Much less of a mouthful.
The previous Royal Commission has been disbanded, and the High Commission was obliterated in the attack, so the U.P.C. is now the only form of governance in the galaxy.
“Wow, that was fast work.” The Military Reserve was established as a representative group to coordinate security among member states, and a small team was commissioned to track down the dissenters. Dante and his mangy crew have been in the wind for weeks, and it has everyone on edge. Dante’s quest for vengeance should never be underestimated nor his level of resourcefulness. Past actions confirm that. “I hope their intelligence is spot-on. I know I’ll sleep easier at night if they are under lock and key.”
Deep lines furrow Logan’s brow. “That’s the next battle,” he admits, rubbing his taut jaw. “We still haven’t reached agreement on what to do when we find them. Half the member states want them terminated, while others are favoring a trial and incarceration.”
“What about you? What do you want to do?”
A mournful look sweeps across his face, and my heart bleeds for him.
Dante has killed excessively and wreaked havoc at every turn. But he’s still Logan’s blood brother. They were even close at one point in time, so this is a tough call to make.
“I … I still don’t know.” Troubled eyes latch on mine. We’ve discussed this at length, and it’s a lot like going around in a continuous, impenetrable circle. Logan is trying to do the right thing as Saven king, but it’s impossible to separate the personal conflict from the equation.
If I could make the decision for him, I would. For me, it’s rather black and white. Dante killed Odie, Jenna, Alex, Neve, and faceless unknowns, and he almost succeeded in ending Logan and me. I have zero sympathy for him. If it was my call, I’d send him to his death without any remorse.
I’m not sure when my heart hardened or whether it’s a good or bad thing.
Logan’s insides are twisted in knots, and I don’t want to add to his stress, so I quit my current line of thought. “I know you’ll do the right thing and I will support your decision whatever it is.” That brings a small smile to his mouth. “Will I see you later?” I twine my fingers in his, attempting to mask the rising anxiety from my face.
“Most definitely. I will be right by your side when you mind walk. Nothing or no one will keep me away.” He lifts our conjoined hands and presses his lips to my flesh.
Delicious tingles dance over my skin, and his mesmerizing touch along with his words are a soothing balm that quenches the anxiety flames. I’ve always felt more secure when Logan is with me, but since we Eterno bonded, it’s advanced to a whole new level. I feel almost invincible when he is by my side.
Like I could conquer the world.
His lips curve up in a teasing smile. “Is that so?”
Dammit! I didn’t realize I’d shared that thought with him. Our time together is so limited and so precious these days that I don’t waste it by blocking him from my mind. So much so that I often forget to retract the connection.
“If it helps,” he says, lowering his head toward me. “You do the same for me.” He kisses me sweetly, softly, and I want to melt into his arms, but I can’t be selfish.
Duty calls.
I break the kiss. Gently cupping his face, I fix him with an adoring look. It takes no effort. It’s pretty much how I look at him all the time. I never thought being bonded and married would feel this amazing, but every day we grow closer and closer despite the thousands of miles that often separate us.
I’ll never get my fill of Logan. Even if I live to infinity and beyond.
In a world where there is little to celebrate, I cherish the special love we share.
He blows me a kiss as he jabs a button on his comport, and then he’s gone.
I run the tip of one finger along my lower lip, committing his taste to memory and hoping I can survive until I get to kiss him again.
“It’s so hard to be around you two, sometimes,” Kesla says softly. “Haydn and I haven’t even had the chance to experience that yet, and I’m so afraid that it’ll never happen now.”
I loop my arm in hers. “Ssh. Don’t think like that. Why don’t you come back to the house with me? You can’t spend every solitary minute here.” She starts to shake her head. “Besides, I need your help deciding what I’m going to say to him—what are the exact things I must tell him to coax him from his mind? You know him better than any of us. Come on, a half-hour break will do you good,” I cajole.
“Okay,” she relents.
