I’ve only taken six steps down the corridor when he calls out to me. Spinning around, I face him with questioning eyes. “If I was the one imprisoned, would you risk such a foolish rescue for me?”
I don’t need to think about it. The answer comes instinctively. “Yes. Of course, I would do the same for you.”
Some unspoken communication streams between us. We stare wordlessly at each other, the weight of my conviction apparently easing some of the friction. “I love you” is all he says before he closes the door to his room.
Fern glances sideways at me as she leads us into an empty bedroom. Reaching up, she pulls supplies out of an overhead press as I flop spread-eagled on the bed. “So you’re really married then?” She hands me a large towel.
“It appears that way.” I prop up on my elbows, taking it from her.
“What are you going to do?” She dangles on the edge of the bed.
“I don’t know, it’s a total mess.”
“What is your heart telling you?”
“That I love Logan to the ends of the Earth.”
She nods sagely. “That’s your answer, then.”
“It’s going to devastate Ax.”
Her head bobs again. “He seems like a lovely guy.”
I sit up on my knees facing her. “He is, Fern. He’s a great guy. I never knew I had such good taste.” She smiles wanly. “But I can’t force myself to remember my hidden past or purposefully unravel the mystery of my heart. Secrets are usually buried for a reason.” I stare off into space for a few moments. “Even if I chose to recover my stolen memories, how can I compel my heart to love someone else?” My eyes beseech her. “Memories are just memories. They can’t reclaim lost love. Although it wasn’t by choice, the love I had for Ax is a part of my past. Logan is my future.”
She nods in shared understanding. “I hear you.”
“God, it’s so unjust! So unfair on Ax. I don’t want to hurt him, and I do care about him. I meant what I said back there. If the situation was reversed, I wouldn’t hesitate to invoke a rescue mission.”
“You have to tell him.”
“I know. But I have to find the right time. The right words. I need to let him down as gently as possible.”
She pushes off the bed at the sound of a knock on the door. “Maybe there is no right time, no right words. If it was me, I’d tell him now. Otherwise, the situation could get a lot worse.” She yanks the door open and jumps as Rylan charges into the room. “Jeepers! You scared me!” She laughs at her boyfriend.
He gives her a fleeting look before centering his gaze on me.
“Ry, is everything okay?” She touches his elbow, a concerned look flitting across her face.
“Everything’s fine,” he says in a staid voice. “I have some stuff I need to discuss with Sadie.” She leans into his face, puzzled. He holds his body in a stiff, awkward pose, as if he’s uncomfortable in his own skin. “In private. You need to leave.” He arches a brow and motions toward the door. It’s blunt and rude and oh, so cold.
First, Haydn and now Rylan? What is going on here?
A hurt look glimmers in her eyes. “Okay. I’ll see you in a bit, yeah?” she says to me. She’s putting on a brave face, but I know Rylan’s curt, official tone and offhand manner has upset her.
She exits the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Rylan stalks toward me, and all the tiny hairs rise on my arms. He snatches my arm tight. When he puts his face right in mine, I cower back in alarm. His normal chocolate brown eyes have been replaced by a strangely familiar caramel-colored hue. He blinks furiously and—if I’m not mistaken—his eye color flickers momentarily, and I catch a fleeting glimpse of his usual warm eyes.
Potent unease slithers through my veins.
Something is seriously wrong here.
My tongue feels glued to the top of my mouth, and a weird sensation is brewing in my stomach.
“Listen up carefully,” he says, digging his nails into my arm. “You are going to come with me, quickly and quietly, without any fuss. Do what I say and I’ll make sure that none of your friends are harmed. Try to fight this, or warn them, and I’ll slaughter them all.”
CHAPTER 3
I nod my head only because my vocal cords are rendered utterly useless. Rylan reviews me through wavering eyes that are most definitely not his own. I don’t understand what’s going on here, but the threat is all too real. I won’t take any chances or risk any of my friends’ lives.
“That’s the right choice, sweetheart. Follow me. And remember, not a word, or they’ll die.”
