Page 52 of The Edge of Dawn

Before she could say anything, another Kordolian appeared.

A woman.

Jade stifled a gasp.

She’d never seen a female Kordolian before. They apparently didn’t exist anymore—well, that was according to Earth’s media, but she was quickly learning that the truth was often very different from perception.

For once, Jade’s attention was diverted from Dragek.

Clad in a sleek black suit that covered her from neck to toe, the Kordolian was undeniably beautiful. With pale lilac hair swept up into a high knot, orange-hued eyes the color of sunset, and delicate features accentuated by elegantly tapered pointed ears, she looked startlingly otherworldly.

“Hello, Jade. My name is Zyara. Welcome to our stronghold on Earth. I’m sorry we’re meeting in such unfavorable circumstances, but I’m glad Dragek found you before anything worse happened to you. I’m responsible for overseeing all medical treatment in this facility—what you humans would call a doctor, I suppose.” Her delicate lips twisted in a tiny smile that was both warm and a little wry. “This is one of my treatment rooms. All I’m going to do is fix those small fractures of yours. Our medical technology is a little different from your human methods of treatment, but please don’t be alarmed. I’m going to use nano-technology to accelerate your bone healing. You won’t feel any pain—you’ll be given more than adequate analgesia, and the treatment is highly effective. You’ll heal much faster with our methods.”

Sensing a dark energy, Jade looked up at Dragek, who wore a thunderous frown.

If looks could kill…

What Zyara had said was perfectly reasonable, though.

What was up with him all of a sudden?

“I’m pleased to meet you, Zyara,” Jade said quickly before Dragek did anything drastic, using her very best formal Universal. She didn’t have a clue about the ins and outs of Kordolian politics, but she knew tension when she saw it, and she didn’t want things to escalate. “I’m grateful that you’re able to treat me. How bad are the fractures?” She had no idea how Zyara had already analyzed her injuries. There was no sign of any medical imaging equipment.

Did Kordolians collect data out of thin air? Did they have technology that could analyze her body without her even realizing it?

“They’re what I would classify as minor injuries. You have small breaks in the first and second mid-bones—what your people call the metatarsals—of your right foot. And there’s a fracture in the fifth metacarpal of your left hand. Both are easily treated, but unfortunately, I won’t be able to achieve instantaneous healing. The specific nanites we use for that are in short supply. After the treatment, I’d give it three or four days until full grip strength returns and you’re walking again.”

As she spoke, Zyara gave Dragek a pointed look.

He shot her a look that could have frozen the surface of the sun.

He said something to her in rapid-fire Kordolian. It was Jade’s first time hearing him speak the language, and even though she couldn’t understand a thing, she was surprised at how melodic his words sounded—almost beautiful.

Zyara’s response was sharp. No matter how dangerous Dragek was, she clearly wasn’t fazed by him.

They exchanged words in a terse back-and-forth until Jade wondered if she should try and intervene, but then Dragek let out a soft, exasperated huff and folded his arms.

“Fine,” he said at last in Universal. He looked down at Jade. “Zyara will treat you. It is not ideal. In my opinion, the timeframe is excessive, but you will heal eventually.”

Dark brows drew together. Obsidian eyes held cold anger.

Stars, he was intimidating.

But Jade knew his anger wasn’t directed at her. From what she could deduce, he wasn’t happy about the treatment Zyara was offering. Maybe he thought she should get this instantaneous healing, or whatever it was.

Clearly, he didn’t understand that three to four days to heal a fracture was a dream.

Jade could hardly even believe her ears. Was Zyara used to treating humans? Maybe Kordolians just had a faster healing rate. Perhaps that’s why her timeframes were off. Because Jade had broken bones before, and with all the advances in medical technology humans had made, a fracture was a fracture, and it still necessitated time in a cast for several weeks.

Still…

Did she just catch him trying to advocate for her?

That heady, fluttering feeling returned to her chest. To think that he could be in her corner like this…

Without realizing it, her fingers had flown to his arm. She was touching him.

His forearm was big and powerful and smooth and unexpectedly warm.

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