“They don’t have to stop them. They just have to alert us to any breach. Go now. I, myself, will see to strengthening the front door, since that appears to be where the focus of his attack is being made.”

Kostich suited action to word, his hands flying in intricate patterns as he wove a net made of arcane magic across the front door.

Drake watched him for a moment before deciding it was adequate. He turned to us. “Gabriel?”

“This is my fight as much as yours,” Gabriel answered, pulling out the shadow sword. “More so, since it concerns my mate. We will form the frontline defense.”

“Oh man, it’s Baltic?” Jim had managed to make it down the stairs without being heard, something not common for the hefty dog. “He’s got a hell of a sense of timing.”

I left them planning their defense to hurry over to Jim.

“What are you doing here? Go back and protect Aisling,” I ordered it.

“She wanted to know what was going on. And she threatened to castrate me because I’m male, and that somehow makes me to blame for the pain.”

“Well, go back and help Kaawa get her ready to move,” I said, shooing it.

“I’m a dog,” it said in an exasperated voice. “No opposable thumbs, remember?”

“You’re right.” I narrowed my eyes at it for a moment, pushed past my limit on patience. “Effrijim, by the power granted to me by your demon lord, I command you to take human form. Clothed human form.”

“Oh, man . . . ,” it said, its voice a whine that trailed off as its body shifted form into that of a black-haired, black-eyed man of bulky build in jeans and a T-shirt. It looked down at itself. “How’m I ever going to tell Cecile about this?”

“You can go back to your normal form just as soon as we take care of this situation,” I said quickly, shoving it toward the stairs. “Go help Kaawa and Aisling. And don’t scare her.”

“Like she’s not gonna freak when she sees me come marching in without my fabulous form?” Jim trudged up the stairs, loosening the belt of its pants as it climbed. “I just bet you—aw, damn! I was right! This form totally sucks in the package department!”

“GO!” I yelled, pointing at the top of the stairs.

A fourth blast rocked the house, this time accompanied by the sound of glass tinkling in one of the back rooms.

Nora appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide as she stared behind her. “I’m not quite sure. . . . Was that Jim?”

“Yes. Is Aisling all right?” I asked as Drake came over to us.

“She’s fine, just concerned about what’s going on.”

“I’m taking her to the lair,” Drake said, moving past us at a speed that was most definitely not human. “Nora, you and René will stay with her?”

“Of course. René is with her now, trying to distract her. Let me get some things to make her more comfortable. . . .”

Nora ran after Drake, the two of them heading upstairs, as Tipene and Maata scattered, assumably to check the windows.

Kostya suddenly emerged from the basement, tucking his shirt into his pants, his hair slicked back and wet. Cyrene was on his heels, her hair likewise wet, her clothing just as disarranged.

“What’s going on?” Kostya asked. “We heard an explosion.”

“We thought at first it was just really fabulous sex, but then we noticed the towels were coming off the shelf next to the sauna, and we realized something else was going on,” Cyrene said, hurriedly buttoning her blouse. “It’s Fiat, isn’t it? He’s come to steal me now that he knows I’m really and truly Kostya’s mate! I just knew he would.”

Kostya froze for a moment. “It’s not Fiat. It’s Baltic,” he said, his voice filled with anger.

“Oh, him,” Cyrene said, frowning. “He doesn’t seem to want to steal me. What does he want now?”

Everyone looked at me.

I sighed. “Me, I’m afraid. Or, rather, the shard.”

“Not just one shard,” Gabriel corrected. “All of them. He waited until all the shards were brought together before attacking.”

“He wants the dragon heart,” Kostya said softly, and there was so much blackness in his voice, I shivered and moved closer to Gabriel.

Instantly, his arm was warm around me, offering both comfort and protection. “I will not let him harm you, little bird.”

“I know,” I said, smiling up at him. “I have every confidence that we’ll be able to repel him as we’ve done before, but, Gabriel, this has to stop.”

“It will stop. It will stop now,” Kostya said, striding out of the hall to Drake’s study. He returned a moment later with a couple of long swords in his hands, sending Cyrene a querying glance. “I assume you don’t know how to use this?”

“You assume wrong,” she said, obviously taking him by surprise, as she held out her hand for the sword. “All the sisters of Hydriades are versed in swordplay. We had a retreat seven or so hundred years ago, after some crusaders got a little frisky with our members, and we all learned how to use long swords, short swords, flails, and halberds. I did the optional course on throwing axes and culverins, but I much prefer a nice Glock to the latter.”

Kostya stared at her for a moment before shaking his head and taking up a stance at the front door, the barrage from outside having momentarily stopped. “Stay in the back, Cyrene, and protect yourself. You will not be battling mortal crusaders this time.”

“You will cease speaking of me as if I am a hindrance,” she said, straightening up to her full height, indignation causing her back to stiffen. “I have protected myself for centuries before you were born, dragon. Besides, I have demon lord powers now. I can use those, too.”

Kostya rolled his eyes and turned his attention back on the front door.

“You know, Drake would probably be happy for an extra hand to protect Aisling,” I said thoughtfully, wanting to get her out of the immediate battle area. Despite the truth in her statement, I worried over the thought of her trying out newfound powers without supervision. “She and Nora would be able to give you advice about Magoth’s powers, too.”

Cyrene thought about that for a moment, obviously cherishing a mental vision of herself as a female Saint George ready to slay a dragon. “But then I wouldn’t be able to help Kostie.”