“Who?” Amanda stared out the window as well, but all she saw was manicured lawn and trees in the distance.
“My brother. He’s trying to kill me.”
“He’s…like you?”
Raven chuckled darkly. “Hardly. He’s half Robin, yes, but he’s also half Djinn.”
“Djinn. As in, genie?”
Raven nodded.
“As in Aladdin, Arabian Nights, ‘cuffs on his wrists and lives in a lamp’ genie?”
“Nope. As in, the kind that will kill you simply to hurt me.”
“Oh.” Amanda’s knees began to feel weak, and not in the good way. “D.C. seems nice this time of year.”
“Amanda?” Duncan’s voice pulled her attention away from Raven. “If you could come here for a moment, I think I have a venue for Robin.”
Amanda walked away from Raven, well aware that his attention was firmly fixed on her as she sat across from Duncan once more. “What’ve you got for me?”
Duncan slid a tablet PC across the table to her. “This.”
It was…a vineyard. A beautiful Italian villa surrounded by greenery, with a huge back deck looking out over the fields of grapes. The fall colors were gorgeous, and at night, the vineyard was lit with strung fairy lights down the rows. There was a place beneath a huge oak that would be perfect for Robin and Michaela to say their vows, with an indoor space just off the main ballroom perfect for wine tasting before the reception. “Perfect.”
“Isn’t it?” Duncan sat back with a huge grin. “My friend says we’re welcome to use his place, but no one can sleep there. We’ll have to get hotel accommodations for out-of-town guests.”
“Taken care of. I managed to wing a block of rooms at a historic art deco hotel downtown.” Amanda sighed. “It wasn’t easy, and it’s going to cost Robin a small fortune, but it’s within the gargantuan budget he gave me.” She tapped her nail on the edge of the tablet. “We need to arrange for transportation for the guests there and back again.”
“Buses will do for everyone except the wedding party and the royal party members. They’ll need limos.”
Amanda grimaced. “That will be fun to put together, but let me see what I can come up with before I ask for your help again.”
“Very well.”
“I think we can do this.” Amanda stared, stunned, at the words she’d jotted down. “The place is gorgeous, Duncan. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Duncan rubbed his forehead. “Tell me again why Michaela wanted her wedding to be now? Why not do the traditional yearlong wait so we have time to get everything together?”
“I have no idea.” Amanda had dealt with quickie weddings before, but rarely this quick. “I’m thinking it has something to do with the alignment of moons.”
“No.” Moira entered the room, Ian right behind her. The butler was pushing a cart with tea and snacks on it. “Michaela has very strong feelings about things, and she told Robin the wedding had to happen now or something bad would happen.”
Duncan sat up straight, concern turning his expression dark. “Did Shane say anything?”
“Does Shane ever?” Moira shrugged and settled in her mate’s lap. “He says it has more to do with Raven than Michaela, but he won’t, or can’t, say how.”
Raven stilled, like a bird sighting its prey.
Duncan immediately turned to Raven. “What do you need us to do?”
The grateful expression on Raven’s face quickly morphed into one of determination. “If it affects me, it affects Amanda.” His gaze darted toward her, and she found herself swallowed in the heat of his blue-green gaze. “Robin promised to look after her, but he has Michaela to watch over as well.”
“And she’s more than a handful on her own.” Duncan nodded. “I will guard Amanda when you can’t.”
“Thank you, but my father has it covered.” The bow of Raven’s head was formal.
For just a second Amanda wanted to protest, but then her common sense kicked in. If something was after Raven that made him afraid, it would make pâté out of Amanda without breaking a sweat. Her best option was to accept the protection of those around her until she could figure out a way to protect herself. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Duncan smiled. “Don’t worry, it won’t be so bad. You’ll find Jaden an amusing companion, and I know several ways to help you get Robin’s wedding off the ground.”
