Axton stops at a sealed white door, pressing the palm of his hand into the center of the pristine surface. The imprint of his hand flashes red on the door, and a tiny click emits as the door swings inward.
We step inside the circular room, and I gasp in unbridled astonishment. The entire room is constructed of glass, mirror, and gold. Glistening white light reflects off all the shiny surfaces. The glare dazzles me. Four men and two women peer at me from their elevated positions at the top of the room. They sit on gilded chairs in front of a long, elegant glass table spanning the breadth of the room. All of them are similarly attired in flowing pink and silver robes that tie under the chin. They review me with wary fascination.
Griselda rushes to meet us, her heels tapping noisily off the glass floor. “We’ll take it from here, Axton,” she says, manhandling him and pushing him back out into the corridor.
“No, Mother,” he tells her decisively, shoving her hand away. “I will be attending with Sadie.” He steps back into the room and walks to me, confidently taking my hand in his.
“That is against the rules and you know it. Now, be done with this nonsense. You are embarrassing yourself.” She makes a disgruntled sound, and I can tell there will be hell to pay for this later.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him to go, that I will be okay on my own, but he answers first.
Casting an exultant look at his mother, he says, “We are formally mated so I have every right to be here.”
Griselda stumbles back, clearly startled. A few murmurs discharge from the people at the top of the room. The woman seated on the far right of the raised dais leans forward in her chair, a deep scowl on her face. Griselda smooths her hands over her dark clothing, quickly composing herself. “Explain yourself.” The instruction is succinct.
“Before Sadie was returned to Earth, we were married and we consummated our union.” My cheeks enflame with his admission, and I wish the ground would open up and eat me. “Here,” he says, brandishing his hand through the air. “See for yourself.”
A holoscreen appears, displaying some form of document. It’s in an alien language so I can’t read it, but I can guess. It must be a marriage certificate or the equivalent of that.
“I see,” she says curtly. Under her breath, she adds, “I want a word with you after this.”
A guard steps out of his hiding place in the corner of the room and places a second chair in the center of the space, directly facing the members of the High Council. Then he blends back into the shadows.
Axton guides me forward and into my seat. He sits down beside me, firmly taking my hands in his. I hold on tight, grateful for his support. The imposing figures on the podium are still fixated on me, and it’s making me antsy as hell. The councilwoman seated on the far right narrows her eyes and purses her lips in obvious displeasure.
Griselda moves to take her seat in the middle of the table. A young man, similar in age to Axton, materializes behind her, holding out her chair. He is tall, as I’ve come to expect with the Tor, with broad shoulders and a well-built physique. His hair is pulled back at his forehead but hangs loose at the sides, showcasing his smooth, glistening skin. His eyes sparkle with mischief, and I can’t deny he’s decent eye candy. A lustful look passes between him and Griselda as he pushes her chair in, and my stomach curdles. No way! Ax stiffens. “What is he doing here?” he demands, failing to hide his irritation.
Griselda scowls at her son, not masking her frustration. “As you are well aware, Rhys is on the council mentoring program. He has been observing some of our sessions.”
Rhys sends a smug smile in Ax’s direction before his attention switches to me. His eyes leisurely rake me from head to toe, as if he’s mentally undressing me. I refuse to show him how ill at ease I am so I plant my poker face on and return his stare. Ax’s grip on my hand almost constricts my blood flow. “I don’t want him here.” He’s primed to explode. I squeeze his hand in silent warning.
“I don’t care what you want. Rhys is staying and that’s that.” She twists in her seat and says something to him. He steps back, flattening against the wall, that simpering smile still mounted on his lips. Ax shoots him a dirty look, and I squeeze his hand again.
Griselda clears her throat. “This meeting has been convened to discuss Sadie’s apparent incendio gift.” Every pair of eyes flits between Griselda and me in obvious shock. “Yes, yes,” Griselda says, flicking her hand dismissively through the air, “I don’t need you to say it. It has come as a shock that the first person in one hundred years to exhibit this rare ability is someone with a hybrid DNA structure; however, I believe this revelation offers enormous potential for our Assassins program. Before we get into that, allow me to demonstrate.”
