“If they were going to make another move, they would have by now.”
Pryce was pacing around the living room after they’d tugged the arrow from the wall and bagged it. It was now sitting next to Nina’s trashcan. She and Eli were watching him pace, going over what he’d just told them and trying to reconcile his life story with what they’d always known about Outcast dragons.
“There’s a network of Outcasts,” he’d explained. “We didn’t just fade into obscurity. We have neighborhoods and schools and clinics and gatherings—nothing as grandiose as those provided by the Council, of course. All underground. Some of it is literally underground. Usually lined with some kind of protective stones and barriers, like enchanted hematite.”
“They told us Outcasts didn’t group together often,” Eli was muttering. He looked like something inside him had snapped, keeping him suspended between disbelief and mania.
“Well, we do.” Pryce said shortly. “Certain people know that. And your parents, Miss Henry, knew it, too. Your mother had contact with the Outcasts all her life, and she was one of the people involved in testing the altered Reading platforms for discrepancies. The ones we had told her she’d give birth to a queen. You,” he said pointedly.
“How did you find all this out?” Nina asked now, her head spinning. She was actually gripping an arm of the couch to steady herself. Picturing her parents as rebels with ties to Outcasts was too much to handle.
Pryce stopped pacing. “The Outcast network has fingers everywhere, and it turns out there’s a whole arm dedicated to bringing this special prophecy to fruition. Years ago, some older Outcasts uncovered evidence that someone had broken into the Council and tampered with some of the Reading equipment. They covered it up, probably embarrassed that they’d allowed a breach, but we started digging. It’s a hobby of us Outcasts to try and pick up the slack the Council doesn’t bother with,” he said bitterly. “Some of our guys who were well-versed in Reading found out the stones’ magic had been tampered with.”
“How?” Eli asked weakly.
“I can’t explain it, I’d have to take you to one of our technicians.” He peered at Nina. “We should move. We shouldn’t stay here, at least not until we can put up some kind of barrier.”
“I have to tell my sister,” Nina said as she stood up. “I’ll call her, tell her this place is off limits. She can stay with her parents.”
Distantly, she was aware that she’d called Nat and Desmond her parents instead of our parents; she’d spent the last half hour dealing with the reality of her birth parents’ deaths and felt unusually close to their memories as a result. Had her parents known they would die? They must have. There wasn’t time to probe Pryce for more answers, but she couldn’t stop the questions from buzzing around her head. Tears started to spill over her lashes as she shoved clothes and toiletries into a duffel bag. Did they really believe I could be a queen?
Don’t you? said a small voice in her head.
No, she thought sadly. I don’t.
Eli poked his head into her bedroom and dropped his eyes when he saw her tears.
“We’re going to stay at Pryce’s hotel. He has some protection up, and we’ll take turns guarding the perimeter while you sleep.”
Nina shook her head mournfully. “How can I sleep with all these questions I need answered?”
Eli took a step into the room but appeared hesitant to go any further. “Maybe I can help?”
Nina smiled and looked at him curiously. “What do you mean?”
Eli smiled back, blushing slightly. “I thought we could... do some reading.”
Nina froze, taken aback by his sudden change of heart. He saw the confusion on her face and chuckled.
“I want to put you at ease,” he said. “I don’t have time for relationships or dates, but I have time to take care of you. And this is one of the best ways I’ve found to relieve stress, even if it’s just temporarily.” He paused, gauging her reaction. “What do you say?”
“Yes,” Nina said immediately. “I say yes.”
Eli closed the door behind him. He took another hesitant step, then crossed the room swiftly and took her in his arms, holding her with a strength his slim body belied. Nina was so shocked that she didn’t react at first, but when he bent to press his lips to hers, all of the desire she’d tucked away earlier blossomed and took over her actions. She slipped her arms around his strong shoulders and held the back of his head as his tongue gently separated her lips and hungrily sought hers. Eli’s hands were on the small of her back, but they seemed to be struggling to stay there; after a moment, Nina took them and slid them downward, cupping his fingers around the firmness of her ass as she pressed her body closer to his. She ground her hips against his; a rush of moisture graced her panties as she felt how hard he was beneath his neatly pressed slacks.
He broke away for a moment, dark green eyes smoldering with need. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes,” Nina breathed, and fell backward on the bed as she pulled him on top of her.
