Page 22 of Prince of Never

I was still dangerous, but only when I chose to be.

Now the sight of the rot made my blood pound in my ears, made my breath come faster as that hatred coiled inside me.Was this the beginning?Was this what the stars had foretold?A fucking girl with an attitude and a pitcher of wine unravelling everything I had twisted myself into, until I’d tear a hole in the fabric of reality big enough to swallow the Unseelie Kingdom?The cold in my veins became sharp, painful, like the burn of ice, and it took everything I had learned about control to take a breath and release it.

But not before the decay crept up the doorframe, turning mortar to dust, stone to rubble, until there was a hole the size of my fist crumbling away in the wall.

By the time I re-entered the dining room in dry clothes, I’d left that chaotic anger behind.But I had been gone long enough for someone else to be sitting in my place at the table.

A pair of muddy boots were slung over the armrest of the chair as their owner picked food off my plate with his bare hands.He flashed me a grin, his teeth gleaming beneath dark, watchful eyes.

‘What are you doing here, Vesryn?’I demanded.

‘I just came to check in and see if your mother had driven you to suicide yet,’ he said between licking gravy off his fingers.‘Someone will need to pick up your crown when she does, after all.’

‘I’d never give her the satisfaction.You can tell her that word for word.’

He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin.‘Shame.I’d make a much better king than you.’

‘Undoubtedly.Is that the message she’s sent you to deliver?That she’s grooming you to take my place?’

‘Oh cousin, don’t be so sour.’He swung his boots back onto the floor and rose to his feet.‘You know she’d sooner live forever.’

I snorted a laugh, thawing despite myself.‘I think that’s always been her plan.’I gestured to Madam Hetia and her staff descended on the table as I clasped Ves’s hand in greeting.‘Why are you really here?’

‘As our illustrious queen’s favourite errand boy and your fondest relation, it’s been decided that I’m the prime candidate for the job of ensuring you show your miserable face at Beltane.But before we start bickering about that, a little birdy told me you’ve acquired a new human.’

I tried to keep my expression neutral, but the smile slipped off my face before I could catch it.‘This is what you get for keeping spies in my household, Ves.False information,’ I said evasively.

He tutted and patted me on the arm before ducking past me.‘Very convincing.Too bad I just met her, though.’He leaned out the doorway, peering down the hall like he was trying to see where she’d gone.‘Funny, to take a fully grown one like that.She clearly isn’t a changeling.’

‘She’s none of your business.’There was a low note of warning in my voice that I hadn’t intended.As if things weren’t complicated enough.

Ves flashed an assessing glance at my face before he looked back down the hallway with his eyebrows raised.‘I see.I had no idea your tastes bent that way.Though she does look quite a tasty thing.’

A snarl rippled in my chest before I could stop it, and the maid polishing the table emitted a little squeak of fright and ducked behind a chair.

Ves leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms.‘Tarian, in all the years I’ve had the delight of being related to you, I’ve never known you to be possessive.Are you having some kind of crisis?I know Briyala isn’t the warmest of females, but I really think you should just be happy the queen hasn’t engaged you to a banshee out of spite.’

I smothered the feral urge to bare my teeth at him and settled for storming past, muttering, ‘Leave it alone, Ves,’ as I took refuge in the dark of the hallway, where thankfully Imogen was nowhere nearby to hear the conversation.Where had she gone, after she’d poured the wine on me?

‘When you justgrowledat me for so much as talking?I don’t think so.Maybe I’ll go and find your new pet and see if she’ll tell me what she’s doing here.’His footsteps echoed on the stone behind me, clearly having seen something he wanted to poke at.His curiosity and his nose for trouble was unsurpassed.Now that I’d stupidly piqued his interest, he wouldn’t let it go.He derived too much delight in chaos.

‘And maybe it’s time for you to leave.I’ll attend Beltane as required.Thanks for stopping by.’

He laughed carelessly, staying close on my heels.‘After I’ve made such an arduous journey to get here?No, no.I’m fully committed to my duty as prince-minder, and even more committed to drinking your wine and watching the queen chew you out if you don’t do as you’re told.’

We descended the stairs into the servant’s quarters, and I silently cursed whatever fates seemed to be interested in needling me.Having Ves around while I was in the middle of trying to sort out whatever mess I was tangled in was the worst kind of luck.He was loyal to no one but himself and whatever scheme was holding his interest in the moment.There was no telling what he would do with the knowledge that I’d found the key to the prophecy, and that she was the very same human we’d just been discussing.He might decide to help me.He might equally decide to sell the information on just to watch what happened next.

I found Madam Hetia in her office, and she launched to her feet when I entered.

‘My lord,’ she gasped, scattering the papers she’d been poring over in her rush to get to her feet.‘Is something the matter?’

I turned and frowned at the ever-eager Ves, shooing him out of the room with a flick of my fingers.He rolled his eyes, but stepped out the door, where he’d no doubt be listening intently.

‘What happened to Imogen?’I asked the housekeeper.

‘I reprimanded her severely, my lord.I cannot believe she would be so brash at to pour the wine on you like that.It was inexcusable.This is the problem with taking older—’

‘No, I mean where is she?’I cut in over the sound of sniggering from just beyond the door.

---