“You completed your blood bond with them first, right? That makes them both Blackthorns. The first bond is the one first recognized when it comes to a tribond.” Akane frowned. “Didn’t you know that?”
All three of them blushed. “No. Besides, we were busy.”
“I know.” Akane smirked. “I was keeping an eye on you, remember?”
Moira stepped in front of both of them. “Do I really want to know how much you saw?”
Akane huffed out a laugh. “Probably not.”
Something was itching at the back of Jaden’s brain. Something that might mean something, something a Dunne had said to Duncan. “Crap. What was it that Shane called you about the other night?”
“You mean that weird rhyme? ‘Darkness stalks the Malmayne clan. Salvation lies within one man. Accept the bond and pay the price. Shadow wraps around you thrice.’”
The three of them stared at each other.
“Oh, crap,” Akane whispered. “Where did he hear that?”
“He said he had his sources, but wouldn’t say.”
“Darkness stalks the Malmayne clan. The Black, obviously.” Duncan was off, once more prowling the room, but the difference was obvious. This time he was thinking, not stewing. “Salvation lies within one man.”
Jaden sprawled in the chair in front of Duncan’s desk, his preferred thinking spot. “One man. You?”
Duncan snorted. “Obviously not. You, perhaps?”
“Not sure. Accept the bond and pay the price?”
“The tribond,” Moira whispered, settling against the edge of Duncan’s desk. It was a good spot to watch them both, something she seemed to enjoy doing. “But what’s the price? The loss of the clan?”
“My rulership of the clan.” Duncan shook his head. “I would gladly give that up for my bond with you both. It’s not that hard a price to pay. I know I don’t want to live without either of you.”
Jaden was warmed straight through. Duncan had hoped to lead the Malmaynes into the future once Cullen had passed on. He’d spoken of it at length on the nights when his father’s autocratic decrees had weighed on him heavily. But now wasn’t the time to get sentimental. “Shadows wrap around you thrice.”
“The Gray Court?” Moira blew her hair out of her eyes. “We’ll leave the White for the Gray?”
“All of the Malmaynes who don’t wish to fall into the Black, or just the three of us?”
“Shadows wrap around you thrice. Was he speaking only of you, Duncan, or the three of you?” Akane watched them all, her eyes sparkling. She loved a good riddle. All dragons did.
“Either way, it seems to dictate our course, doesn’t it?” Jaden stood. “What say we all?”
Duncan took hold of Jaden’s hand. “If I have to give up my status at least I know you’ll be kept safe. Just because I give oaths to the Gray that doesn’t mean I don’t have every intention of continuing to investigate the clan. They’re still my family and not all of them are leaning toward the Black. I’m in.”
Moira took his other hand. “I’m in. I’ll have to let my family know, but I get the feeling it won’t bother them much. They’d rather see us safe and Gray than White and in constant danger.”
Jaden grinned. “Agreed.” He tugged them both closer. “Now can we go to bed and fuck like bunnies?” Two elbows hit him in the stomach. “Ow.”
“In the meantime, Duncan can always tell Glorianna what’s going on himself so that she knows to watch the rest of the Malmaynes.” Akane stood. “I’m going to make myself scarce for that conversation. You have fun!” She walked out of the room, headed for the gods knew where. It wasn’t like she had a car and Duncan hadn’t given her permission to borrow any of his.
“Hell. She’s right. I’d better call Glorianna. You two want to be here for this?”
Jaden already had hold of Moira and was dragging her out of the room. “We’ll be naked and waiting. Don’t take too long or we might start without you.” He looked down at Moira, who was desperately trying not to laugh while scowling up at him. “Please stop hitting me. You might hurt yourself.”
Moira lay naked on the bed, Jaden’s big hands roaming her body, when Duncan rejoined them. “How did it go?”
From the grimace crossing his face it didn’t look good. What looked better was how rapidly Duncan got naked. “She knows everything. When the others petition to remove me she’s going to grant it. She can’t allow a vampire mate in one of the Sidhe main houses.”
