Acion fell, as a man would.
How would she explain the broken light in his brow? Would she conclude he was a cyborg? That seemed probable, especially when he took the blow like a man.
Acion made it look as if he hit his head on the floor and let his body go limp. He turned on all of his sensors, determined to gather as much data as he could.
She leaned over him, still poised to fight. She had a light as well, because Acion saw its illumination through his eyelids but he didn’t open his eyes to look. She surveyed him. She checked that he was breathing.
Then, to his astonishment, she touched her lips to his, a gesture of intimacy that sent a strange fire through his body.
“Mine,” she whispered, her claim giving him a strange thrill. She then seized his ankle and dragged him from the chamber back into the corridor, once again showing that remarkable strength.
Where was she taking him? What would she do with him once they reached their destination? Would she take him closer to the royal chambers? Would she present him as a prize to the king? Or was she a spy of some kind?
Why claim him as her own? That and her kiss hinted at a more private conquest, although there was no telling what sexual practices were common on Incendium. Those details were lacking from his brief, much to Acion’s annoyance. He found incomplete information caused unnecessary inefficiencies and it was unlike the Hive to be sloppy.
The details must not be known.
Or not available to him at this time.
The woman dragged him, her ability to do so despite his considerable weight only buttressing to the probability of his conclusion. Acion tabulated to the best of his abilities, but her destination, once he recognized what it was, astonished him all the same.
* * *
“The princess has abandoned her own plan,” Ector said to his subordinate, Salvon, knowing his concern was clear.
“Women can be impulsive,” Salvon replied. They watched the security display together, their uncertainty palpable. “She did command that we not tell the king of her activities.”
“But her welfare is our responsibility. Why would she change the plan?”
Salvon caught his breath as the princess flung down her prize at the end of the corridor. She approached the barred door there with its glowing lock and raised one hand.
The Hoard.
“She wouldn’t,” whispered Salvon in horror. Princess Thalina gave the command and the door to the Hoard slid open. Both men winced.
“She is,” corrected Ector. “I must tell the king.”
* * *
The Seed had a power that Thalina hadn’t anticipated. Its scent awakened her senses, fed her desire, and made it impossible to think of anything other than mating with Acion. It awakened a desire to possess that was so primal and overwhelming that Thalina was shocked. It gave her a strength beyond her usual abilities, as well, and a sense of invincibility.
There was no question of denying its demand.
She’d known that Acion’s reaction would be quick, and she had hoped that hers was quicker. Against a non-shifting mortal, she knew she’d be faster—against a cyborg or android, she wasn’t sure. The uncertainty had added a little more spice to their first fight.
But he had let her win. Thalina was curious about that choice, but glad of it. She didn’t want to shift shape in his presence, not yet. She didn’t want to reveal all of her secrets.
Not until she had the Seed.
The Seed changed her plan, too. She wouldn’t claim him in a dirty storage room in the bowels of the palace. That deed deserved dignity and honor. Cleanliness and comfort. She didn’t dare take him to her chambers without knowing what threat he posed to her father or family, if any. There was only one place close enough that would suffice. She hauled his weight to the entry to her father’s treasury, commanded the portal to open, and smiled as the armored interior was revealed.
The Hoard was a fortress. The walls were of the strongest metal known to their kind. The doors couldn’t be forced open, and the chamber could be defended from within. The treasury had been built as a safe room and sanctuary, a last place to defend in the case of the worst siege. It dated from the era of Scintillon himself and was the oldest part of the palace, though it had been buttressed as the palace had been built around it.
No one would be able to interfere.
And Acion wouldn’t be able to escape.
Thalina dragged him into the Hoard, knowing that she would be pursued and soon. The guards would be too late, though. She was in. She laid her hand upon the panel beside the door for her print to be scanned.
“Secure portal,” she commanded and the doors closed. A sequence of hidden latches clicked in rapid succession.
They were safe, at least until Ouros commanded the portal to open. There was no door in Incendium that could be barred against the king.
She should be quick.
“Illuminate,” Thalina commanded and torches sprang to light around the perimeter of the room. They were mounted in the walls, well above Thalina’s head in her human form, and powered by a crystal generator buried beneath the floor. The lights and the generator itself warmed the floor, taking the chill of stone from the refuge.
The chamber of the Hoard was round and of considerable size, built to accommodate the dimensions of the royal family in their dragon forms. No earlier King of Incendium had had as many children as Ouros, and Thalina had to admit that it would be a bit cramped for her and her eleven sisters as well as their parents to take refuge in the Hoard, if they had all assumed their dragon forms.
The Hoard held the sum of Ouros’ treasury, gold and gems and jewels inventoried and stacked behind numbered panels in the walls. Most believed that the wealth of the Hoard was in those material treasures, but Thalina knew better. The more important panels secured information and records.
