“Well, you blew up the phylactery, which was the same thing. It blew out a couple of walls with a huge fireball, blasted a huge hole in the center of the floor, and set fire to pretty much the top floor of the hotel. You’re just lucky that it contained only the conference center, and that everyone there was immortal, or you’d be talking to the watch about killing innocent people.”

Fear twisted my gut. As someone born of the shadows, I always avoided any action that might force me into the limelight, but more importantly, I made it a policy to never kill another being.

“As it is, most of the dragons escaped harm, except for those bastards with the guns, and they fell through the hole in the floor, so that’s no problem. I had a burn on my arm, but Gabriel fixed it for me,” she said, holding out one unmarked arm.

“That was nice of him,” I murmured, my thoughts black with unhappiness.

“I had to wait until he was done fixing you first, but I suppose that was to be expected. You were pretty hurt.”

“Me?” I moved my legs, then arms, not even a slight twinge answering the movements. “I’m not hurt.”

“You’re not now, not after Gabriel spent the last twenty hours working on you, but I saw you when they hauled you in here, and you were in pretty bad shape.” Remorse filled her eyes as she placed her hand on mine and gave it a little squeeze. “I was worried.”

“Silly twin,” I answered, returning the gesture. “You know I can’t be killed.”

“No, but you can be damaged in ways that would leave you a mental vegetable, and you had lost so much blood, I wasn’t sure if you were going to come back to us. But Gabriel never lost hope.”

“Where is he?” I said, surprised he wasn’t there.

“Oh, he went downstairs when Kostya challenged for you. I said I’d watch you while he did that.” Her face and voice were as serene as ever.

Swinging my legs out of bed and getting to my feet, I shook my head at that fact that she could still surprise me. I felt a moment of lightheadedness, but my legs seemed as solid as ever. “I swear if I live a thousand mortal lifetimes, I’ll never understand you, Cy. You don’t mind that Kostya is challenging Gabriel for me?”

“Don’t be silly,” she said, her airy laugh brightening the residual wispy dark cobwebs in my mind. “He doesn’t really want you, you know. He wants what you are. And besides, I don’t think he’s going to get you. Gabriel can be awful obstinate when he wants.”