But it’s more than mere jealousy. Something about that guy doesn’t add up, and I don’t trust him not to get her into trouble again. Sadie thinks I don’t know he was behind the fiasco at the Gala Event, but there isn’t much that gets past Haydn. What I’d like to know is how a guy like that can pull something like this off.
I turn back around in case I draw unwanted attention. Leaning in, I whisper in Haydn’s ear. “Keep a lookout for her, and if you find her, get her out of here before she’s spotted. I’m not ready to tell my father about her yet.”
Haydn nods agreeably, and I lose myself in thought as we follow my father and the others away from the platform. Yes, there’s more to Jarod than meets the eye. I’d bet money on it.
***
Where the hell is she? I felt her the entire journey in the Humvee. I step out of the vehicle, nerves wound tight. I can scarcely concentrate on the conversation such is the depth of my worry. “She’s here somewhere,” I convey to Haydn. “When you get an opportunity, duck out and find her. Get her to safety.”
“Of course. I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”
I snort. That’s easier said than done. When it comes to her, I worry incessantly. I don’t think I’ve ever cared for another being as much as I care for Sadie. Except for Evana, who also holds a very special place in my heart.
***
Haydn slipped out of the room ten minutes ago, and I’m antsy as all hell. Father is arguing with the VP over selection plans for the Sector Twenty facility. He is frustrated at the slow progress. The VP is a sniveling moron, but he knows how to hold his ground. Until father manipulates him, that is.
“I’ve got them,” Haydn says. “I’ll drive them back to the station and hide them on the Subvee. If I’m missed, tell them I was feeling sick.”
“Sure. Thanks.” I stretch out my stiff shoulders, unable to relax. I won’t breathe easy until I know she’s safely back in Thalassic City.
I tune back into the conversation, and the VP is now readily agreeing to Father’s proposed changes. I shift uncomfortably. I don’t know how Father can live with himself. I hate manipulating others, and I only do it in situations where I’ve been forced into it. It’s not right. Nothing about this whole mission is right. Bile rises in my throat.
“We have a problem.” Haydn’s statement causes my muscles to instantly lock up. “Dante followed me outside. He’s found us. I’m so sorry, Logan.”
Hysteria threatens to overwhelm me. Urging myself to calm down, I start running through scenarios in my head. “I’ll handle this. Don’t let him hurt her.”
The wide metal door at the end of the warehouse swings open, and Sadie stumbles into the room. Dante is gripping her arm tight as he drags her forward. It takes enormous willpower to stand up calmly and watch the procession, when all I want to do is knock him into next week. Jarod is unconscious, slumped over Haydn’s shoulders. Haydn almost buckles under his weight, and glistening beads of sweat roll down his face with the effort.
Sadie’s alarm-filled eyes meet mine. “Let me handle this!” I project the message directly into her mind, hoping that what I’ve sensed these last few weeks is correct. That she has the ability to communicate telepathically with me, even if I haven’t explained it. She’s smart, and I’m relying on that fact now. Her eyes pop wide as she stares at me. I’m confident she heard me, and that helps me to relax a little. I can extract us from this mess if I can secretly talk with her, get her to agree.
“What do we have here?” Father says, walking to Sadie’s side. He looks from her to Dante and over at Jarod.
“Logan’s little pet and her human sidekick,” Dante growls, and the urge to punch his lights out hits me again. Sadie winces as Dante claws at her arm.
I step forward without thinking. “You’re hurt.”
Father places a firm hand on my arm. “Wait, son.”
Sadie’s shocked look expands. Dammit. I didn’t want her to find out like this.
Dad clasps her chin and it looks painful. I want to rip his hand away from her, but I have to play this cool if I’m to get her out of here alive. I swallow the large lump in my throat. “What are you doing here?” he asks.
“Don’t lie. He can tell.” I pin her with a serious look. There is no time to properly explain how Dad is one of Saven’s most gifted Truethen and what exactly that entails.
Sadie’s voice quivers a little as she replies, and I hate that she’s so scared. “We were curious to see what was being built alongside Thalassic City. So we snuck on board the Subvee and followed you here.”
Dante snickers and I glare at him.
“Don’t they say curiosity killed the cat?” Father says.
I’m wondering how the hell they knew this place even existed. It’s as I suspected. Jarod is up to no good, and I could kill him for dragging my angel into this. As if he senses the silent threat, Jarod moans as he lifts his head up. Sadie looks close to collapsing. Haydn plants Jarod on his feet and holds his arm to keep him in place. “Don’t move,” he instructs.
“Who are you?” Father asks, surveying Jarod with blatant distaste. Not going to disagree on this occasion.
“Who are you?” Jarod sneers in an impertinent tone of voice.
Dante lashes out at him, pounding his fist into his skull. Jarod stumbles in Haydn’s grip. “You will address King Adjani with respect,” Dante says. I subtly shake my head at the irony.
“Screw you,” Jarod says, and I mentally count the seconds until Dante explodes. Dante lays into him without restraint. Sadie cries out, begging him to stop.
“Logan! Do something!” Her plea lands clearly in my mind, and a surge of pride whips through me. That she has figured out how to telepathically communicate with me, without any prior instruction, not only confirms the strength of our bond but signifies just how intelligent she is.
I step forward. “Father, it would be prudent to interrogate him to ascertain what he knows. Killing him will achieve little.”
He looks reflective. “Dante, your brother is right. Put him in that chair.”
Dante angrily releases Sadie, flinging her at me. “Secure her to the other chair.”
