‘‘Consider yourself credited,’’ I answered, standing up straight in an attempt to ease a stitch in my side. ‘‘Where are you going now that Magoth is in this world?’’

She straightened up as well, tidying herself via a reflection in a dirty window. ‘‘I have another two weeks with you all, so I’ll just run him to earth. See you later, sugar.’’

‘‘But—’’

Sally was off before I had a chance to question her more. I watched for a moment as she quickly blended into the lengthening afternoon shadows before I did the same into the slightly different version of reality that was known as the shadow world. I knew of only one safe house in Paris, and it was there that I headed.

‘‘Hello. I’m May Northcott. Is Gabriel here, by any chance?’’ I asked some forty minutes later as the door before me opened.

The woman who answered the door blinked green eyes a couple of times, then smiled and stepped back, gesturing me into the house. ‘‘Welcome back, May. Drake and Gabriel just returned. You’ll find them—’’

A door leading into the hall burst open. I didn’t stop to thank Suzanne, the green dragon who had let me into Drake’s Paris house. I just ran for the man who emerged, flinging myself on him with a shameless whimper of joy. ‘‘Gabriel,’’ I whispered into his mouth as I tried my best to kiss the breath right out of his lungs.

‘‘Widdel werd,’’ he answered, kissing me in return with such vigorousness that his words were incoherent. He wrapped both arms around me and hoisted me up so our mouths were at the same level. I dug my fingers through the soft, shoulder-length dreadlocks, tugging wordlessly on his hair until he gave me what I wanted. Dragon fire, as hot and potent as his mouth, swirled around us in a dance of light and shadow. The taste of him, the feel of him pressed hard against my body, and his heady scent sinking deep into my being triggered something deep within me that had been locked away the last six weeks.

‘‘Mate,’’ he groaned when the need for air forced our mouths apart.

‘‘You don’t know how I’ve needed that,’’ I said, my tongue running around my mouth, savoring the taste of him. Gabriel always tasted like he had been eating something with cloves in it, partly spicy, partly sweet, and wholly addicting. ‘‘And I have so much to tell you. Sally, the candidate for demon lord, actually helped me earlier.’’

‘‘Later,’’ he said, his face twisting as if he was in pain.

‘‘Are you all right?’’ I asked, stepping back to see if he had acquired any wounds while making his way out of Abaddon. ‘‘Did Magoth’s demons do something to hurt you?’’

‘‘No. I need you, Mayling.’’

I smiled and brushed my lips against his. ‘‘I missed you, too. So much has happened since you had me summoned. This outfit for one, and that show Magoth insisted I put on. I want you to know that I had nothing to do—’’

‘‘You don’t understand,’’ he said, his voice, normally as smooth as silk sliding over satin, tinged with a roughness that seemed to thrum in deep, hidden parts of me. ‘‘I need you, May. Now.’’

The look of pain on his face was growing, reminding me of a similar expression he’d worn a couple of months before. I couldn’t help but smile as I rubbed my hips against his. ‘‘Oh. That kind of need.’’

He groaned again and allowed me to slide down his body. ‘‘You’re tormenting me.’’

‘‘Just a little. Not too much, because I’d be happy to participate in the activities I know you have in mind—’’

That’s all the agreement it took. Without another word, he scooped me up and started toward the stairs leading to the upper floors.

I glanced over his shoulder to see the tall figure of a dark-haired, green-eyed man. ‘‘Hello, Drake. How’s Aisling doing?’’

Drake made a smooth bow that was almost as good as the kind Gabriel made. ‘‘Good afternoon, May. Aisling is resting at the moment. I’ll tell her you were asking after her.’’

‘‘Thank you. I’m looking forward to talking with her again.’’ I glanced at the hard lines of Gabriel’s face. ‘‘Later.’’

‘‘Much later.’’ Drake’s voice followed us as Gabriel turned left at the top of the stairs and strode toward a room we had occupied earlier. I could swear there was laughter in Drake’s voice, but there was no sign of a smile before he disappeared from sight.

‘‘Wait a moment,’’ I said when Gabriel kicked the bedroom door closed behind us. I was still in his arms as he moved over next to the bed. ‘‘I know you wyverns have some need to be physically with your mates when they’ve been taken from you, and you know that I’m happy to indulge your need for incredibly steamy, unbridled lovemaking. But since we also both know that such an event makes me lose what few wits I have, maybe we could have a quick conversation to catch up before things get out of hand?’’

Gabriel looked at me as if I had suddenly turned into a frog in his arms, his silver eyes so beautiful, I wanted to dive into their mercurial depths.

‘‘It’s just that we’ve been apart for so long. I have so much to tell you, so much I want to ask you. How have you been? Where have you been? How are Maata and Tipene, and all the other silver dragons? Things like that.’’ I put my hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned into the caress. ‘‘I appreciate more than I can say how much you want to physically join, but Gabriel, I want so much more than to just make love to you. I want to be with you. I want to know what you’re thinking, what you’ve done while I was gone, and I want to tell you about the things that happened to me. Couldn’t we have just a smidgen of conversation before things get too carried away?’’

‘‘No,’’ Gabriel said simply, and dropped me onto the bed.

I looked up the long length of his body as he silently pulled off his clothing. Gabriel was tall, a foot and then some more than my five foot nothing, with long, muscled legs, a chest that had just enough hair on it to make it sexy without being hirsute, and shoulders broad enough to make me feel very feminine in comparison. I looked at all that and threw conversation to the wind. ‘‘OK,’’ I said as I held my arms open.