He nodded, and with one hand holding tight to my arm, gestured toward the patio. The two others followed us. I tried to shrug him off and run to Cyrene, but he held firm.

‘‘I will tend to her, do not fear,’’ he said in that beautiful voice as I sank down next to the chaise where she’d been laid. The dragon with green eyes stood at her feet, his face hard and watchful, his arm around an obviously pregnant woman. His two goons stood on the other side, István bleeding profusely from the arm. I smiled at that, but the smile withered away as my gaze dropped to my poor twin.

‘‘Agathos daimon,’’ I gasped, my hands shaking as I reached for her. Her face was deathly white, blood matting the thick, glossy black hair that she wore an inch or so longer than mine.

‘‘Will you allow me?’’ the silver-eyed man asked.

I didn’t want him to touch her, didn’t want any of them to have anything more to do with her, but I didn’t even know where to begin fixing whatever damage István had done when he’d knocked her into the table.

‘‘I am a healer,’’ he said again, his voice caressing me.

I hesitated a moment, wanting nothing so much as to hide Cyrene from their prying eyes.

‘‘You don’t have to worry about Gabriel—he’s very good,’’ the pregnant woman said. She must be Aisling Grey, the demon lord who had wed a wyvern. I glanced at her, unsure of what I should do. I couldn’t get Cyrene out of there without doing more damage to her, but to trust her to strangers . . .

‘‘He did wonders for me when I was gutted with a sword,’’ Aisling added.

I eyed the man kneeling next to me for a moment. Those beautiful mercurial eyes considered me with calm assurance.

‘‘All right,’’ I said slowly, scooting back a hair to let him have access to Cyrene. ‘‘But I’ll be watching you.’’

A slight smile caused his cheek to indent in the beginnings of a dimple. ‘‘I would expect nothing else.’’

‘‘What’s going on?’’ A furry black head was inserted between the man and me. Jim the demon was back on its feet, a shocked look on its face as it peered down at the inert form before us. ‘‘What happened to Cyrene?’’

‘‘Jim! You’re OK?’’ Aisling asked, hurrying over to it.

‘‘Yeah. Uck, what happened to my coat? Oh, man! That’s gonna take forever to grow out!’’

‘‘I’m so glad you’re not hurt,’’ Aisling said, hugging it. ‘‘I thought they’d destroyed your form.’’

‘‘They?’’ Jim asked, looking from me to Cyrene before turning back to the woman still hugging him. ‘‘You don’t think Cyrene and May did this to me, do you?’’

‘‘They didn’t?’’ she asked, giving me an odd look.