Dragon's Mistress

Chapter 3

She had never seen anything like Lord Von'hot's palace. It took every bit of Dani's willpower to keep her eyes focused directly ahead, rather than staring around with her mouth gaping. The walls were made of some crystalline rock that seemed to have been grown, rather than fashioned. There were guardsmen everywhere, dressed in dark uniforms and carrying frightening weapons of a kind she'd never seen before. The walls were hung with portraits, formally dressed men and women whose visages reeked of power and privilege.

How had she ended up here? She simply hadn't understood just how wealthy a man like Lord Von'hot must be when she'd originally turned down his invitation. He owned an entire star system and a confidant of the emperor, her mind whispered in panic.

And she was just a single pleasure worker, sent to spy on him.

She stole a glance up at him from beneath her lashes. He was tall, with hair so black it seemed almost bluish in the light. His skin was alabaster white, his cheekbones high and sculpted. His eyes were turned to the corridor ahead of them, but she couldn't forget the dark intensity of his black gaze. He'd stared right through her, as if he could strip her naked with his vision alone. She'd felt helpless before him, a small and frightened animal caught in the glare of the predator's sight.

But with that fear was longing. His fingers were slender and strong; the touch of his lips against her hand had made her quiver with desire. She'd seen the bulge of his erection, something he hadn't bothered to try and hide from her. The thought of that thick, hard mass plunging into her body made her wet with longing. She'd never felt so instantly attracted to a man, and she had known hundreds of men in her time.

She was in way over her head.

"This way," he said, guiding her through a magnificent doorway held open by two of his men. The room they entered was far smaller and more intimate than the broad hallway in which they’d met. In the center was a sunken stage, surrounded by a series of couches and low tables. An array of exquisite foods had been spread out, and she realized they would be dining in the Imperial style, lounging on the couches while they were entertained.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," he said, leaning down to speak directly in her ear with a soft voice. The hot wind of his breath made her shiver, tingles running down her spine. His hand touched her back, guiding her toward a low couch broad enough for several guests. She knew without asking that he would be joining her there.

She lowered herself, trying to appear polished rather than awkward. She rolled on to her stomach, leaning against the bolster that had been placed there for just such a purpose. He lowered himself next to her, bracing himself on one side, then reaching over to trail a finger down her cheek.

"Your skin is very soft," he murmured, his eyes mesmerizing her with their focused power. "May I kiss you?"

She nodded wordlessly, surprised he would ask. He leaned toward her, touching his lips to her with infinite slowness. His scent was all around her, she wanted to press herself forward into the kiss, but by then he had already withdrawn.

"When enjoying something as exquisite as this, it's best to move slowly," he whispered. Then he turned to face the stage, reaching out to ring a little bell.

Music filled the room, a strange type of composition she had never heard before. It was sibilant and rich, the instruments a strange mix that was new to her. A single flute wailed a plaintive melody, rising and falling against a background of other sounds.

"This is our own style of music," he murmured. "Von'hotten has always been a haven for artists and musicians, and I strive to support our unique heritage by commissioning works from local composers.

This is something new. I hope you like it."

She nodded, captivated. She had no idea where the musicians were hiding, but they had to be close.

Across the room, behind the screen? It was hard to tell. A woman dressed in a thin, filmy gown came and knelt before them, pouring some kind of drink into crystal goblets.

"Would you care for some wine?" Drake asked, lifting a glass to his lips. He took a sip, smiling in appreciation. "It's another local specialty. This vintage was grown and pressed on one of my own estates."

She nodded, and lifted her own glass. The flavor was rich and sensual, light but with a hint of spiciness that she couldn't quite place. She rolled it on her tongue with appreciation, then gasped as a tingle seemed to run from her mouth down her spine, pooling in the center of her being.

"It's also a light hallucinogen," he murmured, taking another sip. "Not enough to impair your judgment, of course. But we find its effects to be…stimulating."

The music rose around them, building in tempo and pitch. She looked down at the sunken stage with surprise to see several dancers moving in time. A woman and two men moved with lissome grace, wearing only the slightest of coverings draped around their hips. She took another sip of the wine, shivering from the sensation it sent down her spine. Drake reached over and held a small bite of fruit to her lips. She opened her mouth, gently sucking it in and reaching out with her tongue to lick his finger. He slid a little closer to her, leaning over to brush his lips against hers again.

