Transcender Trilogy Complete Box Set

by Vicky Savage

  Someone knocks softly on my door. I toss the paper aside and hurry to answer it. Ryder has changed from his evening finery into casual clothes—something similar to a T-shirt and jeans, only the jeans are made of softest leather. He steps inside, pulling me tightly to him, and kissing me with more abandon than he normally allows himself. My blood is immediately on fire, and I respond with equal passion. He lifts me in his arms.

  “They loved you, Jade!” he says. “Especially Father. The entire country is singing your praises.” He carries me to the chair and cradles me in his lap. I rest my head on his shoulder. He lightly fingers the wolf-head necklace I put on over my dress.

  “I love it when you wear this. It reminds me of my mother.”

  “Your mother?”

  “Yes, my father gave it to her on the day I was born. Father’s people are from the Ani Wahya –the wolf clan. The wolf is a Cherokee symbol of protection. Mother never took it off as long as she was alive. She said she wore it to protect me always. When she died it passed to me. I told you it is very special.”

  I study his face a moment. “You guys don’t turn into wolves or anything like that do you?”

  He laughs. “What would give you such an odd idea?”

  “No, no… it’s nothing,” I say sheepishly. “But seriously, you shouldn’t have given it to me if it was a remembrance of your mother.”

  “Who better to have it? You have saved my life more times and in more ways than one.”

  I smile. “I take that responsibility very seriously. I’ll wear it always, to protect you.”

  “Well, I hope you will wear it at least until you will agree to wear my ring.”

  My smile vanishes. “Wait. What are you saying?”

  “Ah, Jade, I love you. I want you to be my wife…when you are ready. I promise myself to you. There will never be anyone else for me.”

  “Ryder, no. That’s… I can’t…”

  He touches a fingertip to my lips. “I’m not asking for the same commitment from you. I know you cannot give it now. But, I also know my own heart, and whether you ever accept my ring, the fact remains that I will marry only if and when you will have me.”

  I gaze into his honest blue eyes and in that instant everything becomes crystal clear. I know beyond any doubt that this man is it for me—the big IT, the love of my life.

  In that flash of utter clarity my future is revealed to me, as though written on the book of life: I will return home to Connecticut. Eventually I’ll find someone else. I will marry, and possibly have children, and I will be relatively happy, because that is who I am. But inextricably entwined within this sudden revelation is the absolute certainty that I will never love like this again. I will never love anyone as passionately and wholeheartedly as I love Ryder Blackthorn.

  “I… I love you too, Ryder,” I whisper. “I know I will never love anyone else the way I love you.”

  He tries to read my face. “And this makes you sad?”

  “No, of course not. I guess I just realized it.”

  “Well, I have known it for a while.” He brushes the back of his hand gently across my cheek. “I knew the night you helped me escape from Warrington Palace. When I kissed your hand and you stroked my hair. I felt it in your touch, so pure and sweet, Jade. I knew we were meant to be together.

  “Do you honestly believe that?”

  “With all my heart.”

  “Ryder, will you stay with me tonight?” I ask softly.

  He cocks a questioning eyebrow.

  “I didn’t mean that way. We can stay right here on the chair all night, if you like. I just don’t want to be alone. I’m homesick, I guess.”

  He tilts his head, his eyes probing mine.

  “All right, I’m lying. I just want to be with you tonight. Stay. Please.”

  “Jade, don’t ask me….”

  “Why not?”

  “For many reasons, love, the primary one being that it would be unseemly. It would damage your image. Everyone in Sequoyah Hall knows I am in your room.”

  “I don’t care about my image.”

  “Yes, you do. And so do I. I wish to act honorably and above reproach where you are concerned—although I haven’t always done so in the past. I want to be worthy of you, Jade. I will wait forever for you if I must.”

  He takes my chin in his hand, turning my face to his. “There is also the minor detail of your mother. She is going to be difficult enough to deal with without ugly gossip reaching her ears. Trust me on this. If she believes your trip here was about anything other than a fact finding mission, she will have my scalp.”

  I know he’s right, but I want him with me. I don’t know how much time we have left, but it’s not much.

  “I still have arrangements to tend to for tomorrow, love. We have a long day planned, and I am anxious that all goes well.” He kisses the spot just below my ear.

  “I am sorry I can’t stay longer, but we will be together all day tomorrow.” He smiles. “We’ve never had the luxury of an entire day together.”

  “That’s true, but we’re going to have lots of company, aren’t we?” I crawl off of his lap.

  He follows, wrapping his arms around me. “It doesn’t matter. We’ll be together.”

  I sigh deeply. “I guess you’re right. That’s really all that matters.”

  “Sleep well, love. I shall see you in the morning.” He plants a brotherly kiss on the top of my head, and slips out my door.

