“But you had orders,” she said.
“I did.”
“You always have orders.”
“I’m an officer in the Sixteen Talons,” he said, “and sworn to do my duty, yes.”
Oh, but that duty had come to chafe of late. And Vorik hated saying the words to her, explaining why he’d had to betray her. Especially when she’d never betrayed him. Nor had she tried to manipulate him into betraying himself. All the opportunities she’d had… and she hadn’t.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, though he knew it wasn’t enough.
She looked back again. “Where are you taking me?”
Vorik grimaced, reminded that the unpleasant part for her hadn’t yet begun. “To General Jhiton in our new camp. He… has questions for you.”
“I’ll bet,” she said sourly, fear flashing in her eyes before she hid it by looking away from him.
It was a dagger to his heart. He wanted to tell her that Jhiton wouldn’t physically hurt her, but… what he planned wasn’t much better. Was itanybetter?
While you were busy sabotaging that ship,Agrevlari said,I heard from our dragon allies that the camp has been moved.
Oh? We’re still heading to the coast of Froha, right?
Yes, but fifty miles to the south. The Skillpoint Caves were flooded during the recent storm. Chieftess Shi ordered the camp moved to Nookfar until the waters recede.
Is there still a lake kraken living under the cave?Vorik asked dryly.
Reputedly, the lake is empty, save for cave crawlers, but they are not much of a threat to your people. And they are delicious when skewered and roasted.
They’re all right. The Kingdom isn’t aware of Nookfar, so it should be a decent place to camp for a while.
Quite.
When Syla had composed herself, she looked back at Vorik again. “If you return me to my people and my dragon instead oftaking me to your camp, I’ll drop to my knees and thank you the same way I did in my cabin.”
The promise aroused his body in an instant, making him aware of what he’d been trying not to acknowledge, the warm weight of her between his legs as they rode, the spectacular curves of her backside against his thighs. The memory of their night in her cabin filled his thoughts, of her mouth around his shaft, so expertly drawing him toward a triumphant climax.
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that,” Vorik made himself say, though she’d gotten him hard with the mere suggestion of intimacy. Their time together was always amazing. Why couldn’t they be lovers instead of enemies?
“Are you sure?” Syla’s eyebrows rose. “We’re all alone out here. Who would know?”
“Not quite alone.” Vorik patted Agrevlari’s scales.
“Does your dragon object to us having sex?”
“I think he would only object if we did it on hisback.”
“Then you’ll definitely need to return me to my people. You were probably too busy sabotaging things to notice, but there are comfortable beds on Bogberry Island.”
“I wish we could have spent time in one.”
“Me too.” She gazed at him, her lips parted, and the comment seemed genuine.
Oh, he knew she wanted to escape the fate he’d promised her, but he also believed she would have liked to spend more time with him. When they were together, her body came alive to his touch. That was real. He knew it was.
When he didn’t answer, Syla looked forward again, but she also leaned back into him, letting her weight settle fully against his chest. Not hesitating, he wrapped his arms around her. As her warm body molded to him, his groin stiffened with eager anticipation.
Nothing is going to happen, he told it with an eye roll. But with Syla so close, he couldn’t resist kissing her on the side of her neck, then resting his chin on her shoulder. He wished he could ask Agrevlari to change routes. Maybe he couldn’t take her back to her islands, but did hehaveto take her to the stormer camp? For an interrogation? What if they went somewhere else? Anywhere else?
