Prince of Spies - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,19
was so handsome, she had to catch her breath every time she took a moment to think about how beautiful he was—both inside and out. So far he had been all that was kindness to her, and his valor was unquestioned. Nico had faced Lucan’s torture, his guards and a deadly skith without any weapon except his amazing ability to transform into a dragon.
Riki trusted him with her life and knew, deep down, she would give him her heart as well, with little protest, if he but asked. Still, she had to guard against letting him know how easily he could make her fall in love with him. Nico was a rogue. Worse than that, he was a prince of royal blood and no matter that he said she was some long-lost noble of Draconia, Riki would always be nothing more than a runaway slave. She could never have Nico in her life on a steady basis. Nor would he, in all probability, want her for more than a few precious days.
Better they remain friends and comrades. Better for her physical safety and the safety of her fragile, untried heart.
“This ought to do,” Nico mused as he looked at their surroundings. “It’ll be dark soon and these fields are probably your best bet for concealment, but I want you to have an escape route should you need it. If a skith comes along—”
“I’ll run like hell.”
Nico chuckled softly. “I like your attitude, sweetheart. That’s good. But skiths are pretty fast. Even your lovely little feet won’t carry you fast enough. But what you can do is climb.”
“Climb what?”
“See that tree over there?”
They were on the edge of the cornfield closest to the town. In fact, the field backed up to the walls of the town, which were formed by the backs of barns, houses and sheds with plank walls between each structure, built to keep the skiths out. The tree Nico pointed to was on this side of the wall, right next to a barn with a slightly sloping roof.
“I see it, but I should warn you, I haven’t climbed a tree since I was eight years old.”
“If a skith is chasing you, you’ll climb, all right. Fear for one’s life is a wonderful motivator.”
That sobered her. She had lived the last years in nearly constant fear for her life. And Nico was right—fear was a good motivator. He must’ve seen her expression in the dimming twilight because he scooped her into his arms and hugged her for a quick moment.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He kissed the crown of her head softly, almost apologetically, and his tenderness made her want to cry. But this was no time for hysterics. They had to get in and out of here as quickly as possible.
“It’s all right, Nico. Really. So, you want me to climb that tree?”
He let her go with a final kiss to her hair. “Yes, but only if you need to. Climb the tree, then scoot back onto the roof as close to the peak as possible. No skith will be able to get you there, and you should be out of spitting range.”
“Then why don’t I just go up there now, while you go into town?”
“Because you might be seen. Even at night, some people travel the road and farmers keep odd hours to bring in their herds. Don’t go up there unless you need to, all right?”
She nodded as understanding sank in. The tree was a good ten yards from the edge of the field. “So you want me to stay here in the corn until I sense danger, then sprint for the tree and then the roof. Right?”
He beamed down at her, brimming with approval. “You’re a quick one.”
“Not really.” Riki felt her cheeks flush and ducked her head as Nico cupped her cheek.
“You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman, Arikia.” He spoke so earnestly, she had to look up into his sparkling eyes. “Don’t ever doubt that.”
He kissed her sweetly then, not taking the kiss deeper, just a tender salute to her lips that meant so much to her bruised, battered heart. Releasing her too soon, Nico stepped back and watched her, his gaze nearly burning her with its intensity.
“I have to go, but I’ll be back within the hour. I promise.”
Fear set in as she watched him backing away. “Hurry back, Nico.”
His expression softened for a moment. “I will. Stay safe and be alert. I’ll be back before you know it.”
And with that, he melted away into the