‘‘Yes, this is May. What do you want, Kostya?’’

He chuckled. The door to the room I had just left opened, and Gabriel came out, followed by Drake and Savian. ‘‘The question is more what I have than what I want.’’

My stomach turned to lead for a moment. Had he gotten the phylactery and called to gloat about it?

‘‘I have something of yours, shadow walker. And I am willing to return it to you for a price.’’

Aisling appeared at the top of the stairs accompanied by Jim. ‘‘Was that the phone? Is it May’s twin?’’

‘‘What exactly are you talking about?’’ My eyes went to Gabriel, who immediately took a position next to me, his arm sliding around my waist as he leaned in to listen. Drake went across to another room, picking up the receiver there.

‘‘Are you missing a twin, perhaps?’’

I sucked in my breath. ‘‘If you’ve hurt her—’’

‘‘I do not harm women.’’ Kostya snorted. ‘‘Not unless they harm me first. Your twin is safe. For now.’’

‘‘Who’s on the phone?’’ Savian asked Aisling.

She raised her eyebrows as she watched her husband emerge with a cordless phone. ‘‘Judging by the smoke wafting out of him, I’d say it’s his brother.’’

‘‘Ah. They don’t get along?’’ he asked.

‘‘Something like that.’’ She came downstairs, stopping next to Drake.

‘‘Why did you kidnap her?’’ I asked Kostya. ‘‘What do you hope to gain by this?’’

‘‘I had no need to kidnap her,’’ Kostya told me. ‘‘She came willingly. My motive should be clear. She is in my power, and if you wish her to return safely, you will bring me the phylactery which you so recently stole.’’

‘‘That is not acceptable,’’ Drake started to say, but Gabriel, with a flash of quicksilver eyes, snatched the phone from me and snarled into it.

‘‘I knew you would show no honor in dealing with me, but to use an innocent woman as a hostage for the phylactery is an act unworthy even of an ouroboros like yourself.’’

Kostya spat out an invective, but Drake interrupted before either of them could get into a verbal pissing match.

‘‘Have you so little disregard for your place in the weyr that you would even consider such a dishonorable act?’’ he asked. ‘‘This is nothing short of a declaration of war, brother. To continue will destroy all chances you have of gaining recognition for your sept.’’

‘‘There is no honor in the black dragons,’’ Gabriel growled, ‘‘just as there is no sept.’’

‘‘We will rise again,’’ Kostya promised. ‘‘And we will regain all that was lost to us.’’

‘‘What is he saying?’’ Aisling asked, trying to get Drake to let her listen in. ‘‘Is he being an idiot again? What a silly question, of course he is.’’

‘‘Kostya is going off on a rant about the silver dragons again,’’ I told her. ‘‘Frankly, I’m getting a bit tired of it.’’