“Sir, if I may?” Amanda had completely forgotten about Ian. “I believe my cousin would be willing to handle the wedding cake despite the short notice. All she would ask is that, if it is satisfactory, her name be mentioned as the crafter.”
“Can we set up a tasting with her? I’ve already lined up a caterer tasting for three days from now, so if we can do it then that would be perfect.” The caterer had heard the name Robin Goodfellow and been immediately willing to provide the food for the event. It didn’t take Sherlock to leap to the conclusion that the woman was some sort of fae.
Even more interesting, she’d agreed to the demand that Robin’s hobgoblins inspect the food before it was served. Something about poisoning the guests, horrifying Amanda. But the woman had been willing to deal with the unreasonable demand for such high-profile clients. She just hoped the baker would be willing to do the same.
“Of course. I’ll give you her number.” Ian bowed and left the room, only to return moments later with a piece of paper and some scribbling on it. “There you are.”
“And here we go.” Raven smiled as he walked away from the window, but it was strained. “Thanks again, Duncan. I’ll let my father know how much of a help you’ve been.”
“Of course.” Duncan stood and bowed to Raven, who appeared shocked. “I will see you this evening, Lord Raven.”
“This evening, then.” Raven’s voice was quiet, his tone speculative, but he followed Ian toward the door and took his coat with a sincere thanks.
Was it just another piece of the puzzle that was Raven, or did Duncan know something Raven didn’t?
Raven decided to break the silence first. Amanda had been staring out the window on the drive back to the Dunne farm, her gaze unfocused. Whatever she was thinking about had her tearing a tissue into tiny little bits. The desire to ease her became overwhelming, so he spoke. “What’s the name of the winery?”
She snorted out a laugh. “Fairy Tale Winery. Of course.”
“Fairy…Tale?” Raven’s eyes went wide. “For the love of all that is holy, make no mention of Tinkerbell.”
“Huh?” Amanda stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
How to explain fairies to someone who’d never before been forced to deal with them? “Fairies are…not Tinkerbell.” He rubbed his chin, pondering how best to explain it. “See, the thing is, fairies do fly, but they don’t really have wings the way you’d think of them. And they do have fairy dust, but being sprinkled with it won’t make you fly unless the fairy wants you to. And they’re really, really pissy about the whole Tinkerbell thing.”
“I’m starting to get that impression.” Amanda watched him, waiting for…something. “All right. Let’s start with the wings, shall we?”
“Ugh. They’re one of the harder things to explain.” He scowled, remembering some of the fairies he’d fought in the past. “They have multiple ways to fly. Some of them form wings out of their dust, some use their dust to enchant a twig or a branch, and some just…fly because, fuck it, they’re fairies.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Most of them use dust wings. The strongest are of the fuck-it variety. The weakest of them—”
“Ride wood.”
Such an innocent, angelic face his Amanda had. The potty mouth, though, was his favorite part. “Yes. They ride wood. Hard, rigid wood, sliding between their thighs, held tight between slender hands.”
Those pretty blue eyes of hers were completely gu
ileless. “And broken in half if it doesn’t perform as expected.”
Raven couldn’t help it. He winced.
“Something wrong?”
“Nope.” He cleared his throat. It wouldn’t do to sound like, well, Tinkerbell on helium. At least his lack of manhood got a laugh out of her. “Fairy dust is what all fairy magic comes from. It doesn’t have the range or duration of some other fae workings, but in the limited scope of the dust they’re capable of great feats.”
“Like taking children to Neverland?”
Raven grunted. “Like stopping your blood from flowing through your veins.”
“Oh.”
“Never piss off a fairy unless you know how to neutralize their dust.” And he did. It took considerable effort, but he did.
“How?”
“Time. All fairy dust fades over time, some swiftly, some more slowly depending on the fairy’s strength. And that dust obeys their commands.”
“Like fly?”
