Blood Legacy: Heir to the Throne (12 page)

“So most of his chromosomes come from me, not Aeron.”

Susan smiled at the wry tone of voice. “Yes, just as most of yours come from Victor, an extremely unusual occurrence in nature, one that generally produces fatal results. But that’s not what I found so interesting.”

Susan spread out a chart on the table in front of her. “Drake also has the ‘I’ nucleotide, leading credence to the theory that it is something specific to your family. It seems to be passed on only in sexual reproduction and not through Sharing, because I have not identified it in anyone else. I do not know if it can be passed by the Change because Victor has Changed only you, and you have Changed no one.”

Susan stood upright. “Anyway, this fifth nucleotide is acting in a very favorable way right now.”

“How is that?” Ryan asked.

“This fifth nucleotide has created an RNA strand that is acting similar to a Dicer or Argonaut protein.”

“And this is good because?”

Susan explained. “One of the purposes of RNA transcription is gene silencing. In other words, the ability to turn off the production of certain genes that might be harmful. That is exactly what Dicer and Argonaut proteins do in both animals and plants, in a very precise way. And that is exactly what this new RNA strand is doing. It might be why your system is easily able to accommodate the extra set of chromosomes you have. And it is probably how you fought off the virus.”

“It acted as a master switch,” Ryan said reflectively, “and shut down what was causing damage.”

“Exactly,” Susan said, “and my hope is that this is what is slowing the rate of mutation in your father’s system, as opposed to any type of organic failure.”

It was not a definite finding, but it was at least hopeful. “Thank you, as always,” Ryan said, “is there anything I can do at this point?”

“I think we just continue to wait,” Susan said. She wished she had more definitive news for Ryan, but she wanted to err on the side of caution. At least now she was cautiously optimistic. She picked up a nearby folder.

“Oh yes,” Susan said, “in an unrelated matter. I got the results back from the swab I took after we tested Drake.”

Ryan glanced at the paperwork in her hand. Susan seemed very pleased with herself.

“I found traces of thrombin, which is an enzyme which aids in coagulation. I have seen you several times stop bleeding by touching your lips to the wound, and now I have an explanation for it.”

“It wouldn’t suffice just to say a kiss made it better,” Ryan said. She stood. “Well, I am taking Drake riding. Jason has asked to go as well. Would that be acceptable to you?”

Susan stared at her a long moment, and Ryan shifted uncomfortably. “What?”

Susan was mildly flustered. “Nothing, it’s just—”

“What?”

Susan set down her chart. “I just appreciate your asking.”

Ryan gave her another wicked grin. “Just because I am going to be King doesn’t mean I will start ordering you around.” She flicked an imaginary piece of lint from her shirt, then continued under her breath. “I couldn’t even get away with that when you were human.”

A deep blush crept up Susan’s cheeks, which caught Ryan’s eye. “I am so glad I am not the only one who still does that.”

Susan shuffled paperwork, desperately wanting to change the subject. “Yes, you may take Jason out riding. I would never hear the end of it if I didn’t let him go.”

“You could go as well.”

Susan stopped. She had not been riding for years, but had done so avidly as a child.

“I don’t know,” she said uncertainly, but Ryan could hear the wistfulness in her voice. Ryan jumped to her feet.

“I insist,” she said, heading toward the door, “that’s an order.”

The three horses picked their way through the forest, content to amble at something less than Ryan’s usual breakneck pace. Drake sat comfortably in front of Ryan, holding onto the saddle. Jason was handling his horse well, a gentle mare Ryan had chosen, and Susan was pleased to see her own riding skills were quickly returning on the steed Ryan had chosen for her.

Ryan commented on this fact. “You ride well.”

The compliment pleased Susan, but her horsemanship paled in comparison to Ryan’s. “And you ride as if the horse is part of you.”

Ryan smiled, revealing perfect teeth. “You have to remember, dear doctor, that when I was born this was the only form of transportation available.” She gave her stallion the slightest nudge, and he moved into sync next to Susan’s horse.

“I was originally too poor to own a horse, but I was sent packing on one after spending the night in the stockade.”

Susan glanced over at her. “And what did you do to deserve a night in the stockade?”

Ryan’s tone was casual, but she lowered her voice so that Jason could not hear. “I killed a priest.”

Susan’s glance was sharper this time, but Ryan did not seem inclined to elaborate. Upon Susan’s insistent stare, Ryan relented. “Trust me. He deserved it.” She reached down to adjust Drake’s position, pulling him into the fold of the kilt-like throw across her shoulder. He relaxed in the sling, gazing up at his mother in adoration. He glanced over at Susan, giggled, then returned to his inspection of Ryan.

Susan looked up. Jason had gotten quite a bit ahead of them on the trail. “Jason, why don’t you hold up and wait for us?”

“That’s probably a good idea right now,” Ryan said, a little too casually.

In that instant, Jason’s horse spooked. It whinnied once, then bolted through the forest, Jason clinging to its back. Almost before the horse bolted, Ryan was after it, leaning forward on her steed, guiding the horse with one hand while holding Drake with the other. Susan kneed her own horse and joined the chase. She could not keep up with Ryan, but she was doing a fine job of keeping them in sight. That was until Ryan veered from the path and disappeared into the forest.

Susan kept after Jason, steadily gaining on him. To his credit, he was maintaining his balance and doing what he could to regain control of the horse. He might actually have succeeded except the horse again spooked, this time braking to a sudden halt. Susan felt her heart leap into her throat as she watched Jason vault over the horse’s head, arms and legs flailing.