She didn’t remember undressing, but his mouth was on her bare breast a moment later. They were moving quickly but with exquisite care; neither wanted Pryce to hear them, but they also didn’t want to arouse his suspicion by taking too long in the bedroom.
Eli teased her nipple with several long, slow strokes of his tongue, and Nina gasped and arched her back, bringing her breasts closer to his tender touch. He gazed up at her as he sucked her right nipple into his mouth, keeping her gaze while one hand separated her legs and the other took hold of the base of his rigid cock. He pressed the head of himself on the slippery opening of her warmest place and pulled back from her nipple. One of his hands slid beneath her waist, the other moved up to brush some of her wavy black hair away from her eyes. His gaze was saturated with affection and lust, and it melted her self-control; the weight of it snapped apart her need to prolong the moment between them, and now all she wanted was to have him inside of her.
Nina wrapped her thighs around his hips and pulled him inside of her with one sharp movement. They both cried out as Eli slid inside her to his hilt, pushing into her tight, wet entrance; their eyes were so close that Nina could count every lash surrounding his emerald gaze. His body was slender, but he was well-muscled, and as he began to stroke, his hips moved so emphatically that Nina’s body was pushed upward on her bed.
This is unreal, she thought; his movements were blissfully skilled, but that wasn’t surprising to her. What was surprising to her was that her own dragon essence stirred as he thrusted, her energy rushing beneath the surface of her skin like a hidden river. Everywhere their skin touched, her nerves vibrated with joy, and he planted warm kisses on her skin that felt like tiny brush fires as he lifted his mouth away. His head crashed against her g-spot, bringing ecstatic moans from her each time he rushed inside her. Nina tugged on his caramel-colored locks as he slid out, trying as hard as she could to translate her pleasure to movement instead of sound.
“You feel incredible,” Eli whispered as his hips slammed into hers. “God, I don’t think I can stand it much longer!”
Nina didn’t reply—she couldn’t. His strokes were quickening and growing harder, and her walls were tightening around him as she neared her peak. The weight of his body collided with her clit each time he buried himself inside her, and little shocks of ecstasy rolled through her as he pressed against the sensitive nub. Eli kissed her roughly, and a wave of his firm, velvety energy collided with a wave of hers, pushing her to climax so quickly that she couldn’t have drawn breath in time to scream if she wanted to.
“I’m coming,” she whispered in his ear. “Harder, please!”
Eli was plunging in and out of Nina using every bit of strength he had, causing the bedsprings to sing as their bodies collided. He leaned down to kiss her neck and muffle his soft moans; the next moment, his teeth were gently closing on her skin as his thrusts grew deeper and more frantic. She locked her thighs around his hips and bucked her body against his, reveling in the incredible energy pouring out of him as he exploded inside of her. Her body released its own tidal of wave of ecstasy at the same moment, and Nina threw her head back and closed her eyes, unable to believe an orgasm from a stranger could feel so right.
“Oh my God,” she murmured.
Eli collapsed on top of her, then rolled off, chest heaving. His tightly muscled abdomen was glistening with sweat.
“Oh my God is right,” he said breathlessly.
A comfortable silence settled over them. They smiled sheepishly at each other, and Nina stood and began dressing. Eli followed, sneaking glances at her as she wiggled back into her panties and bra. His gaze was slightly proprietary, and a shiver of pleasure raced down her spine.
I can’t believe that happened, she thought giddily. I just had sex with my Reader. Is that allowed?
When she turned to find him fully dressed, he was smiling faintly, a glint in his eyes. She wondered if he’d read her question in her energy.
“Your ceremony won’t be affected by this,” he said a moment later.
Nina laughed. “I have to learn how to cloak my energy. This is too easy for you.”
Eli smoothed his hair down. “Listen…”
Nina looked over at him and tried to decipher the expression on his handsome face. She felt the uncertain energy coming off him; it felt guilty and fearful at the same time. I get it.
“You already told me,” Nina said softly. “You don’t have time for relationships. I know this was a no-strings, thing. No worries, okay?”
His blue eyes were still concerned. “I do think you’re great, Nina. And I know that sounds strange, since I’ve only known you for a few hours. But... you're different,” he said. “I don’t know how else to put it.”
Yeah, I’ve heard that before, she couldn't help thinking. Why is it that guys try the ‘you’re special’ thing when it’s clear you’re not special enough?