I say goodbye to Jaxa and then teleport us out of there immediately. Teleporting can, apparently, take a toll on the body, so we’re not supposed to use it for convenience’s sake, but I reckon I’m due a pass today. Jaxa has insisted I rest before the procedure, so I’m not going to exert myself needlessly by trekking on foot. The high-tech medical facility Haydn is in resides on the very outer edge of Talla, and it’s a good hour’s walk on my little legs.
“Oh, there you are,” Haydn’s mom, Vega, says the minute Kesla and I land in the lobby of their grand home. Haydn’s father is the village commander, and they live in the official residence which also serves as a hotel of sorts for visiting dignitaries.
Which, apparently, includes me now.
I’m still struggling to grapple with my newly elevated status. And don’t even get me started on my impending role as Saven queen. I shudder even though the regulated temp is toasty warm. Prickles of unease raise all the tiny hairs on my arms, but I force my anxiety aside. I need to keep a cool, unruffled head today.
“I’ve just had lunch served in the main hall, if you’d both care to join me?” Vega offers, motioning us forward.
“How is he today?” she asks, once we are all comfortably seated around the ginormous glass-topped table. I’d much rather sit in the casual comfort of the working kitchen, but to suggest such a thing wouldn’t be appropriate at all. Not for the incoming queen. Shudders rock my body once again, and I try to shake myself out of it. My confidence has skyrocketed these last few months, most notably since I Eterno bonded with Logan, but the topic of Saven queen always gives me a hideous case of the heebie-jeebies. I’ve handled everything that’s come my way with relative ease, but all it takes is one mention of that and I’m a basket case.
Logan has tried repeatedly to reassure me, to no avail. I don’t miss the suspicious glances and outright hostile glares I pick up from certain quarters when I’m with him on official business or left to my own devices around the palace. Not everyone has embraced me, and that fact is the main reason for my concern. I don’t want to do anything that will undermine Logan in their eyes. Not when he is doing such a stellar job as king. My heart swells with pride, as it always does, whenever I think of what he’s accomplished.
Kesla is updating Vega on the discussion in the medical facility when I tune back into the conversation. Reaching across the table, Vega clutches my hand in hers. Raw emotion emanates from her eyes. “Thank you so much for what you’re doing for my son. We won’t ever forget this.”
I meet her eyes dead-on. “He took a hit protecting Logan and me. We won’t ever forget that.” A proud smile graces her lips. “And he was a great friend to me on Earth, and I know Logan is lost without him. There are innumerable ways in which he is important to us. Far too many to list out.”
“He’s always been a good boy. When we took Kesla in, we were concerned about Haydn’s reaction, but he welcomed her with open arms.” Vega shoots Kesla a warm smile while I try to disguise my surprise.
Kesla has already explained the circumstances that led to her living with Haydn and his family. When she was unexpectedly orphaned, Haydn’s father had shown up and offered her a new home. With no other surviving relatives, there had been little choice but to accept his hospitality.
Hearing that story warmed my heart. So far, a lot of the Saven I’ve met have been of the cold, uncaring, unconscionable type, so it is heartwarming to know not everyone is like that on t
his planet. It also adds weight to our belief that love is the cornerstone of the conscience development process.
After lunch, Kesla and I retreat to my chambers to talk privately. “Vega doesn’t know the true nature of your relationship with Haydn, does she?” I ask the minute we step into my room. Shutting the door behind us, I strip off my jacket and fling it over the back of the white couch. I toe off my shoes and pad barefoot into the kitchen, snatching a couple of drinks. I hand one to Kesla as I plop down on the couch, curling my legs underneath me.
She shakes her head. “We only declared our feelings that night he was here, before he left on the mission.”
I stare, absentmindedly, into space. “I’m surprised they didn’t notice something when you were growing up.”
She props her elbows on her knees. “We were only kids, so they probably took no notice. I never thought it was possible to feel this much for someone. I’ve dated others, but no one ever meant as much to me. I love Haydn with all my heart; I always have and I always will. When he left to take up his position as Logan’s bodyguard, I spiraled into a deep depression. I couldn’t comprehend the fact that I’d never see him again, and as I got older, I regretted not telling him how I felt. I vowed to myself that if I got the opportunity to see him again, I wouldn’t hold back.”
