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arrived. He was in his workshop when she came in, the cold air flowing in
behind her in an arctic blast. Hey, Akane.
Can you read my mind?
His hands paused on the metal he d been slowly bending. Pardon?
Can. You. Read. My. Mind?
Shane stared at Akane and tried to ignore the slow way she d drawled that,
like he was unable to comprehend single-syllable words. His lips quirked as he
realized why she was probably worried about something so trivial. You want to
know if I can read your mind.
Akane glared at him. Don t make fun of me.
I wouldn t dream of it. He tilted his head. I m not sure that s something
I m capable of. The relief on her face was grating. But I m willing to try if you
are.
Oh no. That s okay. I like my thoughts to stay in my own head.
He damn near chuckled at her badly hidden panic. Still, it might come in
handy if you re on an assignment and want to tell me you ll be late for dinner.
Oh yeah. About that. Akane began backing toward the door of his studio.
Her black trench coat was still on.
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Dana Marie Bell
Do I want to know where you re going? Shane grabbed hold of the tie of
her coat and pulled her in close, dropping a kiss on her nose.
Probably not.
Will Etienne be with you? He resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose. The
Sidhe Blade had been, at best, cool toward him. He didn t understand why, but if
Etienne had plans concerning Shane s mate he d better think twice. Unlike his
sister, Shane wasn t into sharing.
Nope. Robin reassigned him. I m working with Jaden again.
Shane picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. He ignored her
struggles and carted her back to the bedroom attached to his studio. You know,
if you re not careful I might drop you on your head. These floors are concrete.
So?
So I hate repairing concrete. He tossed her on the bed. Where are you
going and how long do you think you ll be?
Why were you okay with this before I mentioned Jaden?
Because I ve heard horror stories from Moira about how he operates. Spill.
She rolled her eyes. We re breaking into the Malmayne estate and stealing
Tristan s underwear.
Oh, a fairy panty raid. He dropped on top of her, caging her in his arms. I
want you to promise you ll be careful.
She held up her hand. I promise.
Is Henri home? He had no idea where the new head of the Malmayne clan
had gone after the meeting with Leo.
Her star expanded as she looked for the man who d plotted against Duncan.
Oh gods, yes. He s in bed with Cecelia, doing truly nasty things. She
shuddered. Sometimes I hate my talent.
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Artistic Vision
Do I want descriptions? Pictures? How-to manuals? He laughed when she
growled. Where s Tristan?
The star twitched. He s currently in Henri s office, going through his files.
She frowned. He seems very excited by something.
Then you ll just have to find out what that something is and take it from
him.
She blinked, the star shrinking down to its normal size. In order to do that,
you have to get off. She punched him in the stomach when he laughed again.
Not that way, you goob.
Was that love tap supposed to hurt? He rolled off her, still chuckling.
She growled and swiped at him, but he noticed her claws didn t really come
close to him. I hate you.
I d believe that if you hadn t been screaming my name last night. He
helped her to her feet. Come back here when you re done with work.
Aileen will have hot chocolate waiting for me. What are you offering?
He bent down and kissed her, telling her without words exactly what he was
offering.
Mmm. She licked her lips. You d better be awake when I get back.
He pulled her hips close to his body, letting his erection brush her stomach.
Gods, she was so tiny compared to him. It amazed him how much strength was
packed into that little package. Maybe I ll have a thermos of hot chocolate
waiting too.
She cupped his cheek. I need you to do something for me while I work.
Hmm? He bent his head and kissed her palm, gratified to see the flush on
her cheeks.
Call my mother.
He immediately looked up.
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Dana Marie Bell
What?
Just checking. Yup, sky s still there.
Look, Farm Boy, for once in your life, do what I asked without making
smart-ass comments, okay? This is serious.
He bent once more and kissed her, but this time he kept it short and
infinitely sweet. As you wish.
She bit her lip. We need to know two things, and only my mother can help.
He nodded and waited for her to continue. Who is the woman in Robin s statue,
and who is missing from Oberon s.
I can find out the one, but it s the other that s giving me fits.
She blinked. Huh?
He sighed. Sometimes explaining how his visions worked was more difficult
than making the piece. Very few people seemed to understand that there were
times when he just didn t understand what he was seeing. Not all of the pieces
are in place, or something else needs to happen before I can finish it, before it
makes sense.
Ah. She patted his chest. In that case, perhaps that s the one you need to
concentrate on.
He should have known the daughter of the Seer would understand. I think
Oberon s unfinished statue might have something to do with the whole child of
Dunne thing. Akane was the only one he was willing to tell that to. Not even the
Seer. It seemed wrong somehow. Every instinct he had told him that Oberon s
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