The next events happened in slow motion for Susan. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ryan’s horse approaching Jason’s at a sharp angle. But Ryan was not on the horse anymore, she was already in the air, having leaped from its back the moment Jason was launched forward. In an improbable move, she caught the back of his shirt in mid-air, holding him like a much larger version of her son. In an even greater impossibility, she did so while still casually cradling Drake in her arm. She twisted, and all three went tumbling into a pile of leaves, Ryan breaking the fall of the two boys.

Susan rode up, breathless although she no longer needed to breathe. She dismounted, thinking she heard Jason crying, but then realized he was laughing. He was buried up to his neck in leaves, and Ryan herself to her waist. Ryan could barely contain her mirth and Drake was in high spirits. The three quieted as Susan stood there with her hands on her hips.

Ryan nudged Jason. “I think you’re in trouble.”

Jason looked up at his mother, then back at Ryan. “I don’t think it’s me she’s looking at.”

Ryan glanced up at Susan, noting the exasperated expression. “I think you may be right.”

Ryan stood, still grasping the back of Jason’s shirt and bringing him easily to his feet. He brushed himself off, plucking a few leaves from Drake as well. Ryan also brushed a few leaves from Drake, who seemed greatly entertained by the entire incident. Ryan glanced up at Susan.

“Please stop looking at me like that. It reminds me of my father.” She brushed a few more leaves off, then said under her breath, “Or even worse, Abigail.”

Susan’s expression softened, but Jason did Ryan no favors.

“You didn’t need to worry mom, Ryan can run faster than that horse. Last time that happened—”

Jason’s voice trailed off at Ryan’s pained expression. Susan raised an eyebrow.

“The last time?”

Ryan glanced down at Jason. “Thanks.” She turned to look down at Susan, who had stepped closer.

“Nothing will happen to Jason, Dr. Ryerson,” Ryan said, gazing at her intently, “or to you.”

Susan realized she had made a tactical error in moving so close to Ryan. It created all sorts of sensations she was incapable of dealing with. As logical and dispassionate as she tried to be, her Change had created desires in her she could not reconcile with her former life as a scientist.

It was also blocking her ability to sense anything else, a difficulty her son did not have.

“Um, Ryan?” Jason asked uncertainly. There was a trace of fear in his voice.

Ryan showed no concern. “I know, Jason, they’ve been here for quite some time.” She turned, apparently addressing the empty forest around them.

“If you’re quite through terrifying my guests, please show yourselves.”

Her words were gently mocking but without anger. If anything, there was a trace of pleasure in her voice. Susan looked around, suddenly able to sense what Ryan had so easily perceived.

The forest appeared to shift and move, then figures began to materialize from the shadows. Susan was quite certain she would have been frozen in fear had Ryan not been present, and Jason shifted closer to Ryan as well. Only Drake looked on without fear, taking his cue from his mother.

The figures were all ebony-skinned, some black as night, all clean-shaven. As a whole, they possessed piercing dark eyes above strong jaws, beautiful princely features. Although they wore contemporary clothing, the cloth seemed barely able to contain the bulging muscles and rippling sinews of their bodies.

One particularly handsome man stepped forward, his dark eyes intense, his face expressionless. Ryan gazed at him a long moment.

“You’re not going to crucify me, are you?”

Kokumuo gazed at her. “You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?”

“Not in this lifetime,” Ryan replied. She flicked her gaze up and down his strong form. “I think I prefer you in your traditional garb.”

Kokumuo returned the rather insolent inspection. “I rather preferred you in at as well.”

Ryan smiled. They had both been wearing next to nothing when they had met before. “You forget, my friend. That was your garb. Mine would be a full suit of armor.”

“Hmm,” was all Kokumuo said. He then barked a command in Swahili to his men, and went to one knee. All of his troupe followed, bowing low. Jason watched the scene with wide eyes.

“That will be enough of that,” Ryan said a little uncomfortably. “I think I’d prefer the crucifixion.”

Kokumuo and his men rose to their feet as one. Kokumuo’s tone was respectful with just the slightest trace of lecture. “You will have to get used to that, my lord.” He changed the subject. “Ala has requested your presence.” He turned a pointed glance to the child she held in her arms, “and she wishes to see your little one as well.”

Ryan cocked her head to the side. “She knows of my son?”

Kokumuo nodded. “She has known for quite some time.”

Ryan smiled to herself. That did not surprise her. Ala had gifts similar to Victor’s, ways of knowing that went beyond time and space. And if anyone would have sensed the boy’s presence, it would have been the primordial nature mother herself.

Ryan made a clicking noise, and all three horses obediently approached. Ryan gave Jason a leg up, noting that several of Kokumuo’s men elbowed one another to assist Susan to her mount. Ryan mounted her own horse effortlessly, Drake still cradled in one arm. She wheeled the stallion about.

“Then I will not keep Ala waiting.”

Ryan took the steps to the mansion two at a time, Drake balanced on her shoulders. She could feel Ala’s wonderful, earthy sensuality and greatly desired to see her. She glanced down at herself. She also greatly needed a bath. Jason’s rescue operation had left her somewhat muddied.

Edward materialized at the door. “Ala—” he stopped short, noting her soiled appearance. “—can wait until you are more presentable.”

Ryan did not break stride. “Please forward my apologies and tell Ala I will be with her momentarily.”

Ryan took the indoor stairs two at a time as well, still balancing Drake on her shoulders. The boy held on to her head as she disappeared upward with breathtaking speed.