Mick gave him a tolerant glance. Drake’s lip curled. “What is that doing here?”
I forestalled him. “My hotel—my friends. We can talk in my office if you want privacy.”
Drake’s brow furrowed. “Privacy for what?”
“To tell me what you and Mick were meeting in secret about. I have learned not to let dragons get away with hiding what they’re up to.”
Mick’s warm expression deserted him, his eyes reverting to dragon black. He sent Drake a warning look—obviously he did not want Drake spilling the details to me.
Drake equally as obviously saw no reason to keep it quiet. “We were discussing the question of your mortality, Stormwalker. The brief moment of the human lifespan versus the longer one of a dragon. This is an important point to consider when a dragon takes a human mate. He’ll live hundreds of years while you, Janet, die and fade to dust.”
Chapter Thirteen
One thing about Drake—he could boil down an issue to its very essence.
Colby sat up, his eyes widening. “Yeah, that’s a very good point. Watcha gonna do, Micky?”
Drake continued. “Mick was consulting me, and the Dragon Council, about ways to shorten his own lifespan to match Janet’s.”
“What?” I froze, going tight with astonishment. When my breath came back to me, I swung on Mick. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Mick’s eyes glittered with anger but he didn’t look in the least bit ashamed. “It is one possibility. I have been researching many avenues. I consulted the Dragon Council and their records about that one.”
My chest constricted as I spoke. “Mick, why the hell would you want to shorten your lifespan? That’s crazy!”
“’Cause he doesn’t want to live without you,” Colby broke in. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s easy to shorten your lifespan, though, Micky. Just dive into a live volcano and don’t come out.”
“That might not actually kill a dragon,” Drake said. “We’re born in volcanoes after all …”
“It was a joke, you dickhead,” Colby rumbled.
I ignored them to plant myself in front of Mick. “This stops now. I agreed to marry you, be your mate, whatever you want to call it. We enjoy what time we have together. What comes, comes. That’s what everyone does.”
Mick wore his stubborn look, which meant blank and intractable.
Drake continued when Mick remained silent. “Human lifespans can be lengthened, for instance. You, Janet, have so much uncertain magic in you that you naturally might live as long as Mick. However, tampering with that magic, as in a spell to extend your life, has a slight chance of killing you.”
“You see?” I said. “So no more talk about messing with lifespans. Cheese and rice, Mick.”
Mick still did not look at all repentant. His stony expression told me that, one, he’d not give up this idea; and two, he didn’t want to talk about it.
Colby regarded the pair of us with great interest. “So, Drake, is there a way to reduce a dragon’s lifespan? I mean besides losing in a fight against another dragon.”
“I could not find one.” Drake straightened the cuff of his black button-down shirt. Even his emergency-stash clothes were immaculate—silk shirt, dark slacks, polished shoes. “The only way a dragon can take on a human lifespan is to lose that thing that makes him dragon. If a dragon managed to split off the human part of himself into a separate entity and then put his sentience into the human instead of the dragon, he might live out life as a human. The dragon would likely die and the human would not have any powers of the dragon. He or she would become an ordinary man or woman.” Drake paused. “This is theory only. No one has managed to do such a thing. It would take god magic, and no dragon is foolish enough to place his fate in the hands of a god.”
I pointed a finger at Mick. “Don’t even consider it.”
I could picture him going to Coyote and asking for the insane favor of making him a normal human. Mick was a self-sacrificing kind of guy when he thought the sacrifice important enough. Stubbornly so.
Mick slowly shook his head, the dragon rage fading from his eyes. “I won’t do that. Living without the dragon in me wouldn’t be a life. It would probably kill me. It would be hard on you too, Janet, so no, it’s not a solution.”
“Glad to hear it.” I swept my glare over all three dragons. “Cease even discussing it. Like Drake says, who knows what my magic can do? How about we just take it one day at a time?”
“She’s so wise,” Colby said.
“Seriously,” I said, turning my stern look to Colby. “I’m not seeing at this moment how longer lifespans contribute to intelligence. The three of you are …” I made a helpless gesture. “Gah!” I turned and marched away.