Beside me, Navda clenches his hands into knots under the table.
“Schedule a memory invasion procedure for tomorrow morning,” I instruct Commander Rox, “and then report your findings to this council.” Whatever secrets they are hiding will not withstand the pressure of the procedure. While I hate to enforce any such action, especially where it’s an affront to individual privacy, there’s no choice if they won’t willingly volunteer the information.
“As you wish, My King.” Commander Rox bows.
“You are dismissed. Thank you for your loyal service,” Navda clarifies with a respectful nod.
The question of punishment is the next topic on the agenda, and the discussion quickly becomes heated. Most of these planets lost their rightful heirs in the massacre on the High Commission Space Station, so compassion is in short supply. Tempers flare quickly, and a ton of hostility is directed at me and Navda because we are in favor of incarceration rather than execution.
“I’m surprised, King Logan,” one of the delegates pipes up in the crowd. The holo banner over his head confirms he’s the representative from Bhundhu. “Didn’t your brother almost kill you and your intended queen? Why do you show mercy?”
“Hasn’t there been enough killing?” My eyes skim over the crowd. “Will your heartache go away because those responsible no longer exist?” The room goes deathly quiet. “The purpose of this commission is to chart a new map of the future, to carve out better ways of dealing with the problems we face, to champion peaceful means of resolving issues and differences. What message do we send to our nations if our first act is a public execution of the leaders of the six dissenting planets? If we place their people under planetary arrest?”
Blood pumps through my veins, and my voice becomes more emotive. “I’ll tell you what message that sends out. It says we lie when we talk about real, meaningful change. It implies this commission is a façade, a blatant mockery of the memory of the High Commission whose mission statement we have all sworn to uphold. It says we talk a good game but don’t follow through. That’s not what we have said we are about. Effecting meaningful change means reacting creatively to our problems, not choosing the easiest route.”
I take a sip of water as I allow my words to settle in the room. Faces look contemplative, and some delegates talk among themselves in hushed voices.
“Well said, Logan.” Navda is sincere in his praise, and I can only hope that the words have struck a chord with the crowd.
After a couple of minutes, Navda requests a vote.
The holoscreen behind us displays the results. It’s close. So damn close. Forty-nine percent opposed to execution; fifty-one percent in support of it. Dali sends me a sympathetic look and I shrug. The majority has spoken, and that is the end of that. It’s agreed that no date for execution will be scheduled for the time being until the memory invasion procedure results are available. It is hoped that at least one of the defectors can pinpoint Dante’s location, and the aim is to capture him and terminate all the guilty parties at once.
I trudge, disappointed, out of the theater once the meeting has drawn to a close. Dali comes bounding out of the room, quickly threading her arm through mine. “That sucks.”
I crank out a laugh. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“It was so close. I genuinely thought you had it in the bag after that impassioned speech.”
Win and Haydn join us in the corridor, chatting quietly as they guide us toward the hangar. Win sends a coy smile Dali’s way, and her eyes light up instantly, her entire face glowing. I’m happy that things seem to be working out for my friends, but it only serves to remind me of what I’m missing. My craving for Sadie reaches fever-pitch, and my dour mood gets even dourer.
“Where’s Sadie?” Dali implores, arching her brows as she looks around. We’d kept our plans contained so nothing could go wrong, so she isn’t aware that Sadie is on Torc with Axton. Quickly and quietly, I update her. She slams to a halt in the corridor, deep lines furrowing her brow. “Have you heard from her yet?”
I shake my head. “Not since she left Narik.” All thoughts are immediately replaced with concern for my wife. Dali pats my arm. “Your girl can kick ass. She’ll be fine.”
“I know. She isn’t the one I’m worried about.”
Her look is sympathetic. At that precise moment, the Eterno connection vibrates, and I sense Sadie reaching out for me. Gesturing to Dali, I step off to the side, flattening my back against the wall as I thrust my line out to meet her halfway. The instant we merge, the headiest warmth surges through my body, and a wave of contentment washes over me.
