Page 67 of Pining for the Prince
“I know that, but what is it heactuallydoes?”
Gwil looked stumped. “I don’t know what you mean. He knows people, opens the right doors.”
“But how?”
Gwil shrugged. “He’s really old and knows a lot of people. But he’s not going to have done anything for an altruistic reason.”
Hyax was getting frustrated, Gwil wasn’t buying into this and he needed him to. “Was he aware of the Stardust situation? Maybe someone he cared about was affected.”
“I’m not sure he’s capable of caring about someone,” Gwil said but sounded thoughtful. “Having said that. I did mention Stardust to him, but at the time I wasn’t sure if he already knew, or just pretended he did.”
“Could he have been trying to help in a subtle way or doing this on behalf of someone else?” Hyax might be putting two and two together and getting five, but Flume gave him the creeps and he was a duplicitous bastard. “I can’t help but think he knew what he was doing when he sent us there. If he did know, then he must’ve realised I would have sensed there was something amiss at the museum.”
“True, but giving us the deeds to this place is an expensive way to make whatever he wanted us to do happen. Although, I daresay helping find a fae crown jewel would come with a substantial reward, even if he wasn’t aware of its true significance.”
“Flume is not lacking in funds, and as you said, he has connections. Gwil, I think, after we find the stone, you should talk to him. He might know more about catching those who stole it.”
“Me?”
“Yes, as a fellow vampire it would be better coming from you.” Flume wasn’t likely to talk to Hyax. “My concern is we’ll find the stone but not be any closer to proving who the culprits are.”
Gwil groaned and sat up. “All right, but only in the event that you can’t tell once you’ve found it. Can’t you do some sort of magic-tracking?”
If life was that simple the stone would already be back in the fae realm. “I’m not saying it’s impossible but it’s likely any trace will have gone cold.”
“Fine, but you’re coming with me. In your official capacity as Prince Hyax.”
He huffed but there’d be no point fighting, not even the promise of a blowjob would change Gwil’s mind. He threw back the duvet. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed then we’re off to the museum.”
Hyax hadn’t appreciated how special the British Museum was when the public wasn’t in it. The last time he’d been here he’d been in a near-empty museum but then they’d been sneaking about under a spell to keep them hidden, now he had full rein of the place and it was a bit like being in a toy shop. Goya stood at a distance, watching but keeping away, and Hyax had Gwil at his side.
“Picking up anything?” Gwil asked.
“Give me a chance, I’m not even sure where to start.”
Gwil stroked his arm. “No stress. I know you want to find the stone but no pressure from me.”
If he wasn’t already in love with the fanged bastard he’d have fallen arse over wing for him. “Thanks.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
He stared around the entrance hall, overwhelmed by the task at hand, trying to find the Stone of Ljin amongst the treasures of the British Museum. Somehow he needed to concentrate and block out everything. “Could you sit with me? On the floor and help guide me in a trance?”
He’d only done this once before, and it was when he’d been recovering from a virus and he’d needed to centre and dig deep to make his magic flow properly in the human realm.
“Okay, what do I do?”
He dropped to the floor into a cross-legged position and grabbed Gwil to encourage him to do the same, which he did without a hint of a grumble, and they sat opposite each other. This wasn’t a true ritual, or an ancient rite but something Hyax had devised for himself as he’d grown into his magic, his parents unable to help when he’d found it harder to settle than his siblings.
Holding hands with Gwil, he closed his eyes. The point was being with someone who made him feel safe. It meant he could forget everything else and connect and dig down into his inner self, which he needed to do now as he required concentration to find the stone.
Gwil’s hands were cold but they acted as an anchor as Hyax breathed deeply and chased his magic into his chest. He really should do this more often, and now he had Gwil as a lover, he might suggest doing it more often as a calmness settled over his senses. Hyax’s body thrummed and his magic began to saturate through him, growing in strength as he focused on bringing it all together. He swallowed down the frisson of static dancing across his tongue and opened his eyes to see Gwil staring at him, pupils blown and a dopey grin on his face.
“I’m ready.”
“What?” Gwil croaked.
“Are you all right?”
