Prince of Spies - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,41

schooled in all sorts of things most regular people never learned.

When he got to the part where she began to sing, a hush came over the room. Many recognized the popular tune, apparently, and wanted to see how the young Jinn lass Riki was pretending to be would do with it. She opened her mouth, fear nearly overpowering her for one dark moment before she found that place within herself where the music lived. It was the place she had retreated to when Lucan had done his worst to hurt her, to ridicule her and break her. It was the place only music touched and it formed the basis of her soul.

Touching that vast power, she began to sing, knowing nothing could harm her while she was in that magical place.

Chapter Nine

Nico was uncertain of Riki’s plan but willing to give her this chance to prove herself. He knew, deep down, she had to do something to take control of her life or live forever with fear. He’d seen it before with warriors he’d freed from long imprisonment. To a man, they needed to feel as if they were doing something in their own rescue or else live diminished for the rest of their lives.

There were only four soldiers in the tavern. Chances were, if they became overly suspicious, Nico and Drake could handle them, so it was with well-calculated risk he allowed Riki to take the stage and sing.

But when her mouth opened and the song came pouring out, Nico was nearly as entranced as the patrons of the tavern. Her voice was magical, enthralling and pure. She had the attention of every person in the room within the first few notes of the song and kept it throughout.

The song spoke of a sea siren who cried for the men she unwillingly killed as they sought her out in the depths of her ocean home. The melody was especially haunting and the words touching. Nico had always liked the song, but he’d never heard it better performed than in this moment. Riki was powerful indeed, though her power came not in any physical way, but rather in her ability to bedevil and beguile with just her voice.

Every man in the tavern was watching her, hanging on every note from her luscious lips, wanting her. A possessive pride rose up in Nico’s dragon soul. This was his mate! His woman who had such gifts. Others could watch her, but they’d never have her. They’d never hold her the way he would. This he vowed as the dragon within preened with pride and a bit of awe at the phenomenal woman the Mother of All had seen fit to mate with him.

The song had only a few stanzas and a mellifluous chorus. It was over soon enough and as with Drake’s longer performance, silence greeted the last note, followed by thunderous applause as the last chord faded away. Coins rained down on them both, landing in the emptied pot Drake hastily put at their feet. Riki curtsied shyly, her pale face becomingly rosy while Nico handed Drake back his lute with finality. They’d done their song to convince the soldiers they were truly Jinn entertainers. He would not subject Riki to more, no matter how much the crowd begged.

Drake accepted the instrument with a flourish and a wink as he replaced them in the center of the room and broke into a happy, complicated tune. Soon the crowd was clapping along, stomping their feet, and a few were even dancing on the edges of the crowd. Nico noted the departure of the soldiers and acted the part of the crafty Jinn, emptying their winnings into his pocket and replacing the empty pot at Drake’s feet for the next round.

He kept Riki next to him, one arm possessively around her shoulders as people sent drinks and sweets to them, in thanks for her song. She was definitely popular with the crowd, but what surprised Nico most was the women liked her just as well as the men. She had touched a chord with them, her voice reaching through to all in the room, not inspiring lust, but instead, ringing with the beauty of the words of the song, creating looks of wonder on all their faces.

There was something more to Riki’s voice. Nico could feel it. But he wasn’t quite sure what it was, only that it was somehow magical. This would bear further study and thought, when they had time to