“Angel. I miss you so much already.”
“Logan. I only have a second. Listen carefully. It was a trap. I’m not sure what the lay of the land is now, but I’m going to find out. I have to go.”
Her line starts to retract, and I panic. “Wait!” I need more details than that.
“I can’t. Later.”
The line is severed, leaving me drowning in a vast pool of anxiety. I’m tempted to reach out to her, but I can’t do it. They can’t know we have bonded and that we are still telepathically connected. It’s difficult to communicate without displaying some evidence of same, and that’s why we agreed that Sadie will be the one to initiate contact while she is on Torc. Already that’s proving harder to deal with than expected. I slam my fist into the wall, needing an outlet for my frustration. Dali and Haydn are at my side in a heartbeat.
“What did she say?” Haydn asks breathlessly.
“You were right,” I tell him. “It was a trap.”
Haydn curses and Dali frowns.
“What now?” Haydn says.
I throw my hands into the air as a frustrated sigh puffs out of my mouth. “Damned if I know. What if she doesn’t get out of there, Haydn? What if he succeeds in keeping her trapped? He’s so desperate, who knows what he’ll do.” I can’t keep the distress from my voice.
My insides are twisted into gnarly knots that are tearing me up. I should never have agreed to this. If I lose her … I can’t even continue that train of thought. Right now, I’m tempted to rage through the compound like a wrecking ball. Instead, I bunch my hands into tight fists, imagining I’m using them to pummel Axton into oblivion.
“He’s obsessed with her, Logan, but he would never hurt her.” Haydn’s attempt at reassurance fails miserably.
Dali gives me a quick hug. “Try to relax, Logan. Haydn is right, and Sadie’s got this.”
“If anything happens to her, I’ll kill him with my bare hands. I fucking will.” I storm off down the corridor like a raging bull is hot on my tail. I need to expend some of this energy before I go crazy.
Navda pulls up alongside me a little while later. The entrance to the hangar is dead ahead. “I heard.”
Unable to speak rationally, I merely nod, grateful he doesn’t offer up unhelpful platitudes. I swear, if one more person says Sadie will be fine, I’m going to level their ass. He emits an audible, frustrated sigh, and it distracts me.
Apprehension radiates from him like a flashing, distress signal, mirroring my own discontent. I can guess what’s behind his upset. Though our reasons are different, neither of us wanted this fate for Dante. I will never forgive him for what he tried to do to Sadie and me, nor will I ever forget how he callously killed Neve and Alex and their unborn child or the countless innocents who were casualties of his relentless thirst for power. But, as the humans are fond of saying, two wrongs don’t make a right. And I honestly believe this is the wrong path. I can only hope that this is overriding, collective grief speaking and not some pigheaded reluctance to implement honest change. The path to peace will not be an easy one, especially if some of the delegates aren’t fully on board.
“Come back to Narik with me. There is something I need to show you,” Navda says as we approach our ships.
“I’ll have to take a rain check. I need to re—”
He cuts me off, which is most uncharacteristic of hi
m. “This can’t wait, Logan.”
“Okay. I’ll rearrange my schedule.”
Navda is waiting on the platform to greet us when we arrive in Narik a little while later. Haydn, Rylan, and I turn and watch as Win docks Dali’s ship. A few minutes later and we are all following Navda as he guides us to the main operational control center, buried deep underneath the palace.
Conversing quietly with one of his technicians, he steers us into a small, secure side room. “What I’m about to tell you cannot be spoken about outside this room. Can everyone agree to that?” Navda asks.
Haydn and I exchange ominous looks.
Expectation is rife in the air as everyone nods their agreement.
He stands before us with his arms crossed and legs slightly stretched. “I know what my son did was horrific. I know the pain he has caused people in this room. I know the suffering he has inflicted on others. I also understand that he’s been in a bad place for a very long time and that his upbringing was less than ideal.” He lowers his head, staring at his feet. “I’m not excusing it, nor am I saying he doesn’t deserve to be punished because he must atone for his sins. But I will not stand by and watch another one of my sons be cruelly taken away from me.”
