Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

If there was one thing Cadel liked less than being magically blindfolded, it was being physically handcuffed—at least they weren't the magic-dampening kind that prevented him from shifting. And Everest had been smart enough to lean against him. Not that it was hard to find him by scent alone—his body was also warmer than the other two.

He also had to be careful about not opening his eyes too much, and as he walked, he made sure to occasionally stumble. It was a relief when the witch ushered them into a room and gave them permission to open their eyes.

Cadel didn't need to fake his displeasure. But since Everest had stated that he acted on the prince's orders, he did nothing but stand there and glare at both the witch and his pet shifter.

What kind of self-respecting tiger agreed to be bound?

He didn't care what kind of money and benefits were offered; it wasn't worth it. He would not sell his life to another. Some might argue acting as a bodyguard was not all that different, but he could quit this job any time he wanted. The tiger couldn't quit being bound unless the witch released him .

"How long will we be your guests ?" The way Everest said guests implied he knew he was a hostage, even though he didn't seem bothered. At least not on the surface.

If there was one thing he learned about the prince over the last month, it was that Everest's public face was very different from his internal thoughts and feelings. He was a master at showing people what they wanted to see.

Because he'd had centuries of experience.

He wasn't the nineteen-year-old prince people saw. When he smiled, it was easy to think him young and carefree, a privileged man with noble blood who only concerned himself with his next escapade. Now that Cadel had seen the truth, Everest was more like a thousand-year-old spy. He was jaded, sharp-edged, and determined to succeed, even if that meant he died. Death no longer troubled him.

It was almost impossible not to like him and admire him. The idea of spending three lives planning this mission was hard to wrap his head around, even though he was part of it. The idea of living again and being effectively the same person was equally difficult.

According to Everest, because he was a shifter, he would have another life, and he had soul bruises. But Cadel couldn't say what they were, not without examining his deepest fears and wounds.

"You will remain here for as long as it takes your father to agree to our terms."

Everest tilted his head. "And if he does not?"

"Then I guess we just scored ourselves two new shifters," the witch said with a cruel smile.

Cadel growled and hoped they intended to negotiate in good faith because if Everest had walked them into a trap, Cadel didn't give a fuck about bruises or brothers—they were getting out of there .

The witch flinched. "Control your bodyguard, or I won't remove those cuffs."

"You are still alive, so he is perfectly in control." Everest glanced at him, his eyes as dark and cold as obsidian. It was a warning to behave. "He will not do it again. Free him." Everest smiled at the witch. "As a show of good faith since we are your guests."

The witch and the tiger stepped forward to unlock the cuffs. Cadel remained silent and still, only shaking out his hands once the tiger had stepped back. The tiger didn't make eye contact once. Because he was banned? Or because he didn't want to look at them and start thinking of them as people?

"Cadel McKeon, you are forbidden from attacking or injuring anyone in this building."

The magic rippled over him and clung to his skin like oil. The hair on his arms bristled, and a growl lodged in his throat. He wanted to wrap his hand around the witch's throat and crush his voice box so he never uttered another command again. The oily sensation intensified and threatened to smother him. Cadel sucked in a breath and let the murderous thoughts dissipate. He nodded, agreeing to the command, and the oily sensation eased.

But it didn't disappear.

The witch had put extra into that command. No doubt he'd drawn on the tiger to do it. Asshole.

How long until he was able to shed the magic altogether?

The witch addressed Everest. "Dinner will be in an hour. Someone will escort you to the dining room. You will stay in your room unless accompanied."

More magic.

"Agreed," Everest said as if it didn't bother him to be shut in this room. "I don't want to disrupt negotiations. Have you already contacted my father?"

The witch stared at him. "You don't get to ask questions. You'll be asked for input when it's required."

Everest's eyebrows lifted. "I am the Crown Prince of the country you are seeking refuge in. It would be wise of you to use my title."

The witch gave a mocking bow. "I'm sorry. Does your highness require anything?"

"‘Sir' will be fine. And yes, I want a change of clothes, some pajamas, a selection of teas, and also a chessboard since you interrupted the game I was winning."

Cadel bit the inside of his lower lip so he didn't smile. Everest didn't give a fuck about any of those things. He wanted their compliance. He'd done much the same the day Cadel had started, giving him pointless little jobs as tests. He'd done the first few, then pulled him up on his bullshit.

