The tiny hairs along the nape of my neck rose. I drew in a shallow breath as Everest stepped back, clasping his hands. Slowly, I lowered my drink and looked over my shoulder.
Standing not even a foot behind me was the Prince.
I couldn’t help but notice immediately that he appeared different tonight. Hair pulled back from his face was a good look on him. A black silk shirt had replaced the thermal I’d seen him in, and that also was a good look.
But he was just about as angry as the last two times I’d seen him, so that hadn’t changed.
Actually, he seemed angrier. “I can assure you, I have no attention of fucking myself tonight, Sally.”
Steam practically shot from my ears at way he said my name—my fake name. “Good to know, but not my problem.”
“Oh, but it is now your problem.”
I drew back, eyes widening. “I have no idea how that is my problem.”
Lifting blue eyes to Everest, he nodded. I didn’t need to look to know the man had left.
Before I could say a word, he plucked the drink out of my hand and placed it on the bar. Then his hand wrapped around my empty one. I didn’t dig my heels in like I wanted to, knowing that we already had several eyes on us.
My gaze dropped to where he held my hand as he guided me off the stool.
“You are becoming a pain in my ass,” he said.
“I’m about to become a much bigger one. One you’re going to need to see a doctor to treat. You try to make me leave,” I said, lifting my gaze from his hand to his eyes, “I will make a scene in here so bad you’ll spend the next year glamouring memories.”
A muscle flexed along his jaw as his gaze searched my face. “You would, wouldn’t you?”
“Yes. Now, if you’d unhand me, I think I might want another drink.” In reality, my stakeout of The Court was ruined, but I would stay here half the night on principle alone. “And maybe some chicken wings.” I had no idea if they served chicken wings here. “Then dessert. I’m definitely in the mood for dessert and none of those things include you.”
The Prince threaded his fingers through mine, stopping me from yanking my arm free. “We need to have a chat.”
“No, we don’t.”
“Oh, sunshine, we do.”
Sunshine? My face puckered up. “There is nothing we need to talk about—” I gasped as he moved in so quick, so close, right there at the bar, in front of fae and human alike. Still holding my hand, he cupped my cheek with his other, splaying his fingers as he tilted my head back and lowered his.
Was he going… was he going to kiss me? That seemed like a bizarre response, but he lined his mouth right up with mine, and there were only inches between our lips. My heart rate shot into cardiac territory. “What are you doing?”
His warm breath danced over my lips as he spoke. “You should have left when you had a chance. Now, you and I are going to have a discussion that is way past due, and you’re going to say yes and you’re going to behave.”
“Behave?” I sputtered.
He nodded as those thick lashes came down, shielding his eyes. “Don’t test me.”
My heart skipped a beat. “Is that a threat?”
“It’s an advisory,” he corrected.
“Same thing. Like totally the same thing.”
His lips twitched as if he wanted to smile. “If you want a scene, I’ll give you one. I’ll throw you right over my shoulder, and with that dress?” Leaning back, I felt his gaze like a hot caress. “I don’t think you’ll want that.”
I didn’t.
I so didn’t.
Seeming to sense that, he pulled me against the side of his body. The contact was jarring. Not because he did it roughly, because he didn’t, but because feeling his body against mine stunned me.
Letting go of my hand, he then draped an arm over my shoulders like we were friends or even lovers as he steered me away from the bar. People were staring, human and fae alike, but the fae had more than just a reaction born of curiosity. As we walked near them, they backed away, giving us—giving the Prince—a wide berth. There was no mistaking the distrust and fear that pinched their striking features. They knew who the Prince was.
So, what was he doing here?
I held onto my clutch as we walked down the narrow hall, passing the restrooms and then the elevator. He walked me to a swinging door marked EMPLOYEES ONLY. With his free hand, he pushed open the door and we entered a small kitchen, staffed by cooks—human cooks. They only lifted their brows as he led me past them, narrowly dodging a waiter carrying a tray stacked with chicken wings.
