Opheliac by J. F. Jenkins Read Free Book Online Page B

prodigy—Jaes was. On a mission, Alan had been able to take four teenagers away from the Doctor. The Doctor was a member of theGelandrosimbol , a tribe allied with the Basatlavan. His mission was to develop a drug that would prematurely unlock the abilities of the Earth teens who took it. A dangerous advancement with frightening implications for Altura. The Doctor chose Earth teens who attended a party held back in the fall. Angela had been there and was one of the experimented. Twelve teens had received the drug that night, in all. So far, Alan had been able to locate eight of them. One was their double agent, four were members of the enemy tribes and were being tracked, two worked for one of Alan’s allies, and the last was known but untouched for the time being. Four more of the experimented teens were still missing. The Doctor had taken other teens before and after the party, greatly increasing the number of his charges. There’s still a long way to go.
    Bringing the Doctor down and deciphering his work should have been the Rosalotuve’s number one priority, and Alan would do all he could to help his people achieve it. Cadence was close to making a breakthrough on the drug formula. If the drug could be understood, huge progress would be made. Hopefully, she could figure it out before anyone else on his ship could. He trusted Cadence more than his shipmates, and he selfishly wanted to prove himself even more useful. Then maybe he wouldn’t have to be hidden from view. Jaes thought Alan’s ability to be incognito an asset to the cause. Another thing Alan wasn’t so sure he agreed with, but it did give him something more to do than sit around and wait for orders. Personal projects kept him occupied; he just wished he didn’t have to feel as if he were going rogue while he did them.
    Alan waved his folder in front of him. “I’m going to go through this before I see my charges.”
    â€œGood idea. Be sure to tell them there is more work for them soon. After all of their help with retrieving the Ilotus, Sir Orioltogorthan wants to use your charges for more complicated missions. We wouldn’t have been able to do half of what we accomplished that mission if it wasn’t for you and all of your hard work. Not to mention how observant they were. I’m impressed that even the least skilled of your charges caught on to there being a leak on the mission. Not to mention all of the work Cadence has discovered in her free time. The fact that she has been able to recreate the chemical structure of each version of the drug is incredibly impressive.”
    â€œYes.” Alan held back a “sir,” knowing it would insult his friend. He finally could see Jaes as his equal instead of a boss.
    Jaes’s smile never wavered. “Please give her my regards.”
    â€œOf course.” Alan faced away from him so he could roll his eyes and have it not be seen. It was no secret Jaes was attracted to Cadence. She was a beautiful and exquisite girl. Her dark skin and deep dark eyes were indeed amazing to behold. There was a lot of charm to her personality as well. She was more than just a pretty girl, even before she gained her ability of knowledge. For whatever reason, the crush annoyed Alan to no end. Jaes was a good man, so it shouldn’t have been so bothersome.
    He entered his room and lay on his bed, not saying another word. Being polite was the last thing on his mind. Exhaustion filled him, but there was too much for him to do before he could rest. Pulling out the files he’d been given from Sir Poland, Alan hoped he could find some information that no one else had seen. He was desperate to be useful.

Chapter Five
    â€œAnd I’m tired of band. The music is too easy, and every time I’ve tried to audition for Concert Orchestra, I’m told I can’t because the new freshman are so good and blah, blah, blah.” Angela huffed, still frustrated by the