Agent of the Dragon

Rhysa immediately sat up and looked at Aryth. “You’re certain it’s the same one?”

Aryth nodded. “I overheard a couple of my officers talking about a young woman asking for information about an emblem. I asked them about it and recognized the description.” Aryth smiled at Rhysa. “They were quite unaware of your standing, or I think they might have been more helpful--or at least less brusque.”

Rhysa shrugged. “I wasn’t particularly genteel about my approach or questions.” She glanced a question at Hallyk, who merely shrugged. Rhysa continued carefully. “I didn’t want them to associate a noble with the questions being asked.”

“It seems to have worked. They told me you were a merchant’s brat who seemed eager to...um...get into trouble.”

Elise choked on the drink she’d been sipping. Hallyk laughed outright, and even Jagun’s face softened. Rhysa blushed. “I wasn’t really trying to give that impression.”

Aryth chuckled. “No fears. They’re sailors. Blunt language is common, and after meeting you, I think they put some of their own desires into it.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.” Rhysa’s tone was dry.

Aryth smiled and returned to the point. “That emblem is the emblem of a movement, rather than a group. It’s fairly widespread outside this country. The movement is called The Primacy. Their aim is to reduce the influence of non-humans--preferably by getting rid of them altogether.”

Rhysa carefully did not look at Hallyk. “Is there a leader? Or unified leadership?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been to any of their gatherings. I would assume so, but I don’t know who it might be.”

Rhysa finally allowed herself to look at Hallyk. He was watching her. She looked back at the admiral. “Any idea which country the leadership might be?” Aryth shook her head. Rhysa sighed and looked at Hallyk.

Hallyk shrugged. “It’s not something that needs to be worked out right now. I just wanted Rhysa to know.”

Rhysa nodded her thanks and turned the conversation to inconsequentials and prodded another couple of stories from the admiral. Aryth obliged and soon had them laughing at the time she got caught in one of her own pranks and ended up keel hauling herself behind a dinghy.

Two days later, Rhysa walked a section of the palace she hadn’t known existed. The room itself was below ground, though not as deep as Hallyk’s personal chambers. Thought the room looked like a cross between a strategy command center and a lounge. The juxtaposition of elements gave Rhysa a clue how unconventional Royal Agents could be.

The furniture was the comfortable sort you found in the private living areas of many mid-level merchants. The walls, however, displayed maps of Mestin Reach, Ellendahl, the continent, and world. Each map was pierced by color-coded flagged pins; though what each color meant, she couldn’t say.

The door opened and a woman walked in. Her movements were brisk, business-like, and deadly. Despite the age implied by hair heavily streaked with gray, Rhysa had no doubt this woman could be absolutely, ruthlessly lethal. The woman stood in front of Rhysa and Hallyk and looked them over.

“Your Highness.” The woman’s voice reinforced Rhysa’s impression.

“Ekrania.”

The woman turned to Rhysa, “Hello, Rhysa. I thought you might end up here, eventually.”

Rhysa blinked. There was something familiar about this woman--not just seen from a distance, but met and spoken with. The confusion must have shown on her face.

The woman laughed. “Perhaps this might help.” Before Rhysa’s eyes, the woman relaxed her posture slightly and altered her movements. “Do you know me, now?” She’d changed her voice, too. Instead of the highly competent agent, Rhysa and Hallyk now faced--

“Anathea?” Rhysa stared at Jayse Amonteus’ slightly dithery castellaine.

The woman nodded. “Where better for someone in my position to be than in a trusted position within one of the realm’s best intelligence gatherers. And no, Jayse doesn’t know.” The woman straightened, becoming Ekrania once more.

“I’m glad you decided to join us. I’ve been keeping an eye on you at Hallyk’s request ever since he agreed to your three-way purchase. Your efforts and skills have impressed me, and truth to tell, I’m a harsher critic than any of The Trio.”

“Thank you.” Rhysa thought about adding something, but decided against it.

Ekrania smiled. “And difficult to draw out, even among allies. Very good.” Rhysa hadn’t thought of it that way, but allowed herself an internal shrug. “Most of your skills are already far beyond what we require of beginning Agents. There is one area, though, that desperately needs work: seduction.”

Rhysa tensed, but found she wasn’t actually afraid of the thought. Thanks to the efforts of Lady Hermestus after Rhysa’d been raped, Rhysa had avoided the phobias she’d been told were normal. That didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid; after all, her one encounter with sex had been brutal, painful, and ugly. Most of that fear had disappeared along with her fear of men when she regained many of her memories, though it would probably take a while to get past that first impression.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have time for you to get those skills up to the level of your peers. You’ll leave for your first assignment in two weeks. You’ll get your assignment briefing just before you go.” She walked up to Rhysa and held out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to have you with us. Welcome.”

Rhysa clasped the offered hand and smiled at Ekrania. Ekrania smiled back and released Rhysa’s hand; she nodded at Hallyk, turned, and left the room.

“She doesn’t know, does she?”

“I don’t think so. Though she is the person likeliest to figure it out. I doubt that even if she did know, she would reveal it by so much as the smallest twitch--to me or anyone else.” He looked down at Rhysa. “We’d send you on your assignment tomorrow, except you really do need some training in the arts of seduction.” He started walking towards the door they’d come through a few minutes earlier. “Your dragon half should help with this, somewhat. Anyone within four generations of a draconic ancestor can create an aura. While your human half will temper this somewhat, since your father was a dragon, your aura will be fairly strong.”

