Saven Series
THE LOGAN COLLECTION
A Saven Short Story Collection
Siobhan Davis
www.siobhandavis.com
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Table of Contents
Saven Series
MY ANGEL
THE LIBRARY
THE LADY IN RED
FIRST MEETING
FIRST KISS
KEEPING HER SAFE
SHE’S MY ETERNO
Copyright
MY ANGEL
This scene is from Saven Deception, and it’s the end of Chapter 2 into Chapter 3, when Logan and Sadie first see each other.
Every false word out of the VP’s mouth twists and turns in my gut. The lies are like a bitter pill on my tongue. I grind my teeth down to the molars, quelling the raging anger that bubbles constantly underneath the surface whenever I think of what my father and those idiots governing this planet have in store for the human race.
Excited chatter filters through the air as people swarm out of the auditorium. I shake my head in consternation. Ignorant of the plight that awaits them, they laugh and jostle one another as they head toward the cafeteria.
“Oh, joy,” Neve says beside me. “Logan’s in one of his moods again.”
“Shut up,” I say, only half-joking. I’m not in the mood for my cousin’s snarky wit today.
“Neve.” Haydn’s tone contains considerable warning.
“Lighten up, Gramps.” Neve sends a challenging glare his way.
“Drop it, the both of you,” I say, rising in my seat.
“I’m hungry,” Neve supplies.
I snort. Since when is that anything new. I urge my grumbling stomach to quiet down. I can’t handle another episode where I have to face the very people I’m betraying. Moot point really, considering I’ll be spending the next six months in Thalassic City surrounded by unsuspecting humans. “I’m not going to the cafeteria. I’ll catch you later.”
“Logan.” Now Haydn is using that voice on me.
“Not now.” I shove his well-meaning arm out of my way and move down the row. Climbing the stairs two at a time, I can’t get out of here quick enough. Tension tangles my shoulders into knots, and I desperately need to let off a bit of steam.
Exiting the auditorium, I step left into the corridor in the direction of the large gymnasium. A spine-tingling shiver creeps over my back and I falter mid-step. Someone plows into me from behind, cursing under their breath. “Sorry,” I mumble, turning fully around to face the tall dark-haired girl presently scowling at me.
It’s almost comical how swiftly her look alters.
Staring at me, slack-jawed, she composes her features into an alluring smile. Ignoring her, I flip my eyes over her head as the flurry of tingles intensifies in strength. Blood roars in my ears as every nerve ending sparks to vibrant life. A potent sense of awareness flitters through me, and I bite back a moan. I don’t know what I’m feeling, or why, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
I like this feeling.
Of completion.
Of wholeness.
Of happiness.
I scan the area in front of me, searching for the source. A loud redheaded girl is herding a petite silvery blonde-haired girl along the corridor at speed.
An invisible line snaps out of me, chasing the petite female, and I’m powerless to resist the pull. I need to talk to that girl. More than that, I feel compelled to talk to her. Like she holds all the answers to the universe or something. I silently snigger at my own cheesiness.
I start walking, but I’m pulled back by a sharp tug on my arm. Frustrated, I glare at the clingy girl fisting my shirt. That does absolutely nothing to deter her. “What?” I bark, less than chivalrously.
“Wanna get a coffee?” Her tongue flicks out in a deliberate seductive journey around her lips, and I’m wondering what exactly coffee is code for. I have zero intention of sticking around to find out.
“No, thanks.” Ever conscious of the need to “fit in,” I throw her a feeble smile before I politely remove her arm and step away.
I squint over the heads thronging the corridor in front of me, but I can’t spot the petite blonde or her taller companion. Dammit. I’ve lost them. Assuming they are heading toward the cafeteria—considering that’s where most people are going—I follow the mob in that direction. A hand jerks in my shirt and I reel around, ready for round two of the battle. But it’s not the dark-haired girl I was expecting. Arguably, it’s someone equally annoying.
“Thought you weren’t hungry?” Neve says, pinning me with a suspicious look.
“Changed my mind.” I shrug casually.
“I pity the girl that ends up with you,” she says, shaking her head. “What with your bizarro Will Smith obsession and mood swings that give Dante a run for his money, you’re real hard work, Logan.” That’s a less than charitable comment and she knows it. I recognize the challenge for what it is, but I’m not going to rise to the bait. It’d be as easy as breathing to go there, but we’d end up arguing—again—and all hope of finding the girl would disappear.
“Ouch,” I succinctly reply, resisting my twitching middle finger.
Arriving in the cafeteria, we join the line at the counter, and I sweep my eyes back and forth, scanning the area in front of me. Disappointment jumps up and bites me when I fail to locate her. Haydn frowns and I subtly shake my head. Looking down, my eyes rake over the unappetizing pallets of food on display, and my stomach sours.
A surge of delicious warmth fills every empty space in my body, and my eyes jerk up again. My internal dynamics are going crazy, and butterflies are throwing the mother of all parties in my chest. The Goddamned fluttering feeling is ricocheting off the charts. My heart skips alarmingly fast, and I briefly wonder if I’m having a coronary or something.