“And you didn’t.” I remember her snuggled in Haydn’s bed, looking perfectly at home there. I can’t help the teasing smirk that plays across my mouth, so I’m utterly horrified when she breaks down, massive sobs wrenching from deep inside her.
I scoot down the couch and pull her into my side. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m so sorry. I know how much you’re fretting.”
Lifting her chin, she fixes me with forlorn eyes. “What if you can’t convince him to come back to me? What am I going to do then?” She clutches onto my shirt as her sobs start up in earnest again.
“I am going to do my utmost to get through to him because he deserves to have the type of life he’s only ever dreamed of.” Haydn was suffering with big regrets recently, and, in hindsight, that was nothing to do with me or whatever he perceived he felt for me. I think the love we felt for each other, and the development of his conscience, opened his heart to other feelings he never even realized he possessed. I can still remember how reverentially he spoke about his family, and now I’m wondering if it was Kesla he was often thinking about.
“What did he dream of?” she asks, looking up at me through tear-stained eyes.
“He wanted a normal life. Love, marriage, a family.”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “He said that? He genuinely said that?”
“Yeah. He didn’t say it outright, but I think he was most definitely talking about wanting that with you.”
Drying her eyes, she faces me with renewed determination. “Well then, I know exactly what you need to tell him to bring him out of his coma.”
“Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“Tell him he’s going to be a father. I’m pregnant, and we both need him.”
CHAPTER 2
I blink profusely as I let her statement sink in. “Wow. I mean, congrats. Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”
“I’ve only known a couple of weeks, and I wasn’t sure how you would react to the news.” I quirk a brow. “Not you, personally.” She straightens up, composing herself as she nibbles on her lip. “Haydn isn’t permitted to have a wife or a family, and I didn’t want to get him into trouble, but when it’s a matter of life or death …”
Reaching over, I take her hands in mine. “You have nothing to worry about in that regard. Logan and I are committed to making widespread changes once things settle down here and in the galaxy. We’ve already discussed it, and once Haydn is well enough to meet with us, we will outline our suggestion.” I shoot her an apologetic look. “It wouldn’t be right to share that with you before we’ve spoken to him. I hope you understand and that you’ll trust me when I say everything is going to work out.”
Hopeful eyes meet mine. “I understand, and thank you, for everything.”
“Friends look out for friends, right?” I murmur. “And Haydn is going to be so happy when he hears the news.” Tilting my head up, I offer her another apologetic look. “I’m sorry you won’t be the one to tell him.”
“Just bring him back to me, Sadie. That’s all I want.”
“Relax, Alma Sadie. Take deep breaths, in and out.” High Elder Jaxa talks in a reassuring tone of voice as I lie prostrate on an elevated cot alongside Haydn’s chamber. Kesla waits anxiously on a bench by the far wall, alongside Haydn’s parents. Logan hovers over me as a serum is administered, watching me with grave intensity. The technician moves behind me, placing thin, cylindrical-shaped chips in strategic places on my forehead and at the back of my skull. I twist my head, catching Jaxa’s attention. “I thought the whole point of mind walking was that it was all done through the mind. Why the need for medical intervention?” I watch as the technician plants similar chips on Haydn’s forehead.
“It is, Alma Sadie, but the serum will help relax you and lull you deep into your mind, and the digital pins enable me to follow both of your cognitive patterns. We want to ensure this procedure is a success, and I will accept every assistance available to protect our future queen.”
Stars! Why did he have to mention the Q word? Now, my freak-out is verging on coronary-inducing territory.
Logan runs his hands up and down my arms as he leans down and presses a light kiss to my lips. “You will be perfect. As always.”
I roll my eyes. “Will you ever take me off that ridiculous pedestal?”
“Only if I’m moving you to a higher one.”
