“What I am?” I shook my head again, moving over to the wardrobe to gather some clothing. Why would Kostya suddenly care that I was a wyvern’s mate? He wasn’t even recognized as a wyvern. Perhaps this was just one more way he had struck upon to cause Gabriel grief. “You know, I think I’m just going to talk to Gabriel and find out what’s been going on.” I stopped at the door to the bathroom and looked back at her. “Did you say I’d been out of it for a day?”

“Yes. Gabriel worked all night on you.” She hesitated for a moment, a faint shadow passing over her face. “I think he loves you, Mayling.”

I didn’t say anything, just nodded and went into the bathroom.

“Did you hear what I said?” she asked a few minutes later when I emerged, clothed and freshened up as best as I could manage in a short time.

“Yes.” I grabbed my dagger from where it sat on the nightstand and strapped it to my ankle, hurrying out of the room and down the hall to the stairs.

“Well?” Cyrene demanded, following me. “Don’t you have anything to say to that? Like how you feel about him?”

“My feelings aren’t important at this point. What is important is what bull Kostya is trying to pull now. Where are they?”

I paused at the foot of the stairs. Cyrene pointed to the door to the right, which I remembered from past visits had led to a large sitting room.

“Mayling,” she said slowly as I was about to open the door.

I cocked an inquisitive eyebrow at her.

“You do love him, too, don’t you?” She took a couple of steps forward, her gaze searching mine. “I mean, you wouldn’t want to trade him in for another dragon, would you?”

A little smile curled up the edges of my mouth. “I can assure you that I have no designs on, desires for, or even patience with Kostya.”

“Good,” she said, her chin lifting. “Because he’s mine, and although I understand him challenging Gabriel and all, I wouldn’t want to have to do something serious if you were willing to switch allegiances.”

“Serious? Serious like what?” I asked against my better judgment. “Cy, are you saying you’d take me down if I messed with your boyfriend? You’ve never been like that.”

“This is different,” she said firmly. “And no, I wouldn’t take you down, as you put it. I’d just . . . well, I’d make things miserable for you.”

I bit back both a comment and a smile, contenting myself with a brisk nod before I opened the door.

“I refuse to discuss this any further,” Gabriel was saying as we entered the room.

“I refuse to let you refuse my challenge! I, Konstantin Fekete—”

“No!” Gabriel said in a louder voice. “You may not challenge for her!”