“Did Varan slip you that?” Nadyah asked as she stood behind Adelina, styling her long black hair.

The disc in her palm was small and plain. There was nothing to indicate what its contents were. Adelina nodded as she slipped it into the slot on her personal and secure shreve. The two of them were silent as her program decoded the disk and then lines of text scrolled down the plas-glass. Adelina’s eyes widened as she read the information Varan had managed to accumulate in such a short amount of time.

There were documents of freighters, vids, travel records, and pics with three different people. Then there were the official documents from Khara Prime matching those records. Varan had managed to track down two Corinthian Princesses and one Prince.

“It seems one of the princesses made it to Seprilles. There is no official word from Seprilles on her presence which means they are withholding the information or they do not know she is there.” Adelina shrugged. It should be easy enough for Nash to find her. The other two though…

Nadyah finished arranging her hair and then selected her makeup. She pressed the device to Adelina’s face. “What about the other prince and princess?” she asked.

“There is word a brother and sister made it to the Hai galaxy and are hiding behind the wings of the Drakesthai.”

“The dragons?” Nadyah exclaimed.

Adelina nodded as she inspected the smoky black of her eyeshadow. Slowly Nadyah had started to transform her look and she had to say the courtesan knew exactly what she was doing. “I thought the dragons were ruled by the Neprijat.” Adelina’s hands shook as she set her shreve down on her vanity while she considered this new information.

The courtesan took out one of Adelina’s favorite tiaras and gently set the gold and diamond masterpiece atop her head. “The Neprijat conquered them a few cycles or so ago from what I learned,” she explained. “They maintain a minimal presence, but it seems the dragons have more secrets than we originally thought.”

Adelina’s hands tightened around the arms of her chair as she stared into her own face, a face she hardly recognized anymore. She used to smile constantly, and had practiced a sweet look that had somehow become her signature. But the princess staring back at her was far more serious, solemn, and even afraid.

“What is it?” Nadyah demanded as the wood of the chair creaked in warning.

“Most of the princes and princesses are dead or still missing. Varan only found three in total. The shield will close before word could be sent to the Khara royals in the Hai galaxy, before Prince Nash would ever gain the permission to go there. Once the shield is officially sealed, he would need special permission to leave the Draga galaxy.” Adelina stood and stepped into the dress her courtesan and lady-in-waiting held out for her. “He may never be able to come back.”

For a male she didn’t even love her heart surely felt broken. It was difficult for Adelina to understand let alone explain. There was definitely something between them, something more than the insane attraction she felt physically. Every time he was near she felt like she could breathe better. Pressure on her chest eased and it was not as difficult for Adelina to step out of the mask she had created. With sanctuary granted she could still see him on occasion as long as she made sure it wasn’t frequent and she wasn’t alone.

If he left though, Nash might never come back. Suddenly Adelina felt dizzy. She barely made it to the large cushion in the center of her closet. It was difficult to breathe and her vision wouldn’t focus. How could she let him go without knowing if he might be her mate? What if he was? What if Nash was her mate and she never saw him again?

“Adelina, are you all right? Here, drink some water.” Nadyah fussed and touched her clammy skin, pushing a cool glass on her.

Numbly she accepted and took a sip. “I have a choice to make.” When she refocused, her courtesan knelt before her and the worry on Nadyah’s face made Adelina’s heart ache. With a deep breath, she pushed back her feelings. It didn’t matter if Nash was her mate or not. That choice was no longer hers, and he was not hers to claim. Nash belonged to his people first.

“There really is no other way is there? I could never deny Prince Nash the opportunity to find his people and reclaim his kingdom.” Adelina could never sacrifice her honor in such a selfish way.

There was a strange look of pride on Nadyah’s face. Silently she helped Adelina stand and turned her so she could finish buttoning the dress. “Nash is the one with the choice,” she said softly. “There is more than one path to a goal. This may not necessarily be the end.”

Adelina turned back to the mirror and watched Nadyah work.

“I talked to Ian,” Adelina blurted out. She had been so flustered after talking to Varan she had gone to hide in the library. Nash finding her there hadn’t been a part of the plan and then he’d just left in the middle of a conversation. The whole situation was an utter mess.

Nadyah paused as she opened one of the drawers to her bureau. She flicked those dark sapphire eyes to Adelina and then carefully picked up the diamond necklace nestled in the velvet display. “What did he say?” Her courtesan sounded uninterested, but Adelina knew she was just as curious as Adelina about the results.

