Free Me and My Shadow by Katie MacAlister Page B

the mortal world.”
    â€œAnd a piece of that is inside me?” I said, clearing my throat when my voice came out a squeak.
    Gabriel’s fingers tightened on mine. “Do not fear, May. To use the dragon heart, you must have two things: the power to control it, and its goodwill. Because of that, we do not live in fear of destruction. Wyverns in the past have tried to re-form the heart and use it, but their attempts were disastrous. We have learned from their losses. The only reason the heart will be re-formed is to shard it into proper receptacles.”
    â€œYou might want to tell Baltic that, ’cause I’m willing to bet he’s got other plans,” Jim said, and I had to admit I was thinking the same thing.
    â€œBaltic would not be so foolish,” Drake said at the same time Kostya frowned and said, “That is not Baltic.”
    â€œPumpernickel, I think you’re going to have to get into the groove,” Cyrene told him, hugging his arm and pressing a little kiss on his earlobe. “Everyone seems to agree that it’s Baltic. I think we ought to go with the flow here and say it’s Baltic, too.”
    â€œIt can’t be him. I’d know,” Kostya said stubbornly.
    â€œWe shall see, won’t we?” Gabriel said with a smile that didn’t quite go to his eyes. “Now that we know the location of the lair, we can lend our assistance in opening it.”
    Kostya shot Gabriel a suspicious look that was answered by a more genuine smile.
    â€œWe wouldn’t want the phylactery damaged in the process of opening the lair,” Gabriel added.
    â€œThat won’t be necessary. I am perfectly capable of retrieving the Modana Phylactery on my own, without damaging it,” Kostya insisted. “Your presence in Latvia will not be required.”
    â€œRegardless, I feel for May’s sake it would be prudent to be there.”
    â€œLatvia?” a voice said from the doorway, a delighted purr that sent cold chills down my back. “We’re going to Latvia? What an excellent idea! I haven’t been there since . . . ooh, since the black plague.”
    Dismay filled my stomach as Magoth sauntered into the room, one of Drake’s bodyguards behind him, gesturing toward the bane of my existence as he said, “He demanded to see May.”
    â€œI told you to stay put,” I said, frowning at Magoth, who was mouthing what looked to be obscene suggestions to Cyrene.
    His attention immediately switched back to me. “An amusing attempt to be dominant, but as you know, sweet May, I prefer to be the one on top.” He looked around the room with obvious delight. “And just look what I would have missed! A trip to the Baltics. How—you will excuse the expression—divine. I have many fond memories of the area—death and famine and disease so thick it seeped into the land like blood dripping from a dismembered corpse. Now, that was a time to remember. There’s much to be said for the old ways, you know. This trip will be just what I need! When do we leave?”

Chapter Four
    â€œI just hope you know what you’re doing.” Cyrene released the tree branch before I could grab it. It smacked me wetly dead center in the face. I rubbed my stinging cheek and glared at the back of the head of my twin, not an easy feat given the thick fog that lay sluggishly over the forest. The faint patter of water sliding off damp leaves to the thick, springy ground below was muffled but constant.
    â€œBringing a demon lord out to a dragon’s lair—it’s not the brightest idea you’ve ever had, Mayling.”
    I caught the branch she released that time, mentally uttering retorts to her comments as I plodded after her, my gaze alternating between watching for more face-slapping branches and examining the terrain in an attempt to figure out where we were in relationship to the nearest town.
    â€œKostya is not at all