She then proceeds to call up several recordings of me. The one from back on the ship when I attacked Logan and more recently in the Perception Room with her and Axton. I maintain a neutral expression the whole time, even though I’m crumbling inside at reliving the visual of my assault on my boyfriend. Looking at Logan, even in a recording, is a considerable test of my willpower. Every part of my being cries out for him. I miss him so much. Axton’s grip on my hand strengthens, serving as a painful reminder of how altered my existence is.
Discontented mumblings fester in the background as the council members vent their concern. “Quiet,” Griselda snaps as the holoscreen disappears. The room instantly mutes.
“When did you first realize you had this power?” She directs the question at me.
“I first felt it on the ship with Logan,” I supply. Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I realize that I’d felt it lingering in my tissues for longer than that. I recall my first interactions with Logan and how I felt a burning sensation in his company, but I didn’t know what it was or how it was triggered. Everything is clearer now.
“Don’t. Lie.” Griselda fixes me with a venomous look. “We had to intervene on a few occasions when you were in Thalassic City. At the time we thought your alien DNA was reacting in some way to Logan’s, but it was more than that, wasn’t it?”
Dammit. Can she read my mind or something? Potent unease slips into my veins recalling how easily she mind-jacked me. It’s quite conceivable that she has some way of reading my thoughts, which doesn’t bode well for my plan. I add it to my mental checklist of info to worm out of Axton.
“I’m not lying. You asked when I first realized I had this power. That was the first time I understood what the burning sensation was. If you want the right answers, you need to ask me the right questions,” I deliberately retort. I’m fed up of her patronizing manner and sick of how she continues to treats me like an inept child.
“Keep your mate under control!” Griselda snipes to Axton.
“Sadie,” he warns, low under his breath. “This will go smoother if you don’t antagonize her. Please.”
I bite my tongue. Hard. “Fine.” I’m only doing this for Ax, because I don’t want to give his mother further ammunition to humiliate him. I jerk my chin up and force an acquiescing smile on my face as I eyeball Griselda. “When I first met Logan, I used to feel this intense heat under my skin, like I was burning from the inside out. It only happened when I was around him. Never around Haydn or Neve,” I explain. “I passed out a couple of times in his presence.”
Axton flinches beside me, and I give his hand a reassuring squeeze.
“And what did it feel like on the ship? How were you able to wield the fire?”
My foot taps nervously off the ground. “I honestly don’t know. It was kinda instinctual. I felt the fire shooting through me, like it was coating and swelling my insides, and I felt a surge of … energy or raw power …” I notice the dubious expressions in the room. “It’s hard to explain.” I look sideways at Axton, and he gives me an encouraging smile.
“But how were you able to control it?” Griselda asks, extending her upper torso over the table. “How did you seal the door in the ship with the laser beam from your eyes? How did yo
u summon the blast of fire from your palms yesterday? How are you controlling it?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug. “Maybe my emotions trigger it or something?” I muse out loud. “When I feel it building inside me, if I thrust out my hand, it just appears.”
Axton clamps his hand down on my jiggling knee. Rhys snickers low on his breath, and I send him one of my special death glares.
“You are holding out on us again,” Griselda says in a horribly controlled voice. I much prefer when she’s yelling and screaming at me. Calm Griselda is a more terrifying beast.
“I’m not! I swear. Maybe if you can tell me what you know about the incendio gift, and if I’m given time to study it, perhaps I can explain it better then,” I suggest.
“There is no one else living with this ability although we have logs and diaries from previous incendios that you can peruse. All I can tell you is that it is a very rare ability handed down to a few individuals in every generation. The incendios were our greatest assassins, our most formidable weapon against our enemies. If we can understand how you have come to possess this ability, then we can replicate it and create a whole army that is essentially invincible. We can rule supreme over the entire Galaxy!”
