Page 59 of Crown of Draga

His words sounded like a goodbye, and it hurt.

Adelina knew it was for the best. The two of them should stay apart and not get more entangled than they already were. She’d delivered what he needed. The rest was simple battle tactics she could easily relay through Nadyah. Despite all this she hesitated to release him completely.

“Right,” she finally said when she realized he expected a response. “You are precisely right.” What else was she supposed to say?

Nash took another step back as if he didn’t trust her words. “I came to tell you that, and to let you know I will be leaving soon to retrieve Kaita from Seprilles. As soon as my ships are repaired, refueled, and readied I will leave. I am not sure if I’ll be coming back to Draga Terra, or going on to the Hai galaxy while I still can.”

“You can reach the border before the shield closes?” she asked in disbelief. It was less than a week before their galaxy would be sealed.

Adelina knew their tech was more advanced, but she hadn’t realized how much more. It took a little less than two weeks to reach the border of their space on an average spaceship. With the fastest starship in the fleet Giselle would barely make it to the border in time to see it seal to the outposts there. The shield would be fully closed in about six days if her calculations were correct.

Nash only nodded in response. “Do you have any advice before I try to speak with the dragons? I hear they’re violent and cantankerous, but they could be valuable allies in a war where we are outnumbered.” His smile was half-hearted.

Something bothered the Corinthian prince. Adelina could see it plain as day, but she wasn’t sure what to say or think. He’d apologized and she shouldn’t have been overly surprised. The male had always been chivalrous and respectful despite his hotheaded temper. Nash’s ability to admit when he was wrong was what had endeared him to Adelina in the first place.

“Well, I’ve learned everything I can of them including their language,” she said. “But a few hundred cycles ago the borders were permanently closed and we don’t know anything after that, at least nothing official.”

Nash slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a strange box. He held it out to her. Adelina glanced between him and the box with suspicion. “What is this?” she asked. Hopefully it wasn’t another gift after the rough road they’d had. It would be too much for her after everything he had just admitted they were not.

He shrugged and placed both hands in his pockets. Nash glanced over her shoulder and checked to make sure there was still no one even remotely close to their hidden alcove. “It’s all of Varan’s intel on the Drakesthai for the last fifteen cycles. Those are copies. You can keep them. Anything you feel I should know you can relay through someone else such as your guard or courtesan.”

Adelina’s lips parted as she opened the box and saw all the discs. It had never occurred to her to ask Varan for old information and here the bastard had been sitting on cycles of priceless data. Her lips curled into a snarl. Oh, she would tear into him the next time she laid eyes on him. The damn thief should have handed this over when she’d first requested his help in keeping the alliance together.

The prince raised an eyebrow and one side of his mouth turned up with a smile. “Are you angry with me?” he asked.

“No,” Adelina said, her words clipped with irritation. “I’ve been studying the Drakesthai, their culture, and language most of my life and Varan has very competent spies. He withheld this from me.”

Nash chuckled. “To be fair he was shocked to learn of your true identity, and then he was too busy making sure he would be considered a candidate for your hand.”

There was no anger in those words despite how much Adelina knew it had bothered him during the coming-of-age party.

She cocked her head at him. “Something’s changed.”

Adelina wanted to find out what. She wanted to have an actual conversation with him before he left. She took a step forward and this time the prince held his ground.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Nash said. He frowned and she could see his jaw tense at her approach.

Adelina decided to change the subject. Perhaps she could goad him into talking. “I will be sad to see you leave.” She clasped her hands in front of her and stroked the new gold tattoo with her thumb as she watched him. There was hardly any pain anymore.

“Will you?”

Adelina nodded. She couldn’t break his gaze even if she wanted to. “Despite everything I’ve enjoyed your company.”

Nash narrowed his eyes at her. “Really?”

All she could do was stare at his lips. What was she getting herself into? This was a mistake. She should stop now before they got in too deep.

“I wish I could go with you,” she whispered. It wasn’t a lie and it wasn’t because of him either. Adelina wanted out of the palace and off Draga Terra. Her life had become intensely restrictive despite gaining her freedoms as an official adult, and there was Raena’s temper to contend with.

Suddenly Nash was in her space, the spicy cinnamon swirled around her and made her thoughts fuzzy. He had her pinned against the bookshelf and his face pressed to her neck as he breathed her in. “I missed you,” he murmured.

Those lips of his brushed against her skin and her heart raced as she burned from his touch. His confession brought the sting of tears to her eyes. Nash had actually missed her? Adelina wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest. Words wouldn’t come and she didn’t want him to see her cry. She breathed in his confusing and erotic scent that always set her blood boiling with need.

Despite how much her body still needed him, Adelina simply wanted to hold him. Was this goodbye, or was this something else? “How can you miss me when you hardly know me?” Adelina asked.

She wanted to hear him say the words they’d both been avoiding.

Nash kissed her neck, trailing his lips down and across her bare collarbone. “I don’t need to know everything about you to know how I feel around you, or to know who you are. I’ve watched you these past few weeks and actions always speak louder than words possibly could.” He pulled back and stared into her eyes. “You are honorable and brave, without knowing anything else that would be enough.”

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