callused hands gently caressing her. And even if she didn't, the egg certainly did.
Of all the dangers inherent in her task, this was surely the worst: the egg's insatiable curiosity. Natiya had never felt a man's arms around her before, not with such care and tenderness. She had never experienced it before, and so the egg demanded that she succumb to it, sending wave after wave of desire coursing through her. Experience this , it whispered into her mind. Allow this.
So she did. And worse, the governor began speaking, his words like tiny pebbles dropped one by one into her heart, causing ripples to echo throughout her entire body.
"You are not the only one to lose your family. The Emperor killed mine as well. Dag Jaseen was my cousin."
Her body jolted in shock. He was related to Dag Jaseen, the last dragonborn to challenge their ruler? The battle was said to have lasted days, but in the end, Dag Jaseen had lost. "But Dag Racho ordered all Jaseen's kin executed."
She felt him nod, his chin moving lightly against her temple. "All save one. His youngest cousin, who would be raised in the Racho court to serve as a reminder of what happens to any who challenge the Emperor."
"You?" she asked.
"Me." She felt a shudder flow through him into her, and she wondered at its cause. Was he remembering his cousin's death? The loss of his great family? Or perhaps he recalled the bitter aftermath when all he knew and loved was gone, and he became the plaything of an evil court.
It will not happen to us. We will win.
Natiya closed her eyes, knowing that the egg merely repeated what she had said to it so many times. They would not lose. They would destroy Dag Racho and his evil forever. And yet, she knew Dag Jaseen had thought exactly the same thing.
Suddenly the memories and the fears became too much. Spinning around in his arms, she shoved at his chest with all her strength. Caught unawares, the governor stumbled backward. But true to his athleticism, he did not move far.
"Why do you serve him?" she demanded, hating the way her voice trembled with the question. "He is evil and cruel. He killed your family! And yet you serve him with all your strength. Why?"
"For the same reason you dance for drunken louts night after night. Because I have to. Because he is stronger, and I am weaker, and this is the only way I can survive."
"By doing his bidding like a lapdog? By killing the very people who could save us from him?"
The governor's eyes darkened to granite. His voice sounded clipped and hard. "Have a care, dancer," he warned. "You speak treason."
"He killed your family!"
"And he will kill you if I do not find those caves. My parents are dead. So are yours. Now, do you wish to live or not?"
She stared at him. Truly, she was tempted. She knew where the clutch caves were located. She'd walked to them at least a dozen times with her parents. And one more time alone, after their deaths. She knew as well that the most valuable egg—the queen egg—was gone from the caves, for she held it tight in her navel. What would it hurt if she gave this man what he wanted? He would search the caves and find nothing.
She shook her head. "I know nothing," she lied. In truth, she knew that once she gave the tiniest bit of information, Dag Racho would hound her until her death. He had done it to others—other scholars, friends of her parents, even students. Paranoia ruled the Emperor. Thus, paranoia was the only way to survive in Ragona. It was best if she kept silent.
As if guessing her thoughts, the governor sighed, reaching out with a single hand to stroke her cheek. "Do not lie to me, Natiya. I am trying to help."
"You are saving your position and your life."
He shrugged. "That, too. But I truly am trying to make things better. For all of us."
"I know nothing," she repeated. "I was a child interested in dolls, not silly stories about dragons."
His hand fell heavily to his side, and yet she still felt his strokes as a tingling across her
Of all the dangers inherent in her task, this was surely the worst: the egg's insatiable curiosity. Natiya had never felt a man's arms around her before, not with such care and tenderness. She had never experienced it before, and so the egg demanded that she succumb to it, sending wave after wave of desire coursing through her. Experience this , it whispered into her mind. Allow this.
So she did. And worse, the governor began speaking, his words like tiny pebbles dropped one by one into her heart, causing ripples to echo throughout her entire body.
"You are not the only one to lose your family. The Emperor killed mine as well. Dag Jaseen was my cousin."
Her body jolted in shock. He was related to Dag Jaseen, the last dragonborn to challenge their ruler? The battle was said to have lasted days, but in the end, Dag Jaseen had lost. "But Dag Racho ordered all Jaseen's kin executed."
She felt him nod, his chin moving lightly against her temple. "All save one. His youngest cousin, who would be raised in the Racho court to serve as a reminder of what happens to any who challenge the Emperor."
"You?" she asked.
"Me." She felt a shudder flow through him into her, and she wondered at its cause. Was he remembering his cousin's death? The loss of his great family? Or perhaps he recalled the bitter aftermath when all he knew and loved was gone, and he became the plaything of an evil court.
It will not happen to us. We will win.
Natiya closed her eyes, knowing that the egg merely repeated what she had said to it so many times. They would not lose. They would destroy Dag Racho and his evil forever. And yet, she knew Dag Jaseen had thought exactly the same thing.
Suddenly the memories and the fears became too much. Spinning around in his arms, she shoved at his chest with all her strength. Caught unawares, the governor stumbled backward. But true to his athleticism, he did not move far.
"Why do you serve him?" she demanded, hating the way her voice trembled with the question. "He is evil and cruel. He killed your family! And yet you serve him with all your strength. Why?"
"For the same reason you dance for drunken louts night after night. Because I have to. Because he is stronger, and I am weaker, and this is the only way I can survive."
"By doing his bidding like a lapdog? By killing the very people who could save us from him?"
The governor's eyes darkened to granite. His voice sounded clipped and hard. "Have a care, dancer," he warned. "You speak treason."
"He killed your family!"
"And he will kill you if I do not find those caves. My parents are dead. So are yours. Now, do you wish to live or not?"
She stared at him. Truly, she was tempted. She knew where the clutch caves were located. She'd walked to them at least a dozen times with her parents. And one more time alone, after their deaths. She knew as well that the most valuable egg—the queen egg—was gone from the caves, for she held it tight in her navel. What would it hurt if she gave this man what he wanted? He would search the caves and find nothing.
She shook her head. "I know nothing," she lied. In truth, she knew that once she gave the tiniest bit of information, Dag Racho would hound her until her death. He had done it to others—other scholars, friends of her parents, even students. Paranoia ruled the Emperor. Thus, paranoia was the only way to survive in Ragona. It was best if she kept silent.
As if guessing her thoughts, the governor sighed, reaching out with a single hand to stroke her cheek. "Do not lie to me, Natiya. I am trying to help."
"You are saving your position and your life."
He shrugged. "That, too. But I truly am trying to make things better. For all of us."
"I know nothing," she repeated. "I was a child interested in dolls, not silly stories about dragons."
His hand fell heavily to his side, and yet she still felt his strokes as a tingling across her
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