Page 26 of Princess of Draga

“Why would I expect you to know where I am and when I may or may not be in your territory?” Nadyah snapped. She was aggravated Varan had somehow tracked her movements. “May I ask how you knew it was me and not some other lady on herbusiness?”

Varan leaned against the guard station and gave her a cocky smile. “I set up my scanner to recognize your retina whenever you’re within a two block radius of mycourt.”

She narrowed her eyes at him and ground her teeth, not sure whether to be flattered or irritated. “Why in the gods’ name would you do that, simply to annoy me?” Nadyah never thought he would add her retina scan to his tech. What purpose was there forthat?

His smile only widened. “I like knowing where youare.”

Nadyah clenched her fists. She did not like being tracked no matter what she felt for Varan. “Remove me from your scanner immediately.” How in all the hells had he even acquired the data for it in the firstplace?

“As you wish.” Varan’s smile never faded and he pushed from the wall and moved towardsher.

Nadyah stepped back and away, wary of him. “May I go?” She was still in his territory and she could only leave with hispermission.

‘Prince’ was his title but he was more like the King of Thieves. No one disobeyed him. Varan was just as respected as King Orion but feared unlike the Draga king. Varan took eyes for his trophies when disobeyed and they lined the top shelves of his tavern andoffice.

Despite the gruesome details of his life she was infatuated, but Nadyah knew where she was weak and had to keep her distance from him, otherwise she would give in to her heart’s desire and there was no telling what would happen afterthat.

Varan cocked his head and kept the smile on his face, but for the first time in cycles she saw the hard glint directed at her and felt a flash of fear. “No actually, Mistress, I would ask that you come with me.” It was phrased as a request but she knewbetter.

“Of course, my prince.” Nadyah didn’t bow her head. He was not above her in rank and she would not give him the satisfaction. She loved the man, but at the moment she hated him. Her eyes went to the second moon and she knew she was losing precioustime.

“Do you have somewhere to be?” the Prince of Thieves askedher.

His soft touch at the small of her back directed her to a set of stairs. His hand burned her flesh through her clothes and made her shiver as she felt it pull at her, the arousal already building. They climbed silently to the third floor of his tavern. She hadn’t been to the offices of theLadrolefor a long time and she tried not to think about dragging him to an empty room one floor below where the rooms for rentwere.

Nadyah had a bad feeling about his request. Their last deal had gone so well, but now he acted suspicious of her. Varan had never been told about her other profession and she had been warned to keep it that way. She glanced at the prince and from the way his jaw was set she didn’t think she would be able to keep it from him for muchlonger.

Her slippers were quiet against the stone stairs. Varan was as silent as ever. He was nothing more than air, a small wisp of wind that wouldn’t disturb a soul. It was what made him such a good thief. He opened the door to his office and she stepped in, pulling back her hood so she could inspect hersurroundings.

Nadyah had only been in his office once or twice in all the cycles she’d known him. When she was at his court they usually spent time in the tavern at his table, laughing and drinking. This was an entirely different situation and she felt it in her stomach, heavy andacidic.

“Have a seat wherever you like,” he gestured to the expansiveroom.

The courtesan eyed every possible position and weighed the benefits and the risks. If she sat at either of the chairs in front of his desk she would be at a disadvantage and he would hold all the power. If she rested on the lounge she would have to recline which would put him above her physically and he could easily overpower her. Slowly Nadyah removed her cloak to buy herself a few moremoments.

Varan crossed his arms and watched her, but didn’t say anything as she walked around his office, touching a shelf overflowing with books and maps. Her eyes glanced up at the row of jars on a shelf that went around the ceiling. The floating eyeballs disgusted her but she kept her face blank. Then Nadyah walked around his desk and sat in his chair. She crossed her legs, exposing skin to her thigh before eyeing the Prince ofThieves.

Varan gave her a rueful smile but didn’t sit. “Of course you would sit in mychair.”

“Of course,” sheagreed.

Varan walked around his desk until he was close enough to brush against her legs. His crotch was right at her eye level and Nadyah didn’t even try to hide her cursory look. She remembered what was there hiding in his pants, the feel of him against her was branded in hermemory.

The thief propped one hip up on his desk and leaned back. “I believe we need totalk.”

“About?” she asked smoothly, no trace of nerves or fear in her voice despite the sweat on herpalms.

“What are you doing here my love, when you have been assigned to the palace as the sweet princess’s personal courtesan?” The dark glint in his emerald eyes hardened with his serioustone.

Nadyah needed to talk to the Spider about the Prince’s resources. He had to have people in the palace as well as the ones he had scattered throughout Draga Terra and the Draga galaxy. Perhaps the Spider had a list of his informants. She would need to steer clear of them in the palace if she could, or at the very least ensure they didn’t have information they shouldn’t about her or theprincess.

“I was bored.” Nadyah kept her tone blasé and inspected her fingernails. “Perhaps I even missed you, my Prince.” She had missed him, but that was not thepoint.

Varan’s fake smile dropped from his face and he planted his hands on either side of her, gripping the arms of the chair until his knuckles were white. “Don’t play with me, courtesan. There are whispers of an invasion and here I find you traipsing around the city when you should be at your princess’s side. Tell me what is goingon.”

Her breathing quickened and she winced. Varan was cold and dangerous. He would pluck her eyes from her head if he thought it necessary yet her desire for him didn’t lessen. Varan had his job to do and she had hers. Nadyah weighed the benefits against the disadvantages. She wanted to confide in him, but her traitorous heart didn’t understand what the Spider would do to her if she found out Nadyah hadbroken.

Her hands trembled and she couldn’t hide the obvious rise and fall of her chest as her breath quickened and her heart pounded. The only thing Nadyah could do was look straight in Varan’s eyes and tell him the truth. “I cannot,” she whispered, his face was only a few spaces from hers. He was so close their breath mingled and the spicy scent of the winterflowers overpowered hersenses.

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