Saven Deliverance Read online

  She is not going to mess this up.

  Haydn is screaming at me. “What’s wrong?”

  “I think Griselda is trying to get into my head. We have to go, Haydn. Follow me now.”

  “Go!”

  I latch onto the line, doing my best to ignore the successive attempts to infiltrate my mind. I check my walls, ensuring there are no gaps, and with renewed resolve, I add an additional layer of protection. I race along the line, sensing Haydn behind me. When I reach the outer layer and his familiar strength washes over me, I know he has broken free. “Give me a minute to project back into my mind, and then open your eyes, Haydn. I’ll see you on the other side.”

  Thrusting myself forward, as if I’m diving off a cliff, I project back into my mind, focusing on following my own line. Ignoring the steady stream of daggers hacking against my inner walls, I visualize Logan’s face and race toward it, until I burst free, back into safe territory.

  I bolt upright on the bed, panting and flailing about. I’m vaguely aware of voices surrounding me as I yank the pins off my forehead. Through hazy, pink eyes, I watch Logan cautiously approaching. “Stay back for a minute.” I shove up one palm. “Griselda is trying to get into my mind, and I need to concentrate to push her out.” Now that I’m no longer guiding Haydn, I can give this my sole attention. Jumping at the next prodding pain, I fist a mental hand around the invisible assailant, swinging it back with all my mental might, adding a gusty internal roar as I do so. Shock skitters across my mind as I fling Griselda clear away. The heavy pounding evaporates instantly, leaving a more peaceful inner state of mind. I flop back down on the bed, thoroughly exhausted. Sweat pumps out of my forehead, and my heart is working overtime, frantically beating with the exertion and the influx of adrenaline.

  “Angel.” Logan’s voice in my head is a wonderfully welcoming sound.

  My eyes flick open, and I’m thankful they are completely clear. I allow myself a brief minute of elation. Jaxa’s training has worked, and that knowledge lifts my spirits, injecting me with additional confidence. “It’s okay.” I finally release the breath I’d been holding. “I’m okay. She’s gone.”

  “Sadie?”

  I jerk my head around at the emotive cadence in Haydn’s tone. His chamber is no longer suspended mid-air, and it’s open, resting alongside my cot. Haydn is lying flat on his back with his head turned sideways to face me. His arm juts out, and he links his hand in mine. The room is full of joyful tears as Kesla and his parents swarm his bedside, but his gaze doesn’t wander from mine. The widest smile spreads across my mouth, and grateful tears pool in my eyes. His hazel eyes are a little duller, his skin a lot paler than usual, but he’s awake. He’s alive. I squeeze his hand.

  “Did that really just happen?” His voice is hoarse and laden with unspoken emotion.

  “Yeah.” I laugh. “That was insane, right?”

  “Is she pregnant? Is it true?” He sends that message telepathically.

  I bob my head, my smile widening. “It’s true. And she loves you so much, and she is officially one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever known. I’m so happy for you.”

  He holds my hand tighter as a glint of anxiety shimmers in his eyes. “Sadie, I don’t know if it’s what I want.”

  I fail to hide the shock from my face. “But I thought—”

  “It’s complicated. I”—he rubs a hand over his face—“I feel so confused.”

  My eyes flit up to Kesla of their own accord. Her face is frozen, dried tears staining her cheeks, as she watches me with transparent horror. I’m not sure what’s going through her mind, but it’s clear these two need to talk.

  “Haydn, you’ve only heard the news, and it’s a shock—that’s completely understandable. Plus, you’ve just come out of a month-long coma. Give yourself time to digest it. But, do me a favor? Don’t push her away. She has been here, by your side, every single day. She was so worried about you.” The strain on his face doesn’t dissipate. “And she’s carrying your child, Haydn. Don’t make any hard and fast decisions right now.”

  Logan subtly nudges against my mind, letting me know he’s heard everything. I aim my thoughts at him, urging him to speak to his friend.

  “If this is about your duty, Haydn, you don’t need to worry. We have a suggestion to put to you when you are up to it. Your role as my bodyguard doesn’t mean you can’t have a life here with Kesla and your child, if that is what you choose.” Haydn’s chin tips up and he notices Logan for the first time. Logan grins. “You’ve no idea how good it is to see you.”

