I let a slow smile curve my lips before I forced the dragon shard back into obedience, my body changing back to its normal shape. “That would make me very happy, indeed.”

She spoke a few words, and gave me a very toothy smile when Jim reappeared, its eyes rather wild. She even went so far as to pat it a couple of times on the head before turning her perky smile on Bael. “I’m sorry, Lord Bael. I forgot you said . . . I forgot.”

Bael gave her a long look before turning his head to consider the puddle of Magoth on the floor next to the wall. “He smudged my wall.”

“He had a little accident in the woods and got a bit dirty,” I explained.

Bael laced his fingers together and looked back to me. “It would appear he is also unconscious.”

“He would have just kept pestering me until I knocked him out, so I figured I’d save everyone the trouble of listening to him rant and rave. Which, I assume, he’d do, since I suspect you have something to tell me he isn’t going to like.”

“Very astute, dragon,” Bael said.

“Oh, goody, I haven’t missed it,” Sally said, beaming at me. “You’re going to love this, May. Just love it. It’s so—oh my gosh, so wonderful! I couldn’t believe it when Lord Bael told me about it. ‘May is just going to flip when she hears about this,’ I told him, and so you are.”

“Sally,” Bael said, with a weary gesture.

“Oh. Sorry. Lips are zipped,” she said, making a zipping action across her mouth. “Go right ahead and make May’s day.”

Bael leaned back in his chair, seemingly unaware of the wariness in my eyes, saying comfortably, “As I was saying before we were interrupted, there are rules that I must adhere to.”

“I am tolerably familiar with the Doctrine of Unending Conscious,” I said, mentally going over the set of rules that governed Abaddon for anything appropriate to the situation. Sally’s reassurance of loving the surprise that Bael had for me confirmed my initial impression that I was about to be sent screaming in horror from the room.

“As your employer so abrasively stated, we must grant him his due now that the expulsion has been appealed, and the appeal denied. Therefore, I am doing just that,” Bael said, flicking his fingers toward me.

I took a deep breath, holding tight to my anger and the need for the shard to dominate me. “Might I point out that Magoth running amok in the mortal world will have repercussions on Abaddon? You come and go into my world as frequently as you please—do you think you will be able to continue doing so once he rules it? Surely you must realize that he will hold a grudge, and will do everything possible to deny you access to the mortal world.”

“No one can stop me from doing what I wish,” he said with deceptive mildness. “That said, I have no intention of allowing Magoth to rule any world, let alone one in which I have an interest.”

I frowned, confused, sliding Jim a glance. Its eyes looked like they were going to bug out of its head. I wanted badly to ask it what it saw that I didn’t, but refrained. Bael would view such an act as a sign of weakness, and above all, I wanted him to continue thinking I was a badass dragon with whom it would be a very bad idea to tangle. “So you won’t be giving him his powers back?”

“No.”

“But the Doctrine . . . ?”

Sally giggled again. “This is so fabulous, May. I can’t believe you haven’t guessed!”

“Guess what?” I asked, but the second the words left my lips, a horrible idea came over me. I turned to Bael with what must have been an appalled look on my face. “You don’t mean . . . you can’t . . . it’s not possible, is it?”

“You are Magoth’s consort,” he answered with a little shrug. “As far as the Doctrine is concerned, you and he are of the same body. Therefore, it is to you his powers have been granted. I wish you joy of them, dragon.”

Chapter Six

My cell phone rang the same instant I walked in the front door.

“Gabriel?”

“Little bird! I got your voice mail. Where are you?”

“Home. In London, I mean. Bael summoned me to his English home, and pushed me out here rather than Latvia.”

“What did he want of you? All your twin said is that two demons came to fetch you, but they did not want Magoth. And yet you took him with you?”

“I had no choice, either in seeing Bael or Magoth coming along.” I gave him a brief recap of what had happened in Bael’s house. “Gabriel, I can’t tell you how upset Magoth is going to be when he finds out. The words ‘going ballistic’ wouldn’t begin to cover the hissy fit he’ll have. Not to mention the fact that I don’t want to be a demon lord. I’m not Aisling. I’m not meant for this sort of thing.”

“I doubt if Aisling feels she is, either, but that is neither here nor there. Tell me again what Bael said—did he imply you were taking Magoth’s place, or just receiving his powers?”

“Just getting his powers. Agathos daimon—you don’t think he intends for me to take over Magoth’s seat?”

“No. He would not want a dragon in power in Abaddon,” he answered slowly.

Reassurance eased some of the worry that was leaving me feeling itchy and uncomfortable. “What am I going to do with his powers?”

“I wish I was more learned in the ways of Abaddon, but it’s not something I’ve ever paid attention to. Aisling should be able to help you, however. Or rather, her mentor will, since I doubt if Drake will allow her to do more than speak to you.”

“I planned on talking to both of them, but figured I’d check with you first to see if there was some way you knew of to unload these powers. Not to mention what on earth we’re going to tell Magoth. And then how we’re going to keep him from going on a rampage.”

“I will see to it that he is taken care of.”

I glanced out of the window, noting the taxi driver was struggling with a large object. “I don’t think we have much time. Sooner or later he’ll wake up, and notice he still doesn’t have his powers. He might not guess that Bael would give them to me, but he will find out at some point.”

“We could ask Aisling’s mentor to banish him to the Akasha.”

“I have no doubt Nora could do it, but it’s really not such a good idea.”