The Hob (The Gray Court 4) by Dana Marie Bell Read Free Book Online Page B

sweet, full lips pressing against the creature’s mouth. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t been tasting the creature.
    All that mattered was that her lips had not yet touched Robin’s own.
    “Um, Robin? I think you need to calm down. Unless you really did have it in for that poor artist’s display case, in which case feel free to continue.”
    Robin took a deep breath. His power was slipping out of his control, his eyes glowing with green, feral light, his nails black and sharp. If he didn’t get it under control, bad things would begin to happen. The humans here didn’t deserve the sharp edge of his anger. He would reserve it for the Black Court lackeys Titannia had sent.
    The very fact that he was losing his control did not bode well for the conference. The last time Robin had failed to rein in his anger…well. Scientists were still arguing over the cause of the 1908 explosion over the Tunguska region of Russia. They believed a meteor or comet fragment exploded roughly three miles above the spot that had been decimated.
    They were wrong.
    Robin hid his wince. What had happened at Tunguska had been unfortunate. He and Oberon had argued, and the result had the impact of roughly ten to fifteen megatons of TNT. Nothing had survived intact, something he mourned to this day. The fallout from that explosion had been seen around the world, causing strange lights that could be seen as far away as England. People there reported that 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 humbling, even to one such as him. Oberon and Robin were usually careful to not allow their tempers to get the best of them. Tunguska was a vivid reminder of why.
    The topic of a queen for his king was officially closed. Oberon would not budge, and Robin would no longer nudge, no matter how badly his king needed to get laid.
    “At least the Seeming will take care of any curiosity about him.”
    Robin growled. As if he cared that the gift of the gods would protect a redcap. While human medicine had advanced in leaps and bounds, it had not yet penetrated the Seeming. Fae, in their human form, appeared fully human even to the most advanced human instruments. Robin wasn’t certain how the gods had accomplished that feat, but not even he was brave enough to ask. He’d lived far too long, seen far too much to question the miracle that had been granted to the fae.
    Robin took a deep breath to calm himself. He peered around, gratified to see no one had noticed his lapse. “Who is representing Gloriana?”
    Kael pulled out his cell phone. “Lord Rudolph Adair, Lady Annabelle Beauchene, Lord Wesley Martel and Prince Gregory Yates, Evan’s older brother.”
    “So the Adairs have sent one of their minor lords, but the Beauchene clan sent their Lady. Interesting.” Robin rubbed his chin. “I’m unfamiliar with the Martel clan representative.” Something that would soon be remedied. Robin quietly noted that each of the White Court delegates, other than Prince Gregory, was Sidhe, an oversight on Gloriana’s part. She relied too heavily on the children of the Tuatha Dè at times, a habit that would eventually cost her.
    “He’s the youngest of the delegates on either side, a newcomer who has his uncle’s favor.”
    And with the power vacuum left behind by the turn of the Malmaynes to the Black, the Adair, Beauchene and Martel Clans were poised to gain more prominence in the White. Interesting. Perhaps Gloriana was testing their mettle. “And the Black delegation?”
    Kael frowned and scrolled down. “It looks like Lord Aaron Wyght, Lady Cecelia Malmayne—” and didn’t that name give Robin a start, “—Lawrence McNeil and…” Kael paused, then began cursing under his breath.
    “Who?” Robin was curious. Facing a redcap hadn’t unsettled the pooka, but a name on his cell phone had him pale and swearing.
    “Lord Raven MacSweeney.”
    Robin