  “You were connected to Sadie’s mind and heard everything we discussed?” Haydn guesses.

  Logan’s grin expands as he nods.

  “Creepy.”

  Logan laughs before quickly sobering. “You should speak to Kesla and your parents. They are growing anxious. I’m going to take Sadie back to the palace to rest, but comm me later if you feel up to talking, and we’ll come to you.”

  My tired body accepts that as a signal, and the loudest yawn spews from my mouth. Logan sweeps his arms underneath me, lifting me up and cradling me against his body. Vega rushes to our side, bowing reverentially. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.” She aims her gratitude in my direction. “We will forever be in your debt.” I blush redder than the ripest tomato, and Logan chuckles.

  When we are back in the palace, he wastes no time helping me into bed. Exhaustion has done a real number on me, and I can scarcely keep my eyes open. “Sleep with me,” I mumble, feebly extending an arm toward him.

  I can sense his smile. “I wish I could, but it’s still early, and I have to get back to the meeting, but I’ll be here before you wake up. Promise.” He presses his lips to my cheek. “Fern is going to sit with you.”

  As if on cue, there’s a light tap on the door. “I don’t need a babysitter,” I grumble in between another demonstrative yawn.

  “No one has mind walked in a very long time, Sadie,” Logan says as I hear him moving toward the door to let my friend in. “I need someone watching over you to make sure you are okay. Don’t fight me on this because you’ll lose.”

  If I wasn’t so tired, I’d take him to task over his arrogance, but I can barely summon the energy to huff out a sigh.

  “Well?” Fern asks with a troubled frown as she steps into the room. “How did it go?”

  “It went well, apart fr—” My eyelids shutter together, and encroaching darkness swamps my mind. The words being spoken around me fade into the background as I drift into a deep sleep.

  I wake sometime later, and the room is bathed in a layer of darkness. Resting on my side, I face the large tinted window which overlooks the glistening Central City below. Twinkling lights, and the faint sound of a rhythmic beat makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. Low-flying craft weave in and out of the nighttime skyline like dancing insects. Multicolored strobe lights reflect off the tranquil waters of Lake Carnavra.

  Life is returning to normal in Saven, and it gives me hope for the future.

  “Hey, Sleeping Beauty,” Fern says, and I turn toward the sound of her voice. She’s curled up in a chair by my bed, with a book facing down on her lap. “How you feeling?”

  Rubbing my sleepy eyes, I pull myself up in the bed, stifling a yawn. “Fine, still a little tired but that’s it. Did Logan say when he’d be back?”

  She checks her comport. “It’s late, so he should be back any second now.”

  “I should make myself more presentable.” Shoving the covers back, I swing my legs off the bed and inspect my wrinkled, smelly clothes with a look of disgust.

  “I think you could wear rags and Logan wouldn’t care.”

  My lips twitch as I stand up and stretch. “True, but I’m trying to make more of an effort. We don’t see much of each other these days, and I want to make our time together as special as it can be.”

  She nods absentmindedly, staring off into space. I’m sensing she’s holding something back. “What’s up?”

  Her eyes
burn with a new ferocity as she faces me. “Aren’t you bothered about home? About Jarod? I feel so guilty for hiding away up here when there is still so much uncertainty on Earth. It doesn’t sit right with me.”

  My shoulders cord into knots. “I can relate, and I am worried too. But you know we’re in constant contact with Jarod, and he’s working with Vin and the rebels to try to locate the president and his cabinet. Logan only spoke to him yesterday, and he has a couple of new leads. The Amaretti haven’t made any aggressive moves, and the killing has stopped.”

  Memories of the Amaretti ships entering Earth’s air space for the first time regurgitate in my mind. As long as I live, I’ll never forget the horrific images from that time. Amara—the Amaretti’s home planet—is self-destructing, and they need a new place to call home. Apparently, Earth ticks a lot of the boxes, and the Amara king, Dali’s father, seems hell-bent on taking it for himself. Along the way, there has been subterfuge and counter-subterfuge, with Earth the unfortunate pawn in the alien’s nasty tug-of-war.

