Jim started toward the dragon until Aisling ordered it back.

‘‘I will tell you so that you know, once and for all, the truth of the matter. You must understand that I have always upheld what Baltic stood for-’’ His head turned enough so that his eyes flashed ebony at Gabriel. ‘‘He wanted the sept whole, complete again.’’

Beside me, Gabriel tensed, although his voice was mild in the extreme. ‘‘That will never happen, Kostya. My sept is content as it is.’’

The muscles in Kostya’s jaw worked a couple of times before he continued. ‘‘Although Baltic’s motives in fighting to regain what was once ours were correct, I began to doubt his method of ensuring success. When it became apparent that his goals had shifted to include domination over all the septs, I realized he was inflamed by the idea of power into conducting acts of war that were decimating the black dragon population. By the start of the eighteenth century, I knew Baltic must change his tactics or risk the total annihilation of the black dragons.’’

Bitterness filled his voice. I leaned against Gabriel, taking comfort from his warmth and strength.

‘‘I gathered my guard together, and called up aid from allies. Drake came, along with a small group of green dragons who disobeyed an order from their wyvern. The blue dragons also sent members, although they were fewer. We met to reason with Baltic, but he…’’ Kostya paused, his voice suddenly hoarse. ‘‘He was mad. It was evident to all there that he would rather destroy the sept than give up his grandiose plan of domination of the weyr. I had no choice but to kill him. But it was too late-the silver dragons had chosen that same moment to strike, slaughtering all but a handful of black dragons.’’

‘‘We did not attack unprovoked,’’ Gabriel said through gritted teeth.

I put a hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze to remind him now was not the time to start another argument.

A look of sadness tinged Kostya’s dark eyes for a moment before dissipating into his normally hostile, arrogant expression. ‘‘For my attempt to save my own sept, I was almost destroyed by the man for whom I was named, a traitor who set himself above the rule of the wyvern.’’

‘‘Constantine Norka was a savior, not a traitor,’’ Gabriel yelled, leaping to his feet. I leaped with him, pushing myself between him and Kostya. ‘‘He begged Baltic to end the foolish plan of dominating the weyr, but for his trouble Baltic named him ouroboros and cast him from the sept, claiming Ysolde as his.’’

‘‘Ysolde?’’ Aisling asked Drake in a low voice.

‘‘Constantine Norka’s mate.’’

I looked up at Gabriel’s face, touching his cheek. His eyes, burning with fury, bore into my own. ‘‘You can steal another dragon’s mate?’’ I asked.

‘‘It’s possible, although not done frequently.’’ His gaze shifted to Aisling for a moment. ‘‘It never used to be, that is.’’

‘‘Ysolde was intended to be Baltic’s mate. He had chosen her and she indicated she would accept him. But before she could, Norka stole her and made her his own mate, an underhanded trick I am not surprised you wish to keep from Mei Ling,’’ Kostya answered with a sneer as he turned away.

‘‘Baltic abused Ysolde!’’ Gabriel shouted. ‘‘She hated her life with him, and begged Constantine to take her away-’’

‘‘So you say. But we all know how much truth can be found in the words of a traitor,’’ Kostya answered, a distinct baiting note in his voice.

‘‘Before you boys get into another fight, why doesn’t everyone sit down?’’ Aisling suggested.

‘‘Sound advice,’’ I said, nudging Gabriel back toward our couch. He gave way reluctantly. I was about to retake the seat beside him but thought better of it, plopping myself down on his lap instead. ‘‘To keep you from doing anything imprudent,’’ I said with a kiss to his chin.

‘‘Sweetie, I’m a little confused. Did you see the whole thing with Kostya and Baltic yourself, or just hear about it?’’ Aisling asked Drake.

Drake shot a look toward his brother. ‘‘I didn’t actually see Kostya kill him, no.’’

‘‘But the body-there must have been a body?’’

Kostya turned his back on everyone and resumed his post at the window, as if dismissing us from his thoughts.

‘‘When Baltic realized Kostya’s intent, he used the castle bolt-hole to try to escape. The silver dragons had sieged Baltic’s stronghold and were about to break down the last of the keep’s defenses. Kostya caught Baltic in the caverns below and slew him. But in the turmoil of the onslaught from the silver dragons, his body was not recovered immediately thereafter. Rather than risk Baltic’s body and stronghold becoming a martyr’s shrine, Constantine Norka had it destroyed altogether,’’ Drake said.

‘‘So no one but Kostya saw what happened in those final moments,’’ I said, thoughtful as I watched Kostya.

‘‘I returned with his sword,’’ Kostya said roughly, his shoulders twitching with irritation. ‘‘I cleaved him in two with it. He did not survive.’’

I put my hand on Gabriel’s chest, where his heart was. ‘‘Did you help sack Baltic’s castle?’’

‘‘Me?’’ Gabriel looked surprised for a moment before his dimples made a brief showing. ‘‘How old do you think I am?’’

‘‘Well… I don’t know. Five hundred years?’’ His dimples deepened.

‘‘Six?’’

‘‘I was born in 1702,’’ he answered. ‘‘My father was with Constantine when he made the final blow against Baltic, though. It was a victory, but one which was met with saddened and grieving hearts. The dragons who died were our family once.’’

‘‘Which brings us back to the point of who it is who’s doing all this,’’ Aisling said quickly, interrupting Kostya’s obvious rebuttal. ‘‘If it’s not Baltic, then who is it?’’

‘‘I don’t see why it matters who’s doing it so long as the phylactery has been returned,’’ Cyrene interjected.

We all looked at her.

‘‘Well, honestly, does it matter if it was this Baltic person, or another dragon, or a benevolent fairy who’s pulling the strings? All that matters is getting back Gabriel’s guards, not who took them.’’

‘‘The question of Baltic’s possible survival is of the greatest importance to the silver dragons, I assure you,’’ Gabriel told her.

‘‘Why?’’ she asked, her nose scrunched in confusion.

‘‘Why?’’ Gabriel asked, aghast.

‘‘I think I know what she means,’’ I said. ‘‘Assuming Baltic is alive, he is no longer the wyvern of the black dragons. You said the sept was destroyed, yes?’’ I asked Drake.

He nodded, his gaze flickering to his brother. ‘‘It was, although Kostya intends to gather what members remain and apply for recognition of the weyr.’’

‘‘Even if he did get that, though, it wouldn’t mean Baltic would immediately step into wyvernhood, would it?’’

‘‘Baltic will never again lead the black dragons,’’ Kostya said, his voice pitched low with warning. ‘‘The sept will be reborn, but I will lead it.’’

I bit back a retort about the wisdom of that little plan. ‘‘I begin to see Cyrene’s point. Assuming Baltic is alive, he’s been neutered by the loss of his sept, so why does it matter if he was the one who returned the phylactery?’’

‘‘It matters because of what Baltic is,’’ Gabriel answered.

‘‘A lunatic, you mean?’’ I asked.

Kostya shot me a nasty look and would have said something, but Aisling cleared her throat in a meaningful way.

‘‘Not just that-Baltic wielded great power,’’ Gabriel said with hesitation. ‘‘More power than was natural even for a wyvern. It was said he had learned the arcane arts.’’

‘‘Arcane? He was a mage?’’ Cyrene asked.

Kostya said nothing, which pretty much confirmed that guess.

‘‘I didn’t think dragons could be mages,’’ I said.

Gabriel and Drake exchanged glances. ‘‘None have ever been able to master the arcane skills a mage must control.’’

‘‘Except Baltic?’’ I asked.

‘‘That is what we believe.’’