Excitement sparkles behind her eyes. She is seriously deranged. Not that I required further evidence to support that hypothesis.
The other men and women of the council sit up straighter at that proclamation, nodding heads and trading animated smiles all round. I squirm uncomfortably in my seat. She’s just given me another reason why I need to follow through on my plan. And it seems there is little time to delay.
The council is whispering among themselves, heads in a huddle. Every so often, one of them turns and looks at me. I shift again, restless and on edge.
“What exactly are your plans for Sadie, Mother?” Axton asks suddenly. Deep worry lines wrinkle his forehead.
“Once she has taken care of the crown prince, we will run more tests to identify the incendio trigger, and thereafter she will be assigned to the Grand Assassin’s team.”
CHAPTER 9
“No!” Axton jumps up out of his seat. “You cannot do that. I won’t permit it. She is my mate, and she needs to be by my side. Not sent out on dangerous expeditions that could claim her life. Absolutely not.”
“Do you dare to dictate to this council?” she seethes.
“Hell, yes! When it comes to Sadie, always.”
“You are such an embarrassment to me. Sit down and shut up.” She clicks her tongue in obvious dissatisfaction.
Rhys chortles, clearly amused at the turn of events.
Ax remains standing, his skin puce with barely restrained rage, glowering at his mother and then Rhys. Another blaze of guilt lashes out at me. He is going into battle on my behalf in vein. I tug on his hand and force his eyes to mine. I implore him to sit down. Some silent communication passes between us. Thankfully, I get through to him, and he drops back down beside me.
“Sadie will be assigned where she is needed. It’s true, I had intended her to be your life mate, but recent events have led me to believe that she is not the right match for you. That is why I have decided to reinstate Alinka as your official mate,” she continues. The woman on the far right smirks, clearly gloating, and I have a sudden urge to stick my tongue out at her. Somehow, I manage to resist.
Axton’s distraught face whips to mine. “You can’t do that! We have already made it official!”
“That is unfortunate, but it can be reversed. After all, what good is the position of supreme chancellor if I can’t bend the rules for my son?” She gives a poor impression of someone who cares.
Axton’s shoulders droop. “I don’t want to be matched with Alinka. I can barely tolerate her. I love Sadie. She is all I want.”
Rhys rolls his eyes in clear condescension. The fire rattles around my body, begging to be let out. I clench my teeth in frustration.
Griselda emits an exasperated sigh. “I don’t care what you want! This is about what is best for the planet, what’s best for our people.”
I can’t help it; I snort. Conspicuously. Several disgusted looks are thrown my way, and I silently stick two fingers to the lot of them.
Griselda ignores my outburst, though it looks like it takes considerable self-control to continue without reprimanding me. “Sadie is needed to lead our Assassins into the field. She cannot do that and perform her duty as your mate. Besides, you should be thanking me for extracting you from what is obviously now an ill-conceived match. Sadie loves that wretched Saven creature, not you, despite what she might be leading you to believe.” She casts a suspicious glance at me, and alarm bells start blaring in my head.
I lean into Axton. “I meant what I said earlier,” I whisper, loathing myself as the words leave my mouth. He has consistently fought in my corner, and I can tell he isn’t a bad person, so it genuinely hurts to deceive him like this.
But needs must.
Axton climbs to his feet, taking me with him. He slings a protective arm around my waist and draws me into his side. “I am not agreeing to any of this, and you can’t make me. I will also not discuss this any further unless we are in private.” He turns toward the hateful woman at the end of the table. “And you would do well to advise your daughter that I am not in favor of reinstating our match. I’d hate Alinka to get her hopes up for nothing.”
