Aunt Vera's recovery brought unexpected complications.
"She's not just traumatized," Thorne said during a private medical briefing two weeks after the rescue. "She's been fundamentally altered. The experiments they performed—they've affected her on a genetic level."
"Meaning what?"
"Meaning she has abilities now that she didn't have before. Enhanced healing. Limited telepathy. And something else we haven't fully identified yet." He pulled up test results. "The Breeding Project was apparently more successful than Vera knew. They created artificial enhancements by manipulating her royal bloodline markers."
"Is she dangerous?"
"Not intentionally. But her abilities are unstable. Unpredictable. She'll need extensive training to control them." Thorne's expression was troubled. "There's also
