“Papa!” Elliot screamed. “Papa, I’m here!”
Corbin seemed to be focusing on the envoys, his eyes sharp, glowing an unnatural green. He was growing things—vines twining up only to be immediately cut down by the others.
His lethean was not capable of fighting this group of fae—they were born to grow things too.
You worry about the babies. Get Elliot and the babies inside.Corbin’s voice was absolutely unafraid.I love you.
Suddenly, Cosmo was standing next to his brother, and Cullen was there too, and they stood there—three identical dragons, their only difference the color.
Their tails linked together, and they opened their mouths, a fierce cry sounding, and with it, a blinding light. It shocked him—the light was something so powerful that not one of them could have made it alone, but together, the three of them, working in unison seemed to be in complete control. It was stunning.
The light hit the envoys. The five faces standing there were made almost see-through with the light. One of them, the one closest to Lady Calla, began to smolder, her hair lighting on fire.
He wanted to call out to the triplets, “Don’t destroy her. We have to question her!”
But there was no stopping the fire.
There was no stopping the light.
They spoke as one. “We do not suffer vampires lightly. We reject you.”
That voice wasn’t his Corbin’s. It was something bigger. All Evander could think was that perhaps that was their calling, giving voice to truth.
The vampire burned quickly, the light remaining even after there was nothing left but ash.
Bron stared at his sons, then at his wife. “It seems we don’t need to worry about our son’s mate being a vampire. Lady, go get your grandchildren. They’re frightened.”
Elliot stared at her from where he stood with his father and Evander, the little body still, heavy. “I’m not scared. That was a bad dragon.”
“Yes, it was, sort of.” Evander glanced at Bron. “I guess he has more experience with dragons, huh?”
Bron shrugged. “Well, you know, he is three-quarters dragon, and we are amazing.”
“Those three are very much amazing, that’s for sure.”
If he wasn’t so worried that somehow the triplets had mind-melded and they were never coming back, he’d be incredibly turned on.
None of the other envoys seemed to be ready to go up in smoke, but his father and brothers had surrounded them, keeping them contained so that they couldn’t get near anyone.
He worked his way back to his mate, shifting into his frame and form so that he could come close to the brothers. “I think all is well now, love.”
The three heads swiveled and they all looked at him. For a minute, he was kind of afraid they were going to set him on fire. But then they seemed to relax, their tails untwining from each other. Cosmo immediately slumped down to the ground in his human form, his pink body a little bit dull.
Elliot immediately ran to him, his little croaking bullfrog voice crying out. Isabelle struggled to get to him as well, but Bron was holding her.
Cullen shifted and went to his children, grabbing one in each arm. He gave kisses, and they were a little frantic, their wings beating at him.
Corbin just looked at him, weaving back and forth a little bit as if he were exhausted. So, Ev went and took him in his arms, letting the dragon body change into a human form. He kissed Corbin on the neck. “Are you well, lethean?”
“I think so. How did she get here, Ev? How?”
Grim rage filled him. “I don’t know,” he said, “but we’re going to find out. We’re going to have to start with your mother.”
“You don’t think she really knew?” Corbin was shaking, and he could tell that the idea filled his love with dread.
“No, I don’t think she had any idea. She was shocked. I imagine all of the great families sent an envoy to try to back her up on whatever her play was going to be today with me. But she’ll know what family that particular envoy came from.” From there, they’d have to go question people. And he wasn’t particularly good at politics. He was much better at smash-and-grab sort of situations.
“Then we’ll ask her.” Corbin looked to where his mother was slumped down on the picnic blanket, her hands over her mouth.
