Prince of Spies

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 explore what her voice could truly do.

It sounded far-fetched, even to him, but then, Riki’s twin could shift to dragon form. Who said Riki hadn’t found some other way to channel the immense dragon magic within her soul?

“Would you and your lady favor us with another song?” The jovial landlord was back at their table, but Nico turned the man down with a regretful sigh.

“I fear not, good sir. My wife is newly with child and tires easily these early days.”

The man smiled broadly, offering his congratulations as Riki snuggled closer to Nico, feigning fatigue very well indeed. She was a natural at this sort of thing and he couldn’t be prouder of her. There could be no more perfect mate for the Prince of Spies.

“Well, if I can’t convince you, the room next to your cousin’s is ready for you. Drake arranged it this morning when he got word of your arrival.” The landlord took up two empty tankards in one big hand and swiped the table dry with a cloth he kept at his waist. “I know you’ll be taking your leave early in the morn, so I’ll wish you well now and hope you’ll return to visit us the next time you’re in the city.”

Nico shook the man’s free hand, surprised only a little by the secret gesture he made with his thumb. No wonder Drake stayed here when he was in Plinth. This man was part of the Brotherhood of the Jinn. Nico gave him the return sign and a wide grin split the man’s face as he nodded once and bustled off. Nico realized they had friends in Plinth he hadn’t even known about. Aligning with the Jinn—something Drake had managed to accomplish long ago, and Nico more recently—was turning out to be a very good thing, indeed.



Riki was content to let Nico handle arrangements and guide her actions. Once the soldiers left the tavern, the real fatigue of the escape, the journey, her residual weakness from the beatings and starvation and the letdown from the terrifying fear that those soldiers would raise the alarm all collided within her. Riki was drained and weak, more than happy to lean on Nico and let him lead the way down the dim hall to their room.

They went into the room just before Drake’s, and Riki let Nico settle her on the side of a large bed, offering no protest when he removed the scarf from her hair, then the jewelry. He left the ring on her finger and kept his own on as well, which touched her for some odd reason. They weren’t mated in the tradition of the Jinn, but they wore the symbols, and it pleased some inner desire she hadn’t even recognized.

When he tugged at her dress, she protested. Sitting at her side on the edge of the large bed, Nico grasped her hands in his.

“I won’t hurt you, Riki. I promise.”

“I know you won’t,” she replied softly, “but I can’t give you my virginity. It’s my only protection from Lucan and his men. Please understand.”

Nico’s lips thinned, but he seemed to swallow whatever argument he wanted to make. Instead, he pulled her into his arms, holding her close to his heart.

“I do understand, but know this, Arikia. A time will come when you will give yourself to me willingly.” His words were strong and sure, sending bolts of excitement through her warm body. “I will never force you, never take you without your consent, never seduce you into anything. You will come to me willingly, or not at all. Is that clear?”

She nodded against his chest. “Yes, Nico. Thank you.” The relief was heartfelt. Riki knew Nico was a man of his word. If he said she would be given the choice of her own free will, then she believed him.

“Do you trust me?”

“I do,” she said softly, knowing the truth of those words in her heart.

“Then lie with me tonight. Skin to skin. I promise I will not take your virginity this night or tomorrow morn, but I need to feel you against me, sweetheart, like I need my next breath.”

And she could feel the need trembling through his strong muscles, so close under her cheek beneath his shirt. If she truly trusted him—and she did—she would do as he requested, but there was one problem.

She didn’t trust herself.

Still, she wanted to feel Nico’s skin against hers. The idea was too tantalizing to resist and she had his promise of safety as long as she didn’t willingly request his lovemaking. Moving back, Riki allowed him to remove her colorful dress, leaving her bare before him.

Silently, Nico tucked her into the big bed, care in his every move. He moved away then, to secure his belongings and turn down the lamp for the night, leaving the room bathed in a soft golden glow. He returned to the bedside, catching her eye before stripping out of his clothes right in front of her. It was as if he wanted her to see each and every inch of his glorious body as it was revealed.

