Page 40 of Bleeding for the Prince
He had come to the palace in a fury over his past, and now he was left with a much bigger quandary over his future. Nothing needed to be solved this evening. He would play a few rounds of Ti-To-Ti with his father, allude to his thoughts but not offer to talk and give himself a few hours’ grace, then return home. Gwil would think him crazy, and Hyax wouldn’t blame him. He’d never envisaged himself as the future king. Or at least not king of his own tribe. A few brief years as a child, he’d been aware of a different path, but everything was different again. What surprised him was no immediate desire to say no. He could be king and keep Gwil. Something he’d never thought he’d have to contemplate before.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Gwil had sent a text to Penelope. He’d tried for casual, but she was too astute not to see through the vibe of just checking in he’d aimed for. She replied she’d meet him at Bled. There’d been no argument or question, only a straight acceptance, which was another sign she knew he needed her for something more than a sibling chat. He could do with a distraction from his fuckup with Hyax and spent the next hour or so fighting with correspondence, wondering if some of his clients were either unable to read or were being deliberately difficult when it came to settling their bills.
He took the Tube partly out of habit but mainly because he’d always liked people-watching, and thought being good at his job stemmed in some way from having an interest in others and taking the time to appreciate their differences. A couple next to him were having an argument about the colour they were going to paint their kitchen—she was right, green was a terrible idea— and a young man opposite was pretending to play drums along to the music in his head.
Despite having been to Bled before and Robin Flint telling him he’d paid for his membership, he girded himself to be turned away as he gave the receptionist his name and shechecked her iPad. “Welcome, Mr Hilt. If you present this at the bar, your tab will be settled under the Flint account.”
She gave him a black poker chip with a rune on its surface. “Thanks. Is Lady Lindon here yet?”
“Not yet, Mr Hilt. I can let her know you’re here when she arrives.”
He ambled into the main bar, trying to appear more at home than he felt. Bled was much busier than the last time he’d been there, but it was later and a weekend. There were many familiar faces from the elite parts of vampire society. Or he should say, he recognised them, but he doubted they would register him on their radar. He ordered the daily special at the bar, which turned out to be a Danish 33.
“Would you be interested in the live option later?” the barman asked after he’d seen his poker chip.
“This is only my second visit. How does live feeding work here?” Hyax would want assurances that he wouldn’t have to step over corpses if Gwil were to have a chance of getting him through the door.
“We ensure privacy for all our guests, so either an individual booth or a sharing area for friends, both are pre-bookable, but for our special members, such as yourself, we’ll always guarantee space to do so.”
Being linked to Robin had opened doors he never knew existed. “No live feeding in the open bar?”
“No, sir.”
Hyax would be pleased. “I don’t suppose you know whether fae portals would be allowed?”
The barman smiled. “If you wish to bring your partner as a guest, we can get that sorted for you. The membership team will just need Prince Hyax’s energy signature to get him added to the permit. I’d suggest you bring him the normal way first off, and then all would be sorted for future visits.”
He was surprised the barman had made the connection, but then with the cost of membership at a place like Bled, there would be an expectation to cater to every whim, which called for a certain amount of familiarity. With no live feeding on general display and the option to access the club directly, he could see himself bringing Hyax here, possibly the following weekend if his schedule allowed it and if Hyax forgave him for being a knob.
He claimed a table, hoping that Penelope wouldn’t be too late, but knowing his sister, he might be here a while as she had the ability to be punctual, but the attitude not to bother.
“Gwil?”
He looked up to see Daniel Moreton. Daniel had mentioned he was a member, unsurprising with his connections and wealth. “Daniel, nice to see you.”
“Prince Hyax not with you?”
“Not tonight. I’m meeting my sister. When she bothers to turn up.” He wasn’t about to tell Daniel he’d gone running to Penelope after putting his foot in it with Hyax.
“Would you like to join me until Lady Lindon arrives?”
He didn’t want to interrupt Daniel’s evening, but he also didn’t want to be on his own for too long, sitting alone like a Billy No-mates. “I wouldn’t be disturbing you?”
“No, I’m here with Katherine, my fiancée. She’d be happy to have someone to talk to apart from me. I should mention that Solivatus sent me a message earlier. It’s not something to discuss this evening as we have company, but I wanted to let you know I’d be more than happy to assist in whatever way I can.”
“I’d appreciate your help. I’ve a lot of headway still to make in vampire society.”
Gwil hadn’t expected Solivatus to connect to Daniel so soon. Given how long vampires live, most things took their sweet time unless there was an urgency. He followed Daniel to his table.
Katherine was a striking woman, with long blonde hair and cheekbones sharp enough to cut a line. Gwil was sure he knew her from somewhere, but he couldn’t place her. “Have we met before?” he asked as he sat.
“I don’t think so. I know who you are, though. Gwilym Hilt—Prince’s Beloved, sired by Solivatus, and brother of the Dark Duchess of Lindon. One could say you’re somewhat of a celebrity, although maybe a reluctant one.”
Gwil laughed. “As I have said many times, I know important people, rather than me being important in my own right.”
“I think you’re doing yourself a great disservice,” Daniel said. “You came highly recommended as a private investigator and have a solid reputation, one that you’ve been building for a long time, even before your involvement with Prince Hyax.”