Eli seemed to sense that he’d said something wrong. Instead of leaving, he attempted to salvage it.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Nina—”
“You didn’t,” she interrupted. She smiled to try to soften the harshness of her tone. “Really. I’m just tired and a little scared.” She paused. “And confused, because I still feel the need to ask Pryce a million questions.”
“I know how you feel, at least partially. Everything he’s saying goes against what the Council told me. It doesn’t make sense. He shouldn’t have this power—none of them should. It makes no sense that they’d be able to sense a change in the Reading equipment when the Council couldn’t.”
“But they did,” Nina objected. She looked at Eli’s chiseled features as she shifted his gaze. “You see that, right? Don’t you believe him?”
He paused for a long time before bringing his eyes back to hers. “I believe something is going on that’s put you in danger. That’s all I need to know.”
Anger uncurled inside of Nina, and she wasn’t sure why. She just knew she didn’t want to look at him or his careful expression anymore.
“Get out. I have to call my sister.”
Eli looked stricken. “Nina, I’m sorry if I—”
“Out!”
Eli spun on his heel and left, closing the door behind him.
In the end, she had to leave a message for Rachel, and she left a note on the coffee table in case she didn’t get the message. Pryce didn’t give any indication that he’d heard what had happened, though she knew that he must have felt their energies if he was as skilled as he claimed. Nina sat in the backseat with her duffel bag and insisted Pryce sit up front with Eli. She was burning with rage and confusion, both infused with a sense of loss.
This was supposed to be a happy day. Instead, it’s the worst day of my life so far. Then, as she thought of the day her parents died, second worst. Close second.
The hotel Pryce was staying at was generically elegant. There were two beds in the room, and Pryce unfolded a bed from the sofa to take while Eli and Nina got into beds of their own. No one spoke, because everything that needed to be said had already been aired. Nina wanted to ask more questions, but she was suddenly too tired to form any.
Somehow, amidst the storm of emotions inside her, she fell asleep. Thankfully, she didn’t dream.
***
“Okay, so the main thing you have to remember is this: be respectful.”
They were zooming toward the American Council’s headquarters in Eli’s car. It turned out to be about thirty miles away from Pryce’s hotel, and Nina wondered if he chose it for that reason.
“Okay.”
Eli looked at her nervously. The tiff they’d gotten into last night was forgotten, and so was the passionate tangle they’d had before leaving her apartment.
“I’m thinking that after we schedule the ceremony... we’ll mention that someone tried to kill you last night.” His casual phrasing was betrayed by the tremulous tone of his voice. “We won’t be able to keep that from them anyway. But the barrier I put around you should stop them from seeing that you know about an Outcast network.”
Nina smiled, even though her stomach felt like it was full of snakes. “You don’t feel bad deceiving the Council?”
“I do,” he admitted. “But it’s not such a big deal. I’m sure they know about the Outcasts.”
Silently, Nina agreed with him. It seemed too big an issue for the powerful dragons of the Council to be unaware of.
“They probably kept it from us because they don’t want us to be afraid of the idea that thousands of dragons are running around outside the Council’s control,” Eli continued thoughtfully. “They can’t track an Outcast, because without a bond, they can’t feel their essence from a distance. In any case, that’s not the most important thing. The important thing is to get protection for you so you can work the rest out on your own time.”
Nina turned toward him. “You’re not going to help?”
He was silent for a long time. “I want to, Nina. I really do. But all of this feels so strange to me.”
“You don’t think it feels strange to me?” she asked, laughing. “My life has changed so much in the last twenty-four hours. Not only did my parents not die in a tragic plane crash, I’m some kind of royalty meant to destroy the authority of the Council.”
“We’ll just keep that under wraps, too,” Eli said tersely.
They were pulling into a half-filled parking structure in front of a huge stretch of smooth, empty blacktop. Nina looked out of the side of the building as they got out of the car. The expanse of pavement stretched on for at least a mile in either direction, but there were no buildings in sight.
“Where’s the headquarters?” she asked, turning to Eli.
He smiled and pointed to a bank of elevators. “This way.”
Nina followed Eli into the elevator with her heart in her throat. There was only a single button besides STOP, EMERGENCY and HOLD DOOR: a bright red button that read DOWN.