In the middle of the chamber was a fountain that splashed, providing clean water and a welcome noise, one that disguised the truth of the occupants being essentially buried alive. To one side were stores of foodstuffs, preserved and compressed to provide sufficient nourishment to the family and their retainers for the duration of a long siege. There were couches and tables, games and pastimes, as well as monitors of the world beyond the Hoard. Those monitors were currently dark, and Thalina intended to keep them that way.
“Full defensive mode,” Thalina commanded as she tugged Acion to a couch beside the fountain. Plates of metal slid into place over the door, securing them inside, and she felt his interest.
She was glad he was awake.
She then strode to the bank of displays. “Kill monitors and key release to a single word in my voice,” she said, turning slightly to watch Acion. “The command that secures Princess Callida’s diary will be the word.”
Acion’s eyes flicked. Thalina knew he was searching his databanks for references, but he wouldn’t find that one.
Callida didn’t think anyone knew it, and it was only an accident that Thalina did. Her sister would have to be added to the security loop to approve the release, but that was incidental. Thalina needed a word that Acion couldn’t possibly know or figure out.
Callida might not be overly inclined to reveal her code word to the security forces of the palace—she’d have to vent frustration with Thalina over the violation of privacy first—but Thalina didn’t intend to use the release word soon.
It could take a long time to ensure that she had the Seed.
She wanted at least the day and night that she’d ordered, and wondered if her father would allow it.
She had best begin the seduction soon, not that the scent of the Seed allowed any other possibilities to enter her thoughts. She licked her lips without meaning to do as much, and knew that Acion noted the gesture.
“This is not the agreed protocol,” came a voice.
“I’ve changed it due to an unexpected development.”
There was a pause. “Of course, princess,” Ector ceded, and she was sure he??
?d already sent word to her father.
Thalina watched Acion scan the room through narrowed eyes, his gaze lingering for the merest instant on three points. She’d bet that was where the speakers were hidden. “We will secure Princess Callida’s assistance in this matter. Portal sealed. Oxygen feeding. Monitors off in three…two…one.”
There was an audible click and then silence.
“I know you’re awake,” Thalina said. “And I know you let me win. Will you tell me why?”
Acion opened his eyes. He sat up and openly surveyed the room, then surveyed her.
Assessed her.
Thalina could almost hear his processors sorting and discarding courses of action.
“This is the Hoard,” he said, no question in his voice.
“It is.”
“Why would you bring an intruder to the treasury of Incendium?”
“Because it’s the one place we can’t be easily interrupted.”
Their gazes locked and held for a long moment, and she was interested that he didn’t ask the obvious question. Instead he stood, then walked toward her with steady steps. Thalina didn’t move, but she thrilled at the scent of the Seed drawing near. Her heart was thundering and she wondered if he knew it.
Acion stopped right in front of her, looking and undoubtedly gathering her biometrics. “You are not what you appear to be,” he said, without inflection. “It is unlikely that a serving maid would have such authority, although she might know that secret word.”
“And you’re not what you appear to be,” she countered. It was fascinating to watch him gather information and choose his reaction. He was a much more sophisticated device than any of the automatons she’d taken apart to study.
Acion regarded her, his head slightly tilted. It was a good imitation of curiosity, so good that she wondered if he could be curious. “I do not understand your meaning.” He gestured to himself. “I am precisely as I appear to be.” His voice warmed, as if he sought to gain her trust, and Thalina wasn’t fooled.
She braced herself for his move. The scent of the Seed sent a confusing heat through her body and she hoped it didn’t slow her reactions too much.
It did. Acion abruptly closed the distance and seized her tightly before she could evade him. His arms locked around her again, and Thalina felt her body respond to his touch once more, long enough that he caught her by surprise.
It took a moment for Thalina to realize that he held a knife at her throat. Interestingly, it was an actual weapon, a knife from his belt, not a device hidden within his fingertips.
“You will aid my escape from this chamber and ensure my access to the palace, whoever you are,” he growled into her ear. “Use the release word.”
Thalina laughed. “I won’t.” She felt the tip of the knife move against her throat. She rubbed herself against him a little and was glad to feel his body’s reaction. Her new confidence was clear in her tone. “The odds of you injuring me without being certain of my identity is very low, perhaps one in three.”
He paused for just an instant, considering that.
Thalina twisted in his grip in that moment, wanting to watch his eyes as he worked through the ramifications.
“You are very sure,” he said softly, his face very close to hers.
“Completely sure,” Thalina agreed in a whisper. “Because I know that you’re not a thief, breaking into the palace, which is what I’d expect of someone who forced entry through a neglected portal. You’re certainly not desperate or cornered, and you won’t make such a foolish decision as to hurt the one person, maybe the only person, who could help you complete your mission.”
His gaze flicked. “My mission?”
“To deliver a gift to the king.”
“There is a second security feed,” he concluded, no doubt in his tone.
“Of course. Dragons don’t like being surprised.”
It was a hint but one he didn’t take. Thalina wondered if his ability to adapt to new information was being overwhelmed. She doubted it. There must be more variables to consider than she’d realized. “But how could you know my mission?”
