Nadyah’s look made him think twice about the surprise, but he shrugged. The meeting had to happen. Might as well make it work to his benefit. “Roxy, meet the Princess Adelina. She’s looking for a mechanic to hire.”
The glare Roxy shot at him over her shoulder would have killed him if she had that kind of power. He had the good sense to stay as far away from the trio as possible, eyeing his valuables. Last time he’d had one of Lina’s personal friends in his office it hadn’t ended well for his furniture.
“I admire your honesty,” Lina, or rather Adelina said. That frightening smile remained on her face. Varan felt it in his bones, and that survival instinct which had kept him alive all this time warned him to tread carefully.
The two females stared each other down for a long, uncomfortable silence.
“I do agree the royal family can be rather removed from their people,” Adelina admitted, breaking the tension. “That is something I’ve been trying to fix, but as of right now I need three ships to take me to the Hai galaxy faster than any we have in Draga.”
Roxy hardly moved, knowing that being in the presence of a royal and flaunting that attitude could get her thrown in a cell, if not killed. She allowed herself a frown, those glorious red brows drawing together. “That is not possible.”
Lina’s smile didn’t waver. “And I want it done in less than a week.”
That fire in Roxy crackled and sparked. Varan hid his tension behind his lazy smile and poured them all more alcohol. His princess downed it in one gulp and he glanced at Nadyah who watched Lina like a hawk. He wasn’t the only one who’d noticed her strange behavior then. Normally she only drank one, and hardly that.
Varan’s eyes snagged on that sinful mouth of Nadyah’s, the pert nose, and then finally those deep sapphire eyes that seemed to strip him down to his soul every time she looked at him. He still preferred her natural hair color, but it was fun to see her as someone else for a night. Varan cleared his throat and moved towards his desk, but Nadyah patted the spot next to her on the couch.
He almost hesitated, but he turned the pause into a smooth movement, setting the decanter of his best liquor on the low table. He sat, resting his arms along the top of the couch as if it had been his idea all along and not a silent demand from the courtesan. The fabric of his shirt brushed against Nadyah’s neck and he stared at Lina, ignoring the female next to him.
“What you’re asking for simply isn’t possible,” Roxy griped. She was on the edge of exploding and Varan wondered how far Lina would push her.
“I have gold for a team, and the tech to make it work. Varan will be purchasing two starships for me; I believe your expertise would be of use. You will have the team you need and as many as you require to get it done as well as any tools or supplies. A fee will be paid for the work, including a bonus if you can finish it in less than seven days.”
Roxy gaped, but Lina wasn’t done.
The princess poured some more liquor into her glass, hands trembling ever so slightly. Varan’s eyes were sharp otherwise he would have missed it. Nadyah’s knee pressed into his leg, noting it as well. He shifted so they no longer touched.
“Before you accept, the contract would require your presence on the journey to the Hai galaxy and back as my personal mechanic. That would be paid separately with a public contract from the Crown.” Lina sipped from her glass instead of downing it and Varan took a drink of his own in relief.
His princess demanded much, but this diplomatic mission could save them all, or damn them.
Before Roxy could open that spiteful mouth of hers Varan said, “If it is any consolation love, I will be along for this trip as well.”
Those burning eyes of green fire stared all of them down, even the princess despite their difference in rank. Roxy was just as dominant as Varan and her scent of winterflowers spiced the room even further. Nadyah licked her lips and Varan angled his body so she was no longer in his peripheral vision.
“It is no consolation Varan, as I’d love to see your head on a spike at the moment.”
Lina chuckled and handed her plate of food to Roxy. “Please, you don’t have to be nervous. I’m only Lina right now.” She flicked her disguise back on and his fiery friend actually flinched. “We don’t instate protocol when I’m Lina…it is one of my most treasured secrets,” the princess said, a small shrug and those golden eyes of hers found Varan.
Goddess she was stunning. As Lina she’d always been exotic and gorgeous, tempting him even when he knew she was hiding something. That new sharpness set him on edge, but it also sucked him in – the desire to fall to his knees before her was almost too strong to resist. It called to the dark part of him, begging him to play with her.
His heart had been in his throat the second she’d been nominated during the Game of the Wolf. A weak or submissive Wolf could be ripped to shreds by the stronger members of the hunt. It had been such a risk, one she’d managed to pull off with style, but it had left her changed somehow.
Roxy finally ate some food, her posture relaxing enough to lean against the back of the chair. “Let’s say what you want is even possible, I do not like you, and I do not want to go to the Hai galaxy.” She munched on something despite the tension.
Varan sighed internally. Why were all females so bloody infuriating?
Lina’s eyes grew sharp, that strange flicker returned and Varan smiled, his hand casually resting on his hidden knife when he recognized the threat.
“What if I told you I had Corinthian tech, and planned to make the dragons fight the Neprijat with us?” Lina leaned forward, getting into Roxy’s space. “What if I told you, without them we’ll all be slaughtered as the royal family of Khara was.”
That strange scent of jasmine he’d smelled that night in the tavern when she’d nearly gutted the traitor filled the room. It was unlike any jasmine he’d ever come across before, from a flower or a person. It was almost musky and spiced instead of the sickening sweetness Varan was used to. Roxy glanced between the princess and him, scenting it as well.
Something about that scent changed Roxy’s mind. “I can do the work on the ships but I refuse to travel across the galaxy.” Her arms crossed stubbornly, but Roxy didn’t meet Adelina’s eyes this time.
Varan pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated breath as he tried not to take his friend by the nape of the neck and shake her like a small galina still in training. “Just tell her how much you’ll pay her for the trip to Hai.”
Lina stated a number and Varan dropped his hand to gawk at her. Had she really saved all that gold over the years from her jewelry and trinkets alone?