It barely felt like they were moving at all. They were dropping for what felt like a full sixty seconds; finally, the elevator touched down with a soft thump and the doors parted smoothly, revealing a gleaming, white-tiled entryway shaped in a half-circle with a dozen silver doors lining its curved walls. A hundred feet ahead of them stood a circular desk manned by a plump, smiling redhead. The ceilings were incredibly high, and as Nina stretched her eyes upward, she saw that they were painted with superbly-detailed scenes of dragon history she recognized from her childhood books: Japanese dragons finding the trove of opal that would build the base of their palatial Council building, international dragons locked in a battle in the midst of the civil war that birthed the first Council, the crafting of the giant Rose Quartz that would become the lynchpin of the Greater Horde, and others Nina didn’t recognize off the top of her head.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Eli said under his breath. Nina saw how fiercely his eyes shone as he gazed at the paintings. “Even after five years, it never fails to take my breath away.”
She felt a surge of affection looking at his striking features and the awe that overtook them. Neither of them had spoken about the tension between them, but the blush that rushed to his cheeks when he caught Nina gazing at him told her he hadn’t forgotten their evening together.
The redheaded woman at the desk saved them from having to address it. “Can I help you dears?”
“Eli Nelson and Nina Henry to see the Council for her Emergence Appointment,” Eli said as the color faded from his cheeks.
The woman regarded a slim computer screen for a moment, frowning behind her owlish spectacles. “Nelson and Henry…. Nelson and Henry…. ah! Yes, here it is. You can go right in through door six.”
Eli gave Nina an encouraging smile and led her toward the middlemost door.
I hope the protection charm holds, she thought nervously. There was magic that no dragon could easily get past, even Council dragons, and internal protection charms were one of them. They could be broken, but it took immense strength and time—and you couldn’t do it without the target noticing. Dragons valued their privacy too much to find a simple way around this blockade. Still, Nina was terrified of having her personal quest exposed before it even had a chance to begin.
The door opened to a room that was vastly different from the one they’d just left. It was much smaller, and where the entryway was a palace of bright white light, this room was a fortress made of shadow and flame. As they crossed the threshold, Nina felt a wave of comfort wash over her—it felt like she was walking into a sacred space. Darkened cobblestone lined every inch of the room, and the sudden sensation of peace combined with the hum under Nina’s feet told her the place had been enchanted as well. An enormous fireplace to their left was loaded with logs and crackling merrily, illuminating the room so that you could just barely see the long table ahead where four figures sat.
How on earth am I going to look any of them in the eye?
As soon as the thought finished, the fire roared and stretched to fill every inch of the hearth, throwing more light into the room so that the corners sank into deeper shadow. She wondered if the fire had responded to her musing. The next moment, Nina’s heart nearly stopped as a deep voice sounded, low and sonorous and so commanding it shook her bones.
“Nina Henry of the Blue Valley Horde, I am Eka, head of the Council. Here with me are Lylah, head of discipline; Osrik of international relations; Cedric, second in command; and Imelda, my guard.” A fifth figure, she saw, was lurking in the corner.
Nina froze for a second, her mind blanking on what it was that she was supposed to do. Then she sank to her knees and dropped her head, keeping her voice even. “Mighty Council, I Nina Henry, have come to request an Emergence Ceremony.”
“Rise, Nina,” Eka commanded. “We are well met.”
His voice was firm, but there was an underlying kindness to it that soothed her rattled nerves; he was the only one of the Council who genuinely looked happy to be there with her, instead of bored or irritated.
Nina got to her feet and blinked slowly, staring at the faces opposite her as her eyes adjusted to the new level of brightness in the room. Eka was on the far left. His skin was the color of cocoa and as wrinkled as a prune; he looked frail, but Nina could feel the power emanating from him all the way across the room. His hands were joined on the table in front of him, the sleeves of his black Council robes hiding his limbs. Despite the wave of energy rolling from him, his golden eyes were warm and inviting, like a pat of butter melting into oatmeal.
The woman next to him evoked no warmth. “You’ve heard your prophecy?” she asked curtly, her beady black eyes probing Nina as though she knew she had a secret. Her white-blonde hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and her face was far younger than her cold voice suggested. “And are satisfied with its message? You may address me as Lylah.”
“I am, Lylah,” Nina said nervously.
The woman smiled, and the gesture was as chilly as her voice.
The man next to Lylah leaned forward and smiled as well. When he spoke, Nina wondered if it was her nerves or if there really was a frisson of hostility running beneath his tone. “I’m Osrik. Your Reader explained everything to you thoroughly? We don’t want any misunderstandings, do we Mr. Nelson?”