He was lean and hard muscled, bulging where it counted most. His arms were thick and strong, as were the muscles of his thighs and calves. His belly was ridged with muscle like a washboard and his chest was a thing of beauty. Nico held her gaze, daring her to look at that part of him that most wanted to claim her, and slowly, she dropped her gaze.

He was rampant, hard and wanting, his cock long and thick. Riki wondered how in the world such a glorious thing could fit inside her untried body, and she found herself wanting to find out.

But that would never do. She had to resist such thoughts, even with male perfection standing right in front of her. Her chastity was the only thing protecting her. Give that up and she gave up her life as well.

Still, Riki found herself growing warm, her blood firing and swirling in her veins. Had the mere sight of a naked man ever caused this kind of reaction in her before? She knew it had not. She’d seen Lucan and his lovers of both sexes. The men were fit and trim with good bodies—Lucan demanded only the best—but none had evoked this heated response. No other man had ever affected her like Nico and she knew in her heart, no other man ever would.

“You’re so beautiful, my Riki,” Nico whispered as he knelt on the side of the bed.

He had it all wrong, she thought. Nico was the beautiful one. Apprehension filled her as he levered himself down on the bed and folded the covers back, exposing her bare body to his hungry gaze.

“I want you so badly. I’m a desperate man, sweetheart.” Nico chuckled at himself. “But I already care far too much to rush you.” He smoothed one large hand down from her neck, over the rise of her breasts, pausing to tease one hard nipple and then lower, tracing the curve of her waist. “I need you like I need my next breath. Give me this,” he whispered, his lips against her mouth, “just this, so I can go on living.”

Nico kissed her then, his tongue probing gently at her lips, parting them and sweeping inside. Riki shivered, the feel of his tongue, the warm cinnamon taste of him firing her senses as his hard body covered hers, his arms imprisoning her in welcome warmth and spiraling tendrils of desire. His tongue played with hers, daring her to follow where he would lead.

There was a playfulness to Nico’s lovemaking. A fresh sense of wonder filled her. This man made her feel cherished. It was a secure feeling, one that begged her to give everything she had in return.

But she couldn’t. Her very life was at stake. She’d be a fool to trade her life for a moment’s pleasure. Even with Nico.

He moved then, pulling back to look down into her eyes as his hands moved on her body. One hand cupped her breast, massaging gently as her desire peaked. His other roving hand found her core. Nico held her gaze as he slid a finger inside her channel, teasing, testing, tantalizing her almost beyond reason. His thumb played over her *, making her squirm as passion threatened to overwhelm her.

Then he lowered his head. Nico’s warm breath feathered over her nipple a moment before his mouth closed over the taut peak. A moan bubbled up from her throat as pleasure radiated from her nipple to her womb. At the same time, his fingers were sending shockwaves of sensation from her * and that dastardly finger started pulsing in and out of her tight channel.

Riki couldn’t take much more.

“Come for me, sweetheart.” Nico’s whispered words encouraged her as she came with a little cry, captured by his lips against hers.

The pleasure peaked higher than before, lasting long, long moments as he continued to pet her damp body. She was wrung out utterly when at last the sensations died down. Nico kissed her long and with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes.

“Sleep now, sweet Riki. We have a long day ahead of us.”

“But what about you?”

He kissed her forehead as he moved back. “This was for you, sweetheart. To show you how much I care. To prove you could trust me.”

“But I do trust you.” She protested lightly when he spooned her from behind, his hard cock settling into the crack of her ass as if it belonged there. “I don’t want you to suffer for my pleasure.”

Nico chuckled, low and sexy in her ear. “Does it feel like I’m suffering?”

She had no answer to that as he pumped his cock through the warm crevice of her butt cheeks. He purred in her ear, surprising her as passion stirred a bit within her.

“Go to sleep, Riki. I’ll be fine.”

“But—”

“Sleep.” He cut off her protests with a gentle squeeze of her waist, his hand moving to cup her breast and pull gently on the nipple. “That’s an order.”

She felt him settle behind her, but Riki’s restless mind kept her awake. Nico was such a special man. She doubted any other man would have put her pleasure above his own. Nico was a prince—both literally and figuratively. She had to smile at the thought as she snuggled back against him. He was asleep, but even in sleep, he cradled her body gently, his still semi-hard cock nestling against her.