The dancers were moving closer and closer together, their wisps of clothing falling to the floor. They moved with athletic grace, each step causing muscles in their arms and legs to tense and release in time with the music.

“They are well-known group,” Drake whispered. She shivered as his breath danced across her earlobe. “Several of my nobles have had them perform on their estates. I thought you might appreciate seeing their art.”

She nodded wordlessly, mesmerized by their gyrations. Though not Guild-trained, they truly were talented. The woman, a brunette with short curls bunched around her head and dark skin, had moved closer to the man in front of her. The other man faded into the background as the couple swayed together, their bodies brushing lightly. As Dani watched, the woman’s brown nipples puckered in arousal, and she rubbed them sensuously against the man’s chest. He responded by arching his back, proudly displaying a growing erection that jutted out toward his partner.

Drake’s hand was rubbing the back of her neck, his movements following the same tempo as that of the dancers. She stretched, all but purring from the sensation. His touch seemed to reach deeply inside her, but she wanted more. She turned toward him, but his gaze was fixed on the dancers.

“Anticipation makes a meal more pleasurable,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “Watch the dancers.”

She nodded, and turned her attention back to the show before them. The man and woman were kissing now, his light skin forming a stark and beautiful contrast with hers. A detached part of Dani’s mind absently noted that the choreographer had taken exquisite care in selecting and pairing the dancers.

Both were slim and athletic, but she was far smaller overall. She rubbed against her partner a moment longer, then started to slowly lower her body toward the ground, kissing him as she moved. The music started to slow, and a low-toned throbbing wound its way into the melody.

The woman was on her knees now, and her tongue darted out to kiss the tip of his cock. It twitched, and his head dropped back. She opened her mouth, slowly sucking the head of his erection into her mouth, then pulling back against it with deliberate motion. Her cheeks hollowed from the suction, she repeated the motion, reaching her hand around to cup his buttocks from behind. Bracing herself against his body, she started to bob her head back and forth on his hard length, deliberately, each thrust of her head punctuated by the music.

The other man slipped out of the shadows, coming to kneel behind her. He was much darker than either of the other two, his skin so dark he seemed like a shadow. Once again Dani gave a sigh of appreciation for the choreographer’s skill. Seeing the three of them together was more than sexually stimulating. They were beautiful, each a slightly different shade of smooth skin, ranging from pale to darkest black. Exquisite.

The woman was still fully engaged in sucking her partner’s cock as the second man reached his hands around her body to cup her breasts. His fingers grasped and pulled at her nipples, then one of his hands drifted to the cleft between her legs. He stroked her there for a while until her hips twisted and squirmed again his touch. He grasped her shoulders and pulled her away from the first man, his cock coming out of her mouth with one smooth motion.

The man gently pushed her down onto her hands and knees. Kneeling behind her, he slowly stuffed his own long, hard cock into her cunt even as the first man dropped to the floor before her. She leaned over and slowly sucked his erection back into her mouth, and the three squirmed against each other as they established a rhythm that had her impaled first on one end, then the other, over and over again.

Drake’s hand against the back of Dani’s neck had slipped lower, rubbing against the small of her back, and then her butt. As the threesome before them started writhing in the new position, he allowed his fingers to drop down between her legs, worming their way between the scarves that formed her outfit.

She tensed as he moved, sensation spiraling through her body. She was already hot and wet for him, she had been since she’d first seen him, and the anticipation of his touch was killing her. She wanted his hand to find her center, to thrust against it and fill her. She wanted to be fucked, just like the dancer was being fucked. He was moving too slowly.

She squirmed against him, shifting her legs so they were further apart. He paused for a second, and then his fingers found their target. He grazed her clit, back and forth several times before pressing harder against it. Several fingers made their way into her hot slit, and she pushed her hips down against them, wanting more. She tried to turn to him again, but his casually draped arm held her in place. He wasn’t ready for her to do any more than watch, she realized. Watch and feel, as his fingers explored her secrets.

The group before them was still moving in their graceful ménage, but once again they were shifting.

The man on the ground reached up to grasp the woman, pulling her up his body. The man behind her sat back, and watched as his partner gently guided the woman’s cunt down onto his waiting cock. The man on the floor leaned back on his elbows as she started riding him, his head thrown back in pleasure. Their efforts were starting to wear on them, and a thin sheen of sweat covered their bodies as they moved.

Back and forth she went, his cock impaling her again and again.