“Like fly. Or itch. Or kill. Keep it from entering your body, and eventually they’ll run out of dust.” He patted her hand. “Remember that. Every fae, no matter how powerful or frightening, has a weakness. Our powers aren’t infinite. Find that weakness, and use it against whatever enemy you face.”
“Including you?” She was staring at him with something akin to fear…and worry. “I mean, you have a weakness too?” Amanda winced. “Not that I would think of you as an enemy. And this is coming out all wrong.”
It was also possible he was seeing something he wanted to. After all, how well did he know humans? Most of his life he’d avoided them, but Michaela had opened his eyes to the possibilities that humans held.
Of course, she was just chock full of fae DNA, so she could have been an exception.
“Yes. Including me.” He pulled into the Dunne farm’s long driveway. “And because you’re human, you’ll be even more vulnerable if you piss the wrong person off.”
“Gotcha.” Her face had paled. “Trolls?”
He smiled. “You’d be surprised. Trolls make great toll takers.”
The look she shot him was not amused. “Very funny, dill weed.”
“The bridges they design don’t fail.”
She got out of the car and flipped him the finger.
He followed her quickly, barely remembering to turn off the ignition. Even here, on the Dunne farm, he didn’t feel entirely safe. Nothing was going to strike at her back while he was there.
Something kept pricking at his senses, like an irritable rash that just wouldn’t go away. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear the fairies they’d been mocking were watching them.
But there were no fairies nearby. He’d sense them on the wind, taste their dust on his tongue. No. He was more concerned that Sayyid had used the illusion trap to track him back to here, where Michaela and Robin were.
Sayyid would earn major points with the Dark Queen if he brought her the bride of the Hob. She might even forgive him for allowing Raven to live.
Amanda walked through the front door and called out for Michaela and Robin. Raven remained on the front porch, the chill of being watched growing stronger by the moment.
“There’s something out there, but I can’t sense what.” Sean Dunne stepped out of the front door, the leprechaun’s brow furrowed in anger. “Nothing can hide from me on my land, but whoever it is, they’re using their heads. They’re just off the edge of my land.”
“Which means you can’t affect them.”
“Or hear them.” Sean shook himself. “We need to keep this from Akane or she’ll try and do some sort of surveillance.”
Raven had never seen a pregnant dragon fly. He wasn’t sure they were capable of it. It would be like watching a scaly hippo try to take flight. Hell, he was pretty certain he’d seen it in a Disney movie at one point or another. “Worse, Michaela might want to go take a look.”
Sean grunted. “That wee thing has the heart of a lion in her.” Sean glanced behind him, the scowl back on his face. “And her family the sneakiness of elephants.”
“What’s going on?” Matthew Exton stepped out onto the porch, eyeing them suspiciously. “And what does this have to do with my sister?”
Sean stared at Raven expectantly.
Raven held up his hands. “I explained all this already. It’s someone else’s turn now.”
Sean rolled his eyes and bellowed, “Shane! Get your arse out here!”
The thump of boots on wood heralded the arrival of the eldest Dunne child. His strawberry blond hair was ruffled, and his blue eyes filled with cheer. “Yes, Pa?”
“Tell Matthew here what he wants to know.” Sean turned on his heel, but before he returned to the inside of the house he spoke quietly to Raven. “I’ll inform you immediately if whoever it is takes a step onto my property.”
“Thank you.”
Sean nodded and returned to the house.
“Huh?” Shane stared after his father, then turned to Raven with wide eyes. “Did he just tell me to…tell?”
“Yup!” Raven patted Shane on the back cheerfully. “In fact, why don’t I send the other two out here so you don’t have to repeat yourself.”
Shane’s shoulders slumped. “Wonderful.”
As he walked away he heard Matt growl, “What the fuck is going on around here?” For a human it was damn impressive.
“Martin?” The man turned around, his gaze a little less shell-shocked than the last time Raven had seen him. “Shane wants to talk to you and Melissa out front.”
“Oh. Okay. Be right there.”
