Chapter 10 #2
“Jack’s the level-headed sort, I can imagine he took it all in his stride.”
“More than happy to do so. And in principle, they had their happy ever after.”
“Can’t say those happen very often.” But he knew where Simon was going with this, because as fascinating as the story was, Chris’s redemption wasn’t the pivotal part of their conversation. “I bet you were surprised the Calanti were included.”
“Very much so, but then it was our darker magic that had been able to seal Chris in his jar. The thing is, our involvement in the trial opens a door to start new relations, and the threat of pissing off the vampires wasn’t underestimated.”
Hyax had thought Simon might be on the way to reconnecting the tribes. They’d discussed the concept after his rescue, and at the time, a path forward wasn’t clear, but things had changed since then. “Us being here won’t hurt that either.”
“Not at all. Especially considering Gwil and his glowing reputation with Sebastian, and my own Head of House, Liam Cartwright, means he is something of a rising star in vampire society.”
“He did say Robin was the one who gave him his Jyndarin Society membership card.”
Simon took another drink, and he saw his jaw clench. “Yes, he did.”
Hyax prided himself on being able to read a situation. “Is everything all right with you and Robin?”
Simon stared at the ceiling, and Hyax wondered if he had anyone he could confide in.
“I am not happy with some of the company Robin is keeping. That’s not to say Robin is at fault in any way, just the nature of his business means he has clients and associates that seem to think they are more important than they are. ”
“Most people have an inflated sense of their own importance.” The movie stars Robin worked with would be worse than most.
“True. But less of my trivial annoyances, as I will deal with them one way or another. How are things with you and Gwil?”
“We’re good. I’ve got a different husband issue than yours. I wouldn’t care if Metra shagged half the realm as long as he doesn’t expect me to fuck him, and I’m hoping that it won’t be long before I can move on to my second husband.”
“As a widower or divorcee?”
He laughed. “The latter, I might not like him, but Metra no more wanted to marry me than the other way around. I just need to be patient.”
“And in the interim, I will arrange for dinner for the four of us at the Jyndarin Society. I think the library there is one of the most extensive I have ever seen, and if you wish to research neutral space, I can’t imagine anywhere better.”
“I heard their library was something special, but I thought for most, the Jyndarin Society was more of a place to network and connect.”
“That’s the main reason, and to be honest, Hyax, you’re why Gwil qualified as a member. It’s through you he gets to tick the magical ability status, which is really used as a means to keep people out as far as I’ve heard.”
“Then you’re a member?”
“Yes, but not much more recent than Gwil. I’d spent very little time in this realm before I was married, and I’m beginning to explore the world a bit more.”
“Is that what you call this?”
Hyax’s head shot up to see Robin standing in front of them, his expression annoyed, bordering on angry.
“I thought you were busy tonight,” Simon said. “You told me you weren’t available for dinner, so when Prince Hyax contacted me about a fae matter, I accepted his invitation to try this new venue.”
They were glowering at each other, and Hyax didn’t want to get in the middle of a matrimonial spat.
“You didn’t tell me you were going out, as your husband, I would have thought you’d have had the courtesy to let me know you would be out with another man.”
Hyax didn’t like the direction this was going, and he wasn’t about to be tarred with the brush of being a cheating bastard. “We are friends, Robin, nothing more. I’ve my own Beloved. I’ve no need of yours.”
“Yet you’re married to a different man,” Robin said, sneering. “How do I know you’re not looking to add a third?”
“Robin, you’re being an arse,” Simon said. “Hyax is my friend, a political ally, and has done us both a great service. Swallow whatever nonsense is making you spit false fire, and you owe him and myself an apology.”
Robin winced, and his demeanour softened. “I apologise, Hyax. But I stand by my displeasure that Simon had not told me where he was going and is dressed to be seen.”
Jealousy was a dangerous creature, although not as dangerous as the vampire-fae Robin was trying to agitate.