Riki wished she dared take him fully, but she was so desperately afraid. She wanted him, of that there was no doubt, but she feared what would happen after she gave herself to him. Would he desert her? She thought not, but she really had no way of knowing for sure. Even more importantly, would they be recaptured by Lucan? If so, her purity was the only thing saving her. Could she give up her one protection?

Riki just wasn’t sure. In fact, she wasn’t sure about anything. Her heart was in turmoil. Strange new feelings were churning within her for this special man who held her so close in the night, with little thought for his own comfort. It would be so easy to fall in love with Nico. Riki was afraid she was half in love with him already. But did he—could he—love her in return?

Nico was a prince, and no matter what he claimed about her heritage, she was just a runaway slave. From the moment she’d been stolen from her home and family, she’d been a possession, a plaything, a pawn to be traded and bartered among men more powerful than she. Riki would never go back to that, but she knew all too well, she might not have any choice in the matter. If she was recaptured, all her options would be gone.

It really all boiled down to this moment, and this man. Riki turned in his arms, looking her fill at his handsome face, relaxed now in sleep. He really was beautiful, both inside and out. And he was caring and selfless as well. She’d learned that firsthand.

Nico had been so kind to her, so gentle. Oh, how she wished she could make love to him fully. She knew he would be a generous, kind and caring lover. The longing for his cock welled within her, dampening her p-ssy and making her squirm.

She dared not take him where she wanted him most, but she’d already sampled his come and wanted more. Looking down between their bodies, she saw he was still semi-erect. It would take little, she guessed, to bring him back to full hardness and then to the same height of pleasure he’d given her.

Gathering her courage, Riki worked her way down his body with her mouth and hands, placing little kisses here and there, licking and lapping at his hard ridges and the flat nipples, making her way to the ultimate goal.



Nico’s eyes shot open as he felt a soft tongue swirling around his nipple.

Riki.

He spied just the top of her head, working downward on his body as Riki kissed and licked him awake in the most delightful way. The little princess was an adventuress.

“I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

His voice seemed to startle her. Riki stopped, her soft hands around his cock, and looked up at him. Nico nearly groaned at the glazed passion he read in her lovely green eyes. The light was dim, but his vision was keener than most humans. Being half dragon had its advantages, after all.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Her sultry voice teased his senses.

“Mind?” His breath hitched as she moved back down, her hands tightening on his hard cock a moment before she reached down with her tongue to lick the tip. Nico stifled a groan. “I don’t mind at all.”

He reached back and grabbed on to the rails in the headboard—anything to keep from grabbing her and pinning her under his body while he took her. He wanted to f*ck her desperately, but he’d made a vow. She would come to him willingly or not at all.

Riki smiled up at him before returning her full concentration to the matter at hand. She took his cock in one dainty hand, guiding it into her hot, wet mouth, while the fingers of her other devilish little hand massaged his balls. Fire shot from his groin, pleasure filling his senses as she found the spot just behind his heavy sac that brought him even higher.

“Riki, love, you’re killing me.”

Riki took him all the way down until the tip of his cock nudged the back of her throat. Then she sucked, strong and long, and he nearly lost it. Nico tangled his hands in her hair, trying to raise her up, but she only followed his lead so far. No, this little vixen knew what she wanted and she wanted it now.

Who was he to deny her?

Nico lay back, leaving one of his hands in her hair simply because he liked the feel of the soft strands under his fingers. Riki moved on him, increasing her tempo as she massaged his balls, positioning herself between his legs on her knees for better leverage. Then the little witch moved one of her clever hands downward, massaging his ass. Nico thought he would die when one of her wet fingers found the tight hole there and pushed within.

Riki set up a gentle, driving rhythm with her mouth on his cock, one hand squeezing his balls and one finger delving within his ass, massaging from the inside. Nico knew he was lost.

He groaned deep as he came in her mouth. Riki swallowed every drop, catching the overflow on her tongue and licking him down deep with every spasm of his pleasure-wracked body. Never had he come so hard in a woman’s mouth.

Nico knew in that moment she’d well and truly ruined him for any other woman. And he didn’t mind in the least. It was Riki or no one, from this moment forward. She was his and he was most definitely hers, in every possible way.