“I simply asked for him to run a genetic makeup for me privately on a secured device. He knows not to ask too many questions. We all live our lives for the crown.” Adelina picked up the diamond drop earrings and put them on while Nadyah settled the heavy necklace around her throat. “Nothing can be cross-referenced until it’s done.”

“Do you need me to get some DNA from Nash?” Nadyah asked. Her whole demeanor was relaxed and nonchalant but such an act was no small thing.

Would Nadyah ask him for his DNA or steal it? Requesting such a thing would raise too many questions. Adelina sighed as she selected a very specific gold cuff bracelet. She slid the disk from her shreve and tucked it into the hidden slot of her bracelet. “Yes, even if he is not here I would like to know for sure.” It would be a break in trust, but it was vital for Adelina to know one way or another. She held out her arm for the courtesan to secure the cuff around her delicate wrist.

They were both dressed for the royal announcement and Adelina felt those traitorous nerves fluttering in her belly. She hated this; the pressure to be perfect and to make the right choice. It always heightened her anxiety until she questioned every single thing. “Do you think the black is too much?”

The glittering black spidersilk dress was cut to perfection. The style demure and modest while showing more skin than Adelina thought possible without showing anything at all. It pooled sinfully to the floor and the heels she wore were sharp and strapped on like weapons. The gold waist-cincher glimmered, etched with sacred symbols and bordered with tiny amethysts. Nadyah’s own dress was black in solidarity and she knew with Alpha’s black and gold dress uniform they would be quite the picture. “Showing up Raena would be a terrible idea,” Adelina said as she studied their combined reflection.

Nadyah shook her head as she adjusted Adelina’s dress. “I already checked with her ladies-in-waiting. Her dress is gold and utter perfection on the crown princess. You will accent her while making your own statement. Do not worry, you look ready for war. That is what we wanted after all.”

Adelina smiled weakly and then nodded. She didn’t have to feel confident to act so. Her chin went up, her shoulders back, and she strolled into her sitting room.

Alpha waited there for her and when she entered he turned, handing her a small glass full of clear liquid. “After everything I figured this was a good idea.”

Gratefully she accepted Varan’s liquor. “To honor,” she whispered.

The three of them clinked their glasses and then tipped the fiery-sweet liquid down their throats. It helped Adelina feel a bit stronger. “Thank you, Alpha. I needed that,” she said as she set her glass down.

He shrugged and set down his own glass before offering her his arm. “I may not understand your feelings for a male like Nash, but I want you to be happy. You should have that choice.”

She smiled her citizen-winning smile and inclined her head to indicate he escort her to the fateful announcements balcony. The very same one she had nearly died on six months ago. “I did have that choice, and I chose to give it up though I appreciate your sentiments.” Adelina gave him a kiss on the cheek and then they made for the lift.

They went one floor up and she walked with Nadyah staying slightly behind on her right and Alpha on her left towards the balcony. The recorders watched her every move and the footman ushered her towards the massive balcony. Adelina m’Ella d’Draga felt stronger than she could ever remember. She had true friends who supported her, who she really was and not the mask she put on for everyone else.

Adelina had kept her promises and she was doing everything she could for the good of the Draga galaxy. There was nothing to be ashamed of, and she was valuable even as the third-born. Whether it would be for her work as ambassador or as a wife to an unknown courtier was yet to be decided.

The three of them stopped behind Giselle. No one spoke and they hardly looked at each other. Adelina wanted to wipe her sweaty palms on her dress but the recorders watched too closely. The balcony was completely restored and reinforced. There was triple the normal amount of security and she still felt nervous. The last time she had been on this balcony it had exploded from underneath her and had killed thousands of people. She had almost been one of them.

Nadyah whispered words of encouragement and then told her where she would be. Adelina nodded and watched her courtesan disappear to sit among the courtiers and nobles. Keeping her from the House was impossible but Adelina would try to find a way.

Warmth at her back told her Asher was in place behind her. She didn’t have to look; she could smell the scent of his dominant rosanera. Her brother’s hand brushed hers slightly and Adelina smiled. Even in small ways she had the support and love of her siblings. She squeezed his hand in return and released him so she could walk with Alpha across the balcony.

Her name was announced and the cheers were a roar in her ears as she concentrated wholly on crossing the balcony, sitting in her chair gracefully, and looking out at her people with a relaxed smile. Every time she did this she feared she would fall and disgrace her family. Adelina felt like one misstep and she would make a fool of herself. It took every ounce of her control and concentration. She didn’t even hear the rest of her siblings announced.

Adelina didn’t dare look for Nash. No, she had to make sure there was nothing Raena could scold or punish her for.

