Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

G wil cracked open an eye, something wasn't how it should be. It took a moment to figure out what the issue was and realised he was not alone in his bed. Curled into him was Chase. He lifted the bedclothes, a stark bollock-naked Chase.

He pushed him away, resulting in a growl and an attempt to reattach. "Get off me."

Chase blinked rapidly, glowered at him and then sat up. "Most people would be happy to wake up and have me in their bed."

"I'm not one for non-consensual cuddling. I told you last night I wasn't interested."

"Well, I was cold, and your bed looked warm and much comfier than that lumpy sofa."

Gwil huffed and got out of bed, thankful he had the habit of sleeping in his underwear. He collected a clean set of clothes and slunk off to take a shower. Feeling a lot less annoyed, he left the bathroom to find Hyax sitting on the sofa. A bag from a nearby bakery was on the table.

"I wasn't expecting you this morning." Hyax in his living room with a traitorous fae in his bedroom was not going to result in a pleasant situation. "Thought you were busy."

"Only in the evening. I had a hankering for an almond croissant so while I was there I picked up some of the chocolate-filled doughnuts you like. How'd it go with Dr Gilgil?"

Gwil was not one to refuse gifts presenting as deep-fried confectionary. "Sounds easy enough. I think his sister is just having a free spirit moment after her divorce. I've a lead on a pixie motorcycle club to follow up on."

"I didn't know they existed. Do you want me to set up a tracking spell? Easy enough to do."

"Yeah, I had Gilgil give me something of hers I'll grab it for you before you head off. Are you going soon?"

Hyax scowled. "You sound like you want me to."

"No, of course not." He realised he'd said it too quickly. "Anyway, how was the banquet thing you went to?"

"Oh, dull as usual. Pawl and Vo are expecting another baby."

"Another one? What's that? Number four?"

"He is the oldest child, it's sort of his responsibility to make sure the line continues. But my sister, the one who is a healer, was also there and she asked me to look into some rumours of a contaminated drug that she'd heard about from a colleague."

Gwil had thought it would only be a matter of time before the issue got back to the fae realm, and he still had to dig into it for his sister. He selected a doughnut and was coating himself with sugar when his bedroom door opened. "Gwil, can I borrow a shirt?"

Gwil winced.

"What the fuck is he doing coming out of your bedroom?" Hyax sneered.

"Oh shit!" Chase cried and ducked back inside Gwil's bedroom, slamming the door.

Time for damage limitation. "Whatever you're thinking, it's not what it looks like."

Hyax was on his feet. Even when he was ready to kill he was still beautiful. "Start talking, Gwil, because from where I'm standing it looks like you banged an ex-Queen's Concubine, who's been cast out of the realm for treason."

Gwil bristled at several of those statements. "Firstly, I didn't bang him, and even if I had it would be none of your business. Secondly, fae politics is none of my concern. If he'd been cast out of the realm, then surely he'd not be your problem either."

"Of course it's my problem if my business partner has lost his mind and shagged a lying, conniving bastard. Fuck knows what words he's spun to get into your bed."

"What part of I didn't bang him weren't you listening to?"

"Then why was he in your bedroom?" Hyax's eyes were blazing, their usual colour replaced by a bright orange, a shade he'd only seen once before and the anger hadn't been directed at him.

"I let him sleep on the sofa and he crept into my bed—uninvited." He felt his fangs lengthen as his temper rose, and he had to concentrate to re-sheath them. "But even if I'd fucked him into the mattress, it would have been irrelevant. Since when have you given a shit about my love life?"

Hyax spluttered. "This isn't about your love life. You can see who you want, but not traitorous flower fairies."

"It doesn't sound like that to me. Where do you get off telling me what to do? I don't go on about the countless stream of men you see."

"I am conducting my duties as a Prince of the Fae Court."

Gwil snorted. Hyax couldn't even see he was being a hypocritical douchebag. "And you do them oh so thoroughly."

"What has this got to do with the fact you've brought home a rogue fae? What did he say to you?"

Typical, for a moment he thought Hyax might be jealous, which would be one bright spark in this mess, but of course he bloody wasn't. "He told me his magic was limited, that he got cast out of the fae realm for his actions selling the queen's possessions."

"He did?" Hyax was clearly surprised. "That be the first truthful thing he's ever said."

"He had a few other things to say as well."

Hyax's eyes returned to their usual blue colour. "I bet he did, but how did you end up… inviting him home?"

Gwil rolled his eyes, Hyax still thought he'd had sex with Chase, he didn't like that he didn't believe him, but he didn't know how he'd solve that. Trust was an important part of their working relationship. For now it was best he just kept to the truth. "I stopped a pair of orcs kicking the shit out of him."

"Why were they doing that? He probably deserved it."

"I get the distinct impression that you won't like what he said." More than that, he was about to accuse Hyax's family of being complicit in something he was sure was a political clusterfuck—if it was real. Which for now he was kind of neutral on whether it was or not.

"All the more a reason for you to tell me."

He said your family were behind the attack because he'd told someone about one of the stones in the Coronet of Alphal being a fake."

Hyax staggered backwards and collapsed into a chair. It was not the reaction Gwil was expecting. Where were the spitting bullets, raging balls of anger and tide of incensed vitriol?

"Hyax?"

Hyax sat there for several moments before getting to his feet. "Get Chase out of here as soon as you can. And for your own safety don't repeat what he said. I need to go home, confirm a few things."

Where was the outright denial? The defence of his family, and slurs against the traitorous Chase? It didn't make sense. "What's going on?"

"I told you I thought there was something not right at home. If this is true then it all adds up. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Hyax couldn't disappear they had work to do, clients to serve and at least in his case, bills to pay. "Hyax, you can't just sod off!"

"I'll be back. I promise." Hyax opened a portal and was gone.