Page 22 of Pining for the Prince
Time for damage limitation. “Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not what it looks like.”
Hyax was on his feet. Even when he was ready to kill he was still beautiful. “Start talking, Gwil, because from where I’m standing it looks like you banged an ex-Queen’s Concubine, who’s been cast out of the realm for treason.”
Gwil bristled at several of those statements. “Firstly, I didn’t bang him, and even if I had it would be none of your business. Secondly, fae politics is none of my concern. If he’d been cast out of the realm, then surely he’d not be your problem either.”
“Of course it’s my problem if my business partner has lost his mind and shagged a lying, conniving bastard. Fuck knows what words he’s spun to get into your bed.”
“What part of I didn’t bang him weren’t you listening to?”
“Then why was he in your bedroom?” Hyax’s eyes were blazing, their usual colour replaced by a bright orange, a shade he’d only seen once before and the anger hadn’t been directed at him.
“I let him sleep on the sofa and he crept into my bed—uninvited.” He felt his fangs lengthen as his temper rose, and he had to concentrate to re-sheath them. “But even if I’d fucked him into the mattress, it would have been irrelevant. Since when have you given a shit about my love life?”
Hyax spluttered. “This isn’t about your love life. You can see who you want, but not traitorous flower fairies.”
“It doesn’t sound like that to me. Where do you get off telling me what to do? I don’t go on about the countless stream of men you see.”
“I am conducting my duties as a Prince of the Fae Court.”
Gwil snorted. Hyax couldn’t even see he was being a hypocritical douchebag. “And you do them oh so thoroughly.”
“What has this got to do with the fact you’ve brought home a rogue fae? What did he say to you?”
Typical, for a moment he thought Hyax might be jealous, which would be one bright spark in this mess, but of coursehe bloody wasn’t. “He told me his magic was limited, that he got cast out of the fae realm for his actions selling the queen’s possessions.”
“He did?” Hyax was clearly surprised. “That be the first truthful thing he’s ever said.”
“He had a few other things to say as well.”
Hyax’s eyes returned to their usual blue colour. “I bet he did, but how did you end up… inviting him home?”
Gwil rolled his eyes, Hyax still thought he’d had sex with Chase, he didn’t like that he didn’t believe him, but he didn’t know how he’d solve that. Trust was an important part of their working relationship. For now it was best he just kept to the truth. “I stopped a pair of orcs kicking the shit out of him.”
“Why were they doing that? He probably deserved it.”
“I get the distinct impression that you won’t like what he said.” More than that, he was about to accuse Hyax’s family of being complicit in something he was sure was a political clusterfuck—if it was real. Which for now he was kind of neutral on whether it was or not.
“All the more a reason for you to tell me.”
He said your family were behind the attack because he’d told someone about one of the stones in the Coronet of Alphal being a fake.”
Hyax staggered backwards and collapsed into a chair. It was not the reaction Gwil was expecting. Where were the spitting bullets, raging balls of anger and tide of incensed vitriol?
“Hyax?”
Hyax sat there for several moments before getting to his feet. “Get Chase out of here as soon as you can. And for your own safety don’t repeat what he said. I need to go home, confirm a few things.”
Where was the outright denial? The defence of his family, and slurs against the traitorous Chase? It didn’t make sense. “What’s going on?”
“I told you I thought there was something not right at home. If this is true then it all adds up. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Hyax couldn’t disappear they had work to do, clients to serve and at least in his case, bills to pay. “Hyax, you can’t just sod off!”
“I’ll be back. I promise.” Hyax opened a portal and was gone.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Hyax stormed into his mother’s office. He wasn’t going to be fobbed off this time, not with the information he’d heard from Gwil. The Coronet of Alphal was as close to holy as the fae got, its seven stones were not a metaphor or a story about how the seven tribes had formed but were truly magical. Not the origin of fae magic, as was once believed by the elders, but they were the reason why certain fae were stronger than others, and why his ancestors had become the royal family and were now custodians of the coronet, whereas the other tribes had other important items.
