Of the two evils, Kostich was definitely the lesser. The L’au-delà was governed by rules and laws; Baltic clearly made his own as he went along. Therefore, it would be hoove me to throw my lot in with Kostich, no matter if it was only temporarily.

I lifted my chin and gave Baltic a long, calm look. “We’ve had this out before, Baltic. I’m not going to let you kill me just so you can get the shard.”

Kostich’s pupils flared for a few seconds as he glanced at me.

“I was referring to the shard you stole from my lair earlier today, although now that you speak of it, I agree that it would be more convenient to take both now than be forced to return for the second one later.”

I tipped my head to the side as I looked him over, the dragon shard gleefully throwing caution to the wind. “I did not steal any shard. Well, not in the last couple of months. The Modana Phylactery was taken by its rightful owner, Kostya, not me. As for the other—the phrase ‘over my dead body’ has always seemed overly dramatic to me, but at this moment, it seems particularly apropos.”

“You will find there are several bodies you will have to overcome in order to harm May,” Maata said, taking a step forward. The other two dragons did likewise, their faces wearing identical expressions of intent as they moved into flanking positions.

Dr. Kostich’s fingers continued to weave a rune of power against the fabric of his pants leg.

“You are threatening me?” Baltic asked, genuinely amused. I glanced toward the door where his cohort stood, half-afraid he’d come charging in, but he merely leaned against the doorframe, looking not at all worried.

That fact made me more uneasy than anything else.

“We will do whatever is necessary to protect May,” Maata said, inclining her head.

“Then you will die with her,” Baltic said with a shrug. “You will all die if you try to stop me from retrieving what belongs to me.”

“I’m a naiad,” Cyrene suddenly said. She jumped up and hurried over to stand next to me in a show of support. “I’m immortal. I can’t die.”

Baltic slid her a quick look. “Would you like to place a wager on that assumption?”

Cyrene showed rare circumspection by saying nothing other than a whispered, “Kostya was right—whoever this dragon is, he’s a pain in the butt. Show him what you’re made of, May.”

“Kostya?” Baltic lifted his head as if he was scenting the air, his gaze narrowed on Cyrene. “You are his . . .”

“Mate,” she said quickly.

Baltic’s eyebrows rose.

“Oh, all right, all right! I wish everyone would stop doing that when I tell them I’m Kostya’s mate. It’s annoying! I’m mate lite, OK? Not quite a full-fledged mate, but close enough to count. Not that I want him anymore, the heartless, unfeeling bastard. But if I did, I’d be his mate. Sort of.”

We all stared at Cyrene as she had her verbal hissy fit.

“Are you done now?” I asked politely.

“Yes.” She crossed her arms over her chest, stuck out her lower lip in a truly world-class pout, and spread a glare among us all.

“Good.” I turned back to Baltic. “I’m a little busy being arrested, so if you want to spew threats and enigmatic comments, you’ll have to do so later. Good-bye.”

Baltic smiled. It was not a pleasant smile, despite his handsome face, and it did, in fact, light up his eyes, but it was a light that boded ill for anyone who stood in his way.

“Your false sense of bravery is laudable. Useless and misguided, but laudable. I admire your courage.”

“Thank you. Now bugger off,” I said, using a British phrase I’d heard in the street.

He gave an abrupt shake of his head. “Not without the shard.”

“The shard doesn’t leave me,” I answered.

“You insist on doing this the hard way. . . . Very well.” His fingers danced in the air for a moment, but before he could do anything, Dr. Kostich finished drawing his runes. The air in the room suddenly collected at one point, then punched outward toward Baltic with the force of a luxury liner. Baltic’s startled yell as he was sent flying through the open door, stopped only by his dragon friend, was almost as loud as the compression blast made by the explosion.

“My ears!” Cyrene screamed, clapping both hands over her head.

“That was not nice, mage!” Baltic charged forward with a snarl, a ball of light bursting into being in front of him, stretching itself into a long, glittering blue-white shape. It was the light blade I’d seen him wield before, a weapon that no dragon should be able to use.

Dr. Kostich gawked at it for a moment, stammering, “That is a . . . you cannot have that. . . . Who are you?”

“Would it be a cliché to say your worst nightmare?” I asked.

“Yes,” Maata, Cyrene, Nathaniel, and Obi answered.

Dr. Kostich was too busy staring at the sword Baltic swung toward me.

I didn’t wait for any more bons mots to occur to me; I took one look at Baltic, and let the dragon shard have free rein.

It shifted me immediately, and I took advantage of the momentary surprise in Baltic’s black eyes to tail-slap him backwards, out the door again.

Maata and Nathaniel shifted, as well, their silvery scales reflecting the light from the overhead chandelier as they flanked me. Obi remained in human form, clearly torn between joining us and protecting Cyrene and Dr. Kostich.

“You’re outnumbered,” I called out to Baltic, sauntering with dragon ease to the door. “You might have the light blade, but are you strong enough to take on four dragons?”

“Four dragons and one really pissed-off naiad,” Cyrene said, pushing her way between Maata and me to stand with her hands on her hips.

“That’s it?” Baltic sneered. “That’s all you have to oppose me? Do you have any concept of just what powers I have learned? Can you even guess as to what I could do to you and your friends with the merest flick of my fingers?”

I was ready for the attack even before he started forward. With one hand I shoved Cyrene backwards, a little harder than I would have liked, but she was vulnerable, and I would not put it past Baltic to strike at her in an attempt to weaken me.

His sword flashed as it swung toward me. I spun around, my tail sounding a whipcrack as it slammed into him, but I wasn’t quite fast enough—the light blade bit deep into my leg, burning me with an icy fire the likes of which I’d never before felt. I slammed shut the door in the face of Baltic’s companion, roaring my fury as Maata and Nathaniel rushed forward into the fray. Baltic didn’t shift to a dragon form; he simply parried all the attacks with his sword, looking almost bored, the bastard.