I snort. “Well, I’ll only go if you’re with me.”
“Deal.” As he kisses me again, I feel my limbs loosening and my mind calling out to me. “Good luck, Angel. Talk to you soon.” Logan’s footsteps are soft as he steps away from the cot.
Closing my eyes, I concentrate on blocking out everything around me until there’s no noise, no movement, and all I’m conscious of is the serene blackness in my mind and the comforting rise and fall of my chest. I push myself further into my mind, allowing a peaceful blanket to soothe any frayed edges and imbue me with self-confidence. Spiraling through the hidden depths in my mind, I thrust myself forward, imagining I’m free falling through the air as I drop deeper and deeper, finally reaching the very core of my mind. I throw up my walls, as the High Elder has trained me to do, and focus on identifying Haydn’s telepathic thread. My mind conjures up a myriad of pleasant recollections of Haydn as I search for his line. There! I latch onto the line like a fish chomping greedily on bait, following the path that connects me to Haydn’s mind.
My memories churn on a loop, and I project them forward to let Haydn know I’m a friend, and I pop into his mind with no resistance. Fleeting thoughts and images caress the outskirts of my mind as I race toward Haydn’s inner chamber, calling out to him the entire time. Gradually, I sense an alertness, an acknowledgment, as awareness sparks to life. “Haydn? Where are you? It’s me, Sadie. I need to talk to you.”
“Sadie?” Confusion underscores the thought.
“It’s me. I’m walking in your mind. I can hear you, sense you, almost feel you.” The magnitude of what we’re doing renders me awestruck for a moment.
“What? Where am I? What’s going on?”
“Chill, Haydn. Everything is going to be okay. I’m here to help. What is the last thing you remember?” The High Elder explained it was important for Haydn to try to reconnect with his mind, to piece together his recollections to aid his journey from the deepest part of himself.
“I … I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
“Think harder, Haydn. Who were you with? What were you doing? What was going on around you?”
“We were at the High Commission!”
“Yes! What happened after that!”
“We were attacked … and Dante captured us and … oh, stars, he killed Alex!” I sense
his heightened response, his thundering emotions.
“Take it easy, Haydn. You’re doing good. What next?”
“The Tor showed up and a battle started and … I jumped in front of Logan and you, and then everything was dark. Did that really happen? Where am I? Sadie! What’s going on?”
“You did real good, Haydn. That’s what happened. You got shot protecting Logan and me, and you’ve been in a coma ever since.”
A buzzing hum infiltrates my mind, and I don’t know if I’m picking up on Haydn’s anxiety or if it’s a warning sign that I’m reaching the limits of my capacity. Surely not? It doesn’t feel like I’ve been mind walking for long.
Haydn is quiet, reflective, but we don’t have the luxury of time.
“Haydn, I need you to follow me out of your mind. You’ve been hiding away, refusing to wake up, and if you don’t leave that inner chamber, you’ll be permanently locked inside your mind with no way of returning to life. Do you understand me?”
“What if I don’t want to return?”
“What?! Why would you say that?” I’ve always believed he got lost in his mind, not that he was consciously refusing to wake up.
“Maybe I’m tired of it all.”
A sharp pain stabs at my outer walls, and I inwardly wince. Panic is building and I need to convince Haydn, and fast. There’s no way to do this but just throw it out there. “Kesla is pregnant with your child, and she needs you. You need to follow me right now, Haydn, or you’ll never see either of them. Is that what you want?”
“What, Sadie? If this is some kind of sick joke—”
“It’s not. You’re going to have a baby with Kes—Aaggh!” Someone takes a jackhammer to my inner walls and starts slamming it with force. I scream out in my mind. You’ve got to be kidding me! Now? Now, Griselda tries to impact my mind? When I’m deeply entrenched in Haydn’s psyche and we only have a tiny window to escape? Full-blown panic rears up, ready to consume me, but I brush it aside, replacing it with quiet determination.
Saven Deliverance Page 2