The Grave Shadows

26. Red Dress

Luke was patient enough to dig for usable products in boxes that usually brought on his tears. For a moment, Everett wondered what their mother would think of Cyan. Would Mary adore this precious girl as much as she loved Rosalind Watts? Would she care about David's painting as much as the one in the library? Did Mary believe that David deserved something so beautiful?

Despite the invincibility, Cyan seemed breakable, and Everett had never been so tempted to break someone. He bent down through the scent that drove him wild and flatted his thumb on her lips. Her breath steamed his finger as he wiped the peach gloss off her skin in one stroke. His heart inflamed, pumping the undying fire throughout his body.

"It's doesn't matter. You don't need them." Everett exhaled and straightened his spine. He should have devoured that rosy lips right then, but a coward pulled him away. The echo of her throbbing lips pricked on his thumb. Cyan had to realize how flirtatious of her to be sitting on a man's bed. Had she read Everett's mind, she would be terrified.

Everett filled his lungs with another deep breath and fell back. "Simon is right. The dress suits you."

***

Angelica had intense green eyes, and her gaze meant to yield x-ray reports. Currently, sitting between Everett and Simon, she stared at Cyan. "I heard you study biochemistry," she said. "Such a smart girl. Is it true that people can design babies now?" Angelica's gaze had always been sharp, but her gibbering remained hazy.

Cyan nodded and quitted rearranging strawberries around the salad. "Theoretically, yes, but the technologies require versatile and careful debates. Genome editing in humans won't be routinely accessible soon." She kept her fork down.

Fruits in savory greens was an acquired combination, but when strawberries were on the table, it meant Everett did something right.

Angelica tapped her lips with black silk. "What do you think, Bill? Should humans sketch themselves?"

Sketch? Everett eyed Will, Simon, and Luke. The Watts boys had a mission to disrupt any conversation that would lead someone to mention David.

"Oh, you know how I hate to argue with believers. Cyan here always has a politically correct way to handle them. We may not be able to create superhumans in our lifetime, but surely, Cyan can customize brilliant horses."

"So that is your plan for this adorable scientist," Angelica said.

Everett wished Angelica was right. Bill Watts could be interested in Cyan's intellect.

"It's up to you, my girl, because you have many gifts," Bill Watts said to Cyan.

That word gifts made Cyan swallow and turn to Everett. He nodded to reassure that he would protect her secret.

"Modifying the offspring is one thing," said Angelica. "I wonder if you can change the existing ones."

"Are we talking about humans or horses?" Simon frowned.

"Lukas, what about that gene therapy trial you told Garrison?" Bill Watts asked.

"Gene editing is targeting inherited diseases," Luke said, smiling at Cyan, "like Hunter Syndrome."

"Hunter Syndrome?" Angelica cried out. "What is that? It sounds dangerous."

"It's a rare disorder that causes sugar to build up in the patient's organs," Luke replied.

Will chuckled, but that sickness should concern him the most.

"Which leads to development delay and brain damage," Cyan added, and Will gulped.