Page 41 of Pining for the Prince
“Yes, I may have exaggerated your status a little, but that in itself shouldn’t have caused the reaction. Everyone bigs up their new partner to their parents, and give you a few hundred years, you might be a hotshot in vampire society.” Hyax’s playful smirk made him laugh.
“It’ll take a bit longer than that I’m afraid.”
“Just think how shit this could’ve been if you really were my betrothed.”
Gwil thought it was pretty rubbish anyway. He’d known Hyax for years, and had assumed their friendship alone would have been enough to have warranted, if not a warm, then at least not frosty, reception from the king and queen. “I thought you said our working together would’ve counted for something.”
“You shouldn’t take it personally. I think the real crux of the issue is I chose someone who wasn’t on the list. Yes, you not being fae is an added complication, but it’s not like you can knock me up and we have little vampiric fae babies.” Hyax laughed, bared his teeth and flapped his wings. “I don’t know though, that might be quite funny.”
Gwil snorted but his good humour didn’t hang around. “I’m not going to be much use to the investigation though if I’ve got to stay in this room.”
“It’s only for dinner. They’re making a point, that’s all. As I said, you’ll be fine to move around the castle and the grounds, and it’s not like you’re here to do a forensic sweep, we’re pretty sure the stone is somewhere in the human realm.”
“Yes, I gathered that, but have they figured out how it was taken there?”
“Not yet.”
Hyax was trying to get his wings through the slits in what looked to be a gold cape. He tutted and slid off the bed. “Can’t even dress yourself. Let me help.”
He manoeuvred the silky material into place, having to gently guide Hyax’s wings in the right direction. They trembled, the iridescence beautiful and he heard Hyax whimper. He snatched his hands away. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“No, quite the opposite.” He huffed. “It feels a bit too good—our wings can be very sensitive.”
Gwil loved the idea he’d made Hyax feel good, even if he hadn’t known what he was doing. In this realm he could see andfeel Hyax’s wings, that wasn’t the case at home and he’d make the most of seeing them on display while he was here.
“I’d better get downstairs before they send someone to fetch me.”
He didn’t want Hyax to go and, from his expression, Hyax didn’t want to either. For a moment he wondered if he should reach out again and stroke his wing, give him a clear indication he was glad to elicit a response from him but things were difficult enough as it was.
“Yes, I suppose you’d better.” He dug out his phone. “Any chance this’ll work here?”
Hyax tapped it with a finger. “Here you go—the equivalent of me giving you the fae Wi-Fi passcode.”
“That’s it then, we’re as good as married.”
Hyax cleared his throat. “Adds verisimilitude. I need to go, I’ll make sure something is sent up for dinner.”
He had his blood stocks with him so didn’t need anything, but he was intrigued by the concept of fae food and the long-standing stories around it. “If I eat the fae food sent up does that mean I belong to the fae?”
“Good lord, you don’t actually believe that bullshit. Give me strength.”
He sniggered. “That’ll be a no then.”
“Arse.” Hyax punched him playfully on the arm and glided out of the room, only then did Gwil realise he was flying, well, hovering. His brain took far too long to process it, and Hyax was gone by the time he’d formulated a comment and sat on the bed.
He watched a few videos on his phone, mindless rubbish that stopped him from overthinking too much, but couldn’t distract him from the fact he was in Hyax’s room with the opportunity for a decent snoop around.
There was a desk in the corner and he was just about to have a rummage in the drawers when the door opened and afemale fae entered carrying a tray. She wasn’t dressed like the other servants, and the way she held herself didn’t suggest a subservient manner.
“I’ve brought you something to eat. The kitchen staff are run off their wings so I thought I’d drop it in for you instead.”
He didn’t think this was a random person popping in. He’d seen too much over the years to trust a stranger bearing food. “You being?”
“My name’s Lia.” She placed the tray down and sat in one of the wingback chairs. “I’m the reason Hyax realised women weren’t to his tastes.”
He’d never heard of Hyax having a girlfriend, and given the countless conversations they’d had, some of them not sober meaning their inhibitions were lowered, and so he thought Hyax would have brought it up. He’d even asked once how Gwil had dated Matilda when women weren’t to his tastes, and Hyax had been a bit surprised to learn Gwil wasn’t overly concerned with the sex of his partner.
“I can’t say he’s mentioned anyone. Certainly not you.”