Nico panted, trying to catch his breath as he came down from the highest peak he’d ever reached with just oral stimulation. Riki purred contentedly at his side, stroking his body even as she snuggled into his form, tired and sated almost as if she’d needed his come to make her complete—to allow her to relax and sleep.

The thought warmed him as he held her close.

“Thank you, my darling Riki,” he whispered, bending to kiss her sweet, puffy lips. When he pulled back, she blinked up at him, sleepy, with lazy, passion-glazed eyes.

“It was my pleasure.” Her smile told him that indeed, she had found joy in pleasing him and Nico counted himself among the luckiest men in the world in that moment. His mate cared for his comfort. She was choosing him, whether she realized it or not. This was one big step closer to his goal. She would be his! Sooner rather than later, if this was any indication.

“Sleep now, sweetheart.” He turned her in his arms and she was asleep before he settled. Her trust in him was that complete.

Nico fell asleep once more—deeper this time—replete with the knowledge his mate was coming to trust him, maybe even love him as much as he already loved her.



They set out at first light in Drake’s shiny blue wagon. He had a team of gorgeous, matched white horses to pull the wagon, which was closed in on the sides and back, with a locking door at either end. Inside, Riki found a sumptuous living space with a giant, down-stuffed mattress and a multitude of soft pillows in bright hues.

Drake’s clothes took up one cupboard, while musical instruments were packed carefully all around. Food and cooking items were in another few cupboards and extra blankets and furs filled another. All in all, Drake seemed well-stocked for any contingency. This was truly a home on wheels and Riki had never seen the like.

The men rode up front on the plank seat, leaving Riki to the inside of the wagon, both to hide her as they rode out of the city, and because Jinn women were usually well-hidden in the light of day. The men dealt with the outside world while the women ruled the roost, or so the sayings went. Jinn women were usually only seen in a professional capacity, as singers, musicians, dancers, fortune tellers and the like, and then always watched carefully by their warrior males. Jinn men were very protective of their women, which worked to their advantage in trying to get Riki out of the city without raising any suspicion.

They left the city gates behind with little fanfare. A few of the guards asked Drake when he thought he might be back, indicating they enjoyed his music and would welcome a return visit. The usual stuff, she supposed, as she listened from within the safety of the wagon, holding her breath to see if they would be stopped and searched.

But luck was with them and they left the city behind easily enough. It was almost anti-climactic after what they’d been through to get this far, but Riki thanked the fates that allowed her to get even this distance from Lucan. Every step of the horses took her farther away from his madness and closer to freedom.

After an hour or two, Nico knocked on the little door at the front of the wagon, directly behind the plank seat. Scrambling to open it, Riki peeked out, curious about their location.

“Are you all right in there?” Nico asked quietly, his eyes searching hers.

She nodded. “It’s very comfortable.”

“You could leave this door open now, if you want some fresh air. We haven’t passed anyone on this road in a while. Chances are the traffic will be light from here on out. Not much comes down from the north this time of year.”

“Where are we going?” Riki asked, smiling as she secured the door back so it wouldn’t swing shut with the swaying movement of the wagon.

“North to the Jinnfaire,” Drake answered. “It’s a gathering of the Jinn near the northern border of Skithdron. This time at least. It’s in a different place each time.” Drake shrugged. “Word came down a few weeks ago that the Jinnfaire was being called and where. It works to our advantage right now, so that’s where we’re going.”

“Do they gather often?” Riki fought her fatigue as the wagon swayed.

“No, not at all. This is the first Jinnfaire called in more than a decade.” Drake smiled at her then turned his attention back to the team of horses.

“Why don’t you get some rest, sweetheart?” Nico caught her yawning and motioned her back into the wagon. “We’ve got quite a ways to go and you’re still recovering.”

“There’s lots of food back there too,” Drake piped in. “Feel free to eat anything you like. We can get more and I usually carry enough provisions for several months. It will only take a day or so to get to the Jinnfaire.”

Riki yawned again. “I think I’ll do that. Wake me if you need me, all right?”

The men agreed and she sank back into the shadowed interior of the wagon, heading straight for the fluffy, inviting bed.