Wyvern's Warrior by Deborah Cooke

Author:Deborah Cooke [Cooke, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Deborah A. Cooke
Published: 2017-01-25T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

While Acion rejuvenated after their explosive second encounter, Thalina speculated on events outside the Hoard.

She’d abandoned her own plan, which meant that Ector would have summoned her father. She didn’t blame him for defying her order—when situations changed and the welfare of a member of the royal family might be at risk, the guards’ duty was clear.

Her father would have reviewed all available security recordings. She wished she’d said something aloud or even under her breath about the Seed, but maybe he’d look closely enough to notice her physical reaction and investigate further.

In fact, he must have done that, because no one had charged the doors.

Her father must have come down to the corridor and smelled the Seed himself. The scent would have been less powerful for him, and a little bit harder to detect, but if he’d known what he was seeking, Ouros would have found it. He had keen dragon senses, after all. Maybe he had even suspected the reason for her choice before investigating.

The fact that the Hoard hadn’t been opened yet meant that Ouros had decided to give Thalina some time to claim the Seed. She was glad that her father had some faith in her ability to defend herself, but wondered just how much time he would allow her.

Because no door in Incendium could be secured against the king.

Not even that of the Hoard.

Especially that of the Hoard.

“You are thinking,” Acion said quietly from beside her.

Thalina turned to him with a smile. “I thought you were rejuvenating.”

“I have the capability to multi-task.” He turned his head, and his bright gaze locked with hers. “Your pulse skipped. What do you fear?”

“Just gathering information?”

His gaze flicked, as if she’d surprised him. “Not simply that. I feel concern for you and your happiness.” He frowned and licked his lips, his eyes narrowing as he repeated the words. “I feel concern.”

“Isn’t that in your programming?”

“Not to my knowledge. My systems were enhanced for this mission, though, and the precise nature of the upgrade was not explained to me.” He lifted a brow. “It must be so to allow for ideal conditions during an experiment and no infection of bias.” He nodded slightly. “I feel.”

“Do you feel anything more than concern for me?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

Thalina laughed but Acion didn’t.

He frowned. “It is my understanding that females prefer to believe themselves and their welfare to be of import to their partners.”

Thalina propped her chin on her hand to watch him. “Don’t males?”

Acion’s gaze flicked. “Perhaps so, but my experience of intimacy with males, of either android or biological origin, is small to the point of nonexistence. As a result, I would be speculating upon their desires and doing so without any basis of reference.”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

“It would be in violation of my mandate. I am programmed to reason, not to speculate—or worse, to guess.” He seemed to shudder.

“But you’ve never before been programmed to feel.”

Their gazes locked and some force sizzled between them.

“No,” Acion admitted quietly.

“What’s it like?” Thalina asked.

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