Rylan hoists me up off the bed and all but lugs me out into the empty corridor. The echo of voices conversing in the cabin pricks my ears, and I offer up a silent prayer that they stay put. More sweat layers over the sticky coating on my back as Rylan tugs me into the storage area at the back of the ship. My heart slams against my ribcage, frantically pounding. Stress surges through my bloodstream.
He presses the lever to lower the walkway and shoves me forward. When we reach the bottom, he flings me out into the middle of the hot sand. I stagger under the intensity of the sun and the heavy blanket of humidity that hits me full-force, like a hairdryer on warp speed.
Dropping to my knees, I pant like a dog. I look left, spotting a bulky form advancing from a westerly direction. Rocking back on my heels, I raise a hand to shield my eyes from the glare of the sun. Ice drips down my spine as the form starts to take cohesive shape. My entire body spasms at the distinguishable figure.
Dante.
I should’ve known he was behind this.
I whip my head around to where Rylan slouches against the side of the ship. He’s doubled over, looking around with a bewildered, dazed look in his eyes. Clutching his head, he staggers toward me on unsteady limbs. His normal brown eyes meet mine, and I release the breath I’d been holding. I’m not sure what just transpired, but Rylan is back to himself. Thank God.
Now that I know who’s behind this, all bets are off. I don’t trust Dante not to massacre everyone. His word means jack-shit.
“Get out of here!” I yell at Rylan. “Right now! Go!” I scream.
Dante starts running toward me, but his efforts are, thankfully, restricted by the cumbersome sand.
Rylan notices Dante and his eyes pop wide. “Not without you!”
There is probably enough time to flee, but if Dante has gone to such lengths to entrap me, then he’s not going to give up the chase so easily. I don’t want to do anything to place my friends in jeopardy. The best option is to let Dante take me, and hopefully the others will get safely away. “It’s too late for that.” I run to him. The whole time, I’m keeping a beady eye on the advancing menace. “Get everyone else out of here. He only seems to want me.” Rylan doesn’t budge. “He has threatened to kill you all!” I’m screaming at the top of my lungs. “So get the hell out of here. Now!” He hovers uncertainly, a tormented look on his face. I shove at his chest. “Go, Rylan. Please. I’m begging you. Go!”
“We’ll get you both out of there. I promise!” He snags me into a quick hug before dashing back inside.
The walkway starts to close as I drag my weary body through the scorching-hot sand, making a deliberate beeline for Dante. I want to keep him away from the craft until they are airborne and free.
The gap between us closes, and his features are more discernible at this proximity. A smug smirk spreads across his mouth, and I hate that I’m playing directly into his hands. But he didn’t leave me much choice.
A vibrating hum tells me all I need to know. Lifting my head, I watch as the ship rises swiftly off the ground and shimmers out of sight. A large movement distorts the air, emitting a blast of billowing cloud-like puffs of smoke that streak for miles into the sky.
I sink to my knees on the sand, refusing to walk a step farther. The others are safe, and in this moment, that’s my only concern.
“Sweetheart,” Dante says, panting profusely, as he approaches my spot on the ground. “
You’ve made my day. Stars”—he plops down beside me—“that was way too easy!” He laughs raucously, far too pleased with himself for my liking.
“Asshat.” My eyes narrow to slits as I glower at him.
He grips my chin, pinching hard. “It’s King Dante to you, and you better start showing me some respect.” All humor has evaporated from his expression.
“Or what?” I meet him with fake bravado.
“Or your precious Logan will suffer the consequences.” He spits Logan’s name out with habitual venom.
“What have you done to him? If you’ve hurt him, I swear to God …” I channel my most vicious look at him.
“Come now, cutie. You are hardly in any position to issue threats. Besides, it’s a moot point.” He pins me with a deadly look. “In both your cases.” Snatching a bottle of water from his shirt pocket, he empties the contents down his throat. Swallowing the last drop, he throws the empty bottle across the cavernous plain. “Get up.”
I ignore him. “What’s moot exactly?”
“I said. Get. Up.”