Drake’s hand was moving more quickly now, and Dani realized he was starting to breathe heavily beside her. She was glad to hear it—she hated the thought of him being unaffected by the performance while she was so aroused.

Abruptly, Drake pulled his hand away from her and sat up. She started to push herself up to join him, but he pressed a hand against her back and whispered, “Just watch. I’ll take care of it.”

She let herself fall back down, eyes fixed on the display before her. The second man had crept up behind the woman, placing his hands firmly against her back and pushing her down. She collapsed on the man below her readily, pressing kisses against his chest and neck. The man behind her was rubbing her back sensuously, massaging her tight little ass and rubbing his own cock thoughtfully.

Dani could feel Drake’s hand on her own hips, lifting her and pushing up the scarves around her lower body. He slid one of the bolsters under her taut stomach, then slowly spread her legs wide. His fingers came down to rub her clit again, and she twisted as sensation pooled in her lower body. She felt open and swollen; she wanted him to fill her. His fingers slipped in and out, pressing within her cunt, but they weren’t enough. Against her will, a small, mewling noise came out of her throat. Drake’s mocking laughter danced across her spine, and he kept her held down before him with one hand pressed firmly against the small of her back.

On the stage before them, the woman had stopped kissing the man on the floor, holding herself straight and tense as the man behind slipped one finger back and forth across her back entrance. He pressed against her lightly, then placed the head of his erection against the tiny hole. She threw her head back in apparent strain as he started pushing into her slowly but surely, pinning her body against that of the man below her. Her face was clenched in a combination of pleasure and pain as his length sunk through her, until he hit bottom and all three were gasping. He reached one hand around her body, finding her clit and rubbing it hard. Then he pulled out and pushed back into her with a short, hard stroke. She gave out a little scream, and the man behind her moaned in answer.

Dani gasped as Drake’s hand pulled away from her aching clit. Then she felt the round, smooth head of his cock pressed against her cunt and she shivered with anticipation. He moved into her steadily, the broad width of his erection stretching her moist opening as he pressed down. Wider and wider, deeper and deeper he moved, and she realized that she had seriously underestimated his size during her earlier appraisal. She’d assumed, from the bulge she’d seen earlier, that he’d been fully erect, but now she realized that he had still been at least partially soft. The monster that was entering her now was completely solid, a pillar of granite that would stretch her until she screamed from the pleasure of it.

A wave of hot lust hit her, smoothing the way for his penetration. She moaned, pressing back against him until he hit bottom, fully embedded within her flesh. She quivered in anticipation, knowing climax would be incredible when it finally arrived. He slipped back, then pushed forward again, this time hitting home with greater force. The motion pushed her forward on the couch and she gasped.

“Goddess,” she whispered. “That’s fantastic.”

He gave a low, throaty laugh and moved faster. She could hardly pay attention to the dancers in front of her now. She was vaguely aware that they were writhing together with more urgency, but every bit of her ability to feel was taken up with the sensations that filled her with each of his thrusts. Then his hand stole back down around her body, rubbing and pressing her clit in time to his thrusts.

The pressure inside her was too intense to ignore, and she closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of him in and on her body. His fingers moved in time with his cock, and the coils of tension within her built to the point where she felt like screaming. Instead, she let her head drop down against the bolster and bit into it, completely taken over by raw need.

Then her orgasm hit, and her entire body stiffened and spasmed around his cock. He stopped moving, his body still hard with need.

“I love the way you feel right now,” he gasped, lowering himself until he was draped across her back. He spoke directly into her ear, his voice urgent and compelling. “Every tremor, every breath is squeezing me. I’ll come soon if we don’t take a break.”

She didn’t reply. Instead, she simply turned her head against her shoulder and captured his lips in a deep kiss. Their tongues touched, flirting with each other, and she felt his massive length twitch within her. They were fully joined, two parts of the same being at that moment. She had never felt anything as exquisitely painful and pleasurable as this before.

He pulled his mouth away from hers, resting his chin on her shoulder. He should have been heavier, but he was balancing the bulk of his weight on his arms, careful of her comfort.

“We’re missing the rest of their performance,” he whispered. Dani giggled, having forgotten the dancers who were working so hard to entertain them. She turned her attention back to the stage below them. The woman’s head was thrown back and sweat ran down her body. Every part of her body was tense, and her face twisted in pleasure. She convulsed between the men again and again. The man behind her thrust harder, each motion bringing her down on her other partner with a force that rocked all three of them.

