Page 32 of Crown of Draga

Ian shrugged. “I don’t dislike you, Nadyah, as I don’t really know you. I do think I am not as blinded by your charms as others are, simply because I am Elara’s son.” He made a notation and then sighed. He stood and poured two glasses of tea and crossed the room to hand her one. Then the fair prince sat in a comfortable-looking chair to face Nadyah as he sipped on his own tea.

Nadyah wrapped her hands around the cup. It felt nice against her chilled skin. The labs were so much colder than the rest of the palace, and freezing in comparison to outside. “So you do not feel the seduction from a courtesan like the others do?” she asked.

Ian shook his head and propped an ankle over his opposite knee. He leaned back and closed his eyes. “Adelina’s strange request made me look into my own genetics. Of course I knew who my parents were, but each mixture creates a unique combination. What is in my genetic makeup may not be what appears in another with one courtesan parent and one Draga citizen.”

“What do you mean?” Nadyah knew next to nothing about the sciences and medicine.

“We have the possibility for endless traits in our DNA, not all of them are activated, and many can be manipulated, changed, or removed.”

Nadyah’s mouth dropped open as she finally understood. “If she does have the marker for a mate, it could be changed?”

Ian cracked an eye and peered at her. “Theoretically, there is nothing in the records about courtesan genetics being altered other than the standard for health and beauty. The marker would always be there, but it could be deactivated, or ‘turned off.’”

“Could that be done for me as well?”

Ian’s eyes fully opened and he leaned forward to stare into her eyes. It was rather intense and she felt a stirring in her stomach, the flutters of attraction when she recognized one of her own kind, but it wasn’t just that. When Ian gave her his full attention she realized how truly beautiful he was – those eyes of his were nearly identical to Adelina’s.

“It’s never been done,” Ian said. “But I could try if you like. You simply have to decide if you never want to be mated.”

Instantly she thought of Varan. She still needed to get his DNA scanned, but part of her didn’t want to know the answer. If he wasn’t her mate she would be devastated. If he was, she would be just as torn and angry. Varan was a male who didn’t forgive and forget. She’d already denied him once.

If she could turn that mate marker off, she would never have the experience only one of her kind could have. Nadyah looked into Ian’s amethyst eyes and saw the same indecision in them she felt. To deny a part of her, Nadyah shook her head. She’d think about it later, for now she would enjoy the silent companionship of the prince and his quiet ways.

Ian closed his eyes again with a small smile. He was fast asleep only a few moments later, and Nadyah felt flattered he trusted her even that much.

She pulled the small device out of her pocket the maid had slipped her earlier. It took a few seconds and then she had access. Jael had made good on her promise. Not only did she have the blueprints of the royal library and their location, the Spider had also sent a list of the missing ships.

Nadyah sat back to read the reports while she waited for her princess and the answers that would change their lives.

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