after all these years without her. Missing her.
“Jenet?” His gaze swept to Roland in question.
Roland nodded. “Lady Jenet is welcome here, Drake. She is companion to my younger brothers and like family to me.”
“Companion to the young princes?” Drake was taken aback by the synergy of events. “Then Jenet absolutely must hear what I have to report.”
“Shall we adjourn to a more private room for our discussion?” Prince Nico led the way, Roland following with quick, decisive steps while Drake brought up the rear with Jenet. It felt good to have her at his side again, her warm presence heating the cold places in his heart.
Chapter Two
The meeting lasted most of the day. Drake imparted his message from the Doge of Helios as well as the intelligence his Jinn spies had been able to unearth regarding a threat to the younger princes. It was the threat that hung in the air now like a storm cloud. Since the return of Princess Adora of Kent and the discovery of her daughters, one of whom was now mated to Roland and had been crowned Queen of Draconia, they all took threats against royal children very seriously indeed.
Lana, and her twin sister Riki, had been stolen from their mother at a young age and forced into slavery. One had been enslaved in the enemy land of Skithdron and one in the frozen Northlands. Only years later were they discovered and restored to their family, both queens in their own right now. Lana was Queen of Draconia and Riki was the newly crowned Queen of the Jinn, married happily to Nico. Both women had also discovered within themselves the startling ability to transform into dragons. It was something not seen in Draconia in generations. Female shapeshifting black dragons were the rarest of the rare, and the two queens were becoming steadier on their wings each day.
New black dragons had also been discovered among Draconia’s Jinn allies. More and more of the nomadic Jinn were arriving every few hours to settle the open plain on the other side of Castleton, the city at the base of the Draconian royal castle, which was built into the side of a mountain.
The new town was filling faster than anyone would have credited, as Jinn from all the far lands moved in to stay. They were massing like an army, Drake knew, gathering here in response to what they believed was the fulfillment of a prophecy. The shapeshifters of the ruling Black Dragon Clan were training with the dragons and knights every day, learning how to fight as part of a group in preparation for a battle they believed was coming but hadn’t developed yet.
Drake had to admire their conviction. He wasn’t sold completely on the prophecy they lived by, though he’d come to the Jinn Brotherhood as a teen and hadn’t been raised in their ways. Still, he held a high rank among them and respected their beliefs, if he didn’t quite follow them himself.
“I’m sorry, Drake,” King Roland broke into his thoughts. “You won’t make that dinner with your family tonight. I need you to go down to the Jinn settlement and talk to them.”
Nico shrugged. “They don’t tell me everything, for all this King-Consort stuff. I think it actually prevents some of them from spilling what they know to me. They seem to be worried about insulting or angering me.” Nico shook his head in clear disgust. “It was easier to get answers when I was just plain Nick.”
Drake knew Prince Nico’s alter-ego disguise quite well, having helped Nick the Swordsman gain acceptance among the Jinn and others during his time abroad. The persona had been invaluable in helping Nico accomplish great work as Spymaster of Draconia, but all the Jinn knew Nick was now wed to their new queen. The time of them speaking openly to warrior Nick was clearly over.
Drake smiled. “Even as Nick, there was never anything plain about you, Nico.”
All three men smiled as they rose from the table they’d been using. “I bet you’re happy enough to postpone further confrontations with your family, though, right, Drake?”
He sighed. “You’d win that bet. I confess to being—” he shot a look over to the gorgeous peach dragon sitting to one side, watching all, “—more than a bit overwhelmed.”
Roland turned to Jenet. “Would you mind relaying my apologies through your parents? I need Drake at work tonight. He can join the family tomorrow.”
“We’re all happy to serve, my liege.” Jenet stood and joined the