A purring noise overhead captures my attention. Titling my chin up, I watch as the humongous craft slowly lowers from above. Dante snags my elbow and lifts me up. “You’re a mess,” he exclaims, his eyes raking me from head to toe. The look of disgust is obvious on his face.
Good.
I’d much rather that than the opposite. I shiver at the recollection of his hands on intimate parts of me back at the underwater warehouse.
Hell. That feels like a lifetime ago.
Reluctantly, he pins me to his side as an invisible force sucks us up.
“Clean her up,” he says, thrusting me at a dark-haired guard waiting at the side of the landing bay. My whole body convulses as his unforgettable, intense green eyes pierce me with the magnitude of his hate. I affix my poker face and stare blankly at him. It’s no easy feat considering the last time we ran into each other he nearly killed me. At least, I assume he was the guard who shot me as we were escaping the Saven old district.
The guard propels me forward, and I trip over my feet, failing to match his gait. “Officer Vero,” Dante calls out from behind us. “Don’t let her out of your sight. Not for a second.” I throw a glance over my shoulder in time to see the sleazy grin on Dante’s face.
Everything inside me goes on high alert, and it’s a wonder my legs still work. My limbs feel like they’ve liquefied.
Officer Vero escorts me down a succession of wide corridors. The Saven we pass give us a wide berth, and I catch more than my fair share of dubious looks. Moving past an open door, I notice the panoramic observation window. We are on the STSS, and the thought is not at all comforting. This is the Saven’s main mode of transportation and their research and communications hub. Wild panic jumps up and bites me at the thought that they have obvious means of following my friends.
Turning myself in could all have been for nothing.
Nausea travels up my throat, and I have to force it back down.
Officer Vero swings left and guides me into a high-clearance zone. The passageway is narrower here, the lighting dark and ominous. We walk past rows of identical black doors. A few guards man the corridor. They nod respectfully at him as we pass by.
Finally, he stops at a door at the end of the corridor. Scanning his hand in front of the wall-mounted pad, he clasps my shoulders tightly as the door glides open. He pushes me into the cell with no attempt to disguise his ungentlemanly conduct. A floating cot resides on one side of the small space across from a low bench. An overhead cupboard is the only other item in the sparse room.
Officer Vero moves to the small black door on the opposite wall and steps out of the room. A minute later, the telltale sound of running water greets my ears. Walking out, he hurls a towel at me. “Get cleaned up.”
I maneuver around him, eyeing him warily. Stepping into the small bathroom, I take note of the compact shower, toilet, and basin. I stare at him as he takes up position in the open doorframe, clutching the towel to my chest. “Some privacy.” I grit my teeth as I glare at him.
His legs widen as he adopts a rigid stance. Crossing his arms at the waist, he levels an impassive look at me. “Get undressed and get in the shower. Or I’ll do it for you.”
Bile swills in my mouth, and I’m shaking all over. I can tell from our previous encounters that he detests me—most likely detests all humans and anyone who isn’t Saven—so I don’t think I need to worry about him attacking me, but that doesn’t mean I want to strip naked in front of him. But he’s issued a silent challenge, and I can’t back down from that.
He takes a menacing step forward, and I fall back, unbuttoning the top button of my shirt. I turn and face the shower, sharing my back with him. That way, at least, I won’t have to look at his face. I remove my clothes with trembling fingers. As I lower my panties to the floor, I wrap my arms around my bare chest and step into the shower.
Keeping my back to the monster outside, I wash all the grime and blood from my hair and my skin. But I take no pleasure or comfort in the warm water as it eases over my body. I take care of the essentials as fast as I can, and then I hop out, covering my chest again with my arms. I purposefully ignore Officer Vero as I swathe the towel around myself.
“Get dressed.” He hands me a plain black short-sleeved shirt and yoga-type pants. I snatch the clothes with one hand while I clasp the towel close to my body with the other. I move to turn around, but he captures my elbow. “Face forward.”
