Prince of Spies (3 page)

You’ll ride on my back, Riki. I promise I won’t drop you or allow any harm
to come to you. You’ll see. You’ll love flying once we’re out of danger. I can
almost guarantee it.

She calmed but seemed unconvinced.
How can you be so sure?

He smiled down at her.
Because of your blood, my dear. Like me, you are
part dragon.

Are we related?

Only very distantly. You are of the House of Kent. My line descends from
the House of Draneth.

Draneth the Wise?

Yes. Did your mother tell you tales of him when you were a little girl?

He kept her talking as they climbed higher and higher. He’d chosen this tower well. It was one of the highest in the castle and would provide a great launching point if they could reach the top without discovery.

No. I don’t remember Mama talking about Draneth, but Lucan has all
kinds of old manuscripts about him. He’s obsessed with the man. He wants
to be just like Draneth. That’s why he made the
deal with Salomar and the North Witch to make him…what he is now.

An abomination.
Nico could not help the dark thunder in his thoughts but to her credit, Riki didn’t flinch. He tried for a lighter tone as they kept moving upward.
Draneth had several children. The eldest continued his House and
the younger ones founded great Houses of their own. Kent was the third
son of Draneth if I remember correctly. You are descended from him.

I never knew.

He reached the top stair where it led out to a landing. Pushing her to the wall below the floor line, he scoped out two sentries standing guard. He should have realized this highest tower would be a lookout position.

Stay here for a moment while I handle the guards.

She nodded while he slipped stealthily onto the open landing. The two men stood at opposite sides of the tower room, looking out huge, open windows with magnifying lenses trained on the grounds below. It was still too dark to see anything in the skies or anywhere that was not lit by the fires and lamps that accompanied human habitation, but Nico knew this position was a good vantage point during daytime to see for miles around.

He took down the first guard, dropping him as quietly as he could, but it wasn’t quiet enough. The other sentry turned and reached for his horn to sound the alarm but he never got to it. Riki shot up the final few steps and tripped the soldier up so he fell part way down the stairwell, knocking himself out with a sharp crack to his skull on the stone treads.

“I thought I told you to stay put.” Nico smiled as he faced her. There was a becoming bloom on her face and he once more admired her bravery.

“You looked like you could use a hand.” She smiled and it transformed her face, stilling his heart for a timeless moment. Nico wanted desperately to see her smile again, and again and again. He could live for her smiles. He was disappointed when she turned away and surveyed the room and the open expanses of the giant spy windows.

“Dawn is coming soon. We don’t have much time left.” She faced him again, both serious and sad. “I want you to know, if we don’t make it out of here… I wanted to thank you. I haven’t been free in years and the last few months…” She sniffled delicately and it nearly broke his heart. “Well, it’s been worse than before. Thank you for helping me escape. Lucan would never have let me go.”

Crossing the room in two strides, Nico took her into his arms and kissed the crown of her head tenderly. He had to touch her, to hold her and give what reassurance he could.

“We’ll make it, Riki. All you have to do is trust me. I promise. I won’t let anything bad happen to you, now or ever again. You have my solemn vow.”

Riki leaned back to look up at him and Nico kissed her again. As he tasted her lips with his own, there was an instant, blinding conflagration within his dragon soul. Inside, where his dragon slept while in human form, the beast stirred, trumpeting one word over and over in the dark recesses of his being.

Mine!

A slight noise from below finally penetrated and brought Nico back to the moment. He let her go, moving the fallen soldiers away from the opening so they would not be so readily visible from below. That might give them an extra few moments before the alarm was raised.

Holding her gaze, Nico moved away to let the change take him. The black mist rose and a moment later, he looked at her through the jeweled tourmaline eyes of his dragon form.

Climb on my back, sweetheart,
he offered a bent foreleg for her to use as a step. She scrambled up and immediately flattened herself to his neck, wrapping her little arms around him and hugging him tight. He loved the feel of her, the way she clung to him and the heat of the secret place between her thighs over the ridge of his back, but he could not let it distract him. Not now.

They were still in danger.
Hold tight now. We’ll fall for a bit at first until I
can spread my wings fully, but don’t worry. I’ve been flying for many
years and haven’t crashed yet.

With a leap they were airborne and to her credit, Riki did not scream. Nico half-expected her to cry out in alarm, given the freefall required for him to launch from such a narrow opening. She clung tightly, but kept her mouth shut, which was all the better for their stealthy escape. There were other towers, he well knew, and other sentries who might notice the subtle beat of his wings. He skirted the towers as best he could but it was some moments before he breathed easier, flying out over open country.

Riki relaxed her death grip on his neck, obviously more comfortable with flying the farther away they got from the palace.

How are you doing, my lovely?

Right now I’m praying that this all isn’t just a dream.

I can assure you, it’s quite real. You’re safe now. Or you will be as
soon as we can get to the border.

Nico gained altitude as the night wore on. He knew the cold at this level was difficult for Riki, but better that than risk being seen. A dragon over the skies of Skithdron—particularly a royal black dragon—would bring out their enemies in force. He poured on the speed, hoping to go as far as possible before the sun rose too high in the sky. It was a long way to the border, but black dragons were the fastest of all dragons and Nico had trained himself to fly faster and longer than any of his brethren. Such skills were important in his line of work.

How are you doing, Riki?

I’m a little cold, but I’d rather be cold than dead.

Nico admired her spirit. He knew the heat produced by his body kept her warm for the most part, but she was poorly dressed for the altitude and much too thin as well. He would have to find her something better to wear during the daylight hours when flying would be too dangerous.

Snuggle in close to me, sweetheart. My body heat should help a bit.

Oh, it does. You’re like a furnace, Nico. My own personal hot water bottle,
on a giant scale.