Dani could feel herself growing hot and wet again, and when Drake started moving his hard length slowly back and forth within her moist opening, she sighed in satisfaction. He thrust steadily, each motion causing delicious friction against her skin. The twists of desire sprang into life, sending tingles of pleasure through her. She could tell that it was getting harder and harder for Drake to control himself. His breathing grew harsh as he moved, then he was on his knees again, bracing himself against her shoulders as he pushed into her hard enough to rock the couch that cushioned them.

The entertainers were coming close to their own end. The woman had come one more time, her gasps ringing through the room. As her body tensed, the man behind her threw his head back and shouted as he came, his butt pumping into her spasmodically. This was too much for the man beneath them, who came with a moan. All three collapsed into a gasping pile of silky arms and legs, a tangle of satiated and exhausted flesh.

Watching them achieve their orgasm seemed to spur Drake on, and he moved more quickly.

Again the sensations were climbing up through her body, dancing along her spine until she stiffened and twitched from the intensity of her feelings. The orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave, slamming her against the cushions with a force she’d never dreamed was possible. Drake gave a low, harsh groan, and then he was coming too. She could feel his hot seed pouring into her, filling her with his essence and pummeling her internally. He fell down onto her, crushing her down into the cushions, and struggled for breath.

She lay there, completely unaware of her surroundings for several moments. Then she felt him rolling off to the side. He turned her toward him, pulling her up onto his chest as easily as he might move a lifeless doll.

His pale skin was flushed, but his eyes were cool and dark. Assessing, even. He looked at her without expression, and a chill came over her. He seemed to be unaffected by what had just happened between them, as if this was no more than any other tumble between the sheets. She was dazed by the experience, the power of her climaxes. Sex had been her business since she’d become a woman. How was it that things would be so different with this man?

“Kiss me,” he whispered.

She dropped her lips to his with unfeigned enthusiasm. His lips were soft against hers, and where before he’d been the ravisher, the seducer, this time it was her turn. She nipped at them, allowing her tongue to dart out and slip between his lips, then playfully retreat. She kissed him along his jaw line, down his neck and against his powerful chest.

What had happened to his clothing? she wondered. He was naked now, yet she couldn’t remember him taking the time to undress. She was still wearing her gown, although it had been pushed to her waist. She was naked beneath. His clothing was unimportant, though. All she cared about was touching him.

She kissed along his chest, visiting each nipple and laving them with her tongue until they stood in stiff peaks. One of his arms was draped casually over his head, and his eyes were closed. His breathing was slow and regular now, and his look had softened into one of contentment.

She felt a stirring against her hip, and realized he was becoming aroused again. She dropped her kisses lower, drifting across his stomach towards his manhood below, just starting to awaken again. He stopped her, pulling her back up his body for another long kiss.

“Let’s go to my chamber,” he said, pulling her to her feet. He seemed to be completely comfortable with his nudity, something she appreciated. She liked a man who was self-confident and unashamed of his sexuality. The musicians and dancers had disappeared, leaving them alone in the dining room.

“I’m afraid I didn’t take the time to enjoy the meal,” she said, smiling at him and feeling almost shy. The sensation caught her off guard. When was the last time she’d felt shy? Yet with this man it felt as if she were embarking on something new and wonderful. It was hardly the usual client encounter.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, gesturing toward the table. “We can stay and finish if you like.”

“I’d rather go with you now,” she replied, allowing some of the longing he inspired in her to touch her face.

He nodded, then took her hand and pulled her across the room. A door opened before them.

More guards, clad in black, carefully avoided watching them as they strode down the hallway. Another set of doors opened before them, and they entered a room that was large and formal. He pulled her across to another set of doors, leading her through a series of rooms that became smaller and more informal the further they retreated.

Finally, they entered what had to be his chamber, a large, airy space decorated in simple yet lush furnishing. Against one wall was a bed. One entire side of the room was taken up in windows overlooking the city. She hadn’t realized how much time had passed, but it was full night out, and the buildings spread out before them sparkled like thousands of gems.

“These are my people,” he said simply, gesturing toward the city with a sweep of his arm. “My family has ruled this system for a thousand years. Our family has been in power longer than the current imperial dynasty.”