Raven considered his duty done, so he headed for the kitchen and his bondmate. She was finishing up with Robin and Michaela, both of whom looked delighted. “So it’s agreed then? We’ll go to the winery tomorrow?”
“Yes, and thank you.” Robin kissed the back of Amanda’s hand, causing Raven’s feathers to ruffle in irritation. “We could not have done this without you.”
“Oh, no. Thank Duncan and Ian. They totally saved my…behind.” Amanda chuckled. “Trust me, without them you’d be getting married in the cow patties out back.”
Robin shuddered delicately. “No thank you.” He stuck his foot out and contemplated his boots. “These are Prada.”
“I like them almost as much as the purple ones,” Michaela cooed.
“Michaela, Robin. Shane has been ordered by Sean to tell Matt, Martin and Melissa about—”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Matt stormed into the kitchen and glared at Michaela and Robin. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“The fae,” Raven continued.
“So you’re in on this?” Matt crossed his arms over his chest and glared. He seemed to do that a lot.
“Matt, calm down.” Martin entered the kitchen and put his hand on his brother’s shoulder, but his gaze was on Michaela. “I told you something was different. Weren’t your instincts screaming at you?”
Matt sighed, his stance lightening up. “You said they glowed, Marty.”
“They do.” Marty pointed to Michaela. “She didn’t used to be all gold and silver like that, and he—” his finger moved to Robin, “—makes my head hurt.”
“Mine too,” Raven muttered, ducking with a laugh when his father halfheartedly swung at him. “I’ll leave them to you, Father. If you don’t mind, I’d like to speak with my bondmate.”
“Of course. We were done, were we not, Amanda?”
“I think so.” She was frowning over her notes, shuffling through them. How she managed to do that without dropping any was a mystery to Raven. “All right. I need to start working on the photographer and the music.” She smiled, one that seemed pasted on. “Enjoy the rest of your afternoon. I’ll contact you if I need any further information.”
Raven took hold of her arm and began steering her toward the
front door, where Melissa was still quietly speaking with Shane. “You’re going to be far too busy to contact them for the rest of the afternoon.”
“Oh?” She sounded intrigued. Good. That was the way he liked it.
“Mm-hm.”
“And what’s going to keep me so occupied I can’t do my job?”
Despite her protest, she wasn’t pulling away.
“Me.” And with a swift move, Raven and Amanda flew into the air and out over the fields, leaving Raven’s crazy family far behind them.
Chapter Nine
Oh, my God, she was going to vomit. Raven was holding her tightly Superman style, with a twist. Instead of allowing her feet to dangle, Amanda had wrapped her legs around his waist, terrified to the core that he’d drop her if she didn’t hold on with all of her might. Despite his assurances, she refused to lift her head from his chest, keeping her eyes closed until he landed once more on terra firma.
“I hate you so much right now,” she whispered, biting back her nausea. When he’d lifted her to the house it hadn’t been so bad, but this little ride from hell had nearly cost her breakfast.
“Sorry, my sweet. Allow me to make it up to you.” He helped Amanda set her feet on the ground, and steadied her as she looked around.
Huh. A barn. They must still be on Dunne property. Shane’s silo wasn’t that far away. “I’m a wuss.”
“Why do you say that?” He led her into the barn, watching the ground for any animal bombs they might step in.
“Because that short flight made me want to hurl.”
He shook his head as he led her toward the ladder that would take them up to the hayloft. He began climbing, letting her go up the ladder on her own, trusting her to not fall. “I’m glad you didn’t. This is my favorite jacket.”
“Ha-ha.” She finished climbing, settling next to him on the straw. “So. Why did you bring me out here?”
“Because there’s more that you need to know about truebonds.” He was staring at her, his gaze intent, his expression dead serious. “For one, we’ve already started to bond.”
“We have?” She thought back to what he’d already told her. “Oh, right. The kiss.”
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