Anytime, Riki.
Again, he found himself chuckling.
I’ll warm you anytime. All
you have to do is ask.

As they flew through the night, Nico thought back to the mating flight he’d witnessed between his oldest brother, Roland, and his new queen. Lana was the first female black dragon in centuries and although she’d come to her wings later in life than most royal blacks, she trained hard and was flying beautifully by the time she and Roland tried to mate in dragon form.

Lana didn’t know it, but Roland had asked Nico to stand by in the shadows, watching in case Lana didn’t come out of freefall in time.

Roland had convinced him the pleasure of being with his wife in any form was enough to overwhelm his senses and he was afraid her new flying reflexes weren’t strong enough to save her should they wait too long to pull apart after climax. Roland wanted Nico there, as backup. So Nico watched as the first mated black dragon pair in centuries took their first mating flight, soaring to the stars together, joined in body and mind, then plummeting hard and fast to earth as they basked in the climax of their pleasure.

It had been beautiful. Wondrous. And it had sparked a tiny flame of jealousy in Nico’s heart, though he refused to acknowledge it. Nico wanted that. Oh, he didn’t think he’d ever find another female shapeshifter—Lana was the first in many generations—but he wanted that kind of love, that kind of bond with a woman. He and Roland were closer than most brothers, and he knew the extent of the bond between Roland’s soul and his new wife’s. Nico envied that bond. Not in a malicious way, but in a wistful, wishing sort of way.

Lana was a special woman, and a wonderful wife to his often lonely eldest brother. She was also proving to be a magnificent queen. Her heart was open and giving, her soul pure and deep. The people loved her as she was coming to love them and the dragons revered her like no human woman in centuries.

And Riki was her twin.

If any woman could survive the deprecations of being in Lucan’s grasp, it was Riki. Though truthfully, Nico feared for her sanity. She seemed well enough, but he could only guess at the horrors she had seen and experienced as Lucan’s captive. His heart nearly broke just thinking of it, and his was not a soft heart to bleed for every poor creature. Nico was a compassionate man, but not overly demonstrative. He kept his generosity well hidden, lest people try to curry favor with him simply because he had the ear and trust of the king.

Second in line to the throne of Draconia was a strange position. Nico had learned over the years to play his cards very close to his vest. He aided his brother where he could as provider of information, Spymaster and staunch ally. Roland had gained the throne so young after the brutal deaths of their parents. There was no question of Nico wanting such responsibility for himself. If, Mother forbid, something happened to Roland and Lana, Nico would step up to the challenge, but he didn’t want it. He would much rather support his brother’s reign.

Roland was a good and just king, surrounded by enemies in difficult times. Nico would put forth all his skills to see that Roland not only succeeded in protecting the lands, people and dragons of Draconia, but kept his family and loved ones as safe as possible while doing it.

Bringing Riki home to her family was just one of the tasks Nico had undertaken. It might prove to be the noblest thing he’d ever done, but only time would tell. He already knew it was the one thing he’d done, so far in his life, of which he felt proudest.

Oh, he wasn’t taking credit for stumbling over her, but rather he felt pride and wonder in
her
. Riki was down and beaten, but she clearly had never given up. He was glad he could fly, allowing them to escape easily from the nest of vipers Lucan called a palace. Nico was proud he could help her and amazed by the courage of the small woman clinging so desperately to life and probably to her sanity.

Nico flew on as long as he dared, but when dawn kissed the sky to the east, he knew it was time to find a safe place to land. His black wings would stand out too greatly against the day-lit sky. Plus, he was still somewhat drained from the torture session and beating the day before.

While Riki had managed to heal the worst of his hurts, he was not fully cured. Muscles protested each sweeping downbeat of his wings while recently healed slashes and burns pulled at his skin both on the surface and beneath. He’d had very little sleep and fatigue was creeping up on him no matter how hard he fought against it.

Riki was probably tired as well and would need a break. Nico had to find a safe place for them to pass the hours of daylight. Until they were able to leave Skithdron behind, they would travel by night, when his black dragon form would help them hide safely in the dark sky.

Nico kept a careful eye out for a likely place to rest and, before long, found a village. Not quite large enough to be considered a city, the place was still big enough that they could blend in with relative ease. There were also small fields with crops growing all around that would make good places to hide. There were only a few rocky outcroppings on the otherwise flat plain and the small tributary that wound through the area allowed some crops to be grown.

Nico picked a rock cluster, knowing most of the skiths that normally lived in such places had already been herded toward Draconia. He didn’t see signs of the nasty creatures from the air, so he weighed his options as the sun peeped more fully over the horizon. He had to land. Quickly.

Setting down as gently as he could, Nico searched the rock formation fully while still in dragon form. As a dragon he could fight any remaining skiths and probably win, but if he were caught in human form, it would be difficult indeed. Finding no skiths, he scraped his belly along the ground to make it easier for Riki to climb down off his back.

Riki was bone weary as she stumbled down off the dragon’s broad back.

She’d been tired before, but not like this. This was a good kind of weariness that came after the greatest exhilaration Riki had ever known.

There was a stir of movement behind her and then two strong, human arms came around her, steadying her as she wobbled on her shaky legs.

Nico. Her savior and her protector. A dragon in human form and a spinner of tales about her family. A bringer of hope.

But what manner of man was he, really? Riki had been too badly deceived by those she’d trusted before. So far, Nico had been all that was good and kind to her. Fierce when necessary, he was also gentle with her when she’d had so little gentleness in her life.

“Drink first,” Nico said softly in her ear. She blinked open her sagging eyelids and saw his hand stretched in front of her, pointing toward a small stream. Suddenly she realized just how thirsty she was. “Then I can heat the little pool and you can have a bath, if you like.” His hand moved slightly and Riki followed it with her gaze to a small area where the stream fed a shallow pond just to the right.