Page 58 of In the Embrace of Dragons

A few hours later,Syzari and I are still lost in conversation, sitting in one of the bigger rooms where the former queen once held meetings. Daina snoozes on the floor by my feet. We’ve come up with a list of possible incentives—giving away land for homesteading, offering gold to those whocome, and sending dragons to the human kingdom as recruiters.

“Humans are intimidated by dragons,” I explain. “They would need your presence to become more commonplace, to learn for themselves that our peoples are very alike.”

Syzari nods and jots down a note. She’s about to say something else when the door opens.

“Syzari,” comes Vizarios’s voice, “I was looking over?—”

He falls silent when he notices me sitting there, and his brows rise nearly to his horns. Ragnakor stands in the doorway behind him.

“Nissia?” Vizarios asks. “What are you doing here?” His tone of voice is so disbelieving that I can’t help but take offense.

I cross my arms. “Well, Syzari asked me for my help, so here I am.”

The king glances at his advisor for confirmation, and that annoys me even more.

“We’re discussing the labor shortage and approaches for rectifying it,” Syzari says. “The queen has much insight for me.”

His gaze slides back over to me, and it’s appraising. I don’t like that look of judgment.

“What?” I ask, bristling. “Am I just a queen in name, or do you want me to do something with it to help?”

Vizarios holds up both hands in a peaceful gesture.

“I am not upset. Just surprised that you would want to be involved.”

“If you sensed a lack of interest, it is only because you never gave me the opportunity,” I say, unable to hide the resentment.

He opens his mouth, eyes narrowed as if to argue with me, but then he pauses.

“Well then, I’m glad Syzari has given you the opportunity,and I hope that you two are successful in your plans.” He swallows like this was a hard sentence to utter. “But I still need to ask some questions about these permit requests before I can grant them.”

It’s about time I take Daina to go to the bathroom, anyway, so I wake her up and snap on her leash. When I pass Vizarios on my way out, though, he holds up a hand and stops me. I’m surprised when he steps closer, so his body is only inches from mine, and lowers his head so he can speak directly into my ear.

“Later,” he says quietly, “I would like to speak with you further.” A shudder runs down my arms at the intimacy in his voice. He glances over his shoulder at Ragnakor. “Will the two of you train again today?”

Ragnakor shrugs. “It is up to the queen.”

“N-no,” I say, flustered. “I need a rest day.”

“Hmm.” The low rumble of Vizarios’s voice sends that shudder traveling even further down, into my abdomen. “Good. Wait for me in your room after dinner?”

“Oh. All right.”

His hand brushes over the curve of my hip as he walks past me into the room to sit down across from Syzari.

I shake my head, trying to escape my daze. I exchange a look with Ragnakor on my way out, but he shrugs as if he has no idea either.

RAGNAKOR

Vizarios has something planned. I’m pleased to see him showing his new wife affection, but it makes me suspicious, too.

Dutifully, I wait outside the door while the king andSyzari work. I wonder what this all might have to do with what he dragged out of me last night—with my admission that I harbor feelings for Queen Nissia.

I’m still surprised he wasn’t angry with me. He has turned over a new leaf, and I thought that was because his need to mate again had grown too great and he had no other choice. But a dragon in the early throes of a bond is typically protective and jealous of their new relationship.

Then again, we both released our scent glands on one another when we last had sex. We claimed each other then, too.

What does it mean? I still don’t understand as Vizarios and Syzari wrap up for the night, having eaten dinner while working.