Nina looked at Eli, who was blushing deeply for some reason, then back at Osrik, whose hawkish features were shifting in the flickering firelight. “He explained it very well, sir.”
They all regarded the pair of them with unreadable expressions on their faces. The last man didn’t speak at all, just nodded his large, square-ish head and wrote something down on a pad of paper in front of him. He was a few shades lighter than Eka, and Nina deduced he was Cedric.
“If you’re sure, then we’ll set your Emergence Ceremony for one month from now. Agreed?”
The other Council members grumbled their agreement, and Nina looked at Eli sharply. A month? It normally isn’t pushed out for more than a week, right?
Again, it was as though she’d spoken her thoughts aloud. “We have set your appointment so far back because we have something we’d like to talk to you about.”
Nina’s heart began to beat wildly, but she willed herself to stay calm. This doesn’t mean what you think it means, she thought, trying to keep her panic vague. Just listen.
“We have taken notice of your power,” Eka continued, his deep voice booming through the darkened room. “Both the reports of your teacher Joseph and your prophecy suggest you have a unique ability.” His eyes twinkled. “You’re going to be an invaluable asset the dragon community— if you choose to become bonded with us.”
Eka waved one of his ancient hands, and the figure in the corner of the room came forward with a photograph. She was short—shorter than Nina, at least—and slim, but incredibly muscular, with black hair cut close and curling around her ears. She held the photograph in front of Nina, who examined it in the low light as best as she could.
It was a giant Rose Quartz jewel. It was half the size of a sedan and had a wheel-sized hole in the middle, as though it were a jagged pink ring for an enormous finger.
“That’s the Rose Quartz jewel that all of dragonkind bonds to during their Ceremony,” Eka continued. “As you likely know, the stone is what allows us to come into our full power and enjoy the many benefits of being a bonded dragon. What you may not know is that stone used to be far more powerful. Far, far more.” His expression was grim now. “Over time, its power weakened, and we’re not sure why. Numerous magical technicians were brought in to examine it, and they all said the same thing: it needed to be cleansed of dark energy in order to avoid the extinction of dragonkind. Do you understand?”
Nina felt faint, and her head was spinning. “We’ll die out,” she said.
Eka nodded. “Yes. We may be fine for the next five years, maybe even ten, but beyond that, there will be a noticeable weakening of each of our essences, individually.” He sighed, and the roaring fire shrank into itself before slowly growing back to full height. “Our powers will stop working, one-by-one, and our hallowed grounds will be rendered nothing more than pretty palaces and patches of nature. We’ll be unable to reproduce any longer very soon, so the dragons will really be no more.”
And then everything my parents worked for will be obsolete. Nothing will matter.
Eka peered at her. “Of course, the jewel can be restored to its former glory to avoid this. Not only will it save us, dragons will be able to regain their lost powers.”
Nina spoke before she could stop herself. “Lost powers?”
Lylah looked scandalized at her outburst, but Eka smiled. “The powers you may have heard in tales told to you as a child. Immortality, clairvoyance, manipulation of space—and, to some extent, time.”
Nina heard Eli gasp next to her. The only reason Nina hadn’t was that the air had been sapped from her lungs as she listened to him. This must be what the prophecy meant. I’m the key and the door. I’m going to help save dragonkind and allow it regain its glory—back to what it used to be. She was suddenly dizzy with euphoria. I’ll finally be a real dragon, right at the center of everything. I’ll be the dragon that brought everyone into their rightful power!
“Should you be able to do this, you would be awarded power and authority beyond your wildest dreams. The only thing is that this requires some sacrifice,” Eka said soberly. He was gazing at her so attentively that Nina had the sensation of being held under a microscope. “You’d have to live here, in the headquarters, for thirty three days and nights. You would need to feed your own power into the stone continually in order to cleanse it. In doing so, you will bond with the stone in a way no one ever has before. You are likely to be incredibly worn after this—at best. At worst, you may not have enough essence left to assume your rightful seat on the Council.”
Nina frowned, her elation fading. “I’d die?”
Eka shook his head. “No, but you would be a dragon in name only. Except for the sensation of the bond, you’ll have no powers left. You would not be able to take part in the new era you brought on... only watch it.”