What could she say to that? Dani wondered. She was a courtesan, trained to deal with men of power. But somehow, spouting out one of the light-hearted remarks she usually affected, seemed so inappropriate to the moment. They were alone in his room, she realized, the most private place in his palace. Yet not a single personal item seemed to be kept here. It was lovely, but completely devoid of personality.

There were no other people around, either. No guards and no sign of a spouse or children. She hadn’t heard of any other family members, she realized with a start. Usually ruling families were surrounded by courtiers, hangers-on and distant relatives. This palace seemed all but empty.

“Where is your family?” she asked before she had time to think better of the question.

“I don’t have any family,” he said, looking at her with amusement. “Didn’t Guildmistress Karya give you any background on me before sending you to spy on me?”

Her breath caught.

“You were monitoring our conversation?” she asked tightly, fear filling her. What would he do to a woman he’d caught spying?

“Of course,” he said, his tone mocking. “I have to be very careful, you know. I find myself in a delicate position dynastically. My brother is dead, killed in the war against the Saurellians. I was his only heir, and now I’m alone. He served on the front, at the Emperor’s personal request.” He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in.

“If I were killed now, this entire system would be forfeit to the Emperor,” he added.

She had no idea what to say in response to this revelation. Surely Karya had known that, but they hadn’t had time to discuss the situation in depth. After all, she was a courier and courtesan, not a spy. Her only experience was bringing pleasure to others she thought frantically.

“I see,” she said, stalling for time. He turned away from her again, and her eyes flew around the chamber, looking for an escape route, or something to use as a weapon.

“I doubt very much that you do see,” he said, his face dimly lit by the lights of the city. There was bleakness in his voice that made her heart twinge. He looked so alone, standing there above his home.

“These people are utterly dependent on me,” he said quietly. “There are more than 40 billion of them living in my territory, between the various planets, moons and stations. It’s not a large system, but we’ve always enjoyed a high quality of life. There’s no slavery here. My people are happy and healthy—hardly any choose to emigrate to other worlds. We were even spared the worst of the war. My brother and his men paid a high price to keep our young men out of the hands of Imperial recruiters.”

She nodded, starting to understand.

“You’re afraid that if something happens to you, your people will suffer,” she said softly.

“Afraid?” he asked, laughing with a harsh, barking sound. “Afraid doesn’t begin to express how I feel about the Emperor taking control of this system. If I die, it passes into his hands directly. Then he can start slowly milking my people of everything we’ve worked so hard to accomplish. Of course, if he decides I've committed treason, things will get far worse. He has the option of liquidating the entire population, you know.”

“No,” she whispered a wave of nausea washing over her. “He wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh really?” Drake turned back to her, and for the first time that night she could see some real emotion in his face. “You don’t know what he’s capable of doing. I am. I was raised with him, attended school with him in the Imperial Capitol, Tyre. He counts me as a friend, at least for now. That’s why I’m still alive. But he won’t tolerate my refusal to cooperate with him much longer. I’ve refused to go along with his plans; I’m the only one of his nobles with the courage to stand up to him. He’ll kill me just as easily as he had my brother killed.”

“What plans?” she asked, afraid of the answer.

“Well, he feels that the Saurellians have gotten too much power. He wants to start fighting them again, to end the truce," he said. "That would be a disaster for our people. We don't have the strength, or the right, to continue fighting. Do you know how the war started?”

“I’d heard the Saurellians attacked several systems in the disputed region,” she replied. “That they were seeking new territory.”

“No, that’s just imperial propaganda,” he replied quietly. “I think you know better than to believe that. Didn’t you hear another story while you were in Saurellian space?”

“Yes,” she said quietly, looking out over the city. “I’d heard that the Emperor had liquidated an entire planet because their assembly refused to pay a new tax, and that the systems in the disputed regions asked the Saurellians to protect them. I didn’t believe it, though, at least not the whole story. The Saurellians are very aggressive, and I had trouble believing the Emperor would kill billions of people over taxes.”

“The Saurellians are aggressive, but they aren’t greedy,” he said quietly. “They started fighting the Empire because those people came to them, pleading for their lives. They knew they’d be next if the Emperor had his way. He’ll do it to Von'hotten, too, if he feels we're defying him. I have to stop that from happening.”

“And how do you plan to do that?” she asked, turning to look at him directly. There was a sorrow there, and deep compassion in his face. Compassion for her, she realized. A new wave of horror and nausea swept over her, and she fell to her knees. She suddenly realized that the only way he could afford to tell her this much was if he planned to kill her.

