9. Drago

9

DRAGO

D rago clenched his hands into fists as he trailed behind the happy couple. He didn't believe that fucking Sambla was celibate for one fucking minute. The male was a snake—he was too slick and smooth to be trusted, especially when it came to Drago's Fated Mate.

Inside he could feel his Drake growling angrily. It might not have words but it had plenty of emotions and everything he could feel coming from it was negative. Anger, jealousy, the desire to rip the intruding male limb from limb…

Easy, it's all right—I'm watching her! Drago told it. But the calming words he sent to his Drake didn't help much. Only his iron will kept it from bursting out to bite the Vargan ambassador's head off.

He followed Addison and Sambla down several stone corridors until at last, they came to an elaborate set of golden double doors at the very end of a long hallway. There were depictions of the same Spider Goddess with the humanoid head that he'd seen earlier on the tapestries. She seemed to be spinning a web that stretched over the whole sky or some shit like that—Drago didn't really have time to study the fucking thing.

Standing to one side of the doors were the three older women who seemed to be in charge around here. And lined up against the stone walls on either side of the corridor were around fifty young women, all wearing black dresses like the one Addison had on. They looked anxious, Drago thought—their mouths were set in tense lines and several of them were nibbling their lower lips and shifting from foot to foot. All of them were staring fixedly at the older women.

"Ah, at last," one of the older ones said as Sambla brought Addison forward. "I'm so glad you've chosen to join us at last, young lady," she said to Addison, who blushed bright red with embarrassment.

"We beg your forgiveness for our tardiness, Ls Prissa," Sambla said smoothly, bowing. "We had a slight misunderstanding to work out before we could make our way here. Lssa Addison's tardiness is my fault entirely so please don't blame her."

"Very well, Sambla." The older woman looked somewhat mollified. "Well, now that we are all here, the selection process can begin. All of you open your mouths when Ls Tissa and Ls Hissa come by to examine your teeth."

Drago had been watching when the older woman had examined Addison's teeth during the feast. At the time he had thought it strange and invasive. But he knew better than to interfere with the native customs of a people Addison was studying unless whatever was going on looked likely to harm her. So he had just watched.

Now he watched as all the young women opened their mouths and the older ones inspected them. They seemed to be paying special attention to the upper teeth—the pointed canines where a Blood Kindred would have fangs. However, the Vargan girls didn't seem to have anything like that—their teeth looked like Addison's—at least as far as he could see.

But the inspectors seemed to see something different. When either of them found a girl whose teeth they liked, they tapped her on the shoulder and nodded to the front. Soon about twenty of the fifty had been sent to stand in front of the double golden doors—Addison and her shortest lady-in-waiting included.

"Very good," the older woman who seemed to be running things remarked, nodding in apparent satisfaction. "These are the chosen ones this year. The rest of you may leave. Don't be upset if you weren't chosen," she added. "You can still serve Sheelash in other ways, even if you're not destined to be the Queen of Night."

She waited until the other girls who hadn't been chosen had left—(Drago couldn't help noticing that most of them seemed to be relieved, at least if their happy chatter and relaxed expressions were any indication)—before turning her attention to the twenty women gathered in front of the doors.

"Now then—you are the ones who have been chosen to proceed with the Choosing Ceremony. As we enter the Room of Sighs, let me remind you that we are entering the presence of Sheelash, she who knows all and sees all. Be on your very best behavior!"

There were murmurs of "Yes, Ls Prissa." And then the golden double doors swung inward and the women began to file into the room beyond.

Drago started to follow Addison but Sambla caught his elbow.

"Forgive me, Commander Drago, but please remember that the Room of Sighs is a female-only space," he said smoothly, giving Drago that smile that made him want to punch the other male's teeth down his throat. "We must not intrude on the sacred Choosing Ceremony."

"Well how long does it fucking take?" Drago growled. He didn't like letting Addison out of his sight—not even if she was in a room full of women.

"Not long," Sambla promised. "You can wait here if you like."

"Of course I'll stay here—I'm not going anywhere until Addison comes out," Drago snapped, shaking the other male's hand off his arm.

"Very well, I'm sure I'll see you later."

Sambla nodded his head in a little half-bow and then glided noiselessly away.

Drago crossed his arms over his broad chest and watched as the last few women entered the Room of Sighs. But he couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety that filled him or quiet the Drake within, which was roaring angrilly as they both watched Addison disappear and the doors clanged shut behind her.