Rhysa managed to keep her eyes from widening as she nodded. So no one had told the Royals she had faerie blood. She remembered Lord Hermestus had said it likely came from within three generations.

“I’ll help you learn to control your aura.” Hallyk appeared oblivious to Rhysa’s realization. “I know your mentors taught you to suppress it, but they don’t have the experience to teach you how to alter it and use it.” He sighed. “So much to teach you, and so little time. Well. While I will be teaching you about your aura, I’m afraid someone else will be teaching you seduction.” Rhysa shot him a quick glance and he laughed. “Oh, I think you’ll like her. Most people do.”

That was good to know, but not the reason Rhysa had glanced at him. She’d heard the faintest tinge of regret mixed with envy when he’d said someone else would be teaching her. Hallyk? He’d always acted like a big brother, not a potential lover. This was something unexpected, something new. She’d have to think about this. She brought her attention back to what Hallyk was saying just in time to hear a name.

“...Venusia. Her home is just outside the palace walls. I’ll show you where she lives, then I have a few things I need to see to. She’s expecting you, so you won’t need a formal introduction.”

Venusia’s house was not as large as Lady Kasteryn’s had been, nor as spacious as Jayse’s or Bryn’s. It was, however, very well designed. Two stories high and only a few rooms wide, it was proportioned to look much larger. The building managed to give the impression of space without actually possessing it, and the courtyard emphasized this by being proportionately smaller than normal. Venusia’s sigil was a tree growing from some kind of seashell.

Hallyk walked Rhysa up to the door, bowed to her, and walked away. Rhysa watched him for a minute, then turned and knocked on the door. When the heavy wood door opened, a young man, perhaps in his early twenties, greeted her. He was lithe and only slightly taller than she was. He had blond hair hanging loose to the nape of his neck, and green eyes that sparkled with mischief.

He smiled when he saw her. “May I help you?” His voice was strong, though it called up soft images of dancing.

“I have an appointment with Venusia.”

The young man nodded and stepped aside. “Please. Come in.”

He led Rhysa to a waiting room, then went to let Venusia know she had a visitor. Rhysa was in a reading room. Bookshelves lined the walls of the small room, and there were three soft armchairs to sit in. Rhysa wandered to the bookshelves and scanned the books. There was quite a variety, ranging from ancient languages to modern romance. She didn’t have much time to look in any detail, though. She heard the door open, and she turned to see who had come in.

The woman had her head turned and Rhysa heard her say, “Thank you, Llewell.” The woman then turned her head and caught sight of Rhysa. Surprise flashed across her face. Rhysa hesitated; while she’d never spoken with this woman, she did know her. The last time she’d seen this woman was the day Rhysa had been brought into the city, one chained person among many. This was the woman whose eyes had widened when she and the group of purchasers had come to investigate the new slaves at the auction house.

They stood and stared for several seconds before Rhysa managed to shake off the surprise. She stepped forward and offered her hand. “I’m Rhysa.”

The woman took Rhysa’s hand and nodded. “And I’m Venusia.” She shook her head slightly. “I never expected to see you here.” She smiled wryly. “I see you’ve managed to suppress that aura.”

Rhysa blinked. If Venusia knew about the aura of sexuality, there was obviously more to this woman than met the eye. For the first time, Rhysa really looked at her. She had deep auburn hair and eyes the color of dark chocolate. Her skin was fair, though not pale. Her figure and her movements projected strong sensuality bordering on carnality. Now that she was paying attention, Rhysa began to feel herself respond to it.

Venusia sat. “When I first saw you, chained as you were, I wasn’t sure how you would fare. Few with your blood fare well in captivity.”

“My blood?”

Venusia smiled. “Surely you’ve guessed by now. You have nymph blood in your veins.”

Rhysa’s eyes widened. Nymph blood. No wonder she’d had so many problems with men. As with dragon blood, even a little faerie blood goes a long way. “I knew I had some faerie blood, but we couldn’t figure out what kind.”

“Oh, it’s nymph blood, all right. And if I remember the strength of your aura, it came from a mother or grandmother.” Venusia paused for a second. “When the Royals approached me about doing a crash course in seduction, I thought I would only need to teach someone the basics of tantalizing the senses.” She pursed her lips and cocked her head to one side to peer at Rhysa for a few seconds. “I think I’ll have to scrap that idea. Seduction is in your blood, you’ll find you don’t need anyone to teach you that. I’m afraid I will have to train you the way I was trained. Few nymphs need to learn this level of control.”

“Control?”

Venusia nodded. “Have you ever lain with someone for mutual pleasure?”

Rhysa shook her head.

“Then you don’t know what it’s like. A friend of mine once said ‘humans are always in season.’ A little crude, but true. Once your blood gets heated for the first time, though--well, there’s a reason they call nearly uncontrollable urges to have sex ‘nymphomania.’ What we’ll need to do is teach you to control those urges, and if we have time, harness them. It’s not something that can be taught quickly, though, so we may only have enough to touch the surface. It took me a couple of years to gain the level of control I currently have. But then,” she smiled, “I am a nymph, too.”

Rhysa goggled. She’d learned nymphs looked like humans. But what she hadn’t realized until now was that nymphs were indistinguishable from humans--at least in outward appearance. This was going to be interesting.

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