“Oh, no, I don’t want to know,” she whispered. He came and knelt before her, tilting her chin up with on finger. He leaned forward and gently kissed her, then sat back on his heels.

“It’s too late, Dani,” he said quietly. “I think you already know that.”

“Why did you tell me?” she asked. To her surprise, the horror was passing. In its place was a new emotion, anger that he would drag her into this. Her voice grew stronger. “Is it because I dared to come here and spy on you? Are you out to destroy the Guild, in addition to committing treason against the Emperor? We’re not part of your Empire, we don’t want anything to do with this. Take care of your own problems.”

“Oh, it’s a Guild problem, too,” he said.

“How do you figure that?” she asked, her voice cold with disgust. “We’re neutral. We don’t need your crap.”

“No, you were neutral,” he replied. “Until 25,000 licensed Pleasure Guild workers were killed when the Emperor liquidated the planet of Kelvani. The action took place without warning, and they weren’t given the option of using their diplomatic immunity to escape.”

She gasped, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I didn’t hear anything about that,” she said. “If that was true, I would have known. The Guild takes care of their own. Our Council wouldn’t just let the Emperor get away with killing our people.”

“They don’t intend to,” he said, his expression growing fierce. “Don’t you realize that even the Guild isn’t strong enough to confront the Emperor directly? Neither are the nobles of the Empire. Do you think we like seeing him do things like this? Our civilization has flourished for a thousand years, and now one crazed idiot is going to bring it crashing down around us. The Saurellians aren’t going to stop him. They don't want to break the truce. It’s up to us.”

“Who is ‘us’?” she asked suspiciously.

“The nobles and the Guild,” he said. “Why do you think you’re here?”

“I thought I was here to pleasure you,” she said quietly. He gave her a mocking look. “Well, to spy on you then.”

“Karya sent you because she believes we can trust you,” he said quietly. “You’re uniquely qualified to help us. You’ve been in Saurellian space, and you have contacts there. We know you’ve already helped at least one Imperial slave escape. Don’t bother to deny it,” he said, holding up one hand when she started to protest. “Dani, you’ve been very careful, but we know you’re smart and you’re loyal to the Guild. You’re also the perfect go-between for the Saurellians and us because no one will suspect you.

You aren’t a Guild functionary, you hold no office and you have no power. In short, you’re not important enough for the Emperor to suspect you.”

Dani snorted at his description.

“No, don’t be offended,” he continued. “That’s what makes you perfect for this role. Karya has had her eye on you for a long time. She trusts you, and I trust her.”

“That’s not what she says,” Dani said, her anger growing. Who the hell did he think he was?

“Well, that’s what she says when she’s being spied on by the Imperial intelligence service,” Drake said. He reached forward, clutching her shoulders in his hands and pulling her toward him. He stared into her face, as if he could make her believe him by sheer force of will. “This whole evening is a set-up.

Karya and I have been building toward this moment for a year. We’ve carefully created a rift between me and Guild so that no one would suspect us of collaborating.”

“What is the point of all this plotting?” she asked harshly. “What are you going to do, overthrow the Emperor?” she asked, laughing at the idea. As if anyone could topple a sitting emperor. The thought was ridiculous.

“I can’t tell you that,” he said, dropping his hands from her shoulder and sitting back. “I’ll only tell you what you need to know. It’s safer for everyone that way.”

“Oh, Goddess,” she whispered, searching his face as the realization hit her. They were planning to do that very thing. “You’ll have to kill him.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Goddess,” she whispered again, and sat back heavily on the floor. Life had suddenly gotten far more complex than she could ever have dreamed. “I’m supposed to be on vacation, you know.”

“Yes, I know,” he replied. “I’m sorry, Dani, but it’s already too late for you. You’re part of this whether you like it or not. You're the only one who can help us.”

"Why me?" she asked quietly. "Why did you have to pick me? There are thousands of other pleasure workers who've been in Saurellian space. Why couldn't you pick of them for this? I don't want this!"

"Because to carry out our plans, we'll need to work with the Saurellians," he said. "And you're the only pleasure worker with the connections we need. That slave you helped escape, her name was Calla?

She's more than an escaped slave. She's become the daughter-in-law of the Saurellian Federation Council's President. She's going to be in Tyre over the next six months with her husband on a diplomatic mission, and you're the one woman in Imperial space she'll trust."