Prince of Spies

chapter Five

Leaving Riki in that cornfield was one of the hardest things Nico had ever done, but he could see no other way. Backtracking quickly, he headed for the road, glad full dark was almost upon him. Nothing could delay him with Riki waiting in the cold, dangerous gloom of a Skithdronian eve. He had to move fast.

Nico offered up a silent prayer to the Mother of All for Riki’s safety and his own as he took the path to town, out on the road in the open for the first time in days. Nico was taking a very great risk, going into a town where he knew Lucan’s soldiers had already, no doubt, spread word of their escape.

Gates and walls around towns were standard in Skithdron to keep out the skiths. Unchecked, a skith could ravage a town like this in short order, but the resourceful people of this land had learned to build their homes in clusters, leaving strong, blank walls around the place, composed of the backs of buildings with tall fences in the spaces between. They were uncommonly good at keeping skiths out and people in, hence the need for a gate. The gatekeeper was supposed to watch for skiths and drop the heavy door at first sight, sealing the town and raising the alarm. The side effect, of course, was that a nosey gatekeeper could also regulate who went in and out of the town.

This gatekeeper, however, seemed more interested in watching the insides of his own eyelids than the road or environs. He was snoring softly as Nico passed, sprawled in his chair next to the rope and pulley system that would lower the gate swiftly if danger threatened.

Moving unobtrusively, Nico found a likely tavern in short order. The innkeeper was a rotund man with red cheeks and an overall jolly look to him. He eyed Nico suspiciously at first, but brightened when he saw the silver coin Nico offered for fast, efficient, discreet service.

Nico ordered a large basket of food. He surveyed the room, spying a worn, black, woolen cloak hanging in a corner behind the counter.

“That looks to be a warm cloak.” Nico kept his voice low so as to not be overheard. “I lost mine on the road and was hoping to find a replacement. Is it for sale?”

The man’s gaze shot to the bar across the room and Nico’s followed. Two young men manned the long bar, both sharing the innkeeper’s strong features. Undoubtedly, they were his sons and the cloak probably belonged to one of them.

“Losing one’s cloak is a sorry thing,” the man said, pursing his lips for dramatic effect as he frowned. Nico palmed another coin, allowing the innkeeper to glimpse the gleaming gold in his hand. “But I believe we could come to an arrangement, seeing as how the days are growing colder.”

“Do you have any sturdy rope? I could use some of that as well.”

The man’s eyes narrowed. “I have some in back.”

The man was not only shrewd, but a bit opportunistic. Nico didn’t want to risk asking for clothes for Riki. He’d done well enough for now. He watched the room as the innkeeper bustled around behind him, packing the basket with food and the other items.

The innkeeper seemed more than happy to earn such a large sum for comparatively little and hustled everything together in record time while Nico tucked into a hot bowl of stew. He was about halfway through with his meal when two of Lucan’s castle guards came stalking through the door, taking seats at a table just a few feet from Nico.

He took the opportunity to listen in on their conversation, doing his best to appear calm and nonchalant. When the door had first opened, Nico thought he had been spotted—or given away by the avaricious innkeeper—but the guards seemed more interested in eating and drinking than rousting the patrons of the tavern. Thank the Mother of All.

Nico breathed a sigh of relief when the guards started eating their own hearty meals and the landlord returned with the cloak and basket. Beating a strategic retreat, Nico calmly left the tavern, one gold coin poorer but richer in both provisions and information. He’d heard quite a bit of the guards’ grousing and knew with certainty now the alarm had been sent up from here to the border.

Lucan’s fast action spelled trouble for their ability to cross the border easily, but Nico decided to take things one step at a time. First he had to supply them for the journey as best he could, then he would see about getting them out of Skithdron.

Spying a likely clothesline, Nico took the opportunity to pilfer a bit of clothing for Riki on his way out of town. She had to have been frozen after the long, cold ride the night before. Leaving a silver coin in payment, Nico felt no guilt for taking the unknown peasant woman’s dress.

He circled back cautiously through the cornfield, knowing darkness brought out predators in Skithdron the likes of which they didn’t see in his native land. Still, Nico was traveled enough to know how to avoid the worst of them, and he used all his skills now as he made his way quickly back to Riki.

Nico arrived back at the spot where he had left Riki, but she was nowhere to be found. Panic threatened until a rustle of leaves in the tall tree ten yards away caught his attention. Riki smiled down at him from between the leaves of a low branch. She hopped to the ground and ran to him.

Nico dropped the basket and caught her in his arms as she entered the camouflaging rows of corn. Hugging her close, he placed little kisses all over her upturned face.

