Transcender Trilogy Complete Box Set

by Vicky Savage

  I’m interrupted as the door to my room swings wide, and Ryder stands framed in the entrance, dusty, unshaven, and utterly splendid.

  I leap from my chair and run to him. Arms, lips, and barely controlled passion crash together in a fervent embrace. He smells of the springtime wind, damp earth, and deep longing. Maria hastens out of the room, discretely closing the door.

  “I missed you so badly,” he says. Fiery kisses sear my neck, teeth graze my earlobe.

  “Me too,” I whisper, grasping madly at the laces on his tunic.

  “Allow me to shower and make myself acceptable for you,” he says, helping me with the laces.

  “No. That can wait. I want you the way you are. Don’t leave me, even for a second.”

  Grinning, he yanks the tunic off over his head. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

  TEN

  A knock at my door startles me awake, and I realize from the rosy glow of the room that it’s morning. I raise my head from Ryder’s chest, causing him to stir.

  “Who is it?” I call.

  “It’s Ralston, Your Majesty.”

  I clap my hand to my mouth. “Oh no, I forgot he has a short trip planned. I need to speak with him before he goes.”

  Ryder nuzzles a kiss to my shoulder. “Perhaps this would be a good time for me to have that shower I’ve been in need of since yesterday.”

  “Good idea.” I snag my robe from the foot of the bed. “Just a minute, Rals.”

  Ryder gathers his discarded clothing and makes for the bathroom.

  “Good morning,” I say, opening my door. Ralston stands just outside, dressed in travel duds, valise in hand.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you.” He glances into the empty room. “I understand Ryder has returned. But I have the contracts for you to sign, and I felt we should speak before I depart.”

  “I’m sorry, I overslept. Come in and sit down. Ryder’s showering, so we’ll have a few minutes alone.”

  He takes a seat in an armchair facing the faux fireplace and sets his bag on his lap. Removing his gloves, he opens the case and draws out a sheaf of papers.

  He spreads the papers across the coffee table in front of us. “I have three copies of the contract, one for you, one for the Transcenders, and one for IUGA. Sign each of them in the space where it says you have elected to permanently join the Transcenders in Arumel.” Pointing to a signature line, he passes me his pen.

  “There are four copies here, Rals. Do I sign them all?”

  “Oh, pardon me.” He folds up the fourth copy and slips it inside his jacket. “Just these three,” he says.

  I cock an eyebrow at him, but he shoots me a don’t ask look, so I just do as I’m told. After all copies are signed, he gives two of them to me and places the third inside his valise. “Put those in a safe place where no one will happen upon them. Now that you have a roommate, you must be more circumspect about where you keep your more unusual possessions.” He gestures to my TPD bracelet.

  “I know, Rals. I’m being cautious.”

  “I recommend that you deliver one of those contracts to the Transcenders today and inform them as to what has transpired. If I do not return to the palace by tomorrow evening, you should assume IUGA has detained me and an attack may be imminent. Go to Arumel at once, Jade. You cannot risk staying to see what happens. Remember a ninety-eight percent probability exists that you will die in an attack unless our plan is in place.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I remember. But did you run your own plans through the QP thing last night?”

  “Yes. For the most part, it appears things will go smoothly at headquarters. But I can’t be one hundred percent certain. You must be prepared for the worst.”

  He tugs on his gloves and rises. “Give my best to Ryder. With any luck, I’ll see you tomorrow, old girl.”

  “Be careful.” I hug him quickly and close the door after him.

  To my disappointment, Ryder emerges from the bathroom fully clothed. I prefer him a little more casual.

  “Do you have time to eat breakfast with me this morning?” he asks.

  “I thought we’d spend the whole day together,” I say, curving my arms around his waist.

  He tilts his head. “Your wedding is three days away, the delegations from Dome Noir and Cupola Vita arrive tomorrow, and the queen has nothing on her agenda for today?”

  Geeze, talk about a buzz kill. “Yeah, I’ve got a few things to do, but still …”

  He tucks a fly-away strand of hair behind my ear and kisses the lobe softly, sending a pleasurable tremor through me.

  “Commander Greystone is due here in an hour, love. He needs to have the lay of the palace grounds and familiarize himself with the area where his warriors are to be positioned. After that, Alexander’s men from Old Unicoi are scheduled to arrive with wagons of firearms for General LeGare. Alexander is overjoyed at your offer of amnesty, by the way. He sends you his profound thanks.”

  “Well, I’m grateful for his help. Plus, we know he didn’t assassinate Damien. But it sounds like you’re the one with a busy day. Maybe we can plan a private dinner up here for this evening. Just the two of us?”

  “Are you not expecting your father this afternoon?”

  “Oh man, I forgot about that.” I huff out a long breath. “I guess you’re right. We both have a lot to do today.” I curl my fingers around his neck and pull him in for a stolen kiss. “Let me shower quickly, and we’ll have a nice breakfast together.”