Her father stood and explained to their people that there was already a shield in place for an emergency such as this. King Orion stood tall and strong. His illness was like a bad dream when he spoke with command. He told the people how the shield had been activated and the new laws that would be put into action.

Through it all his voice sounded muffled to Adelina, as though he spoke through water. The words were faraway and indistinct. The ringing in her ears as she tried to keep the panic at bay made everything feel disjointed and detached.

When he called up Raena exactly as he did on the day the entire royal family had nearly been murdered her panic spiked. It roared through her with a life of its own. King Orion declared they would honor their alliance with Khara Prime by granting Prince Nash sanctuary. The scene was so similar to the one that had ended in terror and grief not so long ago.

Adelina curled her hands into fists, pressing her sharp nails into her skin, cutting the freshly healed skin until she could smell her own blood. Alpha’s sharp intake of breath behind her felt like a slap and she took a deep breath. Then another as she attempted to rein in her panic and anxiety.

This day would not be like the last one. The palace guards had undergone intensive training after what had happened during the bombings. Adelina breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth and focused.

When Nash was called forward he appeared before her like a dream. Her vision became crystalized; clear and sharp as she focused on him. He looked absolutely glorious in the dress uniform of the Khara galaxy. It was a deep green, so dark it was nearly black and she couldn’t tear her eyes from him. His broad shoulders filled her vision as he said something before placing a fist over his heart and bowing to the king. Her father bowed in return.

The smiles and the muffled sound of clapping reminded Adelina of what was required of her. She slapped on that stupid smile and looked out at the crowd. Despite all the smiling faces something was wrong. She could feel it in her gut. There was a tenseness that belied what had just occurred.

Adelina flicked her gaze around as much as she could manage without moving. Finally, she tilted her head as she clapped with everyone else, taking her cues from Giselle. Adelina tried to find out what had set her off the warning inside her. It wasn’t the nobles or the guards.

No one else seemed to notice but her. Giselle stood and Adelina followed suit. The event was almost over. Now that she could see the people below more easily she saw how restless and afraid they were.

The taste of fear was thick. She could feel it in the air and Adelina practically choked on it. There was unrest and Draga couldn’t afford such a thing with the Neprijat so close and already causing dissension.

Alpha studied her closely as she took his arm and they filed off the balcony slowly. “Something bad is going to happen,” she whispered. Adelina searched the nobles and finally found Nadyah. Her courtesan’s mouth was in a grim line and she was moving. She had to sense it too.

Alpha’s grip on her tightened. He had always trusted her instincts.

Angry shouts from the thousands of people below broke through the watery fog surrounding Adelina. An object arced through the air and Alpha twirled her behind him so fast she stumbled as she tried to catch herself. “Get inside,” he snapped, pushing her toward the palace and then he ran to help the other guards.

Adelina tried to find her siblings. Giselle was pressed to the wall of the palace, watching with sharp eyes as she tried to find the location of the danger. “Lina, do as your guard says for once in your damn life,” she hissed. Her warrior sister took a gun from one of the guards and went on alert, ushering nobles and courtiers into the palace where it was safe. “Someone activate the shield!”

Were they really going to shield the palace from their own city?

Guards moved with practiced speed and skill. The floating parapets lit up with blue lightening, lighting up the sky with a warning. The main energy crystal mounted atop the dome of the library beamed a blinding light upward, connecting with the ones located on the parapets. Adelina watched in horror and awe as the crackling blue wall descended around them, cutting off the palace from the rest of Stella di Draga for the first time in centuries.

The palace security didn’t take chances this time around. They were ruthless as they handled the citizens rioting in the inner ward of the Draga Palace. It all mesmerized and Adelina she couldn’t move.

Then Nadyah reached Adelina’s side and handed her a knife. “Let’s go.” She pulled the princess along, so much stronger than she looked. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s not your place to fix it.”

Adelina resisted at first. Her instincts told her to help the others still on the balcony but Nadyah was right, there wasn’t much she could do.

Shouts from the people reached them, calling Prince Nash all manner of vile and hateful things. A familiar sound stopped Adelina in her tracks and she watched as a crackling ball of energy arced over the balcony railing, aimed straight for Prince Nash. Adelina screamed his name as the energy burst against his chest.

Then the shield hit the anchors in the palace walls, trapping the rioters as guards poured into the main courtyard. The citizens started to fight back. Adelina could see the terrifying events unfold as they wavered through the rippling shield, casting the rest of the world in a blue tint like opening one’s eyes under water.

When Nash fell to the ground with a thud she could feel it in her bones.

Suddenly Alpha was by his side and he deflected the second blast with his personal shield. Adelina yanked her hand out of Nadyah’s grip and ran.