  The Amaretti had initially withdrawn after Logan agreed to marry Dali, and upon the formation of a tentative agreement between both races, but it was all a sham. Dali’s father always intended to double-cross the Saven and claim Earth in Amara’s name. Later, he allied with Dante, and they re-invaded Earth a few months back in a much more aggressive manner.

  So many people lost their lives in those early days. I shake my head sadly. There has been far too much needless loss of life. When will it all end? How many more must die before we stop this? I have no answers to these questions, and a heavy cloud of depression threatens to overwhelm me.

  Fern is right. We need to do more to fix the situation on Earth. I lean forward. “We will return there, soon, I promise. I share your concern, but it’s hard trying to prioritize because we can’t deal with everything at once. Things seem to be settling down here, and they might have a lock on Dante’s whereabouts, so progress is being made, and we can redirect our efforts to dealing with the situation back home.”

  “That’s good.”

  She wets her lips nervously, and I can tell there’s more. “Tell me, Fern. Just spit it out.”

  “I don’t know if I can wait around much longer, Sadie. I’m happy to help with the other stars around the palace, but I can’t sit idle here anymore. I want to go home. I need to check in on my family and ensure they are okay. And I want to work with Jarod and Vin and feel like I’m actually doing something of value.”

  “What about Rylan?”

  “To be honest, I think that’s fizzling out. He’s busy with his new role as Logan’s personal advisor, and we haven’t seen much of each other. It’s not the same. It’s another reason why I’d prefer to go home.”

  I jump to my feet. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I want to go home, Sadie.”

  “Okay. I’ll organize it.”

  She wraps her arms around me, crushing me half to death. “I will miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you too, but it’s only short term, and we’ll stay in touch.”

  When I materialize from the bathroom twenty minutes later, Logan is pacing the living room, shirtless with his pants hanging low on his hips and his feet bare. I lick my lips as my gaze dips to those two V-indents on either side of his hips, and red-hot desire races through me. My hunger for Logan only escalates with every passing day. I crave his touch as if I might die without it.

  Clawing his hands through his hair, he is arguing silently with someone, and frustration seeps out of every pore. He hasn’t even noticed me yet. With my hair hanging in damp strands down my back and swathed in only a towel, I pad toward him and wrap my arms around his waist. Some of the stress leaves his rigid body as he draws me in close, pressing a delicate kiss to the top of my head. Closing my eyes, I ingest him, sucking his scent and his aura deep inside me. Tension coils low in my belly, and I look up at him with blatant lust-filled eyes.

  Bending down, he presses a line of kisses along the side of my neck, and delectable tingles rip up and down my body. A tiny moan escapes my lips, and he sends me a smug smile. Sucking on that sensitive spot at the edge of my collarbone, he chuckles when I almost collapse, my knees turning to Jell-O.

  “How are you feeling, Angel?” he asks me after terminating the comm. He continues to plant more sweet kisses along my neck and jawline.

  “Pretty damn awesome, if you must know,” I rasp, and he chuckles.

  “You were pretty damn awesome today. I’m so proud of you.” Ripping his lips from my skin, he straightens up, staring at me adoringly.

  I pout sulkily, and he grins. “Then I think I’m due a reward, don’t you?” I cock my head to the side, pinning him with a suggestive look.

  His warm breath spreads over my face as he angles his head until our mouths are perfectly lined up. “Did you have anything specific in mind?” He runs the tip of one finger up and down my arm, sending a flurry of shivers ricocheting all over me.

  “Yes.” I trail my hands up over the solid wall of his muscular chest, reveling in the sight of him shuddering under my touch. “You.” My voice is breathless as I stare into his captivating eyes.

  Quick as lightning, his mouth crashes against mine while he simultaneously lifts me up. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I fist my hands in his hair, and he stalks toward the bed.

  Lowering me carefully onto the mattress, he crawls over my body as his mouth continues to ardently worship mine. His tongue slips into my mouth, and a needy moan gurgles up my throat. I pull him down on top of me, primed to explode with urgent need, as his fingers work quickly to release my towel. I tug on the band of his pants, and in next to no time, we are both naked and moving against one another without anything separating us.