  “Or we could just skip breakfast,” he says, a playful light in his eyes.

  * * *

  With only a few days remaining in Domerica, I spend some time in my office taking care of some unresolved matters. Several copies of my formal proposal for the resumption of trade with Dome Noir are stacked neatly in one corner.

  Ralston recommends that I go ahead and deliver my presentation to the two dickhead princes as if I don’t know their real intentions. It’s not going to be easy pretending everything’s cool, knowing they consider me a dead man walking.

  The more pressing piece of business at the moment, though, is writing my last will and testament. I don’t care a bit about what happens to my jewelry and other stuff; it was never really mine to begin with. But I do care what happens to Fred and Ethel and Gabriel after I’m gone. I pull a few sheets of the queen’s stationery out of the top drawer and begin to write.

  Thirty minutes later, I’m still scribbling away when the door to my office opens and Lady Lorelei Bartlett’s lovely face appears. “May I come in, Your Majesty?”

  “Of course, Lorelei.” I quickly flip over my make-shift will and motion for her to be seated. “What brings you to the palace today? There’s not a problem with your upcoming journey?” I ask, referring obliquely to her impending trip to Old Unicoi.

  “No, there is no problem. I have come here to beg you to reconsider your decision and to join the rest of us in Old Unicoi. The country needs you. It is not necessary for you to risk your life this way.”

  Though her frame is slight, her bearing conveys strength and conviction. Yellow hair falls in shiny waves around her stunning face. Intelligent, cornflower blue eyes stare directly into mine, and I’m struck by what an extraordinary queen she will make.

  Once again, I have to wonder about this thing called destiny. Is it real? And could it be so inconceivably complex as to have orchestrated all circumstances in the universe to ensure that this remarkable woman will ascend to the throne of Domerica during its darkest hour?

  I’m convinced IUGA’s got it all wrong. Destiny can’t be outsmarted. It’ll find a way despite the best efforts of misguided men to control it.

  “Thank you, Lorelei, but I’m committed to seeing this through. Father and General LeGare assure me the invaders will be overwhelmed by our forces. So, really there is little danger in my staying.”

  “Then Jacob and I feel we should be here also, to support and protect you.”

  I shake my head. “You know I can’t agree to that. The queen and
the heir apparent must be separated during a time of danger. You need to be as far away from Warrington Palace as possible.”

  “Is there nothing I can say to change your mind?”

  “No.”

  Her eyes probe mine once again, and she blinks away a trace of sorrow. “Then I shall trouble you no further.”

  I rise, and we share a gentle embrace.

  “This is a very brave thing you are doing, cousin.” She kisses my forehead. “Please be careful.”

  I dig deep for my most reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about me, Lorelei. I’m certain everything will go according to plan.”

  She curtseys and glides gracefully from the room.

  I return to putting the finishing touches on my handwritten will. When it’s done, I fold it neatly and slide it inside a thick, cream-colored envelope. The desk clock chimes, reminding me that the day is rapidly slipping away, and I still need to sneak in a visit to Arumel.

  Without Ralston here to cover for me, I don’t see how I can just disappear for a time. I never know when Jennifer, LeGare, or someone else will drop by my office unannounced. Then it occurs to me that maybe I can just text Asher on the polycom and deliver the contract to him later.

  I hurry to my room and lock my door. I dig the polycom out of its hiding place in my jewelry chest. Flopping onto my bed, I open the directory and find Asher’s name. When I press the key, a message box pops up and I begin typing.

  Ralston summoned to IUGA. May be trouble. Can’t meet today.

  I press Send. In a few seconds, I receive a reply.

  Why was Rals summoned?

  I respond.

  They want my signed contract. They know about the missing QP.

  I watch the screen intently for a beat. Then two. Then Zzzt! Asher materializes next to my bed.

  “Yeek!” I chuck the polycom into the air, and it crashes to the floor.

  “What the hell, Ash! What are you doing here?” I scoop up the phone and toss it on my dressing table. “What if I’d been with someone?”

  “I figured you wouldn’t be scripting me if you were with somebody. This is bad, Jade. IUGA may already know Ralston has sold them out. They have ways of retrieving information from automatons.”

  “I know it looks bad, but Ralston says it’ll be okay. He’s figured out what to do about the contract, and he’s going to try to sneak the QP back in like it’s been there all along. He ran his ideas through the predictor. He says it looks good.”

  Ash shakes his head doubtfully. “What exactly is he planning to do?”

  “He wouldn’t tell me—plausible deniability or something like that. But he had me sign copies of the contract saying that I elect to join the Transcenders in Arumel. I have a copy for you.”

  I hustle to the jewelry chest and take out a copy of the contract. “Rals says you should file this with the Office of Records in Arumel City right away.” I hold it out for him.

  He snatches it from me, clearly agitated. “For the love of God, Jade, you should have told me about all this immediately. We need to send someone over to IUGA headquarters to quietly find out what’s going on. I hope our plan hasn’t already tanked.”

