A flash of silver and icy blue in his gaze, followed by a few sharper teeth showing in his grin, let me know I’ve gotten back at him. “You won’t do it. That is not how our relationship works and never has been. Perhaps with others, but not me.”
“Does that matter when things have so clearly changed?”
Slash chuckles and shakes his head as he finishes gathering the food, then carefully ties the napkin closed. “Ah, here we are. I wondered when you might get to the root of this tantrum.”
Tantrum? What the fuck is he talking about?
“Watch how you speak to me, Scrum. I’m still?—”
“Yes, yes. You’re the prince—which is a shield you throw up when you do not wish to be honest with us or yourself. I have heard that before, Jas.” My friend shrugs, placing the napkin into his bag, then looks at me with an unsympathetic expression. “It is long past time for you to stop being your own worst enemy.”
My jaw drops and I sputter for a moment before I finally come up with a response. “What the fuck doesthatmean?!”
Not the most original thing I could have said, but the shock of Slash judging meandsaying that sort of shit is making it hard for me to think straight. I would expect this sort of behavior from Oriel, or maybe Salem, but not the stalwart shark who has stood by me since we were toddlers. Like his father does with mine, Slash has always had my back, even if he disagreed, without complaint for our entire lives. I don’t know how to handle the emotions I was feelingbeforehe did this, but now I’m inches from blowing my top in the middle of the goddamnTriclinium. We don’t need this many demons to witness a battle—which is the only reason I’m holding back.
“Jasper, I have been quiet every time you were heading in the wrong direction for two simple reasons. You are my prince, and we all need to learn hard lessons. Those ideals were enough for me to follow you anywhere most of our lives.” He shakes his head, his expression hard as he meets my gaze. “But you are struggling right now when you do not need to. You could be happier—we couldallbe happier—if you would get to the finish line sooner. Your permanent shitty mood is making everything much harder than it needs to be.”
I suck in a breath, ready to blast him when he holds up a large hand, shaking his head. “No, we will not have this out here. We both know that would be a terrible strategy. Now, I must go to Octavian’s class before I am late. The ex-Caesar does not enjoy tardiness, so I will leave you with a suggestion: go see the Doc. I believe it will be helpful.”
Gaping at my best friend as he rises, I watch as he nods at me once, then heads down the dais to cross the cafeteria on his own. He’s never left me anywhere before unless instructed to do so, and I can’t fucking believe it’s over that damnkid. My fury lights a fire in my veins even more now, forcing me to grit my teeth before my scales break loose. I’d prefer to burn this away with a long, fire-filled flight, but I cannot do that here.
In fact, I have Sovereign Law next and I should head there, so I also don’t get my ass kicked, but I can’t. I won’t be able to function later in the day if I don’t get rid of the feelings plaguing me, so I don’t think I have any other options.
I guess the apples today will notkeep the doctor away.
By the timeI reach Dr. Danckwardt’s office, I’m not sure about this solution anymore. He’s technically loyal to the crown, not me, and I don’t know if my questions will get back to my father. That would be incredibly dangerous for me, my brothers, and that infuriating shrimp. I don’t want the King to send the Daggers after us. It would be insanely easy to blame our deaths on the upcoming games, and he’d be free to rule for as long as he can remain physically and magically viable without an heir.
Honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t done it yet, rather than the pitiful attempts from amateurs Slash has foiled over the years.
I look at the door, still indecisive, then raise my hand to knock on it. Before I can, it creaks open, and I see the familiar plague mask peeking out of the crack. The vibe in the air changes to something far less adversarial when the old demon realizes who it is, and I let that calm me.
“Prince Jasper,” he rasps as he steps aside so I can come in. “While I am always honored to see you, I hope you are not injured or ill. That may be the main reason to grace me with your presence, but my wish is for you to be secure.”
“Thanks, doc,” I reply as I wait for him to direct me to the spot he prefers. The gloved hand points at the first table and even though I’mnothurt or sick, I hop onto it. I’m not sure what I’m doing here, honestly, but Slash doesn’t say things that he doesn’t mean. If he believes this is the answer to my problems, there must be something to it.
“May I inquire what I can assist you with, Your Highness?” The doc stands in front of me, still masked as he waits for me to give him orders. It’s very different from how the physician behaves when we bring the shrimp here, and it didn’t bother me until now.
Why is he so stiff and formal when he’s been our doctor since I was summoned?
“You don’t have to be so…” I gesture at his attentive posture and the mask, hoping to convey what I mean. “I don’t need that… ever, really.”
The surprise wafting through the air is palpable, but the ancient demon nods. He removes the mask, walking over to his apothecary area to place it on the counter. He then removes the gloves to reveal the bony, feathered hands that patched everyone up last time, and suddenly, I feel lighter myself. I don’t know why, but when he returns to face me, the sight of his fiery bird skull is actually comforting.
“I…”
Dr. Dankwardt lets out one of those crusty laughs he rewards the shrimp with and I bristle for a second before my shoulders untense. His glowy orbs seem to know what I’m feeling, and that’s strange because I don’t have a goddamn clue what the hell is going on with me. I’m more mercurial than ever before these past months, and while there’s a lot of fucking bullshit going on, I know how to handle that. I’ve been dealing with that kind of pressure my entire life.
“Prince Jasper, may I be so bold?”
Someone has to because I’m so fucking lost, and I can’t admit that out loud. I’veneverbeen able to admit that kind of weakness aloud, not even to my brothers. The future ruler of Hell does not have the luxury of showing vulnerability in the same way others can. To be honest, fury and fire are the only things I can comfortably express without giving people an edge that could lead to bad shit. So I nod at the doc, my gaze sharp as I wait for his assessment.
“There are very rigid roles demons must play in this world, particularly if they have burdens such as yours. You and your bonded have risen to levels many did not want or expect you to achieve. However,allbeings—even demons—are susceptible to the common occurrences in this world. Our destinies bring us closer to those events in different ways, but it is no less confusing for those who are born with royal blood than those who are not.”
What the fuck does that mean?
When I don’t respond, another rusty chuckle and a horrifyingly grim smile takes over his face. “Ah, so you are still in the dark about the situation. That is probably because you have suppressed so much in your life, young dragon. You need to allow yourself to feel as strongly about the rest of your life as you do with Master Zavida. Do not fight the emotions, my prince; instead, embrace them as they are without tainting them with the weakness of spite.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Doc,” I sigh as I let myself fall back on the table to stare up at the ceiling. “But I can’t let everything out—because of my position, my future… all the things you said. I got that part, I think.”
