ROGUE PRINCESS (Sample Chapters)

Chapter Five

Aidan watched them from the shadows of the thick trees.

Earlier, he'd maneuvered his way to the edge of the clearing, and then while the princess was busy making swoony eyes with the young guard, Aidan had slunk to the closest glider. His own sky dodger was constantly breaking down, and since he had to rely on parts he scrounged from the picking stations to fix it himself, he was familiar with the basic circuitry of most fliers.

All it took was waiting until everyone's attention was on the father and son; then Aidan simply rearranged the thin cables of the plasma injector from the thruster and slipped back farther into the trees. It cost him a few thorns through the thin fabric of his clothes, but he had no choice. He wasn't supposed to be there and going through the forest on foot was impossible.

The glider was his only means of getting out of this mess. And even though he was at a good distance from them, he could see the older guard was strikingly similar to the one who'd almost caught him in the alcove, hiding behind the statue.

With a sudden panic, Aidan realized he still had the silver dagger—if the guard searched him it would be the end. Period.

For the second time that day, Aidan used his natural skills of stealth and blending in to avoid the palace dungeons. There was only one thing he excelled at more than pickpocketing, and that was standing still. He practically became one with the trees while Princess Delia— and the young guard discovered that only one glider was working.

Although it was part of his plan, Aidan found it impossible not to roll his eyes when she slipped onto the glider behind the young guard, her hands resting on his waist as they waited to take off until the Patrol ship took flight.

When the clearing was empty at last, Aidan congratulated himself on such a fine plan. Still, a feeling of loss curiously shadowed his spirit as he reconnected the injectors to their appropriate circuits.

Mindful to stay low enough to avoid detection, Aidan steered the glider away from the clearing. Soon he had a bird's-eye view of the tangled forest, and within a few minutes, he was soaring over his favorite spot.

He dived into the deepest gorge of Pirate's Canyon. Large curving rows and furrows in the earth showed trails of the giant sandworms moving below the surface. One wrong move and he'd be a meal for the miserable gluttons. And yet, part of him was mesmerized by the patterns. He took a chance and flew as close as he dared. What's the point of having a Queen's Guard glider if you're not going to do a few stunts?

With barely a change in foot pressure, the sleek glider moved with his own actions. He wasn't flying the machine, he was feeling it. The glider represented a perfect collaboration of material and energy. And the engine was so smooth and quiet!

The euphoric sense of freedom was staggering. He slipped around and around the massive earthen columns made from centuries of wind and rain. The tight turns and dizzying speed made his stomach fall and rise.

Rise and fall.

The sand stung Aidan's face. He squinted tightly, then blinked several times trying to clear his eyes.

What he'd give for a pair of goggles!

He dipped the nose of the machine down, putting it into a drop- ping spiral as he raced to the bottom of the canyon, relishing the wind in his hair.

He skimmed the surface, watching the patterns of sandworms. Then he noticed the bulge of sand in front of him. He held his breath as the meaty head of the eyeless sandworm launched out of the ground. With a victorious cry of escape, he pulled up at the last moment, just as a sandworm closed its jaws, snapping on the dust in his wake.