‘‘Is this the point where you blackmail me into doing your bidding?’’ I asked, shifting my attention to Gabriel. ‘‘Are you going to threaten to turn me in if I don’t steal for you, too?’’

‘‘Too?’’ he asked, jumping on the word, his eyes curious. ‘‘You do not steal for yourself?’’

I paused for a moment, damning my verbal slip before tightening my lips. Why did I care what he thought of me, what any of them thought of me? Why did I want to explain to them how I had been bound to Magoth even before I’d been created, how I had no freedom in my life, no ability to make my own decisions. Why did it matter that Gabriel’s words stung me until I wanted to scream my innocence? I owed them nothing. They were no different from anyone else who tried to use me. ‘‘I am a doppelganger, a shadow walker. There is no end of people who have offered to hire me for one illegal purpose or another.’’

‘‘Then you will have no difficulty undertaking this task for Gabriel,’’ Drake said.

To my surprise, Gabriel turned to the other wyvern with a frown. ‘‘Drake, you are interfering with my mate.’’

‘‘I’m not your mate! And you needn’t couch your demand in such polite terms, dragon. There are those in the world who don’t bother with the niceties. They are the ones who use force to make me do their bidding.’’

‘‘I am not interfering,’’ Drake told Gabriel, totally missing my sarcasm.

‘‘You are, and I don’t appreciate it. May is mine, not yours. I won’t have you giving her orders or threatening her.’’

‘‘Oh, for mercy’s . . . I am not anyone’s mate!’’

Everyone ignored me. The green wyvern looked surprised at Gabriel for a moment. Aisling covered up a little chirp of laughter by suddenly taking a sip from her glass.

‘‘Might I point out that you have interfered with my mate on numerous occasions?’’ Drake said. ‘‘You even planned to challenge me for her.’’

A little spike of pain stabbed inside me. Gabriel flashed a glance toward me that I had no trouble deciphering as embarrassed. ‘‘That was before I knew . . . That doesn’t matter. The fact remains that you are interfering, and although I know you mean well, I would appreciate it if you would allow me to handle my mate in my own fashion.’’

‘‘The situation concerns us, as well. I believe that we have a right to ensure that matters are concluded satisfactorily.’’

‘‘You know, I think I’m with Gabriel on this,’’ Aisling said, putting her hand on her wyvern’s arm. ‘‘Maybe we should just butt out—’’

‘‘Kostya is not Gabriel’s problem alone,’’ Drake told her.

‘‘We are the only ones who are threatened by him,’’ Gabriel argued, taking a step toward the other dragon. ‘‘You are not fighting for your survival as we are ours.