Page 4 of Crown of Draga

Ian didn’t turn from his work at the sound of the A.I.’s greeting. His face was pressed against the microscopic viewer and he wore the same suit he had on the day before. By the state of his blond hair it looked like he’d never made it to bed. “What is it?” he muttered as he tapped out notes on the desk. The A.I. factored in the numbers and ran formulas on the side with various chemical signs and formations.

Adelina noted the subject and her heart ached. “Have you found anything new on the hypomalarya disease?” she asked, perching on the stool next to her brother. Her untrained eye noted the bacterial structure of the disease and a chill ran down her spine. “Is it contagious or genetic?”

Finally, Ian sat up, tilting his head from side to side to ease the obvious strain in his neck. “It is not a genetic disease, and even though it’s bacterial it is difficult to spread. This particular disease needs living cells. So touching will not spread it, but if father’s blood were to be injected into you then you would be able to catch it.” Ian shook his head. “What I don’t understand is how he got such a disease in the first place. Everything is scanned and there are not many people with direct access to the king, not in the way that would be required to implant this disease.”

Adelina shifted, uncomfortable. “You don’t think it was simply an accident, or rather a natural occurrence?” she asked. The idea terrified her. Who would have that kind of power and would want her father out of the picture? To the rest of the Draga galaxy his death would appear natural. The only person who would benefit from such a thing would be the heir. Unless they thought whoever injected the king could then manipulate the heir for their own benefit.

Ian made another note. “I do not think it was an accident, no. But I also have no suspicions as to who could have done such a thing.”

Ian turned to face her then, and the purple bags under his eyes made him look much older than he was. “I also think I can rid the disease from a body, but not after it has settled in the brain stem.” His eyes pleaded with her, asking Adelina to tell him a comforting lie.

Instead of lying she wrapped her arms around her older brother. Adelina held Ian until she felt his shoulders slump. She ignored the wetness she felt trail down her shoulder from his tears. “Being able to cure an incurable disease at all is a massive step, Ian. Do not despair. Perhaps the goddess has a plan for us.”

Ian kissed her cheek and withdrew from her arms. “You are far more trusting in the gods and goddesses than I am, sister. If the goddess truly favored us she would not take our king away when we need him the most; on the brink of a galactic war.”

His purple Draga eyes were so full of sadness she had half a mind to send a cast to P’draic to take care of him.

She needed answers first. “I actually came for a reason.”

Ian’s old argument that science and the divine could not coexist was a favorite they could talk about for hours, but it was nearly time to receive Calix and her brother needed to sleep.

“You are ready for me to take those samples now?” he asked, moving towards the cabinet where he kept his tools.

Adelina nodded, wondering what he would need to take from her.

Ian took out a few different vials and some shiny, sharp tools. “All I need is a piece of your hair, a scraping of skin, and a few drops of blood.” It was quick work for the first two, and a small prick in the right place to retrieve an entire vial of blood. Ian put a small dab of healing salve over the tiny wound and Adelina could feel it work instantly. In a matter of minutes, the break in her skin would be gone.

“Could I have some of this?” Adelina asked. Her hands could definitely use it, and she didn’t think Nash would be licking her any time soon. The thought made her blush.

Ian handed over a tin without question and turned back to his work. “The analysis will take a few hours, so you’ll have answers by tomorrow.”

“Make sure to get some sleep while the machines run the tests, it’s going to be a long night.” Adelina stood and slipped the tin of salve into her dress pocket. She hugged her brother once more before leaving him to his work.

Soon Adelina would have the answers to all the questions she’d had for the last six months, and the prospect terrified her.

If she did have the mate gene her entire world would be limited based on the simple fact she could be mated with anyone. Adelina didn’t even want to consider the possibilities of her parentage.

Everything she’d ever known could be turned upside down and Adelina wasn’t sure she was ready for that. She just had to get through the next day, through her coming-of-age party, and then she would sit down and deal with the consequences.

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