“Your insolence is intolerable and so beneath you,” she responds. “Need I remind you that I am a member of the High Council and you are not yet our leader. Your mother controls Torc, and she has determined what is best for our people, and for you. You should be thinking about your future position, instead of allowing feelings and hormones to dictate your actions.” She leans over the table, turning her head to face Griselda. “I expect this to be resolved speedily, Supreme Chancellor. Alinka is more than ready to fulfill her duty, and might I draw attention to the many years she has already served this council as your loyal warrior.”
Griselda holds up her palm in transparent annoyance. “Do not make demands of me or dare to presume anything, Chancellor Valla. I will deal with this, and that is all you need to know.”
Alinka’s mother clenches her fists on the table in front of her, but she bows deferentially. “I apologize, Supreme Chancellor. I did not mean any disrespect.”
“Come on,” Axton whispers. “I’ve heard enough.”
He shepherds me to the door as Griselda’s intonation booms across the floor. “I will see you in my chambers in twenty minutes, Axton. Alone.”
It’s not a request. Without acknowledging or responding, he propels me out into the corridor.
He all but drags me back to my room without uttering a word. The minute I shut the door behind us, Axton reels me into his arms. After a long minute, he presses his mouth to my ear. “We have to get out of here.”
“What?” I step out of his embrace, shell-shocked.
He steps back into my personal space. “I won’t be separated from you again,” he whispers into my ear. “So our only option is to escape.”
I stare open-mouthed at him. Tugging him down to my level, I put my lips to his ear. “It won’t work, she’ll just come after us.”
“I’ll figure something out. Stay here while I go to this farce of a meeting. Then we’ll go someplace we can talk without scrutiny and decide what to do.” He straightens up, a look of raging determination on his face. “Okay?” he asks softly.
I’m somewhat dumbstruck so I just nod. I collapse, spread-eagled, on the bed after he has left the room. I ponder this latest twist, as my fingers idly toy with the cuff bands on my wrist. I’m itching to remove them, but they are affixed so closely to my skin that no amount of tugging or sliding works. All I’ve achieved is scuffed red-marked skin. My frustration accelerates. This would all pan out much smoother if I had the use of my gift. No doubt, that’s why Griselda has clamped down on my incendio ability.
My thoughts switch to Axton and his escape strategy. He is willing to risk
everything for me, and that does little to appease my escalating guilty conscience. I have to find some way of getting him out of here alive. I at least owe him that much. While his offer is enticing, and I trust he could get us safely off this planet, hell would freeze over before he’d allow me to reunite with Logan. Fleeing also doesn’t solve the other issues.
So, no, tempting and all as it is, I can’t bolt with him.
I need to stick to my original plan.
The door cracks open, and Izzy ghosts into the room, a slim black satchel thrown across her torso. I haul myself up as she approaches the bed and cautiously sits down. “I can’t believe it’s really you and that you made it back.”
I grunt. “I’d much rather I hadn’t.”
She extracts a tablet from her bag. “You asked me to show you this if you returned. It explains everything.” I scan my hand over the screen and listen intently to my past self as she confirms that Izzy is my best friend, outlines the depth of our friendship, and states that she can be trusted with anything. I’ve shared my concerns with her over my mission and my beliefs that I’m supposed to save Logan, not kill him. Apparently, she’s unhappy with Griselda’s rule as is plenty of the Tor. That’s interesting and the first I’ve heard of any such dissent. The screen dies out and we stare awkwardly at one another.
She breaks the silence first. “I know this is a little weird, but we’ve always confided everything in each other. These last eight months have been awful without you. And I was so worried; concerned that you wouldn’t remember and that I’d never see you again.” She flings a cautious look over her shoulder before sitting up on her knees. She leans into my ear. “What happened with Logan?”
I fill her in, whispering quickly and quietly, leaving nothing out. Her eyes grow wider with every word from my mouth.
“Shista, girlfriend! You love him? You didn’t see that coming.” She rests back on her heels before asking in a low voice, “What about Axton?”
Saven Denial (The Saven Series Book 3) Page 8