Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Q ueen Talia scowled, her wings vibrating. Hyax couldn't remember the last time he'd seen her so angry, and he suspected that even having a vampire as a prospective son-in-law was now counted as a minor concern. "Are you seriously telling me elves broke into the castle, mimicked one of the royal family's magical signatures, and stole the Stone of Ljin?"

It wasn't the most outlandish solution to an investigation they'd suggested in the time he and Gwil had worked together, but it might be one of the most politically explosive. "It is a possibility, Your Majesty," said Gwil sounding more diplomatic than Hyax had ever heard him.

"I need more than a possibility, Gwil."

Hyax stepped forwards. His mother might not like what he had to say. "I cast a reveal charm on the area. The result wasn't one hundred percent conclusive, but it ties in with other circumstantial evidence. There was a dampening field in place and I did read a trace that, on first pass, felt like you but after a bit of probing, it became obvious it was a mimic."

Gwil hadn't understood the theory behind it all when he'd tried to explain and Hyax had to admit that he'd got a bit frustrated, then he'd had to remind himself that Gwil wasn't suddenly going to become an expert on fae magic.

"Do you know which tribe of elves and why they would have taken it?" asked Talia.

Hyax was relieved it wasn't a flat-out dismissal.

"We couldn't pin it down to a specific tribe. Several of the elf tribes are known to supply illegal substances to the paranormal in the human realm," explained Gwil. "The stone's power is transmutation. They couldn't use it to create any drug and in large amounts, but they could change the potency so less was needed or use it to change it into something else to be one step ahead of the Met."

Talia snorted. "You can't think the elves would risk the upheaval at being at odds with the fae for mere money."

"I hate to be the one to tell you, but there are people and creatures of every walk of life who've done a lot of shocking things for money."

"We're not suggesting it was sanctioned by the Elven Assembly," Hyax added. "But we should be open to the idea that it's a rogue elf or group of elves working with someone else."

She levelled her stare on Gwil. "Well, there is at least one species that has a record of interfering with others for centuries."

"Mother…" Hyax warned.

Gwil squared his shoulders. "My sister is a Dark Countess, she's been asking me questions about drug supply. If the vamps were involved in this she wouldn't have called my attention to it."

"And there hasn't been trouble between the fae and the vampires," Hyax said. Gwil flinched as Hyax took his hand, not expecting it. "You're only making accusations because Gwil is my partner and you don't like it."

"Nonsense. While we're not happy you've chosen a non-fae partner, I am only pointing out that your choice's species is one of the most distrusted and unlikable options you could have taken."

Hyax's anger spiked, causing his wings to vibrate so fast he hovered off the floor. "We will leave immediately."

"Don't be so melodramatic. You have duties to perform, and as much as you like your fanged future consort, you like all the benefits having a royal title gives you."

Gwil squeezed Hyax's hand and Hyax appreciated his silent support.

"Maybe it would be better if I left," Gwil suggested. "I can follow up a number of avenues back home with my sister and a few other contacts, and you can spend some time with your family."

"Excellent idea." Talia turned to Hyax. "Come with me, we need to discuss an important matter in private while Gwil packs."

He didn't like that Gwil was being sent away, but there wasn't much he could do about it for now. Without allowing himself to overthink, he pressed his lips to Gwil's in a whisper of a kiss, then smiled. "I will be home as soon as I can."

Gwil licked his bottom lip and Hyax had a spike of hope that the kiss might not have been unwelcome. "Hurry back. I'll miss you."

Hyax followed Talia, glancing back at Gwil as he did. His smile was genuine and, not for the first time over the last few days, did he wish this wasn't play-acting.

His brothers, Pawl and Wavel, were waiting for them in a small reception room. "Your sisters are travelling but I'll inform them of this when they return," Talia said, taking a seat.

"Mother, sending Gwil away will not help. Your actions could be seen as a slight to his family. His sister is married to a member of the Vampire Council."

Talia huffed. "Your actions in taking a vampire as a future consort are a slight towards your own family."

"Then you should punish me not him. I can't help who I love—you taught me to be open and inclusive, I did not expect such treatment." His mother's actions had hurt, he'd not witnessed this side of her, and he wished he never had.

"I need to protect our people, Hyax. You must understand that."

"Gwil has done nothing but try to help. We are not at danger from the vampires, it is the elves that we should be focusing on."

"Then let us do so."

Hyax had never seen her this rattled. Gwil was an easy target, something she could control and influence. Unknown elves were a different matter.

"While you were meeting with Gwil, Wavel and I spent some time trawling through the databases for recent elvish activity," said Pawl. "It'll take some time to cross-reference and narrow down potential suspects. We should probably consider asking Goya."

"Since the Met are already involved it wouldn't hurt to ask," agreed Hyax. "The elves aren't exactly popular, Gwil wasn't wrong when he said there are several groups involved in various underground activities, so the Met will already have significant intelligence—which they might be willing to share."

Talia sighed but stood. "I'll contact him immediately. Hyax, I would appreciate it if you could assist your brother with the analysis before you return to the human realm."

"Of course, Mother."

She left and Hyax turned to his brother. "Is there really so much elvish activity?"

"There's some direct hits, but there's a lot of noise over whether they might be hiding their involvement more carefully," Wavel said.

Hyax's experience with elves had been limited—a few cases where an insidious bastard had double-crossed a client or turned nasty—but he was sure they were capable of things he'd not witnessed, for the right price. "Do you think they are working with someone else?"

"Mother already said it could be the vampires," Pawl said.

"Her bias is showing. In all my years, I've never heard of an elf-vampire alliance."

"Are you serious about attaching yourself to a vampire?" Pawl asked.

He'd been waiting for this line of questioning, and no doubt their mother had put Pawl up to it. "His name is Gwil, and yes. Do you think I would have brought all this condescension upon myself if I wasn't serious?"

"I think there are worse things you could have done," Wavel said, he'd always been Hyax's favourite. "It's not as if you didn't know each other before."

"I can't believe you are in support of this. Hyax is a prince of the realm, he needs to marry for the benefit of his people not for his own selfish reasons."

He didn't need another lecture. "If I were next in line, or even in the top ten, I might agree with you. But I'm not. Besides, an alliance outside of the fae world is not necessarily a bad thing—and I wouldn't be the first. It could help us open a door to engaging the Calanti."

"We are not discussing that now," snapped Pawl.

Hyax would let it drop but there was something in the way it was said that made him think this was not a bad angle to explore. "Gwil has a powerful sire and his sister is a Dark Countess. He's hardly a common bloodsucker I grabbed off the street."

"What you're saying is he knows important people, but he's not important himself."

"He's important to me and that's all that should matter."

Pawl huffed. "Then you can have him in your harem. A favourite you spoil, not a husband."

Hyax had already had this bullshit from his parents. Pawl might be the future king but to Hyax he was being an overbearing big brother. "It's none of your business. You should be happy I was blessed with a love match and not forced to hope for the best with whoever might be the least objectionable."

"You have a duty to the realm."

"My choice of partner will not change that, quite the opposite. It could lead to positive ties." He wouldn't force this but he would continue to plant the seed.

Wavel intervened. "Let's not argue. We have enough problems with the elves. Infighting won't get us anywhere."

He'd bite his tongue for now, but once they'd got the stone back he would deal with the issue over the suitors. He wouldn't be forced into a loveless marriage. Not when he was in love with his best friend.