Page 55 of Pining for the Prince
“I don’t know why I asked. You do realise there are other options in London?”
Hyax was a creature of habit in many respects, and he never understood what it was about Korean food that did it for him.
“Just get on with it. Then you can fill me in on your meeting with the dirt devil.”
Thirty minutes later Hyax was making obscene noises as he ate and Gwil was trying his best not to make his erection obvious. “I would have thought you prince types would have been taught how to eat without sounding like a pig.”
“Says the man who gargles blood.” Hyax pushed half a bao bun into his mouth and moaned as he swallowed. “Now tell me what the sewer potato had to say.”
“Copperpipe said that he thinks the elves have a new supplier—if they are using the Stone of Ljin that would make sense if the drugs were different.” He dug out a little bag from his jeans pocket. “I got the sample. Are you still sure you want to do this?”
Hyax snatched it out of his hands. “Yes, the alternative would be using a lab or asking someone else to test it and that could expose us and make it obvious we’re onto something.”
“But surely there’s a spell or something you could use instead?”
“If there were I’d have suggested it. Tracking its magical signature is difficult as it is, ingestion is the quickest way. I’m not averse to getting high for a few hours, and you’re here to make sure I don’t haemorrhage magic out of every orifice.”
He’d knew Hyax wouldn’t back down but he’d had to try. “All right. When do you want to try?”
“No time like the present. I’m at peak charge thanks to spending time back in the fae realm and I’ve eaten. So good to go.”
The stubborn bastard wasn’t going to be persuaded. “All right. What do I need to do? Is there something you need?”
“I should probably admit that I’m not what you’d call a stranger to white powders.”
He’d never seen Hyax use, and would have never pinned him as having a habit. “How heavy a user are you?”
“Nothing to get all huffy over. The odd wrap now and again, it’s never been a regular thing, purely recreational, and I don’t have cravings.”
His own past was chequered by episodes of addiction. If he’d not been a regular in the opium dens he’d have never met his sire, and decades later it was an acid trip that had led him tolose his inhibitions and end up in bed with Hoffman. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to put yourself in a position where you could trigger a change from recreational user to dependent. You don’t know what this tainted shit could do.”
“I know my own body and the precautions to take. Plenty of water before and then after I get the measure of the mode of action. That should flush my system. I’ll use a spell to mop up the residuals.”
“Hyax…”
“No, Gwil. I’m doing this and you can either help or fuck off and leave me to it.”
Gwil knew when he was beaten, and there was no way he would leave Hyax alone when off his face. “Fine. Let me get you some water.”
A few minutes in the kitchen gave him a brief respite. He grabbed two pint glasses and filled them from the tap, taking longer than strictly necessary.
Hyax had already cut the powder into two lines when he returned to the living room and he downed the first pint as soon as he was handed it.
“I’m going in.”
Gwil sat and watched as Hyax snorted the Stardust. He remembered snorting cocaine, the way the powder would hit the back of his nose and the slow burn as the high crawled through him. They hadn’t been sure how long it would take before Hyax would experience the effects, but he was not expecting an instant reaction. Hyax swayed a little and giggled.
“Are you all right?”
“Oh, this stuff is strong. I can feel it already. I’ve never had a hit like it before… so soon and so intense.” He let out a low moan, his eyes hooded. “So pretty.”
“What are you seeing?” Gwil asked.
“I can taste the colours. Blue is sooo… sweet.”
Hyax turned to face him, his eyes wide, pupils blown. He was hit by the power of Hyax’s projection and he had to dig his fingers into his thigh to stop himself from reacting.
“You know something else that would taste sweet?” Hyax asked, licking his lips.