Nina could feel Eli looking at her, but she didn’t return his gaze, even though she felt its weight and urgency. This must be what the prophecy meant. ‘The Greater Horde will know boundless power’... but my commencement would be the beginning of the end. For me.
“I know this is a difficult decision, and a lot to process,” Eka said gently. “That’s why I’m giving you a month to think on it—and you have every right to decline, just as you have a right to decline your ceremony altogether.”
The room fell into silence, and Nina swallowed the lump in her throat. “I understand.”
Eka nodded. “Do either of you have any questions or concerns?”
Nina started to say no, but Eli spoke first.
“Eka, I have some troubling news.”
Lylah looked as though she wanted to slap Eli. Nina had the distinct impression that the woman didn’t think he was worth their time. Osrik looked amused, and Cedric’s face was impassive, deep brown eyes staring steadily ahead.
The oldest dragon turned his golden eyes to Eli. “Yes, Mr. Nelson?”
Eli took a deep breath. “Last night, someone shot an arrow full of dragon’s bane at Nina. It almost killed her—she’s lucky to be here now.”
The three younger dragons all looked dumbfounded; Lylah’s mouth was actually hanging open as she stared at Nina. Eka frowned, the energy emanating from him now tinted with concern. He leaned forward as he spoke.
“Dragon’s bane? You’re sure?”
“Positive,” Eli said, relief starting to show in his voice. “We don’t know who would try to kill Nina, but I’d like to request help in finding out who may be after her, and a guard—until we know the danger has passed.”
The room was still again, and Nina found their blank expressions more unnerving than anything else so far.
“A guard?” Lylah repeated with scorn. “For an unbonded dragon?”
Her tone brought a wave of shame crashing over Nina, but Eli was unperturbed.
“Yes, ma’am, for an unbonded dragon. An important one, from the looks of it. One that has the potential to save each and every one of our scales.”
Lylah looked annoyed, but Eka smiled as though Eli had said something exceedingly clever.
“Mr. Nelson is right. This is a worrying incident. I will certainly grant you use of a guard until this ordeal can be sorted.”
“Thank you,” Eli said gratefully. “Is there a chance I can work directly with whoever will be leading the investigation?”
The Council exchanged looks amongst themselves; Nina thought she read shame among them, but it disappeared before she could be sure. They certainly looked uncomfortable. That can’t be good, she thought anxiously.
“I’m afraid that part may need to be put on hold for a while,” Eka said finally. “I’m very sorry, but we have our hands full trying to maintain the stone at its current level of power so that it doesn’t worsen, or at least slow its decline. You can’t imagine how difficult it is. We have every one of our most powerful dragons on this job, and we can’t spare anymore.”
Eli gaped at the ancient dragon. “Sir, this is very important. I have reason to believe that these people won’t stop until Nina is dead.”
“Are you saying the Rose Quartz isn’t important?” Lylah said accusingly. Her black eyes narrowed, and a bitter smile took over her pointed face. Nina caught a wave of hatred rolling from her aura before she could suppress it. “Maybe your priorities have been skewed, Mr. Nelson. I seem to remember you as being impartial and pragmatic—has something happened to sway your objectivity?”
Another brilliant flush crept up Eli’s cheeks. “No, ma’am,” he answered quickly. “I understand.”
Remembering the night before, Nina doubted he meant it.
“Mr. Nelson, I know you take great pride in protecting the dragons you’re assigned to,” Eka said mildly. “But, in this case, you’ve done all you can, and we are doing all we can. We are not the omniscient body we were in ancient times. Though we may be again someday,” he said, nodding to Nina. “It is not so now.” He smiled. “Of course, your lives are important to us, so if you find yourself in grave danger again, or other dragons are at risk, let us know.”
Eka’s gaze swept over them again. “Now, is there any other business?”
Nina looked at Eli, but he was refusing to pry his gaze from Eka’s. She knew he was disappointed and trying not to show it, but she also felt something else just below the surface: doubt. But for whom? Her heart felt considerably heavier as she finally answered.
“No, sir,” she said aloud.
Eka nodded. “Then you are dismissed. Your guard will be sent ahead to your residence. Try not to worry; you’re in excellent hands.” His deep voice was meant to be soothing, she was sure, but it had the opposite effect now that their hopes had been dashed.
As Eli ushered her back into the entry hall, Nina had the peculiar feeling that she had just been handed a death sentence.