Prince of Spies - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,6
ready for whatever might come. She looked fierce, but beneath the bravado he sensed a quaking fragility that touched his heart.
Nico took one of her hands in his as he led them up a narrow stair. She tugged hard on his hand, but he kept moving.
“The castle gates are the other way.” Her voice was a desperate whisper in his mind.
“I know, but we’ve no need of doors. A tower ledge would be good or even an open window. We’re flying out of here. They don’t know I can shift and will never look for us in the sky.”
“But I can’t fly!”
He felt the panic in her mind and paused to bring her into his arms, calming her with his warmth.
“You’ll ride on my back, Riki. I promise I won’t drop you or allow any harm to come to you. You’ll see. You’ll love flying once we’re out of danger. I can almost guarantee it.”
She calmed but seemed unconvinced. “How can you be so sure?”
He smiled down at her. “Because of your blood, my dear. Like me, you are part dragon.”
“Are we related?”
“Only very distantly. You are of the House of Kent. My line descends from the House of Draneth.”
“Draneth the Wise?”
“Yes. Did your mother tell you tales of him when you were a little girl?”
He kept her talking as they climbed higher and higher. He’d chosen this tower well. It was one of the highest in the castle and would provide a great launching point if they could reach the top without discovery.
“No. I don’t remember Mama talking about Draneth, but Lucan has all kinds of old manuscripts about him. He’s obsessed with him. He wants to be just like Draneth. That’s why he made the deal with Salomar and the North Witch to make him…what he is now.”
“An abomination.” Nico could not help the dark thunder in his thoughts, but to her credit, Riki didn’t flinch. He tried for a lighter tone as they kept moving upward. “Draneth had several children. The eldest continued his House and the younger ones founded great Houses of their own. Kent was the third son of Draneth, if I remember correctly. You are descended from him.”
“I never knew.”
He reached the top stair where it led out to a landing. Pushing her to the wall below the floor line, he scoped out two sentries standing guard. He should have realized this highest tower would be a lookout position.
“Stay here for a moment while I handle the guards.”
She nodded while he slipped stealthily onto the open landing. The two men stood at opposite sides of the tower room, looking out huge, open windows with magnifying lenses trained on the grounds below. It was still too dark to see anything in the skies or anywhere that was not lit by the fires and lamps that accompanied human habitation, but Nico knew this position was a good vantage point during daytime to see for miles around.
He took down the first guard, dropping him as quietly as he could, but it wasn’t quiet enough. The other sentry turned and reached for his horn to sound the alarm but he never got to it. Riki shot up the final few steps and tripped the soldier up so he fell partway down the stairwell, knocking himself out with a sharp crack to his skull on the stone treads.
“I thought I told you to stay put.” Nico smiled as he faced her. There was a becoming bloom on her face and he once more admired her bravery.
“You looked like you could use a hand.” She smiled back at him and it transformed her face, stilling his heart for a timeless moment. Nico wanted desperately to see her smile again and again and again. He could live for her smiles. He was disappointed when she turned away and surveyed the room and the open expanses of the giant spy windows.
“Dawn is coming soon. We don’t have much time left.” She faced him again, both serious and sad. “I want you to know, if we don’t make it out of here… I wanted to thank you. I haven’t been free in years and the last few months…” She sniffled delicately and it nearly broke his heart. “Well, it’s been worse than before. Thank you for helping me escape. Lucan would never have let me go.”
Crossing the room in two strides, Nico took her into his arms and kissed the crown of her head tenderly. He had to touch her, to hold her