“What are you saying?” Dali asks.
“I’m going to get Dante myself and bring him back here. No one can infiltrate our shield, so I can protect him.”
I take a step toward him. “Navda.” My voice is low. “If you do this, you’ll make an enemy of every other nation. I understand where you’re coming from, genuinely, I do, but is he worth risking all that?”
I’m horrified when tears well in his eyes. “Yes, Logan. He is worth that to me.”
No one speaks and you could hear a pin drop in the room. The technician eyes King Coryn like he’s totally lost his sanity. I’m not altogether sure that he hasn’t.
I can’t help wondering if Dante’d even care that someone who barely knows him is prepared to risk so much for him.
I scratch the back of my head. “We’ll never get to him before the Military Reserve. It’s futile.” He shoots us a sheepish look, and my eyes narrow suspiciously. “What aren’t you saying?”
“When we were on Dante’s ship, I managed to hide a tracking device. I know where he is. I’ve known all along.”
CHAPTER 6
Sadie
The journey to Torc seemed to take forever, and I have a sense that Ax was reluctant to return home, although that could be a figment of my overactive imagination. When we embarked from the ship to discover Griselda waiting in the vast hangar with a proud smile on her face, I knew.
I knew it was a trap.
That Ax had betrayed us.
Betrayed me. Again.
I wasted no time in letting Logan know, quickly ceasing the connection before Griselda spotted anything on my face.
She stalks toward us now, an unfamiliar smile spreading wider across her face. Members of the High Council wait in line behind her, flanked by a row of heavily armed Tor soldiers.
“It went according to plan?” she asks her son as a medical technician cautiously approaches me. Instinctively, I step back, and Ax moves, sliding into the space behind me.
“Like clockwork,” he tells his mother, gripping my hands tightly. The technician avoids eye contact as he swiftly secures new cuff bands around my wrists. I wriggle in Ax’s grip, glaring at the technician with narrowed eyes as he backs away.
I stare up at Ax—this stranger, wondering if I’ve ever truly known him at all. “Has everything been a lie?”
“Come now, Sadie.” Griselda shakes her head in disgust. “Even you can’t be that gullible.”
“Was I speaking to you?!” I hiss, not even glancing in her direction. I keep my focus glued to Ax. I want to see him lie to my face.
A searing-hot pain races across my cheek as my skin reacts to the unexpected blow. I stagger back, almost losing my balance as I cup my sore cheek. Ax grabs his mother by the shoulders, putting his face right up in hers. A fleeting glimmer of fear flashes in her eyes. “Do. Not. Touch. Her.” A muscle in his jaw pops in and out. “Or all deals are off.”
Silence prevails as the welcoming committee waits with bated breath to see what Griselda will do. Ax digs his fingers into her flesh, and she winces. “Fine. I won’t touch her.”
My eyes are out on stalks, and I can scarcely believe it.
“Apologize.” Ax’s uncompromising tone startles me, and my eyes are so wide I’m sure I’ve popped a blood vessel or two.
Griselda’s lips pinch tight as she shucks out of Ax’s grips. “Sorry,” she clips out, barely looking in my direction.
“To her face, and mean it this time,” Ax demands.
My gaze jumps between them, wondering what the hell is going on. Griselda faces me, holding her chin in the air. “I apologize, Sadie. It won’t happen again.”
The members of the High Council trade surprised looks. I note Alinka and Terra’s mother, Chancellor Valla, watching the scene unfold with a wary expression. Spotting my attention, she pierces me with her most contemptuous look. Having killed both of her daughters, I can only imagine her thirst for my blood is at an all-time high. I make a mental note to keep a special look out for her, lest she attempt something.
Ax examines my face, nudging his head to the side.
“I’ll accept her apology when I know it’s sincere,” I retort, keeping to the behavioral patterns Griselda expects of me. Her lips curl into a pleasing sneer, and I glower at her.
