Prince of Spies - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,40

straighter in their chairs and Nico’s gaze roved casually around the place, pausing only briefly by the door.

That was enough to make Riki look, and what she saw in her brief glance nearly gave her a heart attack. Four soldiers in uniform stood by the door surveying the crowd. Their uniforms signaled they weren’t from the actual palace, so they wouldn’t recognize her, but they were definitely looking for something. In fact, they were probably looking for her.

Riki remembered what Nico had said about hiding in plain sight and an idea formed in her mind. Gathering her courage, Riki looked over at Nico. His gaze was shifting casually around, noting exits and potential routes they might take, she realized, if things went badly. She had to do something to save herself. Nico had done everything to this point and she needed to take a more active role in her escape. It was fast becoming a matter of pride.

“I can sing.” Riki spoke those words privately to Nico alone, testing the waters before she jumped in.

Nico’s gaze shot to hers, questioning.

“You don’t have to do anything. Let me take care of you, sweetheart.”

“That’s all you’ve done is take care of me. I can do this, if it will help. If you need me to, I can sing, and rather well, so you won’t be embarrassed. Though I’m nowhere near as good as Drake.”

“Are you sure?”

Riki smiled at him as he reached across the table to take her hand in his. To anyone looking at them they seemed a young couple in love. Only they knew of the life or death situation they were in and the dire plans being hatched silently between them.

“I can do it. If Drake will play for me.”

Nico raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles softly as his gaze moved subtly to the doorway. The soldiers were moving closer, she could see them out of the corner of her eye. It was time to act. Nico nodded slightly and turned to the landlord.

“My wife will sing a song for you while our cousin rests, if that is your wish.”

Riki was impressed with the slight Jinn accent and foreign phrasing Nico used and her smile was genuine as she looked up at the landlord. Thankfully, Jinn women were seldom heard to speak to strangers, though they were rumored to be quite vocal among their own people.

“Are you sure, Cousin Ari?” Drake asked with concern. “You don’t have to if you feel ill.” His hand shot out to take hers as she rose slowly from the table. The message in his blue eyes was clear. He worried for her, but she knew she could do this. It was about the only thing she could do to help herself—and these wonderful men who were protecting her.

“It’s all right,” she told him softly. Drake squeezed her hand once, then let go, reaching for his lute, but Nico’s hand closed over the instrument’s long neck first. Riki was surprised, but the dancing light in Nico’s eyes warmed her.

“I will play for my lovely wife. We are still newlyweds, after all.” Nico’s laughter was echoed by Drake and the landlord, and soon the other tables around them were cheering as Riki and Nico faced the crowd.

The landlord faded back to the bar area. Riki could easily see the soldiers stopping, watching them speculatively for a moment before moving on. All she had to do now was sing convincingly enough and they would have no idea the prize they searched for was right under their noses.

“What song, my love?” Nico asked her softly.

Riki thought quickly of the many songs she’d committed to memory over the months she’d been subjected to Lucan’s imprisonment. She needed something relatively short, that she could do well. After just a few seconds of deliberation, she thought of one the crowd would probably like as well.

“How about ‘The Siren’?”

Nico looked surprised for a moment, and then smiled his devastatingly handsome smile. She was certain his smile alone charmed half the women in the room. Nico really was the most delectable rogue.

“Anything for you, my love.” She heard several women sigh at the interplay while Nico stood at her side, one foot resting on a chair while he held the lute against his middle, propped on a raised knee. He began with a few introductory notes and Riki realized he had a great deal of skill with the instrument. Of course, he was a prince. He was probably