Chapter 14 #2
She held her arms out when she spotted Hyax. “Sweetheart, you came!”
Gwil wasn’t someone who got jealous, and even if he was, he knew Hyax had zero interest in women. “Cassie, you knew I’d be here.”
She pulled him into a hug. “And you’ve brought your special person.”
Gwil was hustled forward. “This is Gwil.”
She looked him up and down. “He’s not your usual type, but I guess it’s what makes it work.”
“If you mean he’s a vampire, then I suppose you’ve a point.” Hyax reached out and ruffled his hair. “But he’s definitely gorgeous, which I would say was always my go-to.”
Gwil hadn’t met Cassie before, but had a vague recollection of the name, so he didn’t think they would be that close, yet she spoke in such a way that they were. “I dunno, if I agree then I’m agreeing Tinnu is gorgeous and that would be pretty ick.”
“Tinnu?” Gwil asked, the name didn’t ring a bell.
“My little brother. He and Hyax dated, years ago now, but there was a time when I thought he’d be my brother-in-law.”
Hyax snorted. “We were never that serious, and it was over a century ago. I haven’t seen him in at least twenty years.”
Gwil had no issue with Hyax’s past, but he was still brooding over what Opali had told him, and he was self-aware enough to acknowledge his pang of jealousy, so he let it go.
Hyax was a few centuries older than Gwil, with loads more lovers, but he thought Hyax might have mentioned this Tinnu, given he was meeting his sister at her art show.
“Sounds like the split was amicable enough if you’re all good friends.
I can’t say that about some of my exes.”
Hyax had the good grace to act a little sheepish. “It just ran its course. We’ve not even kept in touch. It’s Cassie I’m friends with these days.”
She smiled at Gwil. “Are you an art lover?”
“Some of it, and I can appreciate talent when I see it, even though I have none of my own,” he said, being as diplomatic as he could muster.
“I think we have to get going,” Hyax said, and Gwil wondered if Hyax thought he might put his foot in something. “I’ll be in touch about one of the pieces I have my eye on.”
“Happy to make sure you get first refusal, Hyax.”
As far as Gwil was concerned, there had been nothing he’d seen this evening he’d willingly share his living space with, but now wasn’t the time to comment.
Hyax hustled him away, no doubt before he could say something that might cause an incident.
“Sooner or later, you’re going to have to learn to read the room.
You’re my Beloved; your opinion could make or break a fae’s career,” Hyax said as they left through a portal.
Gwil scoffed as they entered their living room. “No one gives a flying fuck whether I like their pictures or not.”
“No one might care what the vampire Gwilym Hilt might think, but as Prince Hyax’s Beloved, whether you believe it or not, you could be quite influential.”
“I didn’t sign up for that.” The idea was ridiculous. “I’d understand if they wanted advice on how to find a missing person, or the best cat toys, but I’d be woefully underqualified to give an opinion on most things.”
“Opinions are like arseholes, Gwil. Everyone has one, and often they’re full of shit.”
Hyax had reverted to being snarky, and Gwil wasn’t in the mood.
“Look, I get the Prince’s Beloved thing, Opali told me the origins, but I’d be far more important if I were a fae.
I’m still pretty decent, but the vampire takes the edges off even if I’m now a better class of vamp from when we first got together. ”
“What will it take to convince you? You’ve seen how you’re treated at my mother’s court, you’re being given special lessons, access to my tailor, and sooner than later you’ll be my bonded.”
“I’m convinced, you don’t need to go on.” He shrugged off his coat. “My question to you is, are you? Are you doing all this seemingly for me, but it’s really about you proving to yourself you didn’t settle? That you’re happy with how things turned out?”
Hyax frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I was told you were originally slated to marry a princess of the Hellanix tribe, who would be the future queen, meaning you’d have been king. I bet that had to take some adjusting to.”
“Are you deliberately stirring up shit to make issues? It was four hundred years ago, I was eighteen when my betrothed died, for a fae, I was still considered an infant.” He opened a portal.
“You’re bang out of order. I’ve had countless lovers and partners before I met you, and I’ve never thought of myself as settling, not with them, and not when we made things official. ”
“I’m just trying to make sense of what I learnt. You’ve not answered my question.”
“Because you’re being an idiot.”
Then he was gone. Part of Gwil felt he’d been a bit of an arse, but he also believed Hyax had overreacted and should’ve stayed to talk things out.
Gwil was left still not knowing if he’d hit a nerve because he was right, or if Hyax was truly insulted.
He’d leave him a few hours before he contacted him, maybe take Penelope up on the drink she’d been threatening and then talk to Hyax when they were both calmer.