  Electrifying sparks course through my body as he showers me with love, sharing every part of himself like he does every time we make love. Unbridled emotion swirls inside me when I think of how much I love him. How lucky I am that we found one another when the universe conspired to keep us apart. Promising myself and him that I will never take our love for granted, I vow to always cherish what we have because it’s too precious to ever risk losing.

  Caressing the smooth contours of his body, I whisper how much I love him, over and over again, as he shows me so skillfully that he feels exactly the same way.

  Haydn summons us the next morning, and we teleport to meet with him. Although I’ve based myself in Talla, I tend to spend most of my nights in the palace with Logan. We’ve already endured our fair share of separation, and I refuse to allow a day to pass where we don’t have at least a brief period of alone time.

  Haydn is waiting in the main reception room, bundled in a thick blanket, propped up lengthways on the couch. “Don’t get up,” I say as he makes a move to stand. Leaning down, I hug him. “You must be exhausted. I know I’m still feeling tired.” Logan smirks, and my cheeks flare up.

  “Uh-huh.” Haydn smiles knowingly, simultaneously touching knuckles with Logan in that weird alien-boy handshake flip-off thing they do. “But I’d say that’s for other reasons.” Logan snorts as I turn an unflattering shade of bright red. Haydn’s features turn serious. “I’m so happy for you both, and I owe you an apology.”

  I wave my hand dismissively in the air, blowing that off. “No, you don’t. That’s water under the bridge now.” Losing some of my closest friends has taught me that you shouldn’t hold onto grudges unnecessarily. While Haydn hurt me with his ignorant, cold attitude, he had his reasons, and it was a half-assed attempt at protecting Logan. I’m never going to criticize him for that.

  Besides, it seems he was right to be wary of Ax.

  A sharp pain ruptures inside me, like a dagger straight to the heart.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?” Haydn sits up a bit, his brow puckering with concern.

  Logan slings his arm around my shoulders, reeling me into his side. “It’s nothing.” I fasten a false cheery smile on my face. “What’s going on with you and Kesla? Did you talk to h
er about the baby?”

  Haydn motions for us to sit down, and we drop down on the couch facing the other side of the fire. Veins protrude in his neck as he rotates his head from side to side, trying to loosen up. “Yeah, I spoke with her. Things are … complicated.”

  Logan arches a brow, and I wait for more information that is not forthcoming. Even though it’s absolutely none of my business, Haydn is a good friend, and I want him to be happy. As happy as Logan and I are. And he’s stuck his nose into our affairs plenty of times, so he can suck it up if he doesn’t like it. Logan’s lips curve up at the corners as he absorbs my thoughts. “Do you love her?” I pin Haydn with penetrating eyes.

  “You have no right to ask me that!” he snaps.

  “Is that really why you won’t answer, or is it because you’re afraid to face the truth?”

  A muscle clenches in his jaw, and I know I’ve hit the nail on the head.

  “Don’t push him, Sadie. He needs time to sort things out.”

  “I only want to help.”

  “I know, Angel. But we can’t force him into anything. It has to be his decision.”

  “We won’t pry into your personal affairs, but let me add one thing. You can choose to have both a personal and professional life if that’s what you desire. Don’t let that affect your decision.” Logan’s pitch radiates with sincerity.

  “How is that even possible?”

  “Sadie and I have lots of exciting ideas for changing some of the laws around here. Naturally, it’ll be a step change process, and we can’t contemplate altering anything until there’s more stability, but, as bodyguard to the king, I can grant you early privileges.”

  Haydn looks incredulous.

  “Your father temporarily stepped into your role, and he’s prepared to share it with you, if you’d like to spend part of your time in Talla. We need to work out the specifics, but that is only a formality. Should you choose to start a life with Kesla, you can still fulfill your duty as my bodyguard.”

  I notice he doesn’t mention the fact that Izzy is second in command of the guard corps, because Haydn has never been her or Ax’s biggest fan, and that’s putting it mildly.