She took off, already dreading the coming interview with the Hob. Robin was not going to like this latest development. That was one man who
He was lost in a nightmare world of pain and degradation, the visions coming faster and faster. Unable to process them, he’d given up trying to make sense of them. Instead, he allowed them to flash before his eyes, helpless to hide from his own powers even deep within his own mind. More than a few of those visions showed what would happen to Shane if he gave in, if he allowed the sweet whisper of dark power currently coursing through him to take over, to channel his visions. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who the seductive female figure whispering in his ear was.
The Dark Queen, the first
Most vampires had forgotten the lore that their ability to seduce their victim’s minds, to inject pleasure or pain, came from their Sidhe Queen’s roots. So had most Sidhe. But Shane understood, whether he wanted to or not. When she’d given her soul over to the demon masquerading as a man, he’d granted her powers beyond those of any Sidhe who’d ever lived. But deep inside, she’d still been a Sidhe.
A flash of creamy breast, a burst of agonizing flame in his balls and Shane was screaming to be released. The vision flashed again, and Shane stood on a black road, watching something or someone drive away, someone he desperately needed to talk to. Then another flash, and Akane lay broken and bleeding, her wings torn, her horns twisted off her head. Her golden eyes had dulled to lifeless black.
Shane writhed in his restraints, the need to save his mate overriding everything else.
The vision whirled away to be replaced by a hospital room. A pretty woman stood over a child and smiled while pumping poison into its veins.
“We’re losing him.”
“Where the fuck is Cassie?”
Shane could barely hear his sister’s voice, but the fear in it had another vision floating before him. Moira, chained and naked, marked by countless bruises, the personal cow of a vampire so malevolent he made the Dark Queen look like a sheepdog. The vampire’s bright red hair had Shane shivering in horror.
“If his mind cracks nothing will bring him back.”
The Liberty Bell rang, cracking on the third ring.
Duncan. That voice belonged to the Sidhe who’d mated his sister.
“Shane! Listen up! If you give in Akane will die. You hear me? Akane. Will. Die!”
The visions swirled again, and before him was the vision that had driven him to first create the sculpture
Shane held onto that vision with both hands, using it as a club to beat the others back. If he could hold on just a little bit longer, that one would come true.
But the darkness crept closer, and one of the children vanished.
Akane followed Jaden’s directions to the safe house, changing once more to her human Seeming when they reached a quiet part of the city. The sun had finally set, but the humans were thick on the ground, forcing Akane to land on top of a building that looked like it might have a working fire escape.
“C’mon down.” Jaden whispered to her, clinging to the side of the building like a four legged spider.
“You’re funny.” Akane made her way to the fire escape. “You’re also paying for the taxi.”
Jaden snickered, but otherwise climbed silently down the side of the building. Akane kept her own descent as quiet as possible but she didn’t have the vampire’s ability to silence her footfalls. Still, she was a Blade, trained by the Hob himself to use what the gods gave her. So Akane, realizing the fire escape was too damn noisy, chose to risk spreading her wings. She glided down to a dirty, stinking alley silently, wondering why she’d bothered with the fire escape in the first place. She shouldn’t have made such a rookie mistake.
“Mating makes you crazy, especially when one of them is in danger.”
Akane glared at the vampire.
“Oh! I have a present for you.”
Akane walked out of the alley, praying nothing had stuck to the soles of her shoes. She’d hate to burn a favorite pair of Ferragamos. “What?”
He held out a plastic jar. “Just a little something for when we find Constance and Hobart.”
She took the bottle and read the label. “Barbeque sauce?”
He shrugged. “You would have preferred Heinz 57?”
Akane held up the barbeque sauce and shook it. “Taxi!”
“You’re no fun anymore.”
The cold was seeping into his bones. The children were gone. The dragon was gone. Only the voice remained, whispering.
“Shh. I have you now.”
Seagulls. Why did he hear seagulls? Waves crashed on the shore, gently washing against the bare feet of the man with the silver hair and sad eyes. Something precious had been lost in the waves and might never be found again.
Crows cawed in the distance, answering the call of their lord, but whose side he was on no one knew. Darkness followed him, and the road forked before him, one full of fog, one dark as a moonless night.
A dark-haired man sat at a bar drinking whiskey, remembering a time when he rode a destrier at the side of the lord with the silver hand. He lifted his glass in remembrance of the fallen lord.
“Shh. Duncan, I think I know what’s going on.”
Oh goody. At least someone had a clue.
“Can you heal him?”
Duncan sounded pretty tired. He should go take a nap.
White sheets on a white bed. Monitors blipped and a woman wept. Black nails caressed a pale nape as hope died.
“He’s losing his touch with reality. The parasite was burned away, but not before planting a dormant seed. When Shane and Akane mated the seed woke and did this, but I don’t think it was supposed to be triggered just yet. I’m going to root it out. Moira, I’ll need the salamander in here to kill it, okay?”
He couldn’t hear what else was said. A crow feasted on one bright blue eye as the farm burned around him.
“Now I need you to do one more thing for me, okay, Moira?”
Shane watched the axe fall, taking the hand of the king.
“Cover your ears.”
All the visions stilled as the most beautiful voice in the world drove them back into darkness.
Akane jumped out of the cab, a shiver of dread running through her. “We don’t have much time.” Jaden nodded, that brash tongue silent for once. They stood before the safe house, knowing it was more than likely a trap. “I’ll take the heat for killing Hobart. You take down Constance.”
“She’s the Black’s Malmayne lord.”
Akane stared at her partner. “How do you know that? I thought Henri pledged them over.”
Jaden shook his head. “He lied. I could smell it on him.”
One eyebrow rose. “Really?”
Jaden snorted in disgust. “It was stinky. Kinda like camel piss.”
Akane blinked. She was not going to ask. She was
“You have doubts?”
Jaden and Akane both flinched. “Robin.”
“Did you think you could hide the signs from me of one of my own?” Black claws caressed her cheek and Akane bowed her head.
