Page 53 of Crown of Draga

Chapter Sixteen

Nash

Ladrole

Stella di Draga

Planet Draga Terra

Nash pressedhis back against a wall in the Ladrole and watched the thief prince cavort with his rogues. The court laughed and drank and generally acted as though they didn’t have a care in the world. His stealth tech hid him from any eyes or tech, but someone could still bump into him. It was why he pressed against the wall and moved as carefully as he did. No cloak to accidentally brush against someone. His armor kept him dry, but his hair was soaked from the nightly rain.

Edging around a table he carefully stepped in front of the fireplace as the waitress passed. His shadow blended with hers and then Nash was only a few steps away from Varan. It would be too easy to slit his throat if that’s what Nash wanted to do. Lucky for the thief he was here for information and not retribution.

Nash would love to tear into the male for the way he’d danced with Adelina the night of her coming-of-age party. He knew what it meant and had known it was an offer the crown princess would never accept from Nash.

A rough tap on the prince’s shoulders made Varan stiffen and suddenly his knife was out at the ready, the photon plasma humming dangerously. “Meet me in your office,” Nash whispered, and then he left the tavern and took the familiar steps.

The last time he’d been in this rotten place was when he’d followed Adelina. It irked him the courtesan had been right about that. He had followed Adelina in secret, not trusting her when they’d first talked about finding his people. No one was that selfless.

Nash shook his head as he phased through the door. He’d been wrong about Adelina. She really was something else despite how easy it was for her to piss him off.

A few moments later Varan reached his office. By that time Nash had deactivated his stealth shield and lounged on one of the luxurious couches the thief possessed.

“How in the cula’ting hells did you get into my office?” Varan demanded. The thief was positively outraged none of his protections worked against Corinthian tech.

Nash shrugged. The male was gravely mistaken if he thought he’d give that little nugget of information up. Oh, he could be persuaded if what he received in return was worth it. “I wanted to thank you for the intel about Princess Kaita. I’ve been organizing my warriors to go and retrieve her, but I had to get it sanctioned through the Crown. You know how that goes,” Nash said, waving his hand in irritation.

The two males were silent as they stared each other down. Tension rose. Nash decided to try another route. “I won’t be leaving for a few days, but I’d like to know as much as I can by then. Have you been able to contact more of my people? If I’m going to be on the border, I should take advantage of the time I’m there. My own genetic pings aren’t able to cross so much distance and everything past Pedranus is too far.” Giving the thief free information might convince him to open up enough for Nash to actually get what he needed.

The frown didn’t disappear from Varan’s face but he did cross the room and sit on a neighboring chair. The thief slouched down, arms resting lazily as he studied Nash. The casual position didn’t fool him, Nash knew Varan could throw a knife in a heartbeat if he wanted to, but hitting his target wouldn’t be easy. Nash was much faster than he appeared.

Nash continued talking as he watched the thief process everything he said. “If I can find more of my loyal forces it would give Draga a better chance. I don’t plan to sit back and let the Draga galaxy do all the fighting. I will take whatever forces I have and fight alongside my allies, but the more forces I have the better it is for everyone. Currently the patrol I brought with me is only ten thousand. The Neprijat have trillions.”

Varan knew the numbers, but Nash wanted to drive the point in further.

“Princess Adelina has done everything she’s promised and more.” Nash hesitated at the reminder of what she’d given up.

Varan suddenly sat up and leaned in. “So it’s true. One of my little snakes mentioned the princess had to promise to marry anyone Raena tells her to.”

Nash narrowed his eyes at the thief. It was uncanny the way he gathered information. He wondered who in the palace worked for Varan. The place was full of spies.

“Yes, it’s true.” There was no point in denying it.

The thief lounged back again. “Perhaps Raena will consider me a fine match after everything I’ve done for the Crown.” Varan’s eyes narrowed. “My chances are better than yours anyhow.”

Nash’s blood boiled. How dare the bastard throw that in his face? His hands itched for his blades. He was still furious the thief had the balls to present himself as an option at the party when he’d been standing right there. It had infuriated him even further when the princess didn’t deny him. “I’d be careful with your next words,” he warned.

The twinkle in Varan’s eye and the half-smile made the leash on Nash’s anger strain. The thief leaned forward and Nash’s muscles tensed in preparation. “We both know Adelina enjoys my company despite my crooked ways. I’ve never made her regret the choice to trust me.”

Nash lunged to his feet. Varan knew too much about the goings on in the palace for a male who hardly ever set foot there. The thief knew exactly what to say to set him off. “And you’re saying I have?” he demanded.

Varan didn’t bother to stand. He slid a knife from its sheath and started cleaning his nails. “Well, maybe she doesn’t regret her choice, but she sure doesn’t trust you with her secrets, does she?”

The leash on his fury slipped and Nash moved. Varan flipped over his chair and shoved it at him. Nash simply threw it aside. The resounding crash as it shattered against the bookshelves made the room shudder. Books tumbled to the floor and Varan’s cocky grin turned to a snarl. “I knew Corinthian’s were brutes, but I didn’t know they couldn’t respect a book’s worth either. It explains why your kind can be so inept and stupid.”

The Prince of Thieves darted toward Nash faster than Nash could have guessed. The blow against his jaw was enough to snap his head to the side, but Nash held his ground. He growled as he rubbed the sore spot and looked at the small, blond male in front of him. Snapping him in half would be too easy, a disappointment really.

Nash had speed and size. His body was built for the Khara galaxy. His huge fist went straight for the thief, but the male dodged – moving right into Nash’s following uppercut. Varan stumbled back, but recovered quickly. He readjusted his jaw with an annoyed look of appreciation.

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