Page 7 of Monster’s Consort (Blackthorn Academy for Supernaturals #18)
Bane
The entirety of dinner, I could feel my monster clawing beneath the surface.
I never paid much mind to politics. Ever since I’d gone into heat, my focus was on one thing, though I hate to admit it.
Making sure I was properly fed. Though as the years went by, the regular bouts of sex were not enough to keep me sated, and I had started to despise the reality that was my life. I was far too enraptured in my own disdain to pay much mind to the Dark Fae’s attempts to rule the realms.
The minute I saw him, I knew.
The Dark Fae Prince was like me.
An Incubus.
There’d been plenty of speculation about the true origin of my creature’s bloodlines, and while many wrote us off as demonic spawn—and they’d only be partly true—it would seem there was a small subset of individuals who continued to research our lineage and who bravely fought to prove the theory we were, in fact, born out of the fae bloodline.
Looking at Desmond was like looking in a mirror, but on the other side was a parallel universe where my kind were not ostracized or looked upon for lust and nothing else.
Desmond was Dark Fae, but he was a creature of lust. Who’d kissed my fiancée’s hand.
Had he tasted her lust, seeping through her skin?
The thought made my monster angry, territorial.
It took everything in me to not fly across the table and attack the asshole, but I did not wish to start another war. Especially, when it seemed the Dark Fae were tolerating us at the moment.
What was Queen Amaranth thinking inviting the royals who opposed her so to fucking dinner?
“So, Dezzy,” Norman started, breaking the silence.
Desmond looked up, raising one eyebrow in disdain. “You are to address me as Prince Desmond or Your Majesty, Mr. Chee.”
Norman shrugged, and I could not tear my gaze away from his aloofness. He was either an absolute idiot or he had a death wish. Which one I wasn’t entirely certain.
“Ah, yes, well, that’s just a formality.” Norman’s tentacles twisted in the air. “But we don’t have to be so formal, if we’re going to be hanging out together.”
“Hanging out?” Desmond chirped.
Norman stabbed his potato rather animatedly as he nodded. “I mean, we’re all here to enjoy the summer, aren’t you?” Norman bristled in his seat, looking next to him and that’s when I noticed the glare Wanda was giving him.
Violet leaned into my space.
“What the hell is he doing?” I asked.
Violet raised her eyebrows at me. “I have no idea, honestly.”
“Actually, Norman, that is a lovely idea,” the queen cooed. “I’m sure Sirus and Lithia and I can handle our... treaty discussions. I am sure you would rather spend time with your peers before you attend the Academy next semester.”
My blood chilled and the gasps could be heard throughout our end of the table. Desmond looked pale as I felt.
“As in... Blackthorn Academy?” I asked, dumbfounded.
Desmond sat straighter. “The one and only. It is the most prestigious academy for those of us with...” He looked me up and down judgmentally. “Actual skills.”
I growled, my lips pulling back to show my fangs, but Violet’s hand on my thigh settled the monster clawing beneath my skin.
“Are you a first year?” She asked, as if he had not just insulted me.
The nerve of this asshole!
All rich idiots are the same. They think because they come from money or because they have privilege or magic in their blood they are better than everyone else.
Try me, Dezzy, I’ll show you my cursed skills, all right.
“Desmond will actually be going in alongside the second years,” Queen Lithia said proudly. “He’s quite gifted.”
“Oh, like you, Violet!” Delaney said with a grin. She leaned forward, her bright green eyes fixated on Desmond.
“You must be pretty powerful,” Norman said as he stabbed his potato again.
“Or perhaps he needs to learn from those with... actual skills,” Wanda bit.
I shot her a glare and she gave me a half smile that made me feel even more on the spot.
Was she... backing me up?
For fuck’s sake, what did they put in this wine?
“What’s your element?” Delaney asked before anyone could jump in and comment on Wanda’s very obvious insult.
Of all the women I’d known, including the one beside me, I’d never known one to be so callous, especially in the presence of actual royalty.
It almost made me appreciate her a little bit.
Almost.
“I am ambi-magicked,” he says proudly. “Fire and Earth are my elements.”
Norman whistled. “I don’t think we have any AM students at Blackthorn.”
Desmond preened with confidence. “Well, you do now.”
Delaney twisted her lips as she stabbed her lettuce. We’d all devoured our salads, but she remained picking.
The staff brought our dessert—an Irish Tea Cake served with fresh cream and apples—and soon we were all stuffing our faces again. When it finally came time for the awkwardness of dinner to be over, Queen Amaranth excused herself and the O’Neil’s, but as Desmond stood to follow, his father spoke.
“The Queen and I have much to discuss,” he said.
His mother looked at me, also with equal judgment, then to Violet at my side. “Perhaps you would be so kind to show my son a... tour of your humble abode?”
I didn’t like the tone of her voice, but there wasn’t much I could do about anything. I wasn’t a true consort yet. All I was, was the long lost Princess’s boyfriend slash mate. I had no pull, no rank. Nothing.
Something that made me uneasy.
“Of course,” Violet said, smiling sweetly. Her bright blue eyes lit up with excitement, and I could practically feel the sunshine radiating off of her.
She truly was a light in the darkness, if I ever saw one.
She moved from my side and I grumbled in response, but I did not stop her. She motioned for Desmond to follow and I did not miss the look of fear in his eyes for the briefest moment.
But it was gone before I could say a word.
“It is still quite nice out, perhaps we should start with the courtyard?” Delaney said, breaking the awkward silence.
“That’s a lovely suggestion, Delaney,” Queen Amaranth said as she turned, the King and Queen at her side.
“We shall see you all tomorrow at breakfast then. Bane, you may escort Desmond to his quarters when you are finished.”
My face fell and Wanda chuckled beside me.
“Seems you have a new friend, Bane,” she taunted me.
“How do you know the Dark Fae Prince, again, Wanda?” I nipped, casting her a surreptitious glare.
Wanda bristled at my words. “That is none of your business.”
I scoffed. “Well then, it looks like he’s a foe until proven friend, then.”
Wanda rolled her eyes, leaving me to my devices as Norman approached us, just as Delaney flanked Desmond on the opposite side from where Violet was.
“What are you two gossip hounds talking about?” Norman asked, his tentacles slithering along my back.
I smacked them away, noting he was doing the same to Wanda, but she did not flinch. I caught one tiny pink sucker latch onto her neck before she casually stepped forward and left us alone, following Violet, Desmond, and Delaney.
Norm whined. “Was it something I said?” he asked.
I cast him a glare. “Perhaps it was your tentacles with a mind of their own.”
He had the audacity to look hurt by my comment as he said, “Oh.”
I watched as the girls traversed the corner, noting the royals had left and it was just Norm and I in the Great Hall, frozen in place.
“You really can’t control it, can you?” I asked as he looked out the window, watching Wanda and the girls come into vision. I could see Violet pointing things out, see Desmond looking on with interest. Even his posture was perfect.
He was a Prince. She was a Princess.
What if his presence here had something to do with that?
I wasn’t a solid candidate. I had a claim on Violet, but under the law of Lir I wasn’t an official anything. We were courting . Not bound.
Not until we’d both ascended through our Ardaim and until I’d been confirmed as viable.
Panic struck me along with jealousy and Norm let out a soft sound.
“Some things are beyond our control. No matter how much we wish they weren’t,” he said. His words settled on me.
“You’re wrong,” I said plainly.
Norman’s hand settled on my shoulder, making me jump. He pulled his hand back, looking at me with sadness.
“There was a bug,” he said, blinking.
“Come on,” I hissed as I headed for the exit, not bothering to wait for him to follow.