So, they did have wings… and they looked yummy too.
My stomach grumbled, loud enough for the Prince to dip his head and look at me questioningly.
“Hungry?”
“No,” I lied.
One side of his lips kicked up as we reached another door. That one opened to reveal another hallway and a narrow set of stairs.
“Should I be worried about where you’re leading me?”
“You should always be worried.” He dropped his arm. “Up the stairs.”
“That’s not reassuring,” I told him, eyeing the dark staircase. “I’m getting stranger danger vibes right now.”
“Is that all the vibes you’re getting?” he asked.
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t know what you mean and I don’t want to.”
He smirked. “Up the stairs, Brighton.”
The use of my real name startled me, even though we were alone. My gaze traveled from him to the staircase as I exhaled slowly. As crazy as it was, instinct told me that I was safe with the Prince. My instinct could be completely off base, but I also knew that if I made a run for it, I wasn’t going to make it.
So I started up the stairs.
He said nothing as he walked behind me. We reached the next floor and entered a dark hallway where I could hear the steady thump of music coming from what sounded like the other side of the staircase. The hall also smelled like… fresh beignets. Part of me wanted to question that, but then the Prince brushed past me, the warmth of his body causing me to bite down on my lip. As he opened a door, I peeked around him. The room was circular, featuring a long, cushioned bench against the wall and a set dining table in the middle. There was a short rack glass on the table. Bright purple liquid filled half the glass. Nightshade.
“What kind of room is this?” I asked, folding my arms across my midsection.
“A private dining or party area. There are five of them on this floor. Nice hair, by the way.” He stalked past me.
“Shut up,” I muttered.
Smirking, he picked up his glass of Nightshade. “Still prefer the blond.”
“I still don’t care.” I watched him walk to the wide cushioned bench against the wall and sit. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing, but I already know.”
I ignored that. “This place is frequented by Winter fae and you’re the Summer Prince. I don’t understand how you can be here, hanging out and drinking with them.”
He eyed me as he sipped from his drink. “I help Everest out here. Make sure none of the fae get out of hand.”
Interesting. “And the Winter fae have no problem with you being here?”
“They usually don’t see me until it’s too late. Tonight is different because someone decided to refuse to leave.”
“Perhaps you should’ve just left me be,” I shot back as I started to pace. “So, what is this place, really? A front for fae to hang out and feed?”
“Everest is a… unique businessman who caters to all.” He lowered the glass to his knee. “And he does so with the utmost discretion while providing a… safe place for both species.”
“Safe place?”
“The fae can come here and see to their needs without harming humans in the process.”
My lips parted. “I’ve seen what goes on up here.”
He tilted his head. “And how, pray tell, did you find yourself on this floor? Didn’t know the… activities up here were your kind of thing.”
“They’re not,” I snapped, flushing. I turned from him, pacing away. “I got up here once, very carefully.”
The Prince didn’t respond to that immediately. “And when you got up that one time, did the humans look like they were here against their will?”
“Oh, so they’re volunteers?” I faced him. “Want me to go grab you one of them?”
“I already had Everest do that for me.”
My eyes narrowed on his faint smile.
“Sometimes, when Everest is expecting a certain… clientele, he will reach out to me to make sure there are additional resources here just in case.”
I mulled that over. “How do the humans here keep this a secret if they aren’t glamoured?”
“Who would believe them?”
“They could obtain evidence.”
“They don’t,” he said, and then he took another drink. “You know, you won’t be allowed back here now.”
I smirked at that as I started pacing in front of him. “I’m not worried. I can get back in here if I want to.”
“He’ll be looking out for you.”
“He won’t recognize me.”
“But I always will.”
I shivered, unnerved by that. “Do you live here? Are you always here?”
The Prince didn’t answer that.
“What do you think will happen if the Order ever discovers this place exists? They’re not going to allow it to continue to operate.”
