“Why are you following me again? I agreed to take the job, didn’t I?”
“And now I’m checking on your progress.”
I squinted at him. “I don’t need a supervisor, thanks. Been doing this a long time.”
“You’re what—thirty? How long can you possibly have been doing this?”
Longer than I cared to admit. I ignored the question and continued forward.
He fell in step beside me and surveyed the area. “This isn’t a particularly pleasant neighborhood. What do you need here?”
“None of your business.”
“You do remember you’re speaking to a royal vampire.”
I stopped walking and pivoted to face him. “Apologies. None of your business, Your Highness.”
He edged closer, his six-foot-four frame towering over me. I stood my ground, even when he drew so close that my chest brushed against his hard torso.
Show no weakness.
Nostrils flaring, he stared down at me with a look designed to intimidate. To be fair, I didn’t think he designed it deliberately for that purpose. It was who he was innately, the way a fish was designed to swim.
“Tell me more about the princess,” I said in an effort to break the tension. Now that he was outside the palace walls, he might be willing to speak freely.
His posture relaxed and he eased away from me. “What would you like to know?”
“You obviously don’t agree with the queen that Princess Davina took off voluntarily.”
“No. It isn’t like her.”
“Then she isn’t like her brother? The queen said she was going through a difficult phase like Prince Maeron.”
He sighed. “Yes and no. Davina has been desperate to prove she’s more than a pretty face to be paraded through the city. She longs to be more than a spare royal.”
“I hardly think shopping for a rock on behalf of your family says otherwise.”
His mouth quirked. “I suppose not.”
It didn’t take a genius to sense there was something about this stone they weren’t telling me.
“There’s a reason Davina wanted to make this particular purchase, isn’t there? She viewed it as important. Why?”
“I don’t know. I suppose you’ll have to ask her when we find her.”
“We are not doing anything. I was hired as a knight.”
“By me, and that means I’m in charge of the operation.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Sorry. Not how I work.”
“It is now, by royal decree.”
Was he seriously playing the royalty card?
“I can have it written and signed in blood if need be,” he added.
Yes. Yes, he was.
I folded my arms. “What makes you think I’m working the case now? Maybe I’m headed out for groceries.”
“Do you always bring backup when you shop for groceries?”
I gave him a blank look.
He glanced skyward. “Friend of yours?”
I looked up to see a large black raven circling above. Barnaby.
“I didn’t even know he was there.”
He barked a short laugh. “Nice try.”
I resumed walking. “Feel free to join me if you want to squeeze a few melons.” I immediately regretted my choice of words.
“And here I thought you didn’t like me.” The prince caught up and I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead.
“I’m going to see a friend of mine who might be able to help identify the metal, but he won’t talk in front of a vampire.”
“Even a royal one?”
“Especially a royal one.”
“Then we’ll simply tell your friend my name is Stefan and that I’m a vampire you know from work.”
“Lann has known me for a long time. He’ll know you’re lying.”
We crossed the road to the next block and I turned right down an alley. Unless you knew the smithy was here, you’d have no reason to venture in this direction.
“Then I shall simply turn invisible and your friend Lann will be none the wiser.”
Rolling my eyes, I came to a stop in front of the entrance to the smithy. “If you insist.”
“I do.”
“Then stay hidden and keep your mouth closed.”
The Lord of Shadows eyed me closely. “Interesting.”
I touched my face, checking for marks. “What?”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever been told to shut up and stay hidden, not even by my brother.”
I fought the urge to shudder. I refused to let the vampire prince know how much he frightened me, mainly because I knew how much the news would delight him. I had to make him think I wasn’t afraid or I wouldn’t be able to work for him, certainly not when he insisted on keeping me company.
“Will your feathered friend be coming in with you?”
I glanced at Barnaby still flying above us. “No. He hangs out unless there’s cause for alarm.”
He wore a roguish smile. “And I am not cause for alarm?”
I forced a casual shrug. “Apparently not.” I pushed open the door and entered the smithy.
Lann was within view, in the process of polishing a longsword. The dwarf hobbled to the counter when he saw me. His glasses were round and too large for her face. Tufts of gray hair sprouted on either side of his head. His nose was bulbous with a roadmap of visible veins that converged at the tip.
“London, my lovely. So good to see you.”
I leaned a hip against the counter. “You’re looking well. How’s business?”
“Fair. Did you lose another blade?” He shook his head. “You lose swords the way toddlers lose their temper.”
A soft chuckle reverberated in my ear and I fought the urge to stamp on the vampire’s foot.
“I haven’t lost a sword in ages. I’m here for information.” I produced the piece of metal and the photograph and set them on the counter. “I’m trying to identify this.”
“You know I like a challenge. Let’s see what you have there.” He squared his glasses on the bridge of his nose and examined the hunk of metal first, then shifted his attention to the photograph. “Is someone in there?”
I nodded. “An unfortunate end.”
I felt something brush against my butt and realized it was an invisible prince trying to get a rise out of me. Very mature.
“Sorry, accident,” he whispered in my ear.
Invisible or not, having him in such close proximity was unsettling me. Steeling myself against further attacks, I maintained my composure.