“Why not?”

I made a wry face at Magoth’s body. “Because I’m bound to him, and he has just enough power left to summon me should he so choose. And I can guarantee you that if he was banished, he’d take me with him.”

Gabriel uttered a word I decided it was best I not acknowledge. “I will have Maata remove him from the house. That should give you a little breathing room.”

I bit my lip, not sure if it was such a wise thing to have Magoth out of the way. “I suppose that’s the sane thing to do. I’ll start looking around for somewhere safe to keep him. And speaking of that, did you get the phylactery?”

He hesitated a second. My stomach tightened. “Yes and no.”

“That sounds ominous. What is the no part? Oh, set him down over there on the couch, would you? Thank you so much. Let me just get my purse. . . . Here you go. Keep the rest.”

The taxi man deposited the blanket-wrapped form of Magoth where I indicated, eyeing the large denomination of the bill I held out with an avaricious smile that remained on his face as he left the house.

“The yes refers to the Modana Phylactery—Kostya very grudgingly allowed me to see it to verify it is, in fact, the shard.” There was a muffled sound like that of knuckles cracking.

“Uh-huh. You don’t happen to have a black eye, do you?” I couldn’t help but ask, suspecting there was a certain amount of physical persuasion that Gabriel had to apply.

“Mayling, you know full well I do not go out of my way to pick fights.”

“Of course you don’t. Now, answer the question.”

He snorted into the phone. “No, I do not have a black eye.”

I waited for a moment.

“. . . now.”

“I knew it. I hope that Kostya fared as well as you.”

“Oh, yes.” There was a distinct note of pleasure in his silken voice. “I’m told broken noses aren’t particularly painful, but if they aren’t set correctly, they can leave a permanent reminder. I find that thought very satisfying.”

I ignored the grin in his voice. “So you got Kostya’s shard. Then what’s the problem?”

A heavy sigh sounded in my ear. “The problem concerns the Song Phylactery.”

“Don’t tell me Chuan Ren is going back on her promise?” I asked, keeping the irritation from my voice.

“Not entirely. The problem, I gather, stems from the fact that Fiat is technically in charge of the red sept.”

Maata came into the room, having heard voices. Her eyebrows rose at the sight of the still-unconscious Magoth, but she said nothing other than, “Is that Gabriel on the phone?”

I nodded.

“I was just about to call. Tipene said he and Kaawa should be arriving early tomorrow morning.”

I passed the message along before saying, “Chuan Ren has had, what, almost two months to take care of Fiat? I can’t believe she hasn’t ousted him from her sept since he took it over in a wholly heinous, and surely illegal, fashion.”

“Heinousness and illegality have nothing to do with it,” Gabriel said, his voice amused. “Chuan Ren would tear Fiat to little shreds and use them in a cat’s litter box if she could find him. But he’s gone to ground, and although he continues issuing commands to the red dragons—which, Jian assures me, no one is following—they can’t find him to formally oust him. And until that’s done—”

I sat down in the nearest chair, despair pooling in my gut. “Until that’s done, she won’t give up the shard.”

“No.”

“Well, ain’t life just a bowl of cherries? What are we going to do?”

“I have offered Chuan Ren my help in locating Fiat before the sárkány, as has Kostya.”

“Kostya volunteered to help someone?” I said, then immediately felt ashamed of myself for such a snarky comment.

“He wishes to be sure there will be no objections to the reinstatement of his sept into the weyr,” Gabriel replied in a neutral tone that spoke volumes.

“He’s standing right there, isn’t he?”

“Yes. Your twin is on her way back to England. I take it that Jim and Magoth are with you?”

“One is. Jim had a message to go see Aisling for a bit. It seems she misses it, or something like that. But, Gabriel, the sárkány is tomorrow. Do you really think you can find Fiat in so short a time?”

“I have no idea, but it is vital we have that shard. I feel I must try.”

“I understand. Where are you looking? I’ll get on a plane and join the hunt,” I said, grabbing my purse and pulling out my wallet for my credit card. “Maata can babysit Magoth.”

“I don’t want to babysit him!” Maata protested. “I’d rather throw myself into a lake!”

“Much as I would welcome your presence, there is work for you in London, little bird.”

“Such as?” I sat down on the nearest chair, disappointment making me a bit tetchy. I assumed Gabriel would demand I be at his side as he hunted for Fiat. That he didn’t do so stung my pride.

There was a pause for a moment; then Gabriel’s voice dropped, pitched low and intimate. “I know what you’re thinking, Mayling. It is not so. I desire you just as much today as I did yesterday, and all the days before it.”

“One day I’m going to—”

“Read my mind, and then I’ll be sorry. Yes, I know,” he said, laughing.

I smiled at my hands, wishing I could see the dimples I knew must be showing. “What do you want me to do here?”

“You must start training with my mother to learn how to control the shards.”

“I control a shard already,” I said, putting my wallet back into my purse.

Maata checked Magoth, grinned to see he was still out, and tiptoed out of the room.

“You control the shard bound to you. It is another thing entirely to control all the shards together. My mother has studied the diaries of Ysolde de Bouchier. She is the best resource available for understanding the process of re-forming the dragon heart. It is to her that you must look for training if you wish to be successful.”

“I agree, but I still think I could be helpful in tracking down Fiat. There may be some trail I could follow in the shadow world.”

“Leave the worry of Fiat to me, little bird. You have enough on your plate with the dragon shards. Protect my mother well.”