Page 29 of Bleeding for the Prince
Gwil raised an eyebrow. “Oh, that must’ve hurt. But I do appreciate you not jumping to the worst conclusion.”
“I am trying not to be an arsehole over Solivatus.”
“Well done.” Gwil smirked. “He turned up after I’d finished with the possessed hamster—you owe me for that one. We had a drink in a nearby pub.”
The hamster had been a genuine oversight, but he was more interested in what Solivatus was up to. “But what did he want? He wouldn’t turn up to play nice, that’s not his way.”
“That was my initial thought too, but he said that since I’m more important these days, he thought it wise to check in on me more often. He didn’t ask for anything, he bought me a whisky, we had a chat, and then he said he’d owe me a proper drink. He’s also a big fan of your plan of making me less of an oik.”
Hyax didn’t think Gwil would have shared the intent for him to take etiquette lessons, but the relationship between vampire and sire was weird. “I wouldn’t have thought he’d have been overly keen.”
“On the contrary, he thinks my vampire game is also a bit shit and has decided I need a vampire guide too.”
Hyax hated to hear the tinge of hurt in Gwil’s voice. “You’re not shit, Gwil. Don’t look at this as you changing, but instead as learning how to play the system. You’ve always known that society comes with rules, but you never knew them. All this is about is you being armed to play the game without the disadvantage.”
“I would’ve liked not to have needed to.” He pointed to an envelope. “Opali’s been in touch. Wants to start as soon as you’re happy.”
“Me? What about you being ready?”
Gwil rolled his eyes. “If you think I’ve any say in this, you’re being naïve or deliberately obtuse. Of course, he’s going to defer to the prince of his tribe.”
“I didn’t mean for you not to have a voice in how all this will work.” He read the letter. The list of potential topics wasn’t unexpected, and the suggested cadence would be a couple of hours every few days, but everything was to be finished within a month. “Are you fine with his proposals?”
Gwil shrugged. “As far as I can tell. I like that we’ll get them out of the way quickly, and it doesn’t look to be trying to make me too fae, which was something Solivatus mentioned.”
Hyax knew he wasn’t rational when it came to Solivatus, and he would have to hold back his initial response to demand what the old fucker meant. “I don’t think you’re in any danger of being too fae, but you’ll learn how to address an ambassador correctly, and remember not to forget to mention someone’s favourite child.”
“He was more about making sure I got the same treatment from the vampire side. I’m getting a mentor, sort of.”
Hyax didn’t necessarily think this was a bad development. Gwil’s role in society was changing, and if the vampires had recognised his potential, then Hyax wouldn’t overreact. “Who did he have in mind?”
“Daniel Moreton. He’s already well-connected and has potential within his House.”
As far as Hyax was concerned, there could’ve been much worse options, including Solivatus. “Daniel seems like a good man, for a vampire.”
Gwil snorted. “My god, youaretrying, aren’t you. Is it painful?”
“Fuck off. I’m being supportive, you’re not going to be able to get out of either the fae etiquette or the vampire coaching, so I need to be understanding.”
“Right.” Gwil didn’t seem convinced, and Hyax couldn’t blame him. “Then we’re good. You should also know, Solivatus was also insistent I visit the Jyndarin Society pretty sharpish, even if it’s just to show my face.”
Despite not liking the idea he was agreeing with Solivatus, Gwil’s sire wasn’t wrong. “You’ve been bestowed an honour. Those who made that happen might consider you rude if you don’t act on it.”
“I know, and I was planning to, but it’s a bit daunting. I’ve spent years accepting that there were places I wouldn’t get access to, and I’m adjusting to a new reality. I’d come to accept that banging a fae prince would change things up a little, but not to this extent.”
“It’s not because you’re banging me, Gwil. You’re worthy in your own right.” Gwil’s afterlife was changing on every level; his standing in the vampire society was improving exponentially thanks to the contacts he’d made, and their relationship elevated his status in the fae realm too. “We can go together. I can hold your hand. Besides, Robin and Simon invited us to join them for dinner there. I think that would make you feel a lot more like you belong.”
“They’ve invited us for dinner?” Gwil looked somewhere between awed and horrified. “Or did Simon invite you and you’ve extrapolated?”
“You really are a self-deprecating idiot at times. Robin turned up and took issue with Simon for being out with me without letting him know. He said a few things he shouldn’t have, and Simon gave him the dressing-down he deserved. So, they wanted to make amends, and dinner was offered.”
“Right, Robin thought something was going on between you two?” Gwil asked carefully.
Hyax didn’t want Gwil getting the wrong idea; one jealous vampire was enough for this evening. “Not really. We were out because I’d contacted Simon about our neutral ground hypothesis. I realised Simon was annoyed, and I offered him a friendly ear. Turns out, Simon is unhappy about Robin for not telling one of his clients to kick rocks.”
“Sounds messy. Simon seems too level-headed for that nonsense. Who’s he worried about?”
“A client called Dorian Marsten, who is also an ex-lover of Robin and sounds like he’s overstepping, wanting more of Robin’s attention than he should. If he’s not careful, Dorian will end up as a pair of dragon-hide boots, as Simon isn’t one to let his husband play with others.”