  “Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t get in touch sooner. Things are pretty chaotic around here, you know. I can’t be popping in and out of dimensions at the drop of a hat. Now you’ve got me scared. Is this going to blow up on us?”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll go myself and see what I can do. When is Ralston supposed to return?”

  “He said if he’s not back by tomorrow evening, we should assume they’re detaining him and that an attack may be about to happen.”

  “All right, we need to settle on a Plan B right now, in case he doesn’t return.”

  “Rals says I should go straight to Arumel, since I’m ninety-eight percent dead if I don’t.”

  “That’s good advice, Jade. I assume that’s exactly what you intend to do?”

  “I—” A loud rattling at my door causes Asher and me to jump.

  “Jade, are you there?” It’s Ryder. “Open the door.”

  In a panic I turn to Asher, only to find dead air where he just stood. My heart pounding wildly, I sprint for the door and fumble with the lock.

  Ryder steps inside and scans the room. “What were you doing in here? Why was the door locked?”

  “Oh, I was just trying to steal a few minutes of privacy. I haven’t had a moment to myself all day.” My cheeks grow hot, and I hope I resemble a blushing bride and not a red-faced liar.

  “I thought I heard voices. Is someone else here?”

  “No! I was just … going over our vows, rehearsing in the mirror, you know.” I glance at my dressing table where the polycom sits in plain sight.

  Ryder’s mouth twitches in amusement. “That’s charming, love, but as you are aware, we’ll probably not have an opportunity to recite our vows on this Saturday at least.”

  I shrug. “I know, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.”

  “I came to tell you your father is here. We’re meeting in General LeGare’s office in a few minutes. Do you wish to join us?”

  “Yes. Let me freshen up a bit, and I’ll be right there.”

  “Don’t be long, love.” Placing a finger under my chin, he tilts my face to his. “I’ve missed you today.” He presses a sweet kiss to my lips before sweeping out the door.

  My knees nearly give out. Holy crap, that was close. Thank heaven Asher dematerialized without a word. I would have been so busted.

  I snag the polycom off the desk and lock it back in my jewelry chest. On reflection, it was kind of a good thing that Ryder showed up when he did. It saved me from having to tell Ash that I’m not running off to Arumel if Ralston doesn’t return on time. I intend to follow through with the plan—despite the dire predictions of my probable demise.

  ELEVEN

  Our session with LeGare lasts until nearly seven o’clock, but the news is all good. The plan is coming together remarkably well, and everything’s falling into place. Ryder and I hurry back to my room to quickly dress for dinner.

  Maria helps me into my dress and secures a silver crown on my head. We decide to skip the makeup for tonight, since Ryder and I are already a few minutes late. She gathers up my dirty laundry and wishes me good evening.

  A moment later, Ryder steps out of the bathroom dressed in formal attire, his shiny hair pulled back and tied with a black ribbon. His golden skin still glows from the shower. The breath quivers in my lungs, and I’m reminded of the first time I ever rested my eyes on him. I believed an angel had fallen to earth.

  “Am I presentable?” He runs a hand along the front of his coat. “My suit became wrinkled in my bag.”

  “Uh, presentable doesn’t quite capture it. You’re well … yum.”

  His lips curve appealingly. “Shall we join the others?”

  “Give me another minute.” I turn back to my dressing table and hastily apply some mascara and lip gloss. Call me vain, but I don’t want my man out-dazzling me tonight.

  The size of the dinner crowd has grown considerably since yesterday. New guests arrive daily to take part in the pre-wedding celebrations, and a festive mood fills the halls of the palace. When Ryder and I step into the dining hall, we’re greeted with enthusiastic applause and cries of Long Live the Queen.

  Glasses of champagne are immediately placed in our hands, and we’re surrounded by a throng of cheery faces. An air of excited anticipation prevails throughout the evening as the ladies and lords chatter about tomorrow’s expected arrival of the royal wedding parties from Dome Noir and Cupola de Vita. I’m glad to see Drew and Adelais among the guests. They’ve been invited to stay at the palace tonight and be a part of the welcoming reception tomorrow. I’ll need all the moral support I can get for that little show.

  Though the upheaval of the past days has made me tired and stressed, the exuberance of the crowd carries me through dinner, and I actually enjoy myself. By the end of the evening, though, i
t’s liberating to be back in my room with Ryder. We change out of our formal clothing and enjoy the quiet relief of being alone together.

  I sit at my dressing table to remove my crown. The hairpins have dug so deeply into my scalp I’m concerned they may need to be surgically removed. Gingerly extracting them one-by-one, I pile them onto a silver tray. Ryder stands behind me observing the process with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. Once I’ve finished, I reach for my brush.

  “Would you like me to brush your hair?” he asks.

  “Seriously?” I’ve never had a man brush my hair before, but it sounds kind of sexy.