“You scared me, sweetheart.”

“I was too afraid to stay in the corn and I figured I could hide in the leafy part of the tree if I was careful.”

“Brilliant, Riki. That was good thinking.”

She beamed at him and he felt his heart expand. But they were in terrible danger from predators on the ground—both human and otherwise. Nico lifted the basket and led her away from town as quickly and safely as possible, rerouting only once to avoid a large predator eating its nightly kill.

When they were far enough away and out of the corn, Nico stopped.

“I have something for you.” He produced the peasant dress with a flourish and was gratified to see tears of happiness in her eyes. She took the dress from him and held it up to her skinny form. “Put it on over that shift you’re wearing for now. It gets cold in the night sky and I want you to be as warm as possible.”

Riki tugged the dress on with his help and his breath caught at her beauty. Her gorgeous auburn hair was coming back to life as her energy built with each passing hour of freedom. Riki was beginning to bloom like a flower after a long winter, and she was just as enchanting.

A healthy flush lit her pale cheeks. Nico felt better as well due to the way their energies fed off each other and multiplied while they slept. He was just glad Riki was starting to regain the health she should have had all along.

“Thank you, Nico!” Riki stretched up to kiss his cheek and the innocent touch sang through him. He pulled her to his chest and took her lips with his own, saluting lightly at first, then pushing in with his tongue.

When she didn’t resist, he took the kiss deeper—a long, slow exploration of her that drove him nearly wild with desire. Riki clawed at his chest, her hands digging into his muscles, kneading him in a way that made his cock harder than stone. Warnings shot through to his brain. He wanted to ignore the little voice that told him he was taking too much, going too far, but he had to listen. For Riki’s sake. Her safety depended on him and he had to put her first.

Nico pulled back, placing soft, nibbling kisses on her full lips.

“You are so beautiful.”

The blush on her cheeks enchanted him. He kissed her softly, mustering all the tenderness he felt for this little, lost princess. Gathering himself, Nico stepped away and lifted the basket once more. He removed a serving of cheese and bread piled together as Riki fussed a bit with her new skirt.

“Eat this, for now, and we’ll get underway.”

Riki did as he asked, silently nibbling as Nico pulled the length of rope from the basket and set about knotting it just so. Riki watched him quizzically as he worked, but her mouth was full as she chewed and she didn’t ask him what he was about. She’d find out soon enough.

Riki was nearly finished with her snack when Nico swept the black cloak over her shoulders, tucking it up under her chin, glad to see the heavy material enveloped her from head to toe. There were loops and buttons down the front of the well-made cloak and a large hood that could be tied in the upright position. He’d done well with that landlord and Nico would remember the man if and when they made it out of Skithdron.

Buttoning her into the cloak while she finished eating, Nico couldn’t help but notice when the backs of his fingers found the swells of her breasts. She gasped, sucking in air as he touched her. Daring greatly, he lingered over the softness of her, allowing his fingers to move slightly from the button between her breasts, experimenting with how far she would let him go.

“Nico—”

He moved back at her breathy protest, though he didn’t want to. Still, they were in danger every moment they stayed on the ground. They had to get moving.

“That’s for a later time, my lovely.” He winked and grinned, enjoying her flushed face in the uncertain light of a crescent moon. “For now, we should be going.”

“What’s the rope for?” She seemed desperate to change the subject and he let her. For now.

“You’ll see,” he promised. “You’ll have to hold the basket steady, but it’ll be worth it when you’re hungry. Feel free to eat as we go. I ate in town, so don’t worry about saving anything for me.”

“Nico—”

“Don’t argue. It’s time we were going.” He moved a short distance away, allowing the change to come over him. “Pick up the rope, sweetheart, and put the large loop over my head.”

He watched understanding dawn over her face. “Won’t that be uncomfortable for you?”

“No, sweet. But it would make me very uncomfortable if you were to fall off my back or lose our basket of goodies. Come now, tie it on and let’s get moving.”

She complied with only a few murmurs of protest, following his instructions. Soon he had a harness of sorts around his chest and forearms that would allow her to tie the basket handle—and herself—securely to his back. Riki wasn’t an experienced rider and Nico had worried about her safety last night but had no recourse. This would work, and it would help ease his mind about her safety in the sky.

“Mount up and let’s get out of here.”

Riki kissed his dragon cheek before doing as he asked, surprising him with the soft gesture. She climbed up on his bent leg and settled against his back with easy familiarity, tying herself to the harness as he’d instructed. A few moments later, he lifted into the air, glad to feel the wind under his wings once more. They were safest in the night sky—at least until they could get out of Skithdron.



