Page 29 of Princess of Draga

Nadyah tucked her shreve in her pocket and reached for her cloak. Her heart hurt and she tried to hide it as she concentrated on clasping the cloak around her shoulders. The material fluttered and then settled. She braved a look up. His face was blank and Varan was as still as the Gentle Godhimself.

“What would you say if I told you of my feelings?” he askedquietly.

Her heart leapt and then she felt sick. If he told her he loved her she might risk it. Nadyah would risk the chance of losing herstatus.

A courtesan was not submissive or dominant, but fluid and flexible to balance those around them. It was rare, but part of their genetic programming altered this flexibility when they found their mate. It was so rare most had forgotten about it, but courtesans could never afford to. Her feelings for Varan and her desire were strong enough to warn her away from him. If Varan were her true mate the genes would be triggered when he filled her with his seed. She would settle on submissive or dominant, whichever her mate required of her and the fluid dance from one end of the spectrum to the other would endabruptly.

Nadyah still owed Jael five more cycles on her contract. She loved her job, both of them, and despite the fact she may lose her true mate to some other female, Nadyah wasn’t ready to throw away everything she had worked so hard for to become mated to Varan, but the bond was one-sided.

He could choose not to marry her and then where would shebe?

She shook her head and blinked against the tears filling her eyes. “I don’t know how that would make a difference, Varan. I am and always will be a courtesan. How I personally feel will nevermatter.”

Nadyah swallowed the lies and left his office as quickly as she could before she gave in to her traitorous heart and damned themall.

* * *

Nadyah

House ofKismet

Planet DragaTerra

The stingof the slap whipped Nadyah’s head to the side and it hurt, but not as much as her pride. Her knees dug into the stone floor under the thin carpet. She had known better and still she had given in to her personaldesires.

Varan would be the death ofher.

“How dare you?” Jael didn’t have to yell. Her calm, icy words cut deeper than hot anger would. “I am disappointed in you Nadyah d’Lara. You were my best pupil and now you shameme?”

She winced as Mistress Jael paced her office with barely restrained fury. “You should have consulted me before entrusting the thief. If anything happens as a result of your foolishness you know what must bedone.”

Nadyah trembled but she kept her palms flat on her thighs and her head bowed in complete submission to her superior. She deserved everything Jael gave her and more. She was lucky her Mistress hadn’t opted to use the whip for herpunishment.

Why did she have to lovehim?

Jael stopped before Nadyah and yanked her head back by her hair, exposing the delicate skin of her throat. “What must be done, Nadyah d’Lara?” the Spiderhissed.

Nadyah kept her eyes closed to ensure she didn’t challenge her Mistress. “My life will be taken from me one piece at a time,” shewhispered.

Every courtesan/spy knew the penalty for treason. Even a mistake that resulted in treason had the samesentence.

“My life will be removed from me starting with my fingers and toes, and ending with my organs until the last drop of blood quenches the thirst for vengeance.” Her stomach roiled and Nadyah nearly lost her last meal. “Justice will bedone.”

Jael released her hair and smoothed back the blonde curls. “Yes, and it will all end when you watch as I remove your still beating heart from your body.” Her nails raked against Nadyah’s face and then she whipped around to prowl towards herdesk.

Finally Nadyah allowed herself to take a breath and let her head fall, chin to her chest. Blood dripped onto the red carpet from the deep lines on her cheek. The carpet was a dark color for areason.

Jael flicked the blood and pieces of skin from her nails, and then tapped Nadyah’s shreve. “You are lucky, dear one. The thief gave you excellent and accurate intel.” There was a pause and Nadyah knew her Mistress studied the monsters Varan had spokenabout.

The grainy vids were enough to give Nadyah nightmares for the rest of her life. They were some kind of demon monster. A smooth oblong head with no eyes, but two rows of razor sharp teeth below small slits for nostrils. The limbs were what made her the most uneasy. The limbs were too long for their bodies and angular. It moved like a spider would but with a ferocity and speed that devoured anything in itspath.

She had wasted precious moments retching behind a building after watching a vid depicting the monsters shredding through people on a transport ship. Their long, black tongues licked and chewed and…she forced her mind to go blank. Nadyah couldn’t afford to be sick again and certainly not in front of hermistress.

“The lost prince is safe in the palace?” Jael asked as she transferred all of Nadyah’s gatheredinformation.

She took a moment to carefully consider her words before answering. “For the timebeing.”

The Spider turned back to her and leaned against her desk. Her flowing gown twisted about her legs in a pleasing way and Jael knew it. Every move she made was calculated. “Ensure his safety,” Jael ordered. “I don’t care what you have to do, but there needs to be a legitimate heir to Khara Prime and it cannot be the usurper. The Neprijat will take and then defile. Prince Nash is the onlyanswer.”

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