“Acknowledge her apology, Sadie,” Ax says through gritted teeth.
My gut response is to tell him to take a long walk off a short cliff, but I need to get him on side as quickly as possible.
“Fine,” I snap, “but I’m only doing this for you.” Presenting my best poker face, I eyeball Griselda as I speak. “Apology accepted.”
Her condescending smile expands, and I can’t wait until I wipe that look permanently off her face.
Now that the drama has been dispensed with, Ax leads me out through the hangar and into the glossy, white-lined corridors. “Where are we?” It can’t be Torc HQ because I blew that place to smithereens.
“Don’t you recognize it?” He takes my hand, guiding me forward. “It’s HQ. The bomb wiped out a couple of floors, but they’ve already been remodeled.”
We pass by an open doorway, and my eyes widen as I spot the newly constructed Tempo inside. I log the location of the new control room in a special compartment in my head, carefully mapping out the rest of our journey so I know my way back.
The Tor who pass don’t hesitate to show their distaste for me. I’m hissed at, cursed at, and a few even risk lunging at me. Ax orders the soldiers to arrest every single one of them and they obey without question. Griselda doesn’t utter one word.
What the hell is going on here?
Ax opens the doors to a suite, with an impressive floor-to-ceiling window that offers breathtaking views over the capital city below us. Instructing the soldiers to wait outside, he closes the suite doors and requests drinks of the robovant hovering at the corner of the room.
“Do you like it?” he asks me, motioning with his hands. Decorated in dark gray and black hues, the walls are drab and claustrophobic. Furnishings are kept to a minimum, and the harsh, angular lines are austere. The kitchen and dining area are compact but functional, and the living space is large but sparse. It’s soulless and impersonal, emitting an unlived-in vibe, except for the pictures tacked to the wall, the only personal touch in the entire space. I gulp as my eyes roam over my childish drawings, distressed at how much they seem to mean to Ax. It’s an unsettling reminder of my hidden past.
I haven’t said anything yet. My mind is whirling in all different directions.
“You don’t like it?” His brows crease with concern. “We can redecorate. Make it brighter. Do whatever you want to the place.”
Oh, I see. We’re going to play pretend happy families?
Sitting down on
the hard couch, I kick my shoes off and pull my knees up to my chest. “It’s nice. I like it,” I lie.
If you’re into creepy mausoleums.
He can’t disguise his satisfactory grin, and I shoot him a tight smile.
“Enough, Axton.” Griselda steps toward her son and slaps him hard across the face. “That’s for the hangar.”
“Mother!” He palms his sore face. “We agreed on this, and you know it’s working. People don’t question my judgment, and they are accepting of my forthcoming leadership role.”
“I know!” she yells. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” Ax fixes her with a defiant look as he rubs his face. “And where is Izzy?”
“Logan didn’t bring her to the meeting despite my request.” Ax shoots a subtle warning in my direction. “There was nothing I could do. Besides, Sadie was the main reason we were there, and we have her. Izzy would never have towed the line and you know it.”
Well, now, this is interesting.
Ax never asked for Izzy to be in attendance, and I’m so glad we told her she couldn’t come. Although she was furious with us, I now know it was the right decision. That we were correct in our assessment—we felt Ax would use it as an opportunity to take her too. If Ax was protecting Izzy—and that seems like the only logical conclusion—then there is still hope.
He hasn’t completely lost his way.
“Perhaps. But she’s a loose end we need to tie up at some point.” Griselda emits a frustrated sigh.
“And we will, Mother. All in good time.”
“Would someone mind telling me what’s going on?” I cut in.
“Stupid girl,” Griselda murmurs under her breath, but I ignore her.
“Ax, you need to tell me. I came here with you freely, and I will uphold my end of the bargain if you can assure me you will maintain yours.”
“I’m afraid I can’t agree to that, Sadie.” He drops down on the couch beside me as the robovant serves our drinks.
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