to be as amusing.”

“Very well. What is your question?”

“If Bael gets hold of the light sword, will it make it harder for me to Charm the curse?”

“Oooh, good question,” Gary said, hopping up and down a little. “And scary, too, because what if Asmodeus gets the light sword? Then we’ll have two powerful demon lords going at it, and where will it end?”

“The head has a point,” Drake said.

“I have a name!” Gary said indignantly.

“He does have a point,” Constantine said slowly, his eyes now dark with thought, with only a few little amber flecks showing bright. “And Bee’s question drives home the question of what we must deal with after the curse is broken.”

“Assuming it is,” Drake said drily.

“Of course it will be broken,” Aisling said.

“The Charmer has already tried and failed. There is nothing to say that can’t happen again,” he pointed out.

“Hey now,” I protested. “We weren’t told that the curse originated with Bael. The fact that the Charming failed isn’t our fault.”

“The answer to your question is yes, I think,” Constantine said, having ignored us all to focus on what was important. “Bael cast the curse on us. We still don’t know how he did that from the Akasha, but the fact that he could warns us that even there he had powers beyond our estimation. But if he were to gather together three new Tools…” He hesitated, then glanced at Drake, who immediately wrapped an arm around Aisling and pulled her close.

“If he gets new Tools, then he’ll become unstoppable?” I finished.

“No. Or rather, not in the sense you mean. He will, however, be able to layer curse upon curse on dragonkin, to the point where we couldn’t break them. That is just one reason why he must be kept from gaining the light sword.”

“That answers the question of what we should do, then, doesn’t it?” I asked him.

“Yes.” He gave me a long look. “I just wanted to be sure you were happy with the decision, since you must break the curse.”

I sensed the pain within him, dampening his fire until it was almost cold, and leaving him pale and drained of energy. I hated to see him like that, since he was so warm and vital, like a personification of his dragon fire. I wanted the feisty, sexy Constantine back, not the man who bore the guilt of a father’s sins.

I leaned into him and bit his lower lip before sucking it into my mouth. There was a flash of surprise and pleasure in his eyes before I closed in for a kiss, my tongue demanding entrance, delighting in the spicy, sweet taste of him. He was like an intoxicating honey wine, going instantly to my head, and making the rest of me warm with anticipation.

“Hoo boy, that’s what I’m talking about,” I heard Jim say. “Where’s my camera? He’s going to claim her right here in front of us.”

“Golly,” Gary said, his voice filled with wonder. “I thought you were wrong before, Jim, but gracious me alive! That is quite the kiss, isn’t it?”

“Jim! Get out of my purse. No, you may not use my cell phone. Drop it! Bad demon!”

“Aw, Ash, you never let me have any phone. Just a couple of pictures. One or two for my Facebook page. Bet I’d get a ton of likes for it.”

“No.”

“I hope Constantine does claim Bee. That would mean I could stay with them both, rather than having to be just Connie’s sidekick. Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” Gary said. “But you know, it’s better to have a mom and dad rather than just one, although Connie does tend to hang out at some cool places that I don’t think Bee would like. But you have to take the good with the bad, right?”

I managed to pull myself off Constantine, who had his hands on my hips, and was kissing me back for all he was worth. It took me a good minute or two to collect my scattered wits. Dear gods, the man had a mouth that could tempt a nun. But pull back I did, and as soon as I could speak, I turned a gimlet eye on Gary.

“If you refer to me as your mom again, I’ll see to it that your RC car privileges are revoked for a week.”

“Ouch,” Jim said.

Gary’s eyes widened. “I was just trying to explain that I felt like we were a family.”

“Uh huh. Don’t call me mom again.” I avoided looking at Constantine, and kept my gaze on Drake. “If you would be so kind as to find a talisman, we would be grateful. Just remember that it has to be something of personal importance to Bael.”