‘‘Perhaps you wouldn’t mind showing me where it was taken from? I have a curiosity about these sorts of things,’’ Gabriel said, flipping a switch near the door that turned on a standing lamp. I froze, my heart racing as I realized the direness of my situation: I was directly next to the case, one foot stuck to the floor, unable to free myself. The light was near the door, but it illuminated the room enough to allow someone to see me even if I could move. I was trapped good and proper.

‘‘That’s an odd sort of thing to be curious about,’’ the thief taker said in an aside to no one.

Gabriel ignored him, as did Kostich.

‘‘I don’t see what good that will do,’’ the latter said as he entered the room behind Gabriel.

‘‘I’ve found that there are some things that you least expect which can provide the most enlightenment.’’ Gabriel strolled toward me, his silver eyes flickering over me impersonally before sliding away, leaving me wondering for a moment if the room was dark enough that he couldn’t see me. If he hadn’t, he surely would as soon as he was closer. But if he had… My poor, confused brain had no time to work on the puzzle that Gabriel presented. Before I could move so much as a finger, he was directly in front of me, so close his arm brushed me as he turned to face Dr. Kostich and the thief taker.

‘‘You have some lovely things here. That fertility statue is Irish, is it not?’’ Gabriel asked, gesturing toward the case, his body blocking my sight of the two men.

Which meant that Dr. Kostich and the thief taker couldn’t see me, either.

‘‘Welsh, I believe.’’ Kostich’s voice held an edge of irritation that Gabriel seemed to ignore.

‘‘Indeed. And this is the case? I see there is one shelf empty. Would that be where the item was stolen from?’’

‘‘Yes. Now that your curiosity is satisfied, perhaps you wouldn’t mind leaving? It is late,’’ Dr. Kostich said abruptly.

‘‘I see you have used arcane runes for protection,’’ Gabriel said, ignoring his comment. ‘‘Very wise. Few beings would not be affected by them.’’

For some reason I had yet to fathom, Gabriel was providing me with cover. I didn’t stop to wonder at that, just struggled to free my bound foot.

‘‘Is there a point to this catechism?’’ Kostich asked, all signs of politeness thrown by the wayside.

Gabriel’s cheek curved as he smiled. ‘‘I am a dragon. We are all very interested in security methods when it comes to treasure. I have not had the opportunity to try arcane magic to guard my own lair, but I can see from your spells and runes that it is something I should consider. Although I must admit I dislike relying upon one type of magic only, preferring the security that multiple types offer.’’

‘‘Nor would I be so foolish. If you were to take a step five inches to the right, you would find yourself held tight in a binding earth element.’’

‘‘Clever,’’ the thief taker murmured. ‘‘Very clever.’’

‘‘Earth element? You are an alchemist, then?’’ Gabriel asked, shifting his weight slightly, I assumed to block me a little better.

‘‘I am interested in it, yes.’’

‘‘Ah. And can I assume that the item which was taken from you was of an alchemical nature?’’

Kostich’s voice left no doubt that he was irritated. ‘‘A Liquor of Hepatis was stolen from me, as well as another element.’’

My foot was almost free. I twisted it with a strength that made my muscles cry out, dropping to my knees as Gabriel suddenly leaned toward the case to peer into it.

‘‘I could have sworn I’d seen something… but now it’s gone. Must have been a trick of the light.’’

I peered around Gabriel’s hip. All I could see was Dr. Kostich frowning at him for a moment before the latter ran over to the case, his hands gesturing quickly as he undid the binding element. I almost fell over at the sudden release of my foot.

‘‘What… it’s here! The quintessence is here!’’

Dr. Kostich’s hands came into view from where I crouched. He cradled an object invisible to all sight but that of the most peripheral nature. He flipped open the lid for a moment, filling the room with that brilliant warm glow. ‘‘But how… I was sure it was gone. No, it was gone, stolen. I know it was.’’

‘‘What is it?’’ Gabriel asked as Kostich closed the lid again.

‘‘Quintessence,’’ Dr. Kostich answered in a distracted way as he frowned at the case. ‘‘It is that which is invaluable. I don’t see how I could have overlooked it…’’

‘‘Very confusing, indeed,’’ the thief taker said.

I ground my teeth at the smugness in the man’s voice. I still hadn’t gotten a look at him, but I didn’t dare try to get an unobstructed view of him lest he see me, as well.

‘‘Perhaps in the confusion over the theft of the other object, it escaped notice,’’ Gabriel said.

‘‘No. I would not have done that. It was not on the shelf.’’

‘‘But it is now,’’ Gabriel pointed out in his smooth, silky voice. ‘‘And since you now possess it, perhaps you would reconsider your actions with regard to Mei Ling?’’

‘‘I know I searched the case… hmm? Oh. No,’’ Dr. Kostich said slowly as he replaced the quintessence, redrawing the binding element on the ground. I had moved a couple of steps away, keeping Gabriel between me and the two men, praying that the former and the dim light would continue to keep me hidden. ‘‘She must be caught. She has robbed too many people in the L’au-delà."

Gabriel clearly wasn’t happy with that, but I realized there was little he could say without attracting too much attention from both men.

‘‘And now I must insist that you be on your way,’’ the mage said just as I was trying to get a peek at the two men. I ducked down behind Gabriel’s broad shoulders, holding my breath. ‘‘I have a great many things to do before the sun rises.’’

Gabriel smiled and gestured toward the door. ‘‘After you.’’

Dr. Kostich hesitated, but moved toward the door.

The thief taker evidently still stood in front of the cabinet, but he, too, left after a moment’s pregnant silence. Gabriel followed. As they went through the door, he paused long enough to turn off the light, shooting me an unreadable look as he did so. ‘‘I am sure you will be able to rest knowing that your precious things are safe from any further theft.’’

I made a face at such an obvious warning, waiting until he turned off the light and closed the door before hurrying toward the window.

There was no denying that Gabriel had saved my butt from a very unpleasant situation. But everyone knew that dragons never did anything without expecting to be compensated. Just what was Gabriel going to demand as payment?

That thought worried me all the way back to my hotel.

Cyrene was nearly asleep when I tapped on her door.

‘‘You all right?’’ I asked when she opened it.

‘‘Yes.’’ Her shoulders slumped as she crawled back into bed, leaving me standing awkwardly.

Everything about her twanged at my conscience, from her dejected, downturned mouth to the way she wouldn’t meet my eye.

‘‘How does your neck feel?’’ I asked.

She gave a little twitch of her shoulder as she pulled the blankets up. ‘‘Fine. It doesn’t hurt.’’

‘‘You don’t look happy,’’ I said, miserable.

‘‘I’m not.’’ Her eyes lifted to meet mine for a moment, hurt mingling with accusation in them. ‘‘You lied to me.’’

‘‘Yes, I did. And I’m sorry, but…’’ I let my hands fall and walked over to the window, twitching the curtains aside to look out on the sleepy town. The sun would be up in a few hours, heralding the dawn of yet another day. ‘‘It just seemed so much easier that way. Do you remember in the 1960s, when you kept bringing men to my house and urging me to jump into bed with them?’’

‘‘Everyone was doing it then,’’ she said, her mouth tight. ‘‘I just wanted you to be happy. You seemed so lonely then. You still do.’’

‘‘I appreciate the thought now as I did then, but rampant sex with anything bearing the appropriate equipment and a libido to match has never been-and alas, never will be-my idea of a path to happiness.’’