12
“Lady Surah.”
She almost knocked over the row of vials next to her elbow. Surah whirled around, a blistering string of curses trembling on the tip on her tongue. She stopped short, staring at the male hovering just outside the sliding glass doors to thelab.
Long hair draped over one shoulder, heavily lashed eyes demurely lowered. A lean, dancer’s body was perfectly set off by narrow pants and a silk shirt that fluttered from the air conditioner. Damn, she knew this young man…knew him…knewhim….
Thin lips quirked, lashes rising. “Austin.”
Memory returned and Surah felt heat rise to her cheeks. The man from the last party she’d attended in Geza’s quarters at the palace–the man who’d tried his damnedest to pleasure her, though she hadn’t been in the mood at the time, daydreaming overMalin.
Surah cleared her throat. “Austin, you can’t be back here. It’s for personnelonly.”
Austin blinked, suddenly looking flustered. He lifted a hand, taking a quick step back. “Oh, I’m sorry, Princess. I didn’t realize, no one stoppedme….”
They wouldn’t. Some of her grads were so used to the comings and goings of the higher-ranked gargoyle nobles that they’d learned to recognize the look of a gargoyle in human form and almost overlooked them now. Probably assuming Surah would take care ofit.
Surah jotted down a quick note and left the lab, gesturing for Austin to follow her. Rather than her office, Surah took him to the employee break room. There was a table in a corner that was empty–if they kept their voices down, the humans wouldn’thear.
“Sit,” she said, and the male obeyed. “Why are youhere?”
“Nikolau sentme.”
Surah didn’t move. “Why?”
Austin’s head tilted. He placed his hand on the table. “Do you know of the efforts by certain nobles in the assembly to place Prince Malin onto thethrone?”
She immediately withdrew, rising to her feet. Austin grabbed Surah's wrist, holding her with surprising strength for one so…delicatelooking.
“Please, just listen tome.”
“Let go,” Surah said, expression hardening. “Whatever your politics are–I want nothing to do withit.”
Austin looked up at her, gaze frank. “Do you think you’ll be able to stayneutral?”
Surah frowned. The sentiment almost exactly echoed words Lavinia Mogren, Councilor to Geza, had spoken weeks ago when trying to convince Surah to stop the production of Malin’s serum. “Whose side did you say you’reon?”
“I’m on the side of the rightful heir of the territory. Yourlover.”
“Why wereyousent?”
A faint tinge of pink graced Austin’s cheeks. “I asked. Some of the others can be a bit rude. I’mnicer.”
Ignorance was dangerous. Surah sat down slowly, realizing she’d do herself and Malin no favors if she deliberately kept herself in the dark regarding the current courtpolitics.
“I’mlistening.”
“Prince Geza was offered a bride; he refused, offending her father, who is a power in his ownright.”
Surah's eyes narrowed. She knew all this. “I’m pretty sure I know where this isgoing.”
Austin’s mouth firmed. “If Malin wed the female, he would help solidify noble support for his return to thethrone.”
This was interesting. Geza, for once, must have kept his mouth shut and not told anyone of the request he’d already made to Malin and Surah. It was a little funny–both sides of the faction wanted the same thing, and she was the only one who knew it. Was there a way to leverage this information? She’d have to think about it. “I don’t want a sisterwife.”
“It’s a necessity. He needs the connections, and he will need to father an heir who can shift.” Austin lowered his eyes. “Your brilliance and beauty are renown, but it isn’t certain you can produce true garlings, Princess. For Malin to take the throne, he must have anHeir.”
“Why are you coming to me withthis?”
