Rowan caught me with one scaled arm, while his tail lashed out and knocked the second demon across the deck, where he slammed into the bridge.
I turned to see the first demon bent over the railing … backward, in a position that told me the man's back was broken.
Rowan said gruffly, "Don't look, love," before turning to help the others. He ran toward Bael, and just as Bael lifted the knife high, about to plunge it into Mrs. P's heart, there was a flash of white, and one of Osiris's guards was there, dragging Mrs. P to safety at the same moment that Rowan threw himself on the demon lord.
They went down in a tangle of arms and legs, some human and some scaly. The knife flashed, and blood spurted in a wide arc. Someone screamed, and it wasn't until I had picked up the punchbowl and was bashing Bael on the head with it did I realize it was me.
Things calmed down a bit after that.
"Wow," Bee told me when Constantine plucked me off of Bael. "I didn't know you had that in you. You were positively scary. And you look so nice, too."
"I am nice," I said, panting, adrenaline making me want to go bash Bael in the head a few more times. I caught sight of a gash on Rowan's chest and pulled away from Constantine, running to the love of my life. "Not again! You're all bloody. Medic!"
Gabriel and Osiris had hold of Bael, whose hands were quickly tied behind his back. "So he can't cast any more spells," Osiris said to no one in particular.
Bael spat invectives and was roughly shoved down onto a chair for his troubles.
"It's not bad," Gabriel said, examining Rowan. Gabriel had switched back into human form, but Rowan was still a red dragon.
And he suddenly must have realized that, because when he looked down at his chest to assess the wound, his eyes widened and his arms flailed wildly. "What the hell? WHAT THE EVER-LIVING HELL?"
"It's okay, pumpkin. You're just a dragon, that's all," I said, feeling like an idiot, but doing my best to calm him down.
His eyes were huge with emotion, his nostrils flaring, little puffs of smoke and fire coming with every breath. "How do I make it stop? I don't want to be like this!"
"Breathe, Rowan, breathe," I said, stroking the non-hurty side of his chest. He was dangerously close to a panic attack, and I was clueless as to how to calm him down.
"Like everything else, it's a matter of control," Gabriel said. "Take charge of your fire-you're scorching the deck-and harness it to focus your mind. Once you have achieved that control, you will be able to shift at will."
"Breathe," I repeated, stroking the long, curved dragon neck. I kept my eyes firmly on his, because that provided a connection that we both needed-him to keep from freaking out, and me to keep from realizing that the man I loved had a form that was frighteningly different from what I was used to. "Just keep breathing deep breaths, and make your fire do what you want."
Slowly, second by painful second, his eyes calmed and his breathing slowed. The fire he was puffing disappeared, and his body began to shimmer and wobble in and out of focus. It took a couple of tries, but at last he was back to human form.
There was a smattering of polite applause, which I ignored, as I leaned my forehead against his. "You did it! You conquered your dragon self. I'm so proud of you, I could ride you like a rented mule."
He laughed and pulled me to him for a very quick, very fiery kiss.
"Sorry," he said into my mouth before releasing me. "I guess I don't have as much control over my fire as you thought."
"Well done, champion," Osiris said, then gestured toward Maat again. "Now that the dragon shape crisis is over, I believe you have a few more people to process."
"Hello," Maat said, greeting us. "Would you like to start things off?"
I realized with a start she was looking at me. "Um … all right." I tucked my bow into the quiver on my back, and couldn't help but muse that my life hadn't been as blameless as I'd hoped.
Maat stopped in front of me, pulling the feather from her riot of curls.
"I should warn you that there are a few things I've done that perhaps don't look too good on my record," I said nervously. "But I had good reasons to do them-"
She smiled and held out the feather. "Palm up, please."
I glanced at Rowan. He nodded, giving me a little smile that warmed me to the tips of my toes. If nothing else, I knew that my love for him was honest and true. I held out my hand.
She dropped the feather onto it. I waited, braced for something profound to happen.
Nothing did. It just sat there, being a feather. "You may move on as you like," she told me, picking up the feather.
"I can?" I blinked a couple of times. "I passed?"
"You passed." She nodded to May, who handed her sword to Gabriel, and came forward with her hand outstretched. "You may move on as you like," Maat repeated. May gave her a tight smile, murmured her thanks, and retrieved her sword.
In quick succession, Maat went through Gabriel, Ken (who was sulking in the background), and Constantine, who insisted on having a try even though he hadn't been on the cruise.
"I just want to see if I'd pass muster if the First Dragon insists on repeatedly summoning us here," he told Bee as Maat laid the feather on his hand, and told him that he would pass the challenge.
Bee gave him a tolerant, but fond, look in return.
I swear the First Dragon gave a little snort of amusement, but when I looked at him, his expression was as placid-and otherworldly-as ever.
At last the only three people to remain were Rowan, Bael, and Mrs. P. Maat approached Rowan, and I felt the dragons hold their collective breaths.
It was time for the Dragon Breaker to have his soul judged.
Nineteen
"Hand," Maat said, holding her feather.
Rowan hesitated a second, then, with an unreadable look at me, held out his hand for her.
She placed the feather on it. It seemed to ruffle in the wind, bouncing ever so slightly on his hand.
My stomach dropped with fear. Dear goddess, what would I do if he couldn't leave Duat?
Stay with him, of course, my inner voice answered. As if there were a choice.
My panic quelled a bit at that. Although I would prefer not to live in the Underworld, so long as I had Rowan in my life, then we'd make it work.
Maat tipped her head to the side as she watched the feather. She picked it up off his hand, examined it, and then put it back on his palm.
It repeated the little fluttering motion.
Her eyebrows rose as she reclaimed the feather. The silence was so thick you could have heard a molecule hit the deck. "You may move on as you like."
I released a breath I didn't know I was holding. Rowan's shoulders sagged for a few seconds before he straightened them and tried to look as if he wasn't worried to death.
Gary cheered. "Wooties! Now we can have that wedding in the fall. I've always wanted to plan a wedding, and I just know this one is going to be fabulous. I'll have to call Jim. He wants to help plan."
"Now then," Osiris said, gesturing at his guards, who had been flanking Bael. They promptly returned to their master's side. "Since Aset is recovering from her mistreatment, I believe you should attend to this demon lord first."
"Oh, he can't possibly pass her test," I said aloud, alternating between batting my eyelashes at Rowan in an attempt to tell him how much I loved and admired and was proud of him and keeping an eye on Bael. "The man is pure evil. His soul has to be one giant mass of sins."
Bael snarled something at me that had Rowan taking a step forward. Constantine caught his arm and kept him from proceeding.
"Do not pay his words any heed. He speaks lies."
"I have no need for lies," Bael said, the black aura of power around him snapping and crackling, but despite that effect, he looked remarkably calm. In fact, he appeared calmer and more placid as each second slipped past us.
"I must have his hand," Maat told Osiris. He nodded, and one of the guards moved behind Bael.
"Something's up," I said softly to Rowan, watching the guard free Bael's hand.
Rowan had his gaze firmly affixed on the demon lord, his eyes glittering with little bits of gold set against the dark peaty brown. "He's done something."
"What?"
"I have no idea, but whatever it is, he believes it will allow him to pass the challenge. Hold up!" he said that louder, stopping Maat as she was about to place the feather on Bael's hand. "Something is not right here. I suggest you examine Bael to ascertain whether he has his Ka or not."
"Can you see a Ka?" I asked aloud.
"Oh yes, if you like. It resembles a little spark of light," Maat said, tipping her head as she considered Bael.
I swear the man smiled.
"Would you mind showing us your Ka?" Maat asked.