The next two days had been interesting as Everest had turned on the charm and started flirting. Bridgeman hadn't appreciated that at all until Cadel made it clear he wasn't interested in the prince and that Bridgeman shouldn't be either if he wanted to keep his job. Bridgeman had laughed and said no one was going to find out.

What a fucking idiot. Everyone knew what was going on.

The tiger glanced at his witch. The witch stood there for several seconds as if he were magically unable to speak. Was he weighing up the right thing to do?

Give Everest what he wanted and serve a shifter, or refuse the request and find out that Mont de Leucoy was not as safe as it appeared for people like him.

His face twisted into a grimace. "I'll see what I can do."

"Excellent." Everest turned to Cadel. "Would you also like some pajamas and a change of clothes? "

Cadel inclined his head. "I would, thank you, sir."

It was not the first time he'd called Everest sir, but since Cadel had agreed to give him what he wanted if the mission was successful, he was thinking about the word a little differently. He was thinking about Everest differently.

"I'm not fetching your bodyguard anything," the witch snapped as if that was one request too many.

"I'm not fetching your bodyguard anything, sir," Everest said, his words clipped and sharp. "My bodyguard acts for me; therefore, you will serve him as though his requests are my requests."

There was no hesitation in Everest's tone at all. He was all demanding prince, and there was something hot about it now Cadel understood who he really was and that this was a power play. Maybe it was the haughty look, or the way he stood, or the expectation in his voice.

Cadel swallowed and stared at the wall, willing himself to think of anything other than what it might be like to kneel at Everest's feet while he gave orders.

But the image was stuck in his mind, and he was damn sure the tiger shifter sensed the change in him. It was hard to hide arousal around shifters, and he was failing at hiding it at all…he exhaled.

Everest had a reputation, so what did it matter?

The witch gave Cadel a poisonous glare that might have bothered him, except he'd gotten worse from the criminals he arrested. "Fine, sir . I'll see if we can accommodate you both. Is there anything else?"

Cadel kept his lips pressed together. That was a mistake. The witch had just opened the door to Everest making more demands.

Everest smiled and glanced around the room. "Are there any snacks in here? Wine? Whiskey? A place where I can safely shift without setting fire to everything?"

As Everest spoke, Cadel saw the realization dawning on the witch's face. How many more times would he make that mistake?

"I'll see what I can do, sir." This time, the witch didn't linger. He beckoned for his tiger to follow and shut the door behind them.

Cadel forced himself to relax.

Everest held up one finger, then touched his ear.

Good point. There might be bugs in the room. Cadel tapped his chest, then spun his finger, asking if he should do a sweep of the room.

Everest nodded but held up one finger, indicating for him to wait. "Well, that ruined our game and dinner, and I am starving. I wanted that steak."

"Same, sir." Did he need to keep that up the whole time they were here? That was going to be uncomfortable for reasons he didn't want to examine too closely.

Everest's lips curved, suggesting he was enjoying it a little too much. "You enjoy losing?"

Cadel shook his head but didn't bother to hide his smile. "If you enjoy winning, I am happy to play, sir."

Everest ran his fingertips over Cadel's chest. He leaned in. "Are you? We can always make our own fun."

If there weren't potentially bugs in the room, he might've entertained the idea a little further just for something to do. Was Everest struggling with staying in the present?

Cadel covered Everest's hand with his own and tapped. Are you okay?

Everest nodded and responded. For the moment.

It was a much slower method of communication than Cadel liked, but at least they had that. Unless there were cameras. Shit. He lowered his head, and Everest leaned in.

"Cameras?" His word was barely a whisper.

Everest shrugged. "I'm going to see what state the bathroom is in so I can make further requests over dinner."

"Would you like me to check the closet for a robe, sir?"

"Yes." Everest graced Cadel with a smile that made him want to bask in its warmth.

Yeah, even when he wasn't playing the spoiled prince, Everest liked to sit around wrapped up in a robe. In the castle, he had a fluffy green one. At the hotel, he used the white one. Depending on how he was feeling, he actually wore pajama pants underneath.

That hadn't bothered Cadel before, and he was sure it was because Everest now tempted him in ways that should be easy to resist.

While Everest searched the bathroom, Cadel opened the closet and the drawers. There was no robe or slippers, or safe. And there was nothing to identify the place as a hotel, although it had that feel to it. Perhaps it was a bed-and-breakfast?