“What about the fact that the Sidhe house in question has had dealings with the Black?” Moira was outraged. How could the Queen do this to Duncan? He’d been nothing but loyal through all his years in her service.
“She plans on investigating the allegations herself.”
Jaden stilled. “Excuse me? She doesn’t have the trained investigators Robin has. Why isn’t she letting the Blades handle this?”
Duncan growled, his body quivering. He looked two seconds away from pacing again. “She says that the Blades are compromised on this and she can’t trust them.”
Moira began to laugh. “Oh, lord. Let Robin hear about that. Please let Robin hear that she actually said his Blades are ‘compromised’.”
The windows blew open with a fierce gust of wind.
“Oh, hell. I didn’t mean now.” Moira sat up and pulled the sheet over her. “Hello, Robin.”
Robin Goodfellow stood next to the bed, his blue eyes twinkling merrily. His long red hair was pulled back in a tail that reached the top of his ass. He wore a bright blue silk shirt that almost matched his eyes, and dark brown leather pants. The boots he wore had a slight heel to them, making him seem taller. His nails were painted jet black. “And hello to you too, Moira. Congratulations on your mating.” He bowed to her, full of mischief.
“Thank you.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “Glorianna thinks the Blades are compromised.”
“I heard.” Robin waved and one of the chairs glided forward, coming to rest just behind him. He sat, resting a booted foot over his knee, looking like the prince Moira secretly thought he was. “Why would Glorianna think that?”
Duncan bowed gracefully to the Hob, holding one edge of the comforter over his nakedness. “My lord.”
Robin smiled and bowed back from his “seat”. “Duncan. Always a pleasure. I understand my Blade has taken you as his bondmate. Congratulations to you as well.”
“Thank you.” Duncan swallowed hard. “Jaden means the world to both Moira and myself.”
“I know, else I might have put a stop to it.”
Jaden winced, but Moira shivered. If anyone could stop a mating, Robin would be the one. “Thank you for having faith in us.”
For a moment the Hob looked startled, but then he laughed. “Faith. True, one must have faith.” He leaned his chin on one fist, watching them. “So, tell me exactly what is going on.”
Moira decided she should begin. After all, Duncan was paler than she’d ever seen him, and Jaden looked like he’d swallowed a frog. She was getting used to dealing with the Hob since he visited her family. She got the feeling he did that because it was one of the few places where people treated him like just another fae. “It started when Henri began to visit Duncan. He kept telling him that he needed to make my brother Leo mate with either Constance or Cecelia. Turns out the Seer had told Charles Malmayne that the child of Dunne would do something that would change our world, and the Malmaynes wanted that child to be theirs to control. Charles firmly believed that Leo would be the father of that child, but I’m starting to think it will be my Dad who turns out to be the father.”
“Interesting.” Robin hadn’t moved or changed expression. How much of this did the Hob already know?
“We managed to uncover evidence that Charles was working with an Unseelie Sidhe, using redcaps to guard himself. He actually sent them against the farm, but we managed to win.”
Robin perked up at that. “He attacked the Dunne farm? How many of you were hurt?”
Moira s
hrugged. “None of us.” She wiggled. “Dad did that nifty thing where he sucks someone through a pinhole without leaving a trace, Akane fought the salamander—” Robin choked, “—and I pelted one with rocks.”
Robin frowned, green glittering in his blue eyes. Something about that green light looked alarmingly familiar. “How did you come to be unharmed?”
“I have two brothers. I know how to throw.” She shared an evil grin with the Hob. Moira heard both her men gulp. “We went to confront Charles, Duncan did his Vulcan mind-meld thing and pretty much got everything Charles knew out of him. He declared his life forfeit and Jaden…” She glanced over at her vampire. “He carried out Duncan’s death sentence.” She took hold of Jaden’s hand with the one that wasn’t clutching the sheet to her breast and squeezed.
“And now?” Robin rested his head back down on his fist, but Moira wasn’t fooled for a moment. Robin was more like a hawk, watching every nuance of their expressions, waiting for something.