Carefully, I take her arm, despite the rampant desire to encase her in my embrace and flee. She glowers at me, not that I blame her. I’d be furious with me too. “It’ll be okay, Sadie. Let me handle this. I won’t let them harm Jarod or you. I love you.”
I help her into a seat, gently inspecting her damaged wrist. Her eyes tear up, but I don’t think it’s broken. Sprained more like. Still, I hate that she’s hurting.
“Look at me,” Father instructs Sadie and Jarod. They both stare insolently at him. This won’t go down well. Father raises his hand and slaps Sadie hard across the face.
To hell with this. I jump up. “Father! Stop.”
He arches a brow. “Why?” His forehead puckers. “You said you weren’t interested in her?”
I cough. “It’s not that. She’s already hurt, and there will be questions asked if they arrive back in Thalassic City with obvious injuries.”
“Who said anything about letting them go back? They’ve seen too much. They need to be eliminated.”
A mad rush of blood fills my head at his words. Over my dead body will I let him harm a hair on her head. He’ll have to kill me first. Swallowing my fear, I scramble for a solution, my brain ticking over furiously.
Then the VP voices his objection, and it buys me some headspace. The idea comes to me in a split second. “My esteemed King,” I say, bowing and totally laying it on thick. Father is a sucker for it. “If I may pose a suggestion.”
“Tool,” Dante mutters, but I pretend not to hear him.
“Apply the targeted memory erase serum. Then anything they’ve witnessed will be lost to them and the operation will be secure. They can return to Thalassic City, and no one will be any the wiser.”
“What! Are you insane?” Sadie’s voice echoes in my mind, and pride swells again. However, we’re in too mu
ch danger to revel in her newfound ability or what it implies for our relationship.
“It’s the only way, Sadie. You don’t know what he’s capable of. I do.” Father won’t hesitate to kill her. He has no regard for humans, or any other species outside the Saven. He’s a cold-hearted bastard who kills without a second thought. An unpleasant memory surges to the forefront of my mind, causing a familiar gut-wrenching ache to slate me on the inside. But I can’t think about that now. Forcing the memory aside, I focus on the present. One misplaced word or action and this could all go badly wrong. I need to be on my A-game.
“It won’t work on her,” Dante unhelpfully says. “I’ve told you she has adequately deflected mind implant and her will is too strong. She should be terminated. The unknown is too much of a threat.”
Ice slips into my veins, freezing my innards. Not for the first time, I want to throttle my brother.
“Fuck you, Dante.” Sadie’s mouth is set in a feisty line, and I can’t help but be proud of her again.
Dante crouches down in front of her, and renewed panic grips me. “Oh, sweetheart, I’d happily sign up for that.” He casts a quick glance at me before ripping her top right up the middle, exposing her bra and tons of beautiful naked skin. Before I can react, he slips his hand into the cup of her bra, and a red haze explodes in front of my eyes.
I fist my hand in his shirt and tear him off her. My tight knuckle slams into his jaw, and he staggers back, chuckling in gleeful challenge. We trade blows, neither of us gaining the upper hand. I’m semi-conscious of the murmur of voices behind me, but I’m too far entrenched in my rage to back down.
“Logan!” Sadie’s anguished plea calls me back to her.
“Leave her alone,” Jarod snarls at my father as I approach. The king looms over her with obvious interest in his eyes. Father detests humans, but he’s not opposed to using them for his sick enjoyment. The way he is looking at Sadie right now turns my stomach. In this moment, I know I could kill him. I would do it. For her.
I have to stop this. Right now.
Removing my sweater, I cover Sadie up. She flinches when my fingers brush her collarbone, and her reaction comforts me. To know she feels it as deeply as I do is all the strength I need to do what needs to be done. “I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen to you, and I intend to keep that promise. Trust me, Sadie.”
“This is an unexpected development,” my father says, astutely observing the interaction between us. “Have you chosen her after all?”
It’s time to set him straight. To put a stop to this once and for all. To protect my angel. “Not exactly. It’s a little more complicated than that.”
“Explain,” Father barks out.
“She’s my Eterno.” I jerk my chin up. “She can’t be harmed.”
Father staggers back, totally blindsided. Good. A mixture of expressions darkens his face. “It can’t be, Logan. She is human.” He sounds horrified. And I like that even more.
“I don’t claim to understand it, Father, but I’ve told you the truth. Check for yourself.” I step forward until we are toe-to-toe. Father places his hand over my forehead and works his magic. A few minutes later, he stumbles back, astounded. “It’s true. The first in ... How can this be?” He implores me to respond, but I’m as clueless to explain it as he is. This has never happened before. And it’s been over two hundred years since any of the Saven Eterno connected. Most dismiss it as legend at this stage. Sure, I was more than skeptical myself at the start.
But I know what I feel. Sadie is meant for me. She’s mine.
And now that it’s out in the open, I won’t rest until it’s official.
***
The Saven Series continues with Saven: Disclosure.
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You can download a free sample of Saven Disclosure here. CAUTION: Do not read this if you haven’t already read Saven Deception.
The full Saven Series reading order is:
Saven Deception
The Logan Collection
Saven Disclosure
Saven Denial
Saven Defiance
Saven Declaration *
*coming December 2016/January 2017
Copyright
Copyright © Siobhan Davis 2016. Siobhan Davis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.
Work of Fiction
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, incidents and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.
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E-Book edition © March 2016
This edition August 2016
Editor: Kelly Hartigan (XterraWeb)
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The Logan Collection Page 4