“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?”