I roam the line again, more urgently this time. Overwhelming need burns through me, and my foot taps restlessly off the floor. I’m antsy as a bitch in heat. I scrub a hand through my hair as I try to calm myself down.
What the hell is happening to me?
Inquisitive pale gray eyes meet mine, and I forget how to breathe.
It’s her. The small blonde girl that snagged my attention in the hall.
Mesmerized, I can’t avert my gaze even though the way I’m staring at her right now probably defies about a million different human rules. She is stunning beyond all comprehension. Her beautiful big eyes accompany the most luscious red lips. Her skin is pale and delicate looking. An almost ethereal glow surrounds her persona, and I can’t stop looking at her. She radiates serenity, and hope, and everything inherently good. Like an angel.
A light pink flush steals softly over her cheeks as we continue to check each other out. I grip my tray tight, struggling to hold my place in the line, to not give into the urge to cross the room and confront this—whatever this is—up close and personal.
There’s some crazy shit going on internally that I have no explanation for. Hormones are going haywire, and the urge to hold her in my arms is growing in intensity with each passing second. Crap. I think I’m losing it. No girl has ever affected me so patently. With her, it was instantaneous from the moment I laid eyes on her.
It’s ridiculous. I don’t even know her name.
She starts a subtle dance, shifting from foot to foot, a
nd side to side, and I’m enchanted with every step. My chest explodes with a magnifying burst of electricity, and I feel the pull strengthen and tighten between us. Invisible tentacles reach from me to her and vice versa, and my euphoria gives rise to a myriad of conflicting emotions. Fear and awe attempt to strangle me as my brain struggles to process two different revelations.
No way! It can’t be!
I thought that was all legend and conjecture. Part of the Elders’ indoctrination. Could it be what I’m feeling? That Eterno connections truly exist? Is this what it actually feels like?
Is she meant for me?
She pouts and cute dimples indent her cheeks. My eyes roam over her face again, unable to stop drawing the inevitable comparison. She looks so much like them. But she couldn’t be. It’s not even within the realm of possibility. Coincidence. That’s all it has to be. Yet ...
Her cheeks stain bright red, but she doesn’t look away. She seems to be infected with the same affliction as me.
Does she feel it too?
Her friend leans down, whispering something in her ear. She swivels around gracefully, like a ballerina executing a perfect pirouette. Even though my view is now only of her back, I still can’t tear my eyes away.
“Logan!” Neve shrieks in my ear. “Finally!” She thrusts her hands in the air in an over-exaggerated motion. “Do you know that girl?”
I ignore her, continuing to stare at the girl who has captured more than just my undivided attention. Her friend gives me the once-over with unashamed enthusiasm, and her eyes grow wide in what’s becoming a familiar reaction.
Humans are so shallow.
Irritation prickles the skin at the back of my neck, and I raise a hand to rub a tense spot. The blonde-haired angel tugs on her friend’s elbow, drawing her away.
“He’s completely out of it,” I hear Neve mutter to Haydn. He snorts.
For the first time today, I couldn’t agree more with my cousin.
THE LIBRARY
This is a scene from Chapter 5 of Saven Deception, and it’s the first time Logan and Sadie meet in the library of the Mock-Up Facility.
I flop onto my back and stare at the pristine white ceiling. Though the bed is warm and inviting underneath me, sleep continues to evade me. My brain races at a hundred miles an hour. Her image swims across my eyelids for the thousandth time today. It’s like I’m bewitched—enchanted by a beautiful seductress who has robbed my body and mind of all sense, all reason, all logic.
I can’t get her out of my head.
Not that I want to.
The hallucinogenic visual is as clear as if she was actually hovering over me, her beautiful pale gray eyes succumbing to mine. I gasp, and my heart jumps erratically in my chest. My imagination goes into overdrive. As I picture her lush mouth, her kissable lips call out to me, begging to be adored. I close my eyes and imagine it. Her warm inviting mouth, the sweet taste of her lips moving against mine, the surge of hormones flooding every part of my body with blazing need. I twist in the bed, hot and uncomfortable, feeling a stirring of sensations that I’ve long since buried.
No girl has ever made me feel this strongly before.
And I haven’t even spoken to her.
I don’t know a single thing about her.
But she has captivated me like no one else. Of course, I’ve had girlfriends, and we’ve done plenty of stuff, but I can’t recall a single one of them ever giving rise to the feelings swirling inside me now. It’s insane. How can I feel this strongly about a girl I don’t even know? A girl I’ve never even met? My mind is hopelessly fixated on her, and I’ve danced through the day on a cloud of dreamy possibilities.
Imagining she is mine and I am hers.
I’ve turned into one of those soppy idiots from the classic novels Evana made us read. Hell, I think I need to consider trading in my man card altogether. I turn on my side and face the wall. All around me the sounds of snoring mock me. Though I’m exhausted, I can’t fall asleep. It’s fruitless. I can’t eject the angel from my mind.
