Negotiations resumed, and fear tightened Auburn’s chest as Eli donned a fresh silk suit. “Please be careful.”

The prince touched his lips to hers. “I will.”

Responding without thought, Auburn twined her arms around his neck and pressed close to him.

Eli groaned and crushed her against him as he plundered her mouth and tangled his hands in her hair. After several long moments, he broke away from the kiss and thumbed over her lush pink lips. “Promise me you’ll stay with Sir Leopold.”

“I will.” She gazed up into his brilliant blue eyes. “Sligo will be with you? And your normal security team?”

“Yes. Any more visions?”

Auburn shook her head. “But I’m still worried.”

“As am I.” He touched his lips to hers. “I’ll be careful. I have a great deal to live for.”

She sucked in a breath as Eli left their suite. He joined Rolland and the rest of his retinue, but there was no mistaking which one was her prince. She made the sign of the dragon over her chest and whispered a prayer for him.

By the gods, she was a fool, but she was a fool in love.

After Eli returned to negotiations, she busied herself with her normal morning tasks, caging her thoughts so they couldn’t wander. As much as she loved Eli, and as much he cared about her, he would marry Lady Daniella when they returned to Tamryn. He loved his country and his people too much to do anything else.

Pain wrapped around her heart, and she forced herself to concentrate. Eli was a neat man and tidying took little effort. Finishing, Auburn sent his boots to be polished and the wrinkles to be pressed from his suits. She then settled down with an epic poem written in Elven. It was beautiful but difficult and would occupy her mind.

She was ten pages into the story when Leopold stomped into the room and tossed a sheathed dagger onto the bed beside her. “You need to learn self-defense. We’ll start with a dagger and go from there. Not sure you’re strong enough to use a sword. Yet.”

Auburn put her book down, but she didn’t touch the dagger.

“Eli thinks he can protect you, and maybe he can. But if anyone gets past him, I want them to be in for a rude surprise when you kick their butt.”

“Qumarefi slaves are forbidden to touch weapons.”

“Good thing you’re not a slave anymore.”

“In the eyes of Quamerfi law-”

“Eli said you were part of his retinue. Word of a prince holds weight, even if that prince is Eli.”

“You don’t like Prince Eli much.” Auburn regarded the dagger before turning her attention back to the Knight.

“Nobility and the Dragon Church aren’t supposed to get along. Keeps us both honest. Though I like him better since his trip to Qumaref. See some of the same spark I once did.”

“You’re not what I expected from a Knight of Valor.”

“Good. Now pick up the dagger.”

Auburn swallowed hard, and Leopold waited. It was against Qumarefi law, whatever Leopold said, though she knew the folly of trying to convince the Knight to change his mind. And it would be good if she could protect herself, protect Eli should the need arise. She doubted the assassin had given up, or Premal, and there was her son to think about...

Her hands trembled, but she picked up the dagger.

“Now, come at me with it.”

She stared down at the sheathed blade and then over at Leopold.

“Like you mean it,” Leopold said. “These lessons I’m giving you might save your life. Or Eli’s. Now come at me.”

Auburn hefted the dagger, learning its balance. She left it sheathed and charged Leopold. He knocked her attack aside, the dagger skittering across the floor, but when he went to push her off balance, she dodged him and retreated to the other side of the room.

“You’re good at avoiding being hit, and I bet you’re a dancer with the way you move. I can work with that.”

“You can?”

Leopold grinned as he picked up the dagger and tossed it to her. “I’ve been training Knights a long time. No two alike, although I had one like you once. All graceful like. Hit damn hard, too, but she was hard as hell to hit back.”

“She?”

“You’ve heard the stories. The Dragon God doesn’t just choose men to serve Him. I’ve seen lasses channel the Dragon God’s power in amazing ways. But they had to believe they could do it, and then they had to practice.”

“Practice.” Auburn stared down at the dagger without seeing it.

Leopold frowned. “You okay?”

“A young man, your son?”

“I don’t have a son.”

“His sword is lit with the fire of the gods. He looks like you, but younger, taller, stronger.”

“About enough of that.” Leopold snorted.

“His eyes are unusual. Violet.”

Leopold stilled. “My nephew, Sir Marcus.”

“He’s practiced with you for hours beyond counting. Practiced and now prepares for a horrible journey. To face something even worse than death.”

“I tried to talk him out of it, and I might yet.”

“He faces a creature made of bone, I...” Auburn shivered. “I have no name for it. He will have to choose. A fallen companion or the creature. Snakes pour from the fallen companion’s mouth and eyes. If he chooses that path, he will die, and the bone creature will live.”

“Hard choice,” Leopold said.

“He will have to make it. If he kills the bone creature, he will come home older, scarred, but still the chosen of the gods. And he must come home. The gods need him.”

“Gods have already asked a lot of him.”

Her eyes cleared, and she studied the dagger in her hand.

“Some vision.”

“Very clear, very urgent,” Auburn said.

“Wonder why you’re seeing it now.”

“I don’t know other than you must help your nephew come home.”

“Boy put his heart and soul into honing himself into a weapon brilliant enough to kill that lich. We’ll see that he comes home. Now it’s your turn to practice.” Leopold showed her how to hold the dagger.