Duncan picked up the tale. “Glorianna knows everything, but she’s going to grant the petition to remove me as head of the clan thanks to my mating with Jaden. I got the impression that I was no longer Lord Malmayne the moment I became Jaden’s bondmate.” Now he looked as furious as Moira knew he was. “But I still plan on investigating the clan. I’ll just have to do it from the outside.”
“How about the tribond? Are the three of you happy? Does Glorianna’s decree change anything for you?”
“Hell no.” Duncan rested his hand on Moira’s thigh. “Glorianna can’t dictate who I love.”
Jaden still seemed struck dumb, so she answered. “Other than the fact we have yet to speak the Vows and finish the Binding, yes, I’m happy.”
His head lifted from his fist, his expression arrested. “Meaning that all three of you are now Blackthorns?”
“Um. Yes?” Moira had no clue where he was going with this, but she bet it would be an interesting ride to get there.
“Well, then.” The Hob simply purred with satisfaction. “Come to the Gray Palace as soon as you can.” He rubbed his hands together, looking strangely satisfied. “We have plans to make.”
“But—”
“Uh-uh, Mrs. Blackthorn. That wasn’t a request, you see.” He stood and stretched before leaning down to pat her cheek. The warmth that spread through her at his touch was startling. “I expect you sooner rather than later.” The delight in his eyes was frightening. “And so will Oberon when he hears.”
“Yes, sir.” She nodded, knowing no other answer would satisfy him. She might be used to him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t frighten the ever-loving crap out of her sometimes.
“Good. I’ll see you there soon, hmm?” The wind blew the Hob back out the window, slamming it shut behind him.
“Well.” Jaden cleared his throat. “When’s the next flight to Colorado?”
Duncan, pale and wide-eyed, turned to leave the bedroom. “I’ll go find out.”
“A ghra?” Moira bit her lip to keep from laughing.
“What?”
“You forgot something.”
“I have?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Duncan looked around the room. “What did I forget? My cell phone.”
Jaden had his face buried in his pillow, his shoulders shaking.
“Your pants.”
Chapter Ten
Duncan stood on the steps of the Gray Palace and tried not to shiver. Gray was probably the wrong word for it. Oberon had built himself a palatial house, it was true, but he’d built it to match the surrounding terrain. Built of wood and stone, the house easily topped four stories, with large glass windows that gleamed in the sun. The house had two wings that embraced the circular brick drive. Part of that drive had an offshoot to the right, where Duncan was certain the garage was. He could see some lights strung in the bushes by the front door, a nod to the human holiday.
They stepped out of the limo they’d found waiting for them at the airport, Jaden going first as always. Duncan frowned, only now realizing how often Jaden had tried to stand between him and any danger. He tapped Jaden’s ass. “I think we’re safe here.”
He felt more than heard Jaden’s grunt, but he moved out of Duncan’s way. Duncan climbed out of the limo, watching with some amusement as Jaden held out his hand to help Moira out.
She took it and climbed out, her face lit with awe and not a little bit of greed. “Wow. Nice place.”
“You like this? You should see his summer home.”
Duncan had to hold back his start of surprise. Robin was seated on the roof of the limo, arms and legs akimbo, laughing at them. “Hello to you, too.”
Robin’s eyes went wide before he returned Duncan’s greetings. “And to you, Mr. Blackthorn.”
Duncan shook his head. “We decided our name would be Malmayne-Blackthorn.”
“Have you completed the Vows, then?” Robin slid off the roof of the car, landing gracefully on his feet.
“Not yet.” Moira was still insisting that her parents be present, but from the look on Robin’s face time had just run out.
“Hmm.” Robin threaded his arm through Moira’s. “Shall we, my dear.”
“Let’s.” Moira let Robin lead her away.
“Shall we, my dear?” Jaden bowed and held out his elbow, his eyebrows wagging.
Duncan laughed and took his arm, then followed Robin and Moira up the stairs.
Robin was shaking his head. Duncan didn’t know if the Hob was amused or not.
