Lord Regret's Price: A Jane Austen Space Opera, Book 3 Read Online Free Page A

part of something she shared with Sig.
    “The nanobots distorted and manipulated their DNA.” She said it casually, so absorbed in trying to decide if she dared approach the alien that she didn’t see how her words affected him. Suddenly queasy, he fought to keep his face smooth even though his stomach ached like Sig had sucker punched him. Manipulating DNA. If they’re doing that inside her…
    Neither she nor Sig might even be human any longer. How could he protect them both from something he couldn’t see and didn’t understand?
     
    “I must have a word with the Razari. Wait here, Gil.”
    She’d long mourned the loss of the crystal she’d been studying before she’d been forced to flee Britannia. Yet the Razari artifact had been instrumental in her faked assassination. Only as long as her index finger, once the crystal was cracked, it released a chemical reaction powerful enough to melt her carriage and destroy any trace of her missing body. The Razari used them to power their ultrafast engines, but her instincts insisted that was only the beginning of how they used the incredible crystals.
    Pretending interest in the nearby rug shop, she edged closer, studying the alien out of the corner of her eye. Female, she thought, though it was hard to tell. They were humanoid but their skin coloring and larger musculature made it difficult to determine gender. While its clothing wasn’t all that different from what the multitude of humans dominating the market wore, the alien’s skin tone was a dark greenish-brown, the color of brackish swamp water. Long, twisted clumps of hair, wrapped in cord, hung down her back, the same brown-green color as her skin.
    There. Charlotte held her breath and risked another longer peek. The Razari wore a crystal around her neck like a piece of jewelry.
    Why would they wear such a powerful energy source—or weapon—about their necks? Stunned, she forgot to turn away when the alien caught her stare. So many questions rushed through her mind like noisy flocks of birds. Were you there when Britannia attacked? Can you give me a firsthand account of what happened? Have you always worn the crystals…or is that something new that you began only once Queen Majel took an interest in your planet? How can I possibly make you understand that I regret…
    “Britannian,” the alien said the word like a vile curse, curling her lips to reveal wicked, inch-long fangs.
    Charlotte inclined her head and held out her hand. “How do you do?”
    Evidently, she’d managed to knock the alien back on her heels with surprise. Hesitantly, she took Charlotte’s hand, but didn’t give a polite shake and release. She gripped hard, perhaps a show of strength, like men squeezing each other’s hands to see who would flinch first. So Charlotte held just as tightly and didn’t back away. In fact, she stepped closer.
    The alien was nearly as tall as Gil and built just as solidly. She imagined the damage those fangs would do, especially to a vulnerable body part like her throat. Gil was probably beside himself with alarm, but Charlotte couldn’t miss this chance to find out more.
    Keeping her voice low, she cast her gaze around the busy market, searching for anyone who might be too interested in their discussion. “Do you understand me?”
    “Yes. We took care to learn your language quickly. Not that it saved us.”
    “Not everyone supports what happened on Razar. In fact, few do.”
    “I don’t believe you.” The alien squeezed harder, drawing Charlotte close enough that her skirts began to be crushed by the other female’s body. “No one stopped the attack, not before, not after.”
    “No one could. The Queen is not a woman to be trifled with.” To be fair to Majel, she hadn’t approved the attack on Razar in the first place, but Charlotte wasn’t prepared to leak that information. Not yet. It was one sure way to confirm that Lady Wyre—Queen’s confidante and the only lady who could possibly know