“If I saw one security feed, what are the probabilities I would have seen another?”
His eyes narrowed. “Ninety-six per cent.” His lips tightened. “The probability that a serving maid would have seen either is negligible. Who are you?”
“Why would I surrender my one advantage so quickly?”
“You would not,” he murmured. His grip upon her had loosened slightly.
Thalina pushed the blade of his knife aside with a fingertip. “I think we should negotiate,” she said, running a hand over his shoulder. “Are you a cyborg or an android?”
He put a little distance between them, but didn’t lower the knife even as he regarded her with new wariness. He certainly didn’t answer her question. “Are you one of the fabled sirens of Incendium’s marketplace?”
“No, although I’m intrigued that you would ask.” Thalina said and stretched to touch her lips to his throat. She could feel his pulse there and the warmth of his skin. “It seems we have a certain urge in common.” No matter whether he was augmented or fully android, intimacy might be the best way to investigate his abilities. “Let’s make a deal, Acion,” she whispered into his ear.
His gaze swept over her again, then lingered on her mouth. “I see no cause to bargain.”
“No? Even though the door is sealed forever, without my release command?”
“I could compel you to give it.”
Thalina shook her head. “You won’t.”
“All beings can be persuaded to part with information.”
“Not this one.”
Their gazes locked again. She liked to watch the automatons work, but this was infinitely better. Was there a way she could see the workings that led him to make decisions? “You are not in a position to barter.”
“Neither are you.” Thalina decided to provoke him with a guess. “Unless it’s your goal to rust away in the darkness here, sealed forever in a chamber designed to provide shelter for years.”
“Rust,” he echoed, tilting his head again. “A whimsical choice of word.”
“Rust,” Thalina repeated. She touched his finger, the one with the hinged tip that concealed a tiny saw. “A perfectly apt choice of word for an android.” She kissed him below the jaw and saw his throat work. “But you’re not just any android, are you, Acion?”
He spun away from her touch then, retreating to pace. He took a deep breath and glared at her when he reached the couch beside the fountain. “You are neither serving maid nor whore. You are not a guard in the king’s service. Who are you and what do you desire of me?”
“I want the truth, first of all,” Thalina replied. “Tell me why you came to the palace.”
“That information is not available to you at this time.”
“What gift did you bring the king?”
“That information is not available to anyone at this time.”
“Show it to me, then.”
He straightened and folded his arms across his chest, looking both formidable and resolute. No machine could appear so enticing. He must be a cyborg. “That request does not cohere with the instructions in my assignment.”
Thalina took slow steps toward him, as if she stalked him. She supposed she was stalking him. She liked how avidly he watched her and deliberately took a deep breath, savoring the scent of the Seed. His eyes brightened and she knew he noticed her body’s reaction.
“Who sent you?” she asked.
“That information is not available to you at this time.”
She stopped in front of him, folding her arms across her chest. She saw him glance down at her cleavage, then swallow. “But here’s what I really want to know,” she whispered. “How can you be the Carrier of the Seed?”
She’d shocked him. Thalina saw that immediately. He frowned and looked down at her in confusion, then his eyes revealed that he was reviewing the informati
on he had about Incendium. “The Carrier of the Seed is the man who can impregnate one of the royal dragon shifter princesses of Incendium,” he said, as if reciting from a reference source. Thalina supposed that was exactly what he was doing. “This cannot be the case. You are testing my knowledge of Incendium in an attempt to put me at a disadvantage…”
Thalina closed her hand over his erection and he inhaled sharply before he stopped speaking. He was scanning her, seeking the solution to the mystery in her eyes. He was hard in her grip, hard enough that she tingled in anticipation of claiming him. He took a slow breath and she knew he was assessing the magnitude of her arousal.
“You are the Carrier of the Seed,” she murmured. “Your sensors are providing evidence of my response to that truth.”
His voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. “But that means that you are one of the dragon shifter princesses of Incendium.”
Thalina smiled. “It does. It also means that you must be a cyborg, not an android.”
His gaze flicked.
Thalina was intrigued. “An android couldn’t be the Carrier of the Seed.”
Acion ignored her comment. “It is my understanding that dragon shifters cannot deny the opportunity to accept the Seed.”
“That is correct.”
He nodded slightly, apparently reassured. “So, the wager you would logically propose would be my surrender of the Seed in exchange for my freedom from the Hoard.”
“That would be an excellent start.” Thalina couldn’t resist the urge to tease him a little. “What would you calculate to be the probability of a successful exchange?”
“In excess of ninety-eight per cent,” he said immediately. “With some allowance for slight variations in our physical compatibility, coupling abilities, and sexual customs in our respective cultures.” Thalina knew her surprise at his precision showed. “I have the necessary programming and physical enhancements for sexual functionality and performed in the top percentile of my class in assessment.”
“What benchmarks were used in the assessment?” Thalina asked before she could stop herself.