Page 72 of Fate of Draga

The lioness inside Kaita was begging her to turn around, to run away from one of the few things in the universe it recognized as a predator large enough and strong enough to take her down.

Not much in the universe set off her instincts like that – but the Neprijat king did.

Kaita took another step and then another, against her better judgement. This was the right path, she told herself over and over. This was how she would prove to her people she could rule. Take the Neprijat king’s head and the rest would fall.

Or so they all hoped.

Shewantedto kill the king. And if Nash was too slow – the kill was hers.

They finally reached the golden doors which swung open at their approach. The king knew they were coming and welcomed them with open arms. After all, Valdis had six new females to present to him.

All they had to do now was get into position.

Neprijat guards clapped Valdis on the back like they were friends, grinning wide and showing off all their teeth. Valdis kept his face blank, pretending to be nothing more than the king’s favorite Corinthian once more.

“I will take the females to wash up first,” Valdis said. “Then I will bring them to his majesty.”

Kaita could tell the honorific was almost too much for Valdis, but he got through it without breaking character. She kept her eyes down, shoulders tense as those endless black eyes raked over her entire body.

“Sure we can’t have a taste first?” one of them asked.

“If they’re touched, he will know,” was all Valdis said. “You can have the ones he declines.”

Kaita wondered how many times he’d had to do this – all without his consent. Her heart went out to the prick in that moment.

The guards grumbled and agreed. Scent was just as important to them as it was for her own people apparently. The king could scent another male on them and if that happened before he’d chosen…it would not end well for anyone.

Kaita breathed a sigh of relief when they were waved on.

Valdis led them deeper into the palace and then took a right. No one looked their way and the halls were rather empty. It seemed the king did not favor many of his own people.

He shoved all twenty of them into the baths. Then Valdis started unlocking her male warriors. “The slaves in the palace are three levels below. Here are the codes to the pens. Get them out and take the palace back. Make your way up to the throne room as quickly as you can.”

She didn’t like splitting up, but the king was too smart. They could never get a male close enough to make the kill. It had to be her.

Kaita took the smallest knife she possessed from Valdis, it was no bigger than her nail, and slipped it into her mouth. The other females did the same. At the very least they could take down any male trying to have them for himself.

Valdis unlocked their chains but they kept them on for show. He hefted the chest full of gold and six sets of armor they would change into before entering the throne room. “Are we ready to go?”

Kaita held out her hand for one more thing as she watched the males wait for her signal. “Report,” she whispered pulling out the knife, thumb pressed to the button on an encrypted transmission disc. It only worked with the others programmed to it.

Various one word reports came in among the sound of fighting in the background.

“What is this?” a Neprijat asked as he came through the doors, glaring at the males who were now unchained and no longer looked like slaves.

Mak slit his throat so quickly the warrior couldn’t even make a noise. Then more Neprijat came in to inspect the sounds of struggle and her male warriors ripped off their rags, revealing armor.

Their cover was blown.

Shouts filled the vast room and bounced off the tile. Soon more would come and there would be no way she could get to the king fast enough. Kaita looked to Delphine and then Valdis as her warriors put their bodies between the Neprijat and their unprotected flesh.

What should they do?

Valdis gave her a look and then moved to take off the chains. “If we don’t get to the throne room within the next few minutes he will know and they will lock him down so tight we’ll never see him. Fight here now, or come with me.”

“They will die,” Kaita protested.

Mak shoved two Neprijat aside to make way for them to escape. “Go!” he roared.

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