The front door opened ahead of them. There stood a man Duncan had only met twice, and both times had sent a shiver of fear and awe through him. Long white hair blew in the cold Colorado air. When Duncan had last seen the man it had been bound into a long tail that reached the man’s knees. Gray eyes the color of a cloudy sky watched them with little emotion. He was dressed in a black suit, with a black shirt and a silver striped tie. He was slender, built more along Jaden’s lines than his own. He radiated a power that could burn if not held strictly in check. The immensity of the High King’s control was awe inspiring.
King Oberon lifted one white brow and studied them. “You’re late.”
Robin bowed. “They got here as quickly as they could, sire.”
Duncan heard the gentle rebuke in the Hob’s voice and wondered at it.
Oberon turned that laser-like focus onto Robin. “Is it your fault that they’re late?”
“No. If it was they would be more than merely a few minutes past the time. If I had been involved it would have been weeks.” Robin shook his head. “Blame rush hour traffic rather than mischief, if you please.”
Duncan saw Oberon’s lips twitch. “What would be the fun in that?”
Robin heaved a heartfelt sigh. “Might as well blame me for Tunguska.”
Oberon’s lips definitely lifted into a smile. “You were to blame for that.”
“Oh. Right.” Robin waved his hand. “Still, you know why that happened.”
“Yes. I do.” The pair exchanged an enigmatic look that did nothing to assuage Duncan’s renewed fear.
Duncan shivered. The 1908 explosion over the Tunguska region of Russia was something he still recalled with dread. Scientists believed a meteor or comet fragment exploded roughly three miles above the spot that had been decimated, but there was no solid proof of what had happened. It had the impact of roughly ten to fifteen megatons of TNT. Nothing had survived intact. The fallout from the explosion was seen around the world. Strange light could be seen in England, where he’d been staying before his extended trip to America. It was bright enough to read the newspaper by. When an expedition was finally sent by the Russians in 1927, the pictures of the devastation had been horrifying.
And Robin, the man currently holding on to Duncan’s wife, had been responsible?
Duncan nudged Jaden. “Is he safe?”
Jaden frowned. “About as safe as Oberon.”
Which meant not very. King Oberon was known far and wide as a fair, if rather
cold, being. He was a fierce warrior, the High King by both the decree of the gods and the might of his arm. Neither Glorianna nor the Dark Queen could override a decision from the High King, no matter what the reason for it. Oberon had been known to hand victories to both his ex-wife and Glorianna with a fairness none could fault.
Robin more than made up for Oberon’s coldness, tugging Moira forward with a carefree smile, leaving Duncan and Jaden no choice but to follow. “My king, may I present the Blackthorns?”
Oberon studied them, leaving Duncan with the feeling he’d somehow been found lacking. He bowed. “Sire.”
Jaden also bowed. “Sire.”
None of Duncan’s uneasiness was reflected in Jaden, immediately putting him at ease. Jaden had long ago spoken his vows before the High King, had presumably met him on numerous occasions. He seemed comfortable with Oberon, surprising Duncan. Moira smiled at the High King like he was some long lost friend.
There was more to either of lovers than he’d thought. Duncan couldn’t be prouder of them.
Something in Oberon’s expression lightened, surprising him. “Come in. It’s freezing out there.” Oberon held the door open and ushered them inside. “Welcome to the Gray Palace.”
Duncan understood now why it was called that. The interior was as cool as the exterior had been warm. It was done in colors of white, silver and gray, all shades of gray. Very little color made its way into Oberon’s palace. What color there was had the chaotic essence of the Hob written all over it, brilliant, randomly placed splashes of art both antique and modern. The few ornaments that decorated the hall were silver, except for one bright, chaotic star at the top of the white aluminum tree. Duncan had no doubts as to whom that star belonged to.
“Let me guess. You’ve put us in the gray room.”
Moira slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide, but it was too late. Oberon had clearly heard. He faced them, his expression quizzical. “Are all the Dunnes like you?”
Moira nodded. “Mostly. Ruby’s worse.”
Oberon nodded. “I can understand why Robin likes to visit, then.”
The doorbell rang. Oberon, for the first time, showed emotion. He looked startled, and not a little annoyed. “Robin?”
Noble Blood Page 17