  I mope around for a few minutes looking for a distraction, wondering how people survive without TV. I miss my favorite shows sometimes, but only when I’m not with Ryder. Being with him is completely absorbing. It’s becoming difficult to remember my life before Ryder, before the essence of him seeped into my heart and mind and silently became the driving force behind my every waking thought and action.

  I wonder what I’ll do when I have to face life without him again. When I wake up each morning with no hope of seeing his face or feeling his touch ever again. Will I always feel the empty longing for him? It hurts so much to think about it now with my senses still so full of him.

  Another knock at my door interrupts my thoughts. My heart thrills at the possibility that Ryder has changed his mind. I rush to the door and fling it open to find Claire Wallace standing there, still decked out in her ball gown.

  “Claire, uh, Mrs. Wallace,” I sputter.

  “Were you expecting someone else?” she asks, stepping into my room uninvited.

  “Um, no.”

  “I wish to speak to you about a most urgent matter.” Her powdered face is taut and her expression unpleasant.

  “All right,” I pull my shawl more tightly around me. “What is it?”

  “I wish to know your intentions regarding young Chief Blackthorn.”

  “I’m sorry, my what?”

  “Your intentions!” she snaps. “Do you intend to marry him?”

  “He… I… Well, I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

  She glowers at me. “What are you doing with that necklace?”

  My hand flies to the delicate pendant. “Ryder gave it to me.”

  “That was my cousin’s necklace.”

  “Yes, and now it is mine,” I say, annoyed with this whole conversation. “Please just tell me why you’re here. I’m exhausted and I have a long day tomorrow.”

  She looks me up and down, evaluating me with her hawk-like eyes. The Unicoi version of Mrs. Wallace is much more menacing than the one who lives next door to me in Madison. She could be a little standoffish at times, but this woman is downright scary.

  “You do not understand what you are dealing with here, do you? Poor little fawn. How long have you known Ryder Blackthorn? A month? You know nothing about him.” She paces restlessly across the room, her full skirts swishing across the floor.

  “He is ruthless when it comes to Unicoi. He will stop at nothing to save his people. You more than anyone should know this. Or have you forgotten how you two met? Since h
e was unable to sway your mother on his own, he has tried to snare you in his scheme.”

  She stops in front of me. “What would you say if I told you Ryder is in love with my daughter, Olivia? That they have long had plans to marry? He did not disclose that to you, did he?”

  “I don’t believe you. He would have told me,” I say evenly.

  “Not if he wanted to keep you in the dark. Not if it did not suit his purposes. He and Olivia have been seeing each other for the past two years. Their engagement is soon to be publicly announced. He is only using you to fulfill his plan, and after that you will be discarded like yesterday’s refuse.”

  “If you have such a low opinion of Ryder Blackthorn, why do you even care? You couldn’t possibly want your daughter to marry that kind of a man.”

  “My daughter will be fine,” she shoots back. “She is the one he really loves. It is only that I am sorry for you, Princess. I feel it is my duty to warn you about him, before things go too far. That’s all.”

  “Oh really? That’s it? Well, thanks for the warning. You can leave now.” I walk to the door and open it.

  Her eyes become small slits. “Take my advice, you leave Unicoi as quickly as possible. You are not safe here,” she simpers.

  I gape at her. “Excuse me? Is that some kind of a threat?”

  “Take it as you wish,” she says, and turns to leave.

  “Whoa. Hold on a minute, bitch!”

  She wheels on me, her face a freakish mask of indignation.

  “Do you even know who you are talking to? I am The Crown Princess Jaden Beckett, future Queen of Domerica. You may not have any respect for me, but you’d better respect the title, lady! And you’d damn well better show some respect for the Blackthorns. You owe them that. You think you can just waltz into my room and accuse Ryder Blackthorn, the most decent honest man on this planet, of using me and lying to me? You obviously don’t know what I’m capable of.”

  I get right up in her face, so close I can see the makeup caked in her wrinkles. “If you ever threaten me again or talk trash about any of the Blackthorns, I promise you I’ll do everything in my power to take you down. I’ll see to it that you are brought up on charges of treason, sedition, and threatening a member of the royal family!” I’m not sure that last one is actually a crime, but I throw it in anyway.

  Claire Wallace’s face turns purple with rage. Her eyeballs bulge so huge I’m afraid they may pop out and roll across the floor. She turns abruptly and storms out of my room.

  I follow her into the hallway. “And another thing, lady, tell your daughter to keep her slimy hands off my man!” I shout at her retreating back.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  I eat a light breakfast in my room. I’m not in the mood for company, and I sure as hell don’t want to run into any of the Wallaces this morning. I spent a restless night mulling over how to ask Ryder about his relationship with Liv. I have to know if there is, or was, something between them. It shouldn’t matter, but it does. Over the years Liv and I have shared our deepest hopes and fears, we’ve borrowed each other’s clothes and make-up, and we’ve been closer than many sisters are. But Ryder Blackthorn is the one thing I’m not willing to share… with anyone.