My breath hitches in my throat, and blood rushes to my cheeks. But I refuse to show obvious weakness in front of him. Summoning courage from somewhere, I drop the towel and hold his gaze. His eyes trek all over me, and a nasty sneer contorts his lips. Despite my conviction, my body quakes all over, but I’m powerless to halt my natural reaction.
If he had his hands on me, I don’t think I’d feel any more violated.
Pushing my humiliation aside, I yank the pants up my legs and shimmy the top down over my head. His eyes are glued to my chest, and I’m close to puking. If I ever get the opportunity, I’m going to make sure he pays for this.
Fire builds internally, zipping up and down my arms and legs, craving an outlet. I curse these restrictive bands, wishing I could indulge my power and incinerate him until there is nothing left but a pile of charred ashes.
The thought is tempting although it equally disgusts me. This is exactly why I should be glad I can’t tap into my incendio gift. No matter how humiliated I am, or how much I hate him, I know I’d never be able to forgive myself if I took his life in vengeance.
I’m not that person, and I won’t allow Griselda or her past experimentations to turn me into a monster like her.
My face is flaming as I face him. His eyes bore into mine, and I have to quell the urge to throw myself at him and scrape my nails across his smug face.
He exits the room while I stand rooted to the spot. My chest heaves painfully. “Follow me,” he snaps. I take my sweet time joining him in the corridor. Seizing my elbow, he yanks me back the way we came.
After ten minutes of walking along endless passageways, Officer Vero leads me into a small room with a wide desk and four surrounding chairs. “Sit.”
My middle finger twitches with violent need, but I keep myself under control. Haydn’s ministrations repeat on a loop in my brain, and I stay focused and alert despite the erratic pulsing of my heart. My brain hurts at the mere thought of my former friend. He’s probably delighted Dante has captured me.
One less problem for him to contend with.
I drum my fingers off the tabletop as I wait.
“Stop that.”
“Get lost.” I toss damp strands of hair over my shoulder.
He slams his hand down on top of mine. “Don’t test me, human.” He puts his face right in mine, but I hold my gaze steady.
Interesting. He seems clueless with regards to my true identity. I wonder if Dante is as ill-informed.
Dante chooses that exac
t moment to stroll into the room. His gaze flits between us, and an amused sneer lights up his face. “Sorry? Was I interrupting?”
Officer Vero straightens up. “I apologize, My King.” He does the weird half-bow thing, and it takes considerable effort to contain my disbelieving grunt of hilarity.
“Leave us.” Dante waves his hands dismissively through the air.
Officer Vero exits as two other aliens enter the room. “Sit over there,” Dante instructs them, pointing at the corner. The two males drag chairs over and sit down. The younger one, with the cropped black hair, leans forward in his seat. The red-rimmed tinted glasses give his identity away. He is the mirror image of the strange alien male I met in Sector Twenty the day Jarod and I snuck into the compound. But all seven Brainiacs look identical, so I can’t tell if he is the same one I met or not.
“Are you B6?” I ask.
“Yes,” he confirms.
“Do not talk to the prisoner!” Dante shouts at him. B6 jumps in his chair and shrinks back. “And you”—he jabs a finger in my collarbone—“keep your mouth shut. I’ll be the one asking the questions, not the other way around.”
I stick my tongue out at him.
Childish, but wonderfully fulfilling.
“Do that again and I’ll cut it off.” He looms over the table at me, and I’m reminded of the first time we met in the gym in the Mock-Up Facility. He intimidated the hell out of me then. Nothing much has changed, but for some unknown reason, I don’t feel afraid. Maybe facing the very real prospect of my death back on Torc has somehow changed my perception of fear. Of mortality.
“What did you do to Rylan?” I deliberately ignore his command.
“I. Said,” he roars, slamming his fist down hard on the table, “that I will be the one asking the questions. You don’t want to test me, Sadie.” His fists are knotted into tight balls of fury at his side as he glowers at me.
Perhaps I should ease off a little, but I need to ask another question. “Fine, have it your way. But I need to know one thing first. Where is Logan, and when can I see him?”
Saven Defiance (The Saven Series Book 4) Page 3