He shut everything and checked out the window. It didn't open, and the view was of the next building's brick wall. No clues there. He had glimpsed the route they'd taken, but he couldn't have given an address if pressed.

The toilet flushed, and Everest reappeared, looking none too happy. He shook his head. "Only two towels…so I don't know what you're using. And one tiny block of soap. There's no shampoo or conditioner. No deodorant. How am I supposed to bathe?"

Cadel smiled and shook his head. There were no physical or magical bugs. If there were no bugs, that meant a shifter was listening nearby, so they had to give them the conversation they expected .

Everest tilted his head at the door and sniffed. "Do you think they locked us in? Is there a phone to call for service? What is this, a one-star place?"

While Everest talked, Cadel padded over to the door. He breathed in and listened. There was someone outside their room. "I'll see if I can get someone, sir."

He turned the handle, and to his surprise, it opened.

The man in the corridor startled.

"His highness would like extra towels and some toiletries. Perhaps allowing him to pack would've been less trouble." Cadel shut the door before the man had the chance to respond. He didn't need to see more.

There were numbers on the three other doors and a staircase at the end of the short corridor with an exit sign above. Two floors beneath them and then the parking beneath.

If they broke the window, Everest could escape if needed.

He could risk the jump if shifted.

But they weren't considering escape. No, they were going to sit around and pretend to be friends with the Shadow Board. Again, this had not been in the job description. He had never worked undercover jobs. He wasn't a spy.

But Everest was.

Getting close to the Board had been his job for the Coven, a job he had engineered and then contrived to have his brother recruit him for. The steps Everest must have danced…

He sat on the sofa, though sitting was a very loose definition given the way his leg draped over one arm, as half flopped over the rest of the sofa. "I am bored and hungry. This is such an imposition. They could've joined us for dinner, and it would've been much more civilized."

"Sir, you are being held hostage until your father agrees to their terms. "

"Pissing me off will not help their cause." The foot dangling off the arm of the sofa swung.

How much of what he said was constructed to gain the right reaction?

And when Everest spoke to him? Was everything calculated to the nth degree?

Did Everest exist like a normal person?

Was it possible for him to be normal when his head was going to explode with memories, and he was a prince?

"Well? Are they bringing towels?"

"The bear shifter in the corridor didn't say."

Everest snorted. "I could've called my father and negotiated for them, but no…" He exhaled and stared up at the ceiling.

Cadel studied him. While his foot swung it wasn't with annoyance despite his clipped words and his body was relaxed.

Everest glanced at him and smiled before beckoning him over. Cadel obeyed because what else was there to do? He sat on the sofa, and Everest put his head on Cadel's thigh and placed Cadel's hand on his chest. The heat of Everest's body soaked through the thin shirt, and the beat of his heart echoed through Cadel's palm.

Everest tapped Cadel's hand.

Relax. All we have to do is wait.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the movement of Everest's finger on the back of his hand instead of the way the prince sprawled on him like they were lovers. When he figured out what Everest messaged, he replied. You're not acting relaxed.

I'm the crown prince and a hostage. I'm not supposed to be.

True. Everest couldn't act as though he'd planned the whole thing.

Cadel's stomach grumbled .

"Great. Now I'm stuck here with a hungry lion." But he grinned as he spoke. His eyebrows lifted in what Cadel now recognized as a dangerous manner—which was different from the ‘you're pissing me off' lift—and his lips parted.

Someone knocked on the door, and whatever Everest had been going to say never left his tongue, which was a blessing as sitting with him had woken a different hunger, and he was damn sure Everest was aware of the change in Cadel's scent from the flicker of heat in his eyes and the almost smothered grin.

Everest sat up. "Enter."

The bear walked in with extra towels and toiletries. He placed them on the coffee table. "If you would follow me to the dining room."

"Finally." Everest's expression lost the heat, and his lips were once again set to a bored pout.

Suddenly, the last thing Cadel wanted was to leave the safety of their room. He didn't want to meet any Board members or look at their bound shifters. Every instinct told him to run when Everest wanted him to hold.

Cadel reminded himself he wasn't putting his life in the hands of a reckless young prince; it was in the hands of an operative who'd done more jobs than Cadel had shifted.

If this was a game of chess, Everest had built the board, carved the pieces, created the rules, and he was three moves from winning.