  The tour today is planned to be on horseback, taking some smaller roads not fit for conveyance travel. By the time I arrive in the courtyard, nearly everyone is mounted and ready to go. Our party is large and includes several tribal elders and their wives. Chief Blackthorn isn’t among the group. I’ve been told he’s no longer able to ride a horse. Catherine is staying behind also, to attend to some tribal matters.

  Several warriors with halyards bearing the Unicoi colors lead the procession through a cobblestone street on our way to the first stop, the warrior training camp. The street is bright and theatrically lit. Many townspeople line the road to wave or gawk at our little pageant. Ryder and I ride side by side near the front of the group. He looks refreshed and in high spirits.

  “Did you sleep well, Jade?” he asks, as we make our way slowly through the densely crowded street.

  “I was a little restless,” I admit. “I had a troubling visitor after you left last night.”

  “Oh? Who?”

  “Claire Wallace. She warned me away from you.”

  He grins. “She did? What did she say?’

  “She said you and Olivia are in love and have plans to marry.” I watch him closely, but his expression doesn’t change.

  “Claire is my mother’s cousin. It is her fond desire that her daughter and I marry one day. My feelings for the girl have never been more than mere kinship, though.”

  “I believe her feelings for you may be a bit stronger. I’ve seen the way she looks at you.”

  “How does she look at me?” he says, still smiling.

  “Well, not lustfully like Erica does, but more longingly, like she loves you.”

  “If that is so, it is her misfortune, because only one woman will ever have me. I told you that, Jade. I’ve asked you to be my wife.”

  “Claire also said you were just using me to get what you want from my mother, and that you will stop at nothing.”

  He pulls up on his horse’s reins, bringing the entire procession to a halt. The smile has vanished from his face. “And you believe that?”

  “No, Ryder honestly, I don’t. The problem is, I think she really does.”

  He slides off his giant gray and lifts me from Gabriel’s back. He takes my hand, leading me to a small clearing near the side of the road. Sensing an unfolding drama, the crowd immediately parts and gives us a wide berth.

  Ryder takes my face in his hands. “Do you trust me, love?” he asks quietly.

  “Of course, but what—?”

  “Listen to me. Certain people here, in Domerica, and elsewhere will believe it in their best interests to try to keep us apart. We cannot allow those people to touch our feelings for each other. Do you understand that?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Good.”

  He leans down and presses his mouth to mine, kissing me sweetly at first then pulling me tightly to him and kissing me in a way that clearly communicates to any observer that he means business. He releases me after a moment and turns to our captivated audience. “I love this woman!” he says loudly.

  The crowd erupts in appreciative applause.

  Hot blood floods my cheeks from equal parts embarrassment, anger and, well, passion.

  “What was that?” I hiss, as we walk to our horses, the crowd tittering around us.

  “In Unicoi, we call that a public display of affection,” he says. His smile has fully returned.

  “Oh, yeah, well what about my image you were so concerned about protecting last night?”

  “It is more important that the people of my country know the nature of my feelings for you. I do apologize if it made you uncomfortable.”

  “Did you really have to be so… demonstrative?”

  “Yes,” he says, glancing back over his shoulder. A lone horse and rider break away from our group and speed toward the palace. I recognize Claire Wallace’s back as she makes her swift retreat.

  We reach our destination within the hour. The Unicoi warrior training grounds are made up of an old fortress-like building, a large barracks, and a vast training ground. It’s the only open field I’ve seen since arriving in Unicoi. We’re told we’ll be given a guided tour of the training facilities, after which we will be treated to a small demonstration by the trainees.

  The camp commander, Simon Greystone, a trim man with salt and pepper hair, conducts our tour. Drew hangs on his every word as he guides us through the facility, describing the rigorous training process. Greystone tells us the camp houses all current warriors in training, around two thousand young men and women. He explains that upon reaching the age of fifteen, every Unicoi boy or girl has the opportunity to be instructed as a warrior. It’s not mandatory, but any boy or girl who successfully completes the program becomes eligible for a variety of tribal jobs
, so most young people choose to participate.

  “Why do you train warriors when there are no wars?” Drew asks. “I mean, the world has been at peace for three hundred years.”

  “It is a deeply ingrained part of our culture,” Commander Greystone says. “It is always better to be prepared than to be sorry later. Our trainees receive instruction in hand to hand combat, swordsmanship, archery, marksmanship, and more.”

  “You use firearms?” Drew asks.

  “Yes. We have a firing range in the corner of the grounds.” He points to a steel framed structure.