“Who says those who need to know don’t already?”
I stopped and stared at him. “Are you suggesting that Miles is aware of this place and hasn’t shut it down?”
“I’m not suggesting anything. You filled in the blanks.”
I snapped my mouth shut. My first reaction was not to believe him, but the Order had… It had lied about a lot of things and kept a lot of secrets. I knew that. So certain members knowing about this venue could be true.
“I knew it was you Saturday night, from the moment I saw you in that room.”
“That much I figured,” I said, but my stomach still dropped. “Why didn’t you call me out, if you knew it was me?”
He was quiet for a moment. “I wanted to see how far you would let it go.”
Heat blasted my cheeks. “Not very far.”
The Prince lifted a brow. “My hand was right above your—”
“I know where your hand was,” I snapped, cutting him off as that heat in my face hit my veins. “Trust me. It’s something I won’t forget.”
“No doubt,” he murmured, his lips curling into a faint smile.
My eyes narrowed. “As in not in a good way.”
“I’m curious,” he replied, watching me through hooded eyes. “If it wasn’t in a good way, why did you allow it?”
I inhaled sharply. “I was pretending to be entranced.”
“Hmm.”
“I was!”
“If that’s what you need to tell yourself.”
I caught his meaning and I was this close to throwing my clutch at him. The dude was insufferable and mainly because he was so freaking right, and I sort of hated him for that. “I have no idea how you knew that was me.”
“I… I just knew,” he said like that was an acceptable answer.
Irritation flared to life and I decided right then and there I could also ask demanding, annoying questions as I dropped my clutch on the table. “So why were you at Flux? A club frequented by your enemy?”
He was dragging his thumb along the rim of his glass. “I was there looking for Tobias, but you already know that.”
“Why were you looking for him?”
“Do you always ask so many questions?”
“You wanted to have this chat,” I reminded him, crossing my arms again. “Why were you looking for him?”
“He knows how to find someone I need to speak with.” His gaze dipped and there was a flash of straight, white teeth as he dragged them along his lower lip. I looked away as he said, “Alas, whatever information he had, he took that back to the Otherworld with him.”
“Can’t say I’m too torn about that.”
“Of course not,” he replied wryly.
“What information do you think he had?” I asked.
“He knows where a certain Ancient is that I would really love to murder.”
My brows lifted at that. “Let me guess, an Ancient that sided with the Queen?”
The Prince nodded.
“Do you happen to know his name?”
A heartbeat passed. “Aric.”
That name rang a bell. “Tobias did mention someone by the name of Aric.”
Everything about The Prince became very still, so much so he could’ve stopped breathing. “Did he now?”
“Yes. Aric was coming to meet Tobias and the other fae. He would’ve been there within an hour.”
“Are you serious?”
I nodded. “That was all they said about him.”
The Prince cursed under his breath. “Perfect.” Lifting the glass, he downed the rest of the Nightshade in one impressive swallow. “I know why you were at Flux and why you were here tonight. I know what Tobias did to you.”
A ripple of shock rolled through me as I stared at him. “You don’t know—”
“I know he was one of the five fae who attacked you and your mother.” Leaning forward, he placed his empty glass on the table. He didn’t settle back, and instead, placed his hands on his knees as he stared up at me. “I know that you’re seeking revenge because of what they did. I know you’re here tonight to see if you can find one of the other fae and I know you put yourself in ridiculously dangerous situations to get that revenge.”
Arms falling to my sides, I took a step toward him and then stopped as my stomach twisted nauseously. “How do you…?” My throat thickened. “How do you know?”
He didn’t answer for a long moment. “Because you are doing the same thing I am, but for different reasons.”
I drew in a stuttering breath as a tremor rolled through my arms.
