Page 11 of Possessed by the Dragon Alien (Zarux Dragon Brides #6)

SEVEN

Nena squeezed her trimmings to her chest and tried to steady her breathing as she hurried down the garden path.

What was wrong with her? She’d practically insulted a member of the Twelve.

Spoken to him about stars and freedom, of all things.

Like some foolish rebel instead of a careful prisoner.

Just thinking of it made her pulse skip.

Either he was playing with her, drawing her out to test her, or… he was sincere.

She shook her head sharply. There was no sincere . He was Axis. One of the most powerful beings in the empire. Whatever game he was playing, she needed to stay far away from it.

She rounded a corner and nearly collided with another official. This one was small and slight, with skin so pale it was nearly transparent. Where a nose should be, there was only a thin slit. The female’s uniform was light gray—not the black of the Twelve, but still a sign of authority.

“Careful, worker,” the female said. Her voice had an odd echoing quality. “What has you in such a hurry?”

“Apologies, ma’am.” Nena lowered her eyes. “I was returning to my duties.”

“After speaking with High Chancellor Madrian?” The female’s words were casual, but something in her tone made Nena’s skin prickle.

A h, at least now she knew his name—High Chancellor Madrian.

“He asked about my work in the gardens,” Nena said carefully.

The female’s head tilted. “And what else did you discuss?”

“Nothing else, ma’am.” The lie felt thick on her tongue. “He only wanted to know about the pruning.”

“Hmm.” The official circled her slowly. “The High Chancellor doesn’t usually take an interest in garden maintenance.”

Nena kept her expression blank. “I wouldn’t know about that, ma’am.”

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t.” The female stopped in front of her. “If I saw your interaction, others could, too. That would not go well for you. I would avoid encounters with him in the future, if you can.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She was well aware, but it seemed the chancellor found her, not the other way around.

The official gave her one last assessing look before gliding away.

Nena waited until she was alone before letting out a shaky breath. That wasn’t a random encounter. Someone was watching the chancellor.

Nena dumped her bundle of branches into the compost bin and leaned against the wall. Her mind spun with questions. Why would anyone be watching High Chancellor Madrian? And why would they care about his interactions with a lowly garden worker?

She rubbed her temples. Politics had never interested her, even back at Settlement 112-1. She’d focused on her plants, on survival. But now she sensed currents moving beneath the surface of Axis Central—dangerous undercurrents that threatened to pull her under.

T he pale female’s warning echoed in her head. Others were watching. Which meant Madrian’s attention put her at risk. But she couldn’t control when he approached her, and refusing to speak to him would probably be worse than engaging.

“What am I caught up in?” she whispered to the branches.

She knew nothing of value. She’d spent her life in the settlements, working the land, keeping her head down. The only unusual thing was how she’d gotten here—pulled from auction without explanation. She still didn’t know why.

A memory surfaced—the argument she’d overheard between those two officials before her transfer. One had mentioned someone named Shorvis wanting her brought to Central, to “test” someone. Was that someone Madrian?

But test him for what? And why use her?

None of it made sense. She was just a farmer who could coax life from soil. She had no special knowledge, no connections, nothing that would interest the Axis elite.

Unless… Was this about the settlements? About the overseer there? She’d heard whispers of unrest before being taken, but surely that had nothing to do with her current situation.

Nena pushed off the wall and grabbed her shears. She couldn’t afford to stand here speculating. The best thing—the only thing—she could do was focus on her work and try to stay unnoticed.

But as she headed back to the silver-leaved trees, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was already caught in something much bigger than herself. Something that had brought her here for a reason she couldn’t yet see.