‘‘You have appeared to have forgotten your mate,’’ Fiat said with a hint of real amusement in his eyes.

‘‘I have not forgotten her,’’ Kostya said calmly. ‘‘Not that she is technically my mate, but I have not forgotten her. It is impossible to do so.’’

Cyrene gasped and whomped him again on the shoulder. ‘‘I am so your mate! You said I was!’’

Kostya stood up with a heavy sigh. ‘‘No, I said you could be my mate based on the fact that your twin is Gabriel’s, but I never said you actually were. I just . . . er . . . implied the possibility existed.’’

‘‘So am I or aren’t I?’’ she asked, her hands on her hips. I noted the dangerous look in her eye and wondered whether she had been with Kostya long enough for him to recognize it.

Evidently he had. He took her hands in his and said something in her ear that evidently placated her.

‘‘This is wrong,’’ I murmured to Gabriel. ‘‘He’s leading her on.’’

‘‘Yes, but that is his own affair. It has nothing to do with weyr business.’’

‘‘No, but it is important to me.’’ I took a deep breath and stood up. ‘‘And I’m not going to let him continue with a charade that is only going to end badly. Cyrene, I’m sorry, but the truth is that you’re not Kostya’s mate. You’re not any dragon’s mate.’’

‘‘Oh!’’ she said, outrage dripping from every pore. ‘‘How dare you say that about me! If you didn’t have a dragon of your own, I’d say you were jealous.’’

‘‘Well, I do, and I’m not. Cy, I’ve never lied to you, and I’m not lying now when I tell you that you are not a dragon’s mate. Gabriel tested you last month.’’

‘‘I’m sorry,’’ he told her, his voice rich with sincerity. ‘‘But May is right.’’

‘‘But . . . but . . .’’ She cast a sorrowful glance at Kostya.

‘‘You cannot handle dragon fire,’’ Gabriel said gently. ‘‘You cannot even tolerate it. Any dragon mate can do so, especially a wyvern’s mate. There is also the fact that none of us sense in you any other attributes of a mate.’’ He cast a glance toward the other wyverns. They all shook their respective heads.

A curious parade of emotions passed across Cyrene’s face. Anger, dismay, and sorrow were followed by a look of determination that had me slumping back into my chair.

I turned to Kostya. ‘‘Will you please tell her the truth?’’

He cleared his throat, opened his mouth to say something, but just made unhappy noises.

I shook my head. ‘‘Why on earth do you let her go on thinking she’s your mate when she’s not?’’

He looked embarrassed and made a vague gesture. ‘‘It’s . . . er . . . complicated. She’s . . . she’s . . .’’

‘‘It’s because I’m good in bed,’’ Cyrene suddenly announced, the determined look settling firmly upon her face. ‘‘Which you well know. Well, not from firsthand experience, but because you’re my twin, and if I’m good, then you must be good at it, too. At least I assume you are.’’ She turned to Gabriel. ‘‘Is May—’’

‘‘Don’t you dare ask!’’ I interrupted with a look that, by rights, should have scorched the hair right off her head.

She ignored it as she always does, clearly too involved in convincing herself of the suitability of a relationship with Kostya. ‘‘Physical compatibility is very important. Never underestimate that, Mayling. That, and Kostya obviously is head over heels in love with me. That’s why he wants me for his mate when it may possibly be that I’m not technically able to fill that position.’’ She hugged his arm and gave him a look that made me want to shake her. ‘‘It’s so romantic, I could just melt. Oh, Kostya! I knew we were good together, but I never knew I meant that much to you!’’

Kostya sat down with a comical look of disbelief tinged with resignation. Cyrene, not seeing a chair forthcoming, simply plopped herself down on his lap and spread a smile around at everyone.

I sat down as well, sighing to myself. This day had all the signs of being one I suspected I could do without.

Chapter Nine

‘‘I’d say Kostya deserves every little bit of discomfort Cyrene causes him, but I’m going to end up the one she comes to when he breaks her heart,’’ I whispered to Gabriel.

He nodded but was obviously focused on what he felt were more important things.

Drake, rightly interpreting Gabriel’s meaningful glance, said with reluctance, ‘‘Kostya, you know the laws of the weyr as well as I do. You have not been named wyvern, nor has your sept been recognized and accepted. You do not have a place at the sárkány table.’’

‘‘I am willing to recognize both the sept and the wyvern,’’ Fiat said suddenly, smiling at Kostya. It wasn’t a nice smile in the least, but at least he wasn’t ranting or baiting the ever-volatile Kostya.

‘‘I knew I liked you,’’ Cyrene told Fiat, beaming at him. ‘‘Not enough to leave Kostya for you, you understand. I’m not fickle at all, despite May saying the opposite, but that is very kind of you to show such support for Kostya after you were so snarky to him earlier.’’

There was silence for a moment while everyone stared at Cyrene.

‘‘You see?’’ Kostya finally said. ‘‘Fiat is ready to recognize my right to be here. A simple vote will end the matter once and for all.’’

‘‘The issue of recognition of a black dragon sept is not why the meeting was called,’’ Gabriel countered, a frown darkening his expression. ‘‘This sárkány is to establish which of the two blue dragons who claim they are wyvern should be acknowledged as such, nothing more. You have not petitioned the weyr in the proper manner, Kostya.’’

‘‘You break the rules when it suits you to do so,’’ he answered with a pointed look at me. ‘‘Why should I not do the same?’’

‘‘Damn straight!’’ Cyrene said.