Page 50 of Bleeding for the Prince
Gwil shrugged. “I’ve not heard it talked about much apart from it being somewhere that was really hard to get into. I hadn’t given the inside décor much thought, but I could happily while away several hours in here.”
Pierre returned with two martini glasses and placed them on the table in front of them. “I hope you enjoy these. And I’ll be by shortly to take you to your table.”
Hyax took a sip of his drink and had to check it wasn’t magic because he’d never had a martini that good before. “We are definitely coming back. These are fantastic.”
“It’s nice to be able to take you somewhere for a change,” Gwil said with a smile. “I suppose technically we’re having dinner with a lot more important people than me, but I’m clinging on to the fact I got us through the door.”
“First of all, you’re the most important vamp to me; I’m more than happy to be on your arm. And I haven’t forgotten about Bled, I’m intrigued about that place too.”
“This is much nicer.” Gwil gestured to the window. “The stained glass alone beats Bled into a cocked hat.”
“This place isn’t only for vampires. I don’t get the sense you’d be allowed to leave drained corpses around.”
Gwil sipped his martini and then gave him a toothy grin. “They wouldn’t go with the aesthetic.”
Despite living together, they didn’t spend that much quality time with each other. Hyax had royal duties, and although he curated the list in favour of the ones he preferred, there were some he couldn’t avoid, and they both worked parts of cases separately, so being able to just sit and enjoy Gwil’s company was something Hyax adored; they needed to do it more often.
Then the fucker stole his olive.
“Oi, you don’t even need to eat to live, give that back.”
Gwil grinned and crunched the olive. “Nope.”
“I won’t forget what you did.”
Gwil held up the olive from his own glass. “If you’re real nice to me, you can have mine.”
“You’re trying to blackmail me with an illicit olive. I knew getting involved with a vampire was a risk, but I didn’t realise you’d stoop so low.”
Gwil leant in. “I’m sure there are other things I can do, once we’re home, to persuade you I’m worth the risk.”
Hyax was hard in an instant. “We have to get through dinner first.”
“And the dragon research.” He sat back in the seat and smirked. “I guess you’ll just have to cope.”
Before Hyax could respond, Pierre returned. “Gentleman, your dinner companions are here and have gone straight through to the dining room.”
Hyax finished his martini and followed Gwil. He had been quick to get to his feet and dodge out of Hyax’s reach. Bastard. He’d expected to be shown to a private dining room, but instead they were led into an area with around twenty tables, mostly for couples but a smattering for larger parties. Simon and Robin were seated in front of another marvellous stained glass window, and Hyax realised that they’d been placed to be seen. People didn’t come here to hide away. The membership was elite and couldn’t be bought, and it was important to be recognised as such.
Two chairs slid out from the table, another nice magical touch, and Hyax took the seat opposite Simon, leaving Gwil to face Robin. Gwil’s playfulness had evaporated and been replaced with a stiffness in his shoulders. Hyax hoped he’d be able to overcome the reservedness that seemed to affect most vampires when dealing with their so-called betters and relax a little.
They were a striking couple. Simon dark and Robin blond, both attractive and carrying themselves with an air that spoke to their importance.
“Thank you for the invitation. It’s a lovely way to mark Gwil’s membership,” Hyax said.
Robin poured Gwil a glass of blood. Hyax noticed a carafe between them, but also a similar one for him filled with ambrosia. “Is this your first visit?” Robin asked.
“Yeah,” Gwil replied. “It’s going to take some getting used to.”
“Believe it or not, I know what you mean,” Robin said. “I only recently qualified for membership because of Simon, and even then, I think they bent the rules a little.”
Hyax thought Robin’s comment was a nice gesture to help put Gwil at ease. “I suspect my relationship with Hyax may have been a contributing factor for me.”
Simon nodded. “But it doesn’t really matter how you qualified because you did, and it is unlikely they will revoke membership because then they would have to admit they made a mistake. Remember, an institution like this does not make mistakes.”
“I’d rather not risk it. My sister is angling for me to invite her; it’s one of the few places I get to have one-up over her.”
“Lady Lindon has a very exacting character,” Robin said.