Riki wrapped the voluminous cloak around herself, tucking in the edges and securing the hood over her head. It was so beautiful up here in the sky, skidding along with the wisps of cloud and riding so close to the twinkling stars. She would never forget this experience as long as she lived. The sheer delight of dancing among the stars on a dragon’s back was breathtaking and she sat back, simply enjoying the incredible moment of freedom, savoring a kind of peace she had never before known flying with Nico.

“How are you doing back there?” Nico asked warmly in her mind.

“I’m fine. Just enjoying the night air. It’s so exhilarating.”

“If you get hungry, there’s fruit in the basket and more bread and cheese.”

Riki was used to hunger pangs but knew she needed to get her strength back. Reaching into the basket, she pulled out an apple. It had been so long since she’d had fresh, unblemished fruit. The sight of the dark shape in her hand as they flew through the starlit night brought tears to her eyes. The past hours were like a dream, but she was living the reality of it. This man—this dragon—and the wonderful, thoughtful gestures he’d made. He was already so special to her. Nico somehow filled her heart with light, and a hope that hadn’t been there for many, many years.

“Riki? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Nico. Just admiring one of the apples you bought for me.” She tried to sound as normal as she could, though her trembling emotions threatened to boil over.

“Good.” His voice sounded through her mind with a rumble of satisfaction. “I asked the innkeeper to pack his finest and freshest for you. That basket and everything in it is yours, Riki. I want you to eat well and often, to keep your strength up on our journey.”

“But what about you? What will you eat?”

The dragon beneath her chuckled smokily. “Leave that to me, sweetheart. Dragons are hunters, you know. I’ll find game and supply you with fresh meat at the same time. And I can cook it as well.”

Again came the smoky chuckle and she had to laugh too. “You certainly are handy to have around, Nico.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

They chatted as she munched on the apple and then a lovely, ripe pear.

“Do you know how far we are from the border?”

“A day more, at least. I’m trying to cut a little northwest,” Nico told her as he banked on a gust of wind. She absolutely loved the feeling of flying, being buffeted by the air currents and swimming among the stars. “We have a good chance of connecting with some of the dragons and knights from the Border Lair if we can get close enough. Still, I’m concerned Lucan may have already sent word to the border region and we might find it hard to get across.”

“Hard, in what way?”

“The armies that have attacked Draconia from both the north and east over the past months have been armed with dragon-killing weapons. Giant crossbows designed to fling diamond-bladed bolts up into the air. Diamond blades are about the only things that can slice through our scales with ease. We lost a few dragons during the fighting, and my brother Roland almost died when three bolts hit him. Those weapons are nothing to fool with and they have a lot of them. I’d prefer not to fly anywhere near them if we can help it.”

Riki thought back on the many things she’d heard Lucan rant about and some of it began to make sense. “Lucan was supplying Salomar with diamond blades from the diamond mines along the eastern border region of Skithdron. I remember him saying that more than once.”

“Thankfully, Salomar’s dead. But you’re right about the diamond blades. Salomar used them against our forces when he tried to invade from the north. Your sister was instrumental in foiling his plans. She’s quite a woman.”

“Lana?” Riki felt a pang for the girl who had been her other half—torn from her brutally when they’d been stolen from their mother. “Will you tell me about her? What is she doing now?”

“Right about now, she’s learning how to be Queen of Draconia. She married my brother Roland a few months back.”

“Lana is the queen?”

“Yes, sweetheart. And she mother-bonded with a wild Ice Dragon named Tor when he was just hatched from the shell. They’ve been together ever since. They helped each other escape Salomar and survive in the frozen north until Roland stumbled across their path. He fell in love with Lana almost at first sight, and asked her to be his queen. He adopted Tor and they are raising him together. Tor is an incredibly bright dragonet and can fly amazingly fast and complex patterns.”

“My sister, the queen.” Riki could hardly believe it. “And she lived with a baby dragon?”

“You’ll love Tor. Kelzy has him calling her Grandma.”

“My mother really is reunited with Kelzy? That’s amazing.”

“Even better, your mother recently remarried. One of her new husbands is Kelzy’s knight partner.”

“One of her husbands? She has more than one?” Riki was a little scandalized by the idea.

“It’s customary for the knights of fighting dragons to share their mate, since there are so few women who can hear and live with dragons. Plus, the bond between dragon and knight goes so deep, when the dragons come together in passion, so too must the knights with their mate. The knights of mated dragons marry the same woman. Somehow it always seems to work out. The dragons claim the Mother of All guides them in choosing their partners and mates and I have no reason to doubt it. Every marriage I have witnessed among knights is passionate and happy.”

