Artistic Vision

preventing anyone from touching him or her by gifting the offender with nasty shocks that increased in intensity until the offender gave up or passed out. Akane remembered one instance where the would-be spouse persisted to the point where the shocks had resulted in death.

“Even if she had agreed I wouldn’t have. They tortured her to get my compliance. Kaitlynn used her powers to make Ruby experience electrocution over and over again.” He shuddered. “No matter what else happens I’ll never give a child of mine to the Malmaynes.”

Robin froze. “What did you say?”

Leo frowned. “I’ll never give a child of mine to the Malmaynes.”

Robin and Akane exchanged looks. “Could it be that simple?”

“The child would be half human. They might think it would be easy to control.” Akane began to pace. “But I thought they wanted to use Leo’s seed to create their own child, one as close to Sidhe as possible.”

“When life hands you lemons, make lemonade?” Robin rubbed his eyes. “All of this could be ghost chasing. We know they want to control the prophecy, but do they even understand what it means?”

Akane bit her lip and hoped Shane wouldn’t have a hissy fit. “It could have something to do with the statues Shane created.” Leo was listening to every word they said, the frown still on his face as he stroked his sleeping mate. “The ones about you and Oberon?”

Robin shook his head even as Akane nodded. Robin stood fast as lightning, his pretty blue eyes burning bright green. “What do you know?”

“Just that the statues do have something to do with the prophecy, but Shane wasn’t sure how.”

Robin took a deep breath. “I need to speak to Shane.” A miniature tornado whirled around the Hob and he was gone, the only sign of his presence the cooling cup of tea he’d left behind.

“Do you think the prophecy has to do with Robin’s statue or Oberon’s?”

“Oberon’s.” She was almost positive. Shane had finished Robin’s, but hadn’t quite finished Oberon’s. The time for him to do so was coming.

She stood and began to pace, her fingers twitching. She had the urge to fly, to check on Shane, but Robin had given her a task and she had to complete it. She had to protect Leo and Ruby. Besides, Robin himself had gone to speak to Shane. If something were wrong, Robin would take care of it.

She danced her fingers along golden swirls. Robin would take care of Shane. She had to trust in that.

Shane could hear them moving around. Not even his father would be able to stop what was about to happen; the one who’d come for him had been too careful. Shane winced and ran his hand down the cold iron blade. He watched the blood well through haunted eyes. If he could avoid this, dear gods he would, but there was no other way.

Shane flung out his hand and allowed his blood to paint the story he wanted to tell.

“Shane.”

Shane turned. Behind him stood someone he’d thought he was familiar with, someone he could trust. The betrayal was shattering. He must have planned this from the start. When the first blow came he tried to block it, but there was no stopping what was coming, no way to save him. He fought enough that they wouldn’t think he’d given in, but not enough to cause himself permanent damage. He made sure both of them bled, adding their essence to the canvas he’d be leaving behind.

The blow to the back of his head sent him hurtling into darkness.

Robin stared at the wreckage of Shane Joloun Dunne’s workshop and snarled. Blood, too much blood, tinted the concrete floor. Not all of it was the hybrid’s, but enough that Robin would have to keep Akane from entering the room. If the dragoness scented her mate’s blood splattered around the room she would go feral, uncontrollable until her mate was found and returned safely to her side.

Woe unto those who had harmed him, for dragons were fierce when it came to protecting their own.

He eyed the spot where his statue had been and stilled. Where once the ball of jagged metal and glass had stood was a new statue, one that had Robin swearing in several different languages. Upon a silver table, a figure made of gold and green glass writhed in agony. Fire somehow glittered in the glass man’s core, some trick of the light that, when Robin moved, disappeared from view. Dark tendrils drifted like smoke from the table and into the man’s body, the sight all too familiar to Robin’s eyes. The glass man’s mouth was open in a silent scream, one fist clenched around a golden, thorny rose, one petal poised to fall. Beneath the figure’s clenched fist rose petals littered the floor, black glass rimmed with faded gold. The figure’s other hand reached for something unseen, away from the agonized face.

Over it stood a figure in black, robed and hooded, like all cheesy villains were. But what chilled Robin to the core was the glowing green eyes in the face of the figure. Eyes he was intimately familiar with, for he saw them in his mirror every day.

Robin breathed, and the black figure shattered.

“Robin?”

He turned to find Sean Dunne standing behind him, the leprechaun’s fury a match for his own. Sean was staring at the shattered black glass, his expression unreadable, but beneath his feet the earth itself heaved. If Robin hadn’t been who he was he would have been knocked on his ass. As it was he almost staggered, startled anew at the strength the Dunne leprechauns showed.

“Where is my son?”

Robin allowed his claws out and grinned. “Good question.”

Akane rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong, and her dragon was beyond upset. It took three tries to open her inner sight, her dragon was so upset.

When she did, she cried out in horror. Shane’s bright light was dimmed, barely visible to her inner eye. Blood matted his bright hair; his blue eyes were closed in what she prayed was simple sleep. She couldn’t tell where he was. It was dark, even to dragon eyes. She shrieked, her song of rage loud, her Seeming falling from her in tatters, her hybrid form unleashed at the knowledge that her mate was injured, possibly dying.

“Akane?”

She turned, the rage so strong Leo seemed bathed in ruby light. “They hurt him.”

“Who?” He grabbed hold of her arms, surprisingly strong for an almost full-blooded Sidhe. “Shane?”

She nodded, ripping out of his hold easily. She had to go, had to find Shane, had to stop them from hurting her mate. She needed to taste their blood, to rip into them, to feast on their pain until she was satisfied they’d never hurt Shane again.

“Akane, wait! Wait until Robin gets back, or call Jaden. Hell, get hold of Tristan if you like, but don’t go alone. If the Malmaynes have Shane he might be your best bet for getting him free!”

The need to hunt, to kill was so strong she was barely earthbound. She wanted to fly, to leave this place and kill the ones who had dared take her mate from her. Didn’t they know who she was, what she would do to them? They would lie dead before her, their carcasses rotting beneath her feet as she roared her triumph over them!

“Still thyself, Akane Russo.”

She froze, the music in that voice freezing her in her tracks. If Akane was pure vengeance, then that voice promised pure destruction, the seductive song speaking to the enraged dragon within her.

Robin Goodfellow, eyes blazing with green light, stepped out from the shadows. His black nails had grown to wicked talons. She glared at him and hissed; he kept her from finding her mate, but with those glowing eyes on her she had no choice. She was rooted to the spot, unable to move as the Hob enforced his command through sheer willpower.

And then Robin did something she hadn’t known was possible. Dragon song erupted from a non-dragon throat, sweet and stunning, drawing her to him with its power and majesty. Without thought she knelt at Robin’s feet, purring, her head resting against the Hob’s thigh in total submission to his will. If anyone could save her mate, it would be Robin.

His hand fell to her hair, stroking her, gentling her, not as a lover would but as a father, one who commanded