Page 47 of Heir of Draga

She studied him from head to toe and nodded. Varan looked happy, but there was a strain about his eyes Adelina didn’t like. The potential run in with Nash was bothering him more than he let on.

Joslynn waited at the end of the corridor with the servant and Adelina thanked her. The lift ride to the main hangar was silent. The servant didn’t look comfortable to be in such a small space with the countess and the heir, but Adelina kept her smile pleasant and clasped her hands behind her back to hide the claws.

Then the doors opened and Adelina couldn’t get free fast enough. She waited just outside for Joslynn, still wary someone else might scent what she had. They weren’t the best of friends at the moment, but Adelina would never leave a female with child alone and unprotected.

It wasn’t their way.

The captain appeared before them, exiting another lift. “We will be landing just outside the Pedranus Seat in ten minutes, Princess,” the captain said.

He was a retired royal soldier and had been one of the best during his prime. Adelina was fortunate to have his expertise with her new vessel and Captain Ali had been informed about the starships’ special, custom engines. He was the epitome of confidence in his new position and Adelina was glad she’d been able to help him.

Captain Ali had been one of those lost among the paperwork. They would have to ensure no one else slipped through the cracks again once the war was over. And if they did there had to be recourse. More than half the crewmembers she’d hired were veterans. The state she’d found too many of them in had broken her heart.

There was barely a ruffle as the ships descended through the Pedranus atmosphere. Adelina’s other two ships, the Rose and the Wolf, would stay in space while they waited for the quick drop off.

Adelina watched the proceedings with a strange feeling of detachment. Joslynn seemed excited, but also nervous. It had been weeks since she’d been home last and now she returned under strained circumstances.

Would she ever see the female again? Even if they made it through this war, Joslynn would have to stay on her planet and rule. She would have a child of her own to raise, and a husband who adored her. Would there be room for Adelina in the future? Would Adelina have room for Joslynn?

If she’d learned one thing from the last cycle it was that nothing was ever stagnant. Life changed too quickly and sometimes violently. A cycle ago Adelina would have laughed herself sick if someone had tried to tell her she would end up wedded to the Prince of Thieves.

As if the thought had conjured him, Varan stepped out of the lift with Roxy. Both looked mostly presentable if a bit weary. Adelina smiled at her husband and held out her hand for him which he gladly took.

The ship rumbled as it touched down, but there was no noticeable jarring sensation. “Roxy, your work is extraordinary,” Adelina murmured.

The engines were loud as they idled. The hangar door descended and the smell of sharp grass and rain filled the space. Adelina breathed it in. It was difficult to forget that Pedranus was where she’d learned her father was dying.

But still – the place held a bit of magic that never seemed to disperse.

Colin and an entire army of servants waited at the end of the ramp. Joslynn grinned, but she glanced back at Adelina. A friend would say good-bye. But Adelina was tired of good-byes. She didn’t want that to be her last memory of the countess, not after everything.

She strode across the hangar floor and hugged Joslynn as gently as she could. Then she went back to Varan without a word. There weren’t any words that would suit her needs. Adelina had no way to describe the ache in her chest – how it wasn’t just Joslynn, it was everyone she’d had to say farewell to over the last month.

Nash, her father, even Raena. There was only so much even she could take.

Varan squeezed her hand. “We’ll all make it through this.”

“How can you be so sure?”

He tucked her into his side and Adelina melted into him. She didn’t care if anyone thought it was inappropriate. Varan was the only thing that kept her standing – from spiraling out of control.

“Because I’m confident in you,” he whispered into her ear. “Without you none of this would exist. Adelina, I know you will get us through this with that wonderful mind of yours. And I will do everything in my power to assist you.”

She tightened her grip on his waist and Varan didn’t seem to mind the slight prick of her claws. Adelina may not be as confident in herself as he, but she did agree that with his help she could accomplish anything. They were the perfect partnership and always had been.

“Are you ready to meet the Drakesthai?” she asked.

Varan grinned. “I’ve been looking forward to the pleasure for quite some time now. Join me in the mess hall for dinner?”

Adelina nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the hangar as the ramp closed and the engines roared to full power once more. Three more days and she would be in uncharted territory.

Ladra help them all.

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