“Who were you having dinner with?” Simon countered.
“That is neither here nor there.”
Simon laughed humourlessly. “Then it is who I thought. If you can find it acceptable to go to dinner with an ex-lover, then I can spend an evening with a friend. Now fuck off back to your scaly whore and come back on bended knee when you a ready to apologise.”
Robin sat next to Simon and grabbed his hands. “He’s my client. Simon. Nothing is going on between us. I would not risk your love for him.”
“He is overstepping. Rein him in or I will.” Simon’s tone was terse, but he was a lot more polite than Hyax would have been if their situations had been reversed. “Note, I have not gone charging into your dinners and meetings with him, yet you have the nerve to do so to me.”
“I’m sorry. I’m not used to caring so much.”
Simon kissed Robin’s hands. “I won’t be out long. When I return, we will talk properly.”
Robin had a reputation for not being cowed by anything, but as Hyax watched, it was clear there was one thing he was scared of and that was losing Simon.
He’d seen his reaction when Simon had been kidnapped, but this argument appeared to be of his own making and Robin was many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.
“I will be waiting, alone.”
Robin kissed Simon’s knuckles and stood. “Apologies for disturbing your evening. Rest assured, I will make right by this.”
Hyax cleared his throat and finished his glass of ambrosia. Simon knocked back his and refilled both glasses.
“Sorry about that. We’ve been arguing about one of his clients.”
“The scaly whore?”
Simon scowled. “Dorian Marsten, fucking dragon and Hollywood heartthrob. He’s showing up all the time. I even tried tracking the fucker, but there must be something about dragons that won’t let me lock on a trace.”
“You don’t think Robin’s interested, do you?”
“I have told him I don’t care about his past, and I don’t, but as his husband, I must come first. Dorian is using his business and past relationship with Robin to try to get Robin back.”
Hyax didn’t think that was a clever thing to do, and Dorian was playing with fire in a way that not even being a dragon would help him. “Does he have a death wish? I mean, if you go scorched earth on him, he’s toast.”
“I don’t think Dorian is aware of the nature of the bond we share.
Like most people, he thinks I’m Robin’s current infatuation, and whatever hold I have over him will wane sooner or later and Robin will take a lover on the side.
He’s skirting the line of propriety and making sure Robin doesn’t forget what he could have when he decides he is ready to do so. ”
“You said you weren’t able to trace Dorian. How do you know when Dorian’s with Robin?”
“Through our bond. I’m pretty sure Robin doesn’t realise it, but he sends out a little pulse of anxiety whenever Dorian shows up and starts forgetting his place.”
He’d not heard of bond mates communicating in such a way. “That’s a useful side addition. Do you do it the other way?”
“Probably, I don’t know if I am doing it, so it would make it difficult to block, and I’ve nothing to be anxious about. I’ve not got Robin’s past, and he was a bit of a hypocrite regarding the one small experience I’d had before him.”
Hyax had been alive for several centuries and wouldn’t have been able to put a number to the number of partners he’d had, but Simon was much younger and, by the sound of it, had been pretty much untouched before Robin had got his hands on him.
“Did he turn up here thinking you might want to expand your experience because you’re pissed off over the Dorian situation?”
“Possibly, he’s not one to admit he’s wrong, so I must’ve rattled him a bit. It wasn’t my intention to; I don’t play games, and I wouldn’t have put you in the middle either. Sorry about that.”
Hyax nudged him with his elbow and grinned. “I’ve no problem helping you rattle Robin’s cage. He knew he was being a twatwaffle.”
“ Twatwaffle ?”
He laughed. “Sorry, some of Gwil’s slang has rubbed off on me.”
Simon snorted. “I bet that’s not the only thing.”
“Cheeky bastard!”
They clinked glasses, and a brain itch hit him about something Simon had said about dragons and them not being able to be tracked. He couldn’t put his finger on why, but he would add the topic to his research.