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accounted for
the change in her voice. “When you never get off the ship,
destinations become irrelevant.”
    He held out his hand and tried to capture her
gaze. She looked everywhere but at him. “How many moons orbit
Rodymia?”
    Her eyes rolled slightly as she looked at
him. “One.”
    “Bilarri has three. If you can see more than
one moon, you’ll know we’re not on Rodymia.”
    After a moment’s hesitation, she took his
hand. He held the entrance flaps aside as she passed through the
opening. The gauzy k’fal floated around her slender body,
teasing him with hints of the curves concealed beneath. Stay on
task. She needs a mentor, not a lover.
    A brisk wind swept across the campsite.
Drakkin positioned his body behind her, protecting her from the
swirling sand. She looked out across the endless, rolling dunes. He
rested his hands on her shoulders, resisting the urge to bury his
face in her hair. Two of Bilarri’s moons hovered in the
distance.
    “This doesn’t prove we’re on Bilarri.” As she
turned, the wind wrapped her hair around his torso, surrounding him
with her unique scent. “At least I’m certain we’re not on Rodymia.”
She allowed herself a half smile then ducked back inside the nenalte .
    Drakkin tried not to watch her rounded behind
as she stooped to enter the tent, but the position was just too
tempting. She was too tempting. Her voice was slightly throaty yet
smooth. He longed to feel her hair slip through his fingers or
swirl against his chest as she straddled his hips. Were her nipples
crimson as Indric predicted? It didn’t matter! There was far more
at stake than physical pleasure. Reinforcing his determination, he
joined her in the tent.
    “Is it always so inhospitable here?” She
brushed sand particles off her skirt and finger combed her hair.
“Why would anyone choose to live here?”
    “If you know the desert’s secrets, it can be
quite beautiful.”
    “I’ll take your word for it.”
    “Las Vegas was built in the middle of a
desert. You seemed to like it there.”
    “Las Vegas had air conditioning and
electricity.”
    She was still locked into the Rodyte mindset.
He walked to the nearest wall and splayed his fingers against the
fabric. “Tell me when you’re comfortable.” Summoning water from
beneath the sand, he saturated the tent’s fibers. Then he commanded
the weave to loosen, allowing air to pass through the damp threads
while keeping the sand at bay.
    “It feels cooler already.” She moved up next
to him, her hand hovering over the colorful wall. “What are you
doing?”
    “A simple manipulation.” He clasped his hands
behind his back and gazed into her eyes. “If you have half the
aptitude your father had, you’ll have little need for
technology.”
    Shaking her head, she lowered her arm and
glanced away from his face. “You said the Rodytes were using me to
control him. If he’s dead, why would I still be in danger? They
have no reason to want me now.”
    “I wish that were true. You’re a member of
the Royal House of Aune and the Rodytes held you captive. That
cannot go unpunished.”
    Her lips thinned for a moment then she
chuckled and she shook her head. “Did you throw that bit in because
I asked if I could be a princess?”
    Astonishment unfurled within him as her
reaction registered. She didn’t believe him. He thought they’d
gained more ground than this. “What do I gain by concocting this
story?”
    “You tell me. What do you gain by holding me
prisoner?”
    “You are not a prisoner.”
    “Then take me back to Earth.” She met his
gaze, shoulders squared, chin raised.
    “It’s too dangerous.”
    “Of course it is.” She said nothing for a
moment, her expression hostile. “If Vee had no idea where I was,
then how did you find me?”
    “Your father kept a journal detailing
everything that happened at the Conservatory. As his mentor, I
validated each entry and then entered them into the Wisdom of the
Ages.”
    Her gaze widened