“I know what it’s like to be consumed with revenge and the need to seek justice against those who have done you wrong so terribly. I understand that. It is why I am searching for Aric. He was once a trusted friend of mine, and I know he is the one who set me up to fall to the Queen’s spell,” he explained, and I felt pressure clamp down on my chest. “I know he’s still alive and he’s here. I will find him and I will kill him for what he has done to me. And if I ever get my hands on the Queen, I will rip her limb from limb.”
That might sound shocking, but I couldn’t fault him for wanting that. Not with what she had done to him—made him do.
“Well,” I said hoarsely, hating the feel of the bitter knot creeping into my throat, “I guess we have that in common.”
“I know what it is like to lie awake all night, consumed with what you could’ve done to change what happened and how you could’ve stopped it.”
“How could you have stopped it though?” I asked, my question genuine. “You were injured in a battle, right? Weakened?”
“Not only do I believe he is spending every moment trying to aid the Queen’s return, it was Aric who shoved a sword right through my chest.”
My eyes widened. Swords? Man, the Otherworld always sounded archaic but swords? I shook my head. “The Queen placed you under an enchantment. You didn’t have a choice.”
“I know everything I did while under her spell. Every person I hurt or killed. Every horrific act I committed.” Thick lashes lowered, shielding his gaze as my heart turned over in my chest. “I remember in vivid detail what I put Ivy through.”
Pressing my lips together, I blinked back unexpected wetness. I couldn’t imagine what he was going through. In a way, I knew it was worse than what happened to me and my mother. He’d been the bad guy. He’d done terrible things and now he lived with the guilt even though it hadn’t been his fault.
So I told him that. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Tell me,” he said. “When you look at me, tell me you don’t think about how I kidnapped Ivy? Tell me you don’t think about all those Order members I killed with my own hands. Tell me—”
“I do,” I admitted, flinching. “I do think of those things, but I also realize it wasn’t your fault. You had no control. You didn’t have a choice,” I repeated, meaning it.
“And you were outnumbered by creatures a hundred times stronger and faster than you,” he said, meeting my gaze. “What could you have done differently?”
“If I had been better trained, I could’ve fought back,” I said without a second of hesitation.
He stared at me for a long moment. “Even better trained, you most likely would’ve died, sunshine. You have a soul of a warrior, but that is not enough.”
A soul of a warrior?
That was… that was kind of a nice thing to say.
“You need to stop this, Brighton.”
Biting down on the inside of my lip, I looked away as I shook my head. “Are you going to stop looking for Aric? Are you going to move and take the higher road and not seek revenge?”
“I’m different.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why? Because you’re the Prince?”
The faint smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes.”
Irritated that he understood why I needed to do what I had to, but was trying to stop me, I threw up my hands. “You can’t stop me.”
He arched a brow at that as he sat back. “I can stop you.”
Caring and sharing time was so over. “You know what? I don’t even get why you care. We barely know each other. You’re the Prince, and I’m just… I’m just me. I’m a—” I almost blurted out ghost, but stopped myself.
“You’re what?” Curiosity crept into his features.
I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. I appreciate your concern. I do. It’s unexpected, but I appreciate it. It’s not going to change—”
“You’re what?” he repeated.
Pressing my lips together, I shook my head in frustration.
“What were you about to say?” he persisted.
“I’m just a ghost,” I blurted out, surprised that I allowed the words to take flight, because once spoken, you couldn’t take it back. “That’s who I was before the attack and…”
He was watching me intently. “And you’re not a ghost anymore?”
“I don’t know what I am anymore,” I admitted, blinking back the stupid burn of tears again. “And I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. I don’t even like you.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“You know? You’re right. And no matter what you say, you don’t know me either.” I started for the door. “I’m done with this conversation. I’m done with your interference. You do whatever you want to do and I’ll do whatever I need to do. Goodbye, Prince.”
“You’re right.” A muscle flexed a long his jaw. “You’re just a human,” he said, and the way he said that made the word human sound like a venereal disease. “In your own words, you’re already half dead. I won’t stop you from finishing that job.”