Page 24 of Princess of Draga

“Joslynn,” he said as if feeling how the syllables tasted on his tongue. It was a strange name, yet beautiful; likeher.

He stared straight ahead but he could see her looking sideways at him as the lift traveled through the ten floors. “Is there something wrong, la—Joslynn?” heasked.

“Would you mind halting thelift?”

Her strange request made him frown but he did as she asked. As soon as they stopped moving she let go of him and faced him fully. His heart beat harder and suddenly his hands were sweaty. Sirus had no idea what she planned to do and the sensation of uncertainty was unfamiliar tohim.

“I need to confide in you,” she whispered, looking about the small lift as if it hadears.

“Whatever you have to say will remain between the two of us, I swear onit.”

She took a step closer and he hissed in a breath. Joslynn halted when she heard him, but still grabbed his arm as she looked up, practically imploring him to pay attention. “My people need me to produce an heir. I have to find a husband, but…” she trailed off and bit her lip. His eyes snagged on her mouth and he couldn’t bring himself to look away. “I am afraid someone will fool me into believing they love me, when they only love what my planet will do for them. I can’t allow someone to try and wrest control from me.Iam the rightful ruler ofPedranus.”

Sirus nodded. She deserved to be ruler from what he could see. “What is it you need from me,lady?”

Her glowing green eyes held his own and stared right into his soul. “I know you have your duties to your family, but if…if I can’t find someone I trust, someone I know who has my best interests at heart…would you consider something for me?” Her cheeks were pink against the milky white of her skin. She was as white as the surface of his planet, perfect anduntouched.

Sirus said nothing as he waited for her to make her request, but the stutter in his heart warnedhim.

“You’re an honorable, handsome man Sirus. Our families rely on one another and I feel I can trust you to keep me safe no matter what happens. I ask that you would consider marryingme.”

His heart actually stopped beating for a moment as he stared at her.Breathe, he reminded himself, he needed to take a breath so he could answer her. He needed to explain why he would be a terrible husband, why he had to stay onScyria.

You can still run the Scyrian Army from Pedranus, a small voice in his head told him. He ignored it. “You’ve heard the stories, I assume,” Sirus said wryly, keeping his tone light despite hisconcern.

Never once did she look away from him. It was rare a woman could meet his eyes. “I know what happened to you Sirus, and I wish I could undo what was done.” She ignored the way he stiffened when she stepped closer. “I do not think less of you because ofit.”

Clearly she was not thinking straight. That had to be it. “Lady, I don’t think you understand,” he snapped, yanking his arm from her grasp to run his hand violently through his hair. “They kidnapped me for ransom and my family did not have the credits to get me back.” His hand traced the ragged scar from his hairline down to his chin. It was ugly and bisected his left eye. His family didn’t have the money to replace his eye either. None of those things were available on Scyria. Not even for the nobility. Most of their credits went to importing food. Their people could not starve so he could have anothereye.

“I don’t care,” she said stubbornly. Slowly she reached up and touched his chin where the scar ended and he couldn’t help the flinch this time. “You escaped because you are strong. I need that. You would not be the worst choice for me.” Her sad smile broke his heart. “Please, just consider it as apossibility.”

Joslynn turned back to face the door and clasped her hands in front of her as if they hadn’t just had one of the most intimate moments of Sirus’s life. With her nod he started the lift again. By the time the lift reached the correct floor he had regained control of his breathing and his cool composure was back inplace.

Sirus didn’t think a marriage to this woman was a good idea. She was living, breathing fire and he was made ofice.

Chapter Seven

Lucas

FamilySeat

Deep in the NovaMountains

PlanetTreon

Lucas couldn’t saywhy he woke up in the dead of night, only that some survival instinct kicked in and suddenly he was wide awake and sitting up in bed. He searched the inky darkness but it was difficult to see anything among the shadows. Perhaps it was nothing and he’d been imagining things. A tingle on the back of his neck had him on his feet before he could thinktwice.

A knife whipped past his face as he dodged, following that same survival instinct. Cycles of training had his body reacting without thought. The blade still managed to nick his cheek as Lucas side-stepped. Immediately, he went to disarm his attacker, but the man wore dark robes with a deep hood over his head. It was difficult to get a good grasp onhim.

The two males fought in Lucas’s room. The heir of Treon wondered how his attacker could have gotten so deep in the mountains to the family Seat. Their vast home was well protected. Someone had betrayed his family and let them in. It was the only explanation as to how an assassin managed to get into his personalrooms.

Lucas felt the blade bite deep into his side and he grunted with the pain. He lashed out and managed to get a hand around the assailant’s neck. With a carefully placed shove he flipped the man over onto his back. Lucas dove and pinned the assailant. He ripped the large knife from the attacker’s hand and yanked the hood back to see who his would-be assassinwas.

Lucas stumbled back in horror and shock. “Grady?” he asked incredulously. He couldn’t believe his eyes. His own brother? Lucas didn’t know what to say or do. Grady had been at his side since his birth and they’d been inseparable as children. Lucas had always looked out for his little brother and this is how he repaidhim?

“You should have listened to father,” Grady hissed. “Our plans to gain power would have gone smoothly if you hadn’t interfered.” Then he lunged atLucas.

Lucas was so dumbfounded he made the grave mistake of reacting too slowly. Grady grappled with him and managed to regain control of the blade. His brother crouched and Lucas took a step back, hands in the air in surrender. “You tried to kill me because I disagreed with your plans to assassinate the royal family?” It seemed so absurd he couldn’t believeit.

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