Swinging my legs out of the bed, I pull on sweatpants and a shirt. I pad quietly out of the room. My legs take off as if on auto-pilot. Though I’m entranced by the beautiful human girl, I can’t reconcile my desire for her with my earlier assumption. That what I feel is an Eterno connection. I shake my head, willing the erroneous thought away. No one has Eterno connected for more than two hundred years, and no one has ever bonded with anyone outside the Saven. It’s inconceivable. Lust is obviously clouding my mind. Except it seems like a dishonor to label my feelings so. Because this feels more than that. Stronger than that. Like an unbreakable connection. As if I start and end with her. Which is totally ludicrous, I know. I drag my hand through my matted hair as I seriously question my state of mind.
Perhaps, it’s some unconscious reaction to my father’s persistent demands. He has hinted at his desire to step down soon, but he won’t do that until I’m fully ready to ascend the throne. Part of that is having a bride by my side, or certainly a chosen intended. This last year he has stubbornly paraded a whole host of potential suitors before me and watched in growing frustration as I’ve dismissed each and every one. All lovely girls, but none of them ignited even a scrap of interest. No chemistry, no spark. Certainly nothing like the emotions this human girl has awoken in me.
I know I’ll have to choose soon, or he’ll choose for me. At least I have a reprieve for the next six months, but I’ve no doubt he will be like a dog with a bone thereafter. I’ve always known that I would have to marry for political gain, but now that it’s so close on the horizon, I resent this part of my future with the intensity of a thousand suns. I’ve sacrificed every other part of my life to my future as Saven king; surely, I can be allowed this one selfish indulgence: To marry for love? To have someone by my side who wants to be there, not someone who is forced to be there.
Not that I could ever share this yearning with my father. He would simply not understand. He married my mother out of political necessity, but he truly fell in love with her. I still remember how he worshiped the ground she walked on. Until she betrayed him. Their love story did not end well. For my mother’s part, I think she tried, she wanted to love him, but he was never the love of her life. Or anything even close to it. Inexperienced in the art of love at that young age, I still recognized my parent’s marriage for what it was. Unbalanced. Unrequited. Torturous hard work.
I don’t want that for me.
I want to find “the one.”
And once I find her, I will never let her go. I’ll love and cherish her forever.
I push through the doors into the empty library, all but ready to trade in my masculinity. Stars, I have it bad! Maybe it’s the air down here. I haven’t been feeling like myself since we stepped foot on Earth.
My steps falter as I look out the window across the expanse of water. A small figure is visible in the unit across from mine, curled up on the window seat, head buried in a book.
It’s her!
I rush to the window, flattening my arms against the glass as I study her alluring form. Her silvery blonde hair is tucked neatly behind her ears as she flicks lithe fingers across the pages of her book. She is wearing a plain gray robe over patterned pajama pants, and her perfectly formed tiny feet are bare.
“Look out the window.” I send the silent command to her mind, unsure if it will work with the span of water separating us. I repeat the command a few more times, and slowly her head tilts up and she looks over at me. Everything freezes around me. As if the world has faded away and the only thing that exists in the entire universe is the two of us. My breath hitches as recognition sparks in her eyes. I think I might have made an impression on her, too. My lips curve up slowly until I can no longer contain my wide grin. Raising my hand, I wave.
She doesn’t wave back, but her gaze never strays from mine. Even from this distance, I can detect the warmth creeping up her chest, along her neck and over her face. She leans into the window, and I press my
body against the glass. My heart skitters around my chest, more excited than I can ever remember. I soak her in. The gentle fluttering of her lashes, her slightly parted mouth, and the delicate paleness of her skin. An overwhelming urge to hold her in my arms almost floors me.
I need to feel her skin against mine, her mouth moving with mine, and her soft body pressing into mine.
I want to tangle my fingers in her hair and graze my lips against the luscious skin of her tempting neck.
My hands itch to explore every inch of her body as she explores mine.
Fiery tingles feather along my arms and legs, up and down my torso, and the electrical charge I felt previously in her company hums in the background. I need this girl. I want her. I want to know everything about her. Why can’t she just be here with me?!
We stare at each other for hours, or what seems to be hours. I don’t know and I don’t care. Nothing else matters in this moment but maintaining this connection with her. I could look at her for eternity and never grow tired of the view. And it’s not just because she’s so beautiful to look at it. It’s way more than that. There’s an inner beauty inside her that calls out to me. As if it exists purely for me to find and claim.
I’ve never wanted to call anyone, anything, my own, as much as I wish to call her mine. It’s crazy but if feels so right.
I was wrong earlier.
This isn’t lust.
I think this is love at first sight.
I shock myself with my own thoughts, dazed by the possibility that it might actually be true. Things like this don’t happen in real life. Don’t happen to me.
The book drops out of her hand, dragging her out of the moment. Confused, she looks away as she bends down to retrieve it. I feel cold all over without her bright light shining on me. I’m not ready for her to go. She glances over at the clock and pushes off the seat. Shyly, she looks back at me. I pierce her with a serious look, hoping it conveys everything that is growing in my heart for her. Her jaw slackens as she stares open-mouthed. Crap. Did I come on too strong? I think I’ve just scared the hell out of her. I laugh in an attempt to lighten my previous intensity. Her cheeks darken as she spins around.
The Logan Collection Page 1