The dragoness nodded once, and Shane lost himself in visions once more.
Akane flew from the studio with only one thought in mind: find Constance and Hobart and kill them.
“Hey, Akane! Mind taking along a rider?”
Akane paused in her flight. “How are you out during the day?”
Jaden shrugged. “SPF three thousand, courtesy of the Hob.” That green light flared in his eyes. “Can we go? I’m kind of wigging out here.” He pointed toward the dipping sun. “I haven’t seen that in a hundred years, ya know.”
“I know.” Akane shifted to her full dragon form. “Hop aboard.”
“Damn. If only you’d extended that invitation before I was mated.” Jaden winced and gingerly climbed onto her back. “Do you have any idea how loudly a leprechaun can screech?”
“As loud as she needs to.” Akane took off once he was holding securely to her back.
“Who are we hunting?”
“I’m surprised Moira didn’t tell you.” Akane banked, following the line of the road toward the Malmayne estate. She wanted to start there but doubted she’d find the clan in residence. Constance had to know Akane was going to come after her.
“I’m surprised she knew I’d be able to come out in the admittedly fading sunlight.” Jaden shifted slightly. “So, tell Daddy who needs their ass whipped.”
Akane grinned. “Constance Malmayne and Hobart Klaussner.”
“One of those names is familiar, but who was mean enough to name their kid Hobart? And how many ass- kickings did the dude need to endure?”
Akane rolled her eyes. “He’s the son of the Hob and a pooka who was turned into a vampire while pregnant with him.”
Silence. She loved when she was able to shut Jaden up.
Of course it never lasted very long. “How did the Hob take his sudden fatherhood?”
“Haven’t told him yet.” Mostly because she figured he didn’t need to know about someone who was already dead.
“Ah. You don’t think he’ll react poorly to you killing one of his offspring?”
“I really don’t give a shit.”
“So when I get invited to his home for dragon burgers you’ll be okay with that? What am I saying, you’ll already be there.”
“Hobart’s the one who pumped Shane full of sludge.”
“Crap. And I mean that literally.” Jaden sighed. “Fine, but you’re taking the heat for this one. I’ve had my yearly helping of pissed Hob, thank you very much.”
She nodded and banked again, scenting the air. It was faint, but she could detect the scents of both Constance and Hobart. “They’re not here.”
“Duh. Smart people get out of the way of angry dragons, you know.”
She chuckled, reluctantly amused. “That explains a lot.”
He poked her left shoulder hard enough she grunted. “There. Turn left.”
Akane turned, her wings adjusting to a sudden updraft. “I see it.”
A dark sedan was heading down the road, the stench of the Malmaynes thick on it. Akane was tempted to just wipe out the entire clan, keep them from ever harming anyone else ever again, but Shane wouldn’t approve of such a draconian measure.
Damn it.
“I spy with my little eye something that begins with D,” Jaden hummed.
“Dragon food?”
“Congratulations, you win the kewpie doll.”
“I’ll take a pound of flesh instead.” Akane swooped down on the car. Inside she could smell two of the people she was hunting, two who she might let live if they gave up the real culprits to Akane’s claws and Jaden’s teeth. She landed on the roof of the sedan, digging in when it swerved in a useless attempt to shake her off.
Idiots. She began ripping into the roof, tearing it off in chunks. When she had almost the whole thing open she took off again, hovering easily over the speeding vehicle. They should have known that running around in a fiberglass can wasn’t going to save them from her wrath. “Where’s Constance?”
Cecelia Malmayne, face paler than normal, stared up at Akane in horror. Akane easily kept pace with the racing car. “Not here.”
Jaden leaned over her neck. “Hey, sweetie. Remember me?” He jumped down to the car below and grabbed hold of Henri’s neck. The Sidhe slammed on the brakes, but the vampire held fast. Instead of throwing off the vampire, Henri wound up with four puncture wounds in each cheek from Jaden’s claws. “Naughty naughty!”
Akane lit on the roof and blew smoke at the Sidhe female. “Where are Constance and Hobart?”
Henri stiffened, the gesture so slight that Akane would have missed it if she wasn’t so focused on the pair. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”
Jaden leaned over and lapped up some of the blood running down Henri’s cheeks. “Oh?”
“Constance is heading to New York.” Cecelia was shaking, her eyes glued to the vampiric tongue running up and down her lover’s cheek. “I think Hobart went with her.”
“Liar,” Jaden whispered. One clawed hand reached down and grabbed hold of Henri’s penis, twisting it. “If you want to find out all about the transgender lifestyle you’ll keep lying to me.”
Henri gulped and held very, very still. “Constance is at a safe house. Hobart’s with her.”
“Where?” Jaden twisted and Henri cried out.
“Omaha!” Henri panted, his face a mask of pain. “They’re in Omaha.” His expression pleading, he turned to Akane. “Duncan will know where.”
Jaden stilled. He was consulting with his bondmate. He rattled off an address that had Henri nodding in relief. “Please. Let us go. Or at least let Ceci go. I’m begging you.”
Jaden looked at Akane and raised his brows. He was letting her make the call on this one.
“Have you given your oath of fealty to the White Court?”
Henri gulped. “No.”
His response was so quiet Akane could barely hear it. “The Black?”
Henri nodded almost imperceptibly.
“When?”
“Does it matter?” Jaden shook his head sadly. “The Malmayne Clan has already fallen. Shit.” He let Henri go, his expression full of disgust. Henri and Cecelia had done nothing that warranted Blade justice. While she and Jaden could intimidate the hell out of them in pursuit of Constance and Hobart, they couldn’t touch the pair otherwise.
But they could make them hurt, make them bleed, to give up Constance and Hobart, and Akane would do just that until she got what she wanted.
“Where are the rest of your clan?”
“Some are heading for our new home, some have refused to join us and are seeking refuge in the White.” Henri shivered, and with good reason. If the lord of Clan Malmayne had already given his allegiance to the Black officially then
“Go on, get out of here. But know this: you tell Constance we’re coming after her and ripping your dick off will be the least of your punishments. Got it?” Jaden settled once more on Akane’s back. “We’re enemies now.”
“We always were,” Henri muttered.
“No. We weren’t. You were just too blind to see it.” Jaden patted Akane’s neck. “Let’s go.”
Akane nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
She left the pair gasping in their destroyed car, the Sidhe’s eyes nearly popping right out of their stupid heads at her acknowledgement of Jaden as her lord. She’d never given allegiance before and wouldn’t have now, if it weren’t for Shane. Let them think that her presence in Jaden’s clan gave them an edge with the Seer. Maybe it would keep them from trying anything else in the future.