“I still can’t quite believe my mother has two husbands.”

Nico chuckled, sending smoke out behind them as they coasted on the air currents. “So does your little sister, Belora. She was the first to marry. One of her knights, Gareth, is partner to Kelzy and Sandor’s son, Kelvan.”

“So then, Sandor is Kelzy’s mate? And if I’m understanding you, Sandor’s knight is my mother’s other husband?”

“I think you’ve got it, sweetheart.”

“Then who is Sandor’s knight? What are my stepfathers like?”

“Sandor’s knight is Darian—formerly Lord Darian Vordekrais of Skithdron. He forsook his lands and title to come over to our side and warn us about Lucan and his diamond-bladed weapons. He is a hero many times over in Draconia.”

“I know that name. I heard Lucan rant about Darian. He was so angry, he nearly killed one of his own guardsmen when the news of Lord Darian’s defection was reported.”

They talked long into the night as they flew. Riki was thrilled with the news about her family, surprised by the odd new lifestyle her mother and little sister enjoyed in the Lair and completely astounded by the idea that her twin was now Queen of Draconia.

Nico teased her with funny stories of baby Tor’s antics and made her cry with the news that little Belora was going to be a mother at any moment. He was good to talk to and the time passed quickly. She was surprised when the first gray streaks of dawn started showing on the horizon behind them.

He had told her about her twin sister and the amazing feats of bravery Lana had performed, transforming for the first time into a dragon and flying into the thick of battle to save the king’s life. Riki didn’t think she’d ever have the nerve to do something so brave. No, Lana was the fearless one. She always had been, and Riki was comforted to know her twin had found a man she could love and who loved her in return.

Still, Riki felt a pang of regret and shame that she had suffered in silence all these years, giving in to Lucan’s demands, never once finding a way to escape on her own. Though she had tried repeatedly. Oh, how she’d tried. But failure was her bitter companion. Failure and punishment…and torture.

Riki admired Alania and Belora and the tales Nico told her of their daring, and her mother’s surprising bravery as well. Clinging to a tree with a swarm of skiths below took courage. Nico described how her mother had done that and more. That was the kind of daring Riki feared she would never possess. She felt like such a failure. Such a burden.

She thought of the little she’d managed to accomplish in her life and how often she had failed. Lulled by those morose thoughts, she rested against Nico’s warm back. She was snug and warm now, between the woolen cloak and Nico’s inner fire. She nearly dozed, but refused to miss a moment of the incredible feeling of flying and seeing the stars so close up. Riki let her gaze drift out and up, pondering the stars, little holes in the fabric of heaven, so near and yet so far.

“This doesn’t look good.” Nico’s voice broke into her drifting thoughts.

“What? What doesn’t look good?” Instantly, she was alert. He sounded so serious.

“Troop movement. Lots of troop movement. Lucan’s alerted the border garrisons.”

“How could he inform them so fast?”

“I didn’t want to tell you this, but I heard the guards talking in the tavern. Lucan sent relay riders ahead to the border and every town in between. He wants you back badly enough to put every soldier in this cursed land on alert. They’ve been riding non-stop since we escaped. When one reaches his destination, another picks up the message and goes to the next stop and so on. Damned efficient and damned inconvenient for us.”

“What can we do?”

“Sweetheart, I don’t want to risk the border crossing with you on my back. There are limits to how high I can fly safely—especially with a passenger. I can’t go high enough to be completely out of range of those diamond blades, and if anything happened to you, I would never forgive myself. It’s too risky.”

“But—”

“There are other ways, Riki. You have to trust me. I am the Spymaster of Draconia, after all.” His sooty laughter was soundless, but she felt the ripples of humor roll through his sinuous neck.

“What ways, then?”

“Well, we could fly northward and try to cross into the Northlands. They might not expect us to try that and the northern border of Skithdron is less heavily fortified than the one with Draconia. Or we could take our chances on the ground for a bit. We’ll have to stop soon anyway to rest for the day. My black hide is too easily seen against a light sky.”

“Do you know where we can go?”

“I have an idea. There’s an operative in place in the city of Plinth. If we can get to him, he might be able to help us.”

“Operative? What kind of operative are you talking about? A spy?”

“Actually, by trade, he’s a bard. By birth he’s Draconian, though you couldn’t tell from listening to him. His fathers are knights and he grew up in a Lair, though he struck out on his own at a young age to learn his musical and storytelling craft. He’s studied all over and I’ve always found him helpful. I think his many skills will come in handy now.”

“I hope you’re right.”