Saven Defiance (The Saven Series Book 4) (38 page)

I’m going to kill him.

Hunt him down like an animal and torture him until he begs for mercy.
He’s going to pay for this.
Even if I spend the rest of my life trying to find him, I won’t give up.

I focus on Jarod as I speak. “Do you know where he is now?”

“No, but I have an idea.” I wait for him to elaborate. “He’s not on this planet, Sadie. I’m sure of it. Some of the tech we pinched from G is the most sophisticated there is. If the VP was on Earth, I would’ve found him, but there isn’t a trace of him. The only logical deduction is that he is in space.”

I wouldn’t put it past the VP to have had a hand in all this. He wanted me to kill King Adjani and Logan, but there had been no mention of Dante.
Has he been working with him this entire time?

“What about the message you received from him? Can you track him using that?”

He shakes his head. “It was encrypted and the signal was re-routed too many times for me to trace. But there was one strange thing.” He taps a finger off his lips as he thinks. A tiny spark returns to his eyes. “I found a weird anomaly I couldn’t decipher. But if it’s what I think—that he
is
on another planet—then that means—”

“That it’s alien tech and Rylan might be able to figure out where it originated from.”

Jarod hops up. “I’ll get him.”

“No need.” I tug him back down. “Give me a sec.”

I’ve never tried to telepathically connect to Rylan before, but Logan had briefly explained how to do it before we left. Now that we have Eterno bonded, I should be able to telepathically communicate with any Saven, irrespective of the distance.

I’m about to test that theory.

I transmit my unique telepathic signal, pushing it out of my mind and focus on identifying his. It’s actually not that difficult because there are only a few Saven in the vicinity, and it doesn’t take me long to pick up his frequency. He connects with me instantly, and I relay my request. The comm ceases and I blink a few times.

“Okay. You’re acting weird. What’s going on?”

While we wait for Rylan, I tell Jarod about Eterno bonding with Logan and how my ability to communicate through my mind has expanded, how I can even communicate with Logan back on Saven. I’m not sure how he’ll take the news because he’s never been Logan’s greatest fan, or a supporter of anything alien, even if he did seem to be thawing before we left. So his reaction shocks the hell out of me.

“Seriously?” His eyes are out on stalks. “You can do that?” I nod. “That is freaking amazing.” His face lights up and I know he’s computing all the ways in which this talent can be used to our advantage.

Wait until he hears about my incendio gift.

Rylan knocks before entering. Jarod quickly explains the situation and hands him his D-pad. They pull chairs up to the table and start working away leaving me to my own devices, which is not such a good thing right now.

I reach out to Logan and tell him what’s happened. I’m still strangely anesthetized, which he obviously picks up on. It takes me about ten minutes to convince him not to teleport to my side. I know I won’t be able to keep it together if he is here, that I’ll cave to the comfort on offer and allow him to buffer me. But I refuse to give into my grief. As much as I’d love him here, I can’t be that selfish. His hands are full, and he can’t afford to jeopardize anything we’ve achieved thus far. There will be plenty of time in the future to mourn my considerable loss. Ample opportunity for Logan to console me.

I sense how hard it is for Logan to adhere to my wishes, but he reluctantly agrees to it, for me.
“What’s the update from Saven?”
I ask, badly needing distraction.

“Fighting is still ongoing in the eastern sectors of Saven, and the two Advisors from yesterday’s meeting have decided to defect. Instructions have been issued to the Saven ships on Earth to disengage. They will shortly leave your airspace. I’m still trying to locate the president. No one seems to know what Dante did with him.”

I ponder his words. “
Rather than recalling them, which might trigger an adverse reaction in the Amaretti, why not leave them here and switch their duties to more of a protective nature instead?”
I suggest.

We disconnect with him promising to do just that. When I turn around, both Rylan and Jarod are watching me with bizarre expressions on their faces. “What?”

“You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” Jarod asks. I shake my head. A spark of recognition whips across his face. “It was like you were here but not here, and your eyes had a strange glazed look to them.” I know it well. I remember the times I noticed Logan doing the same before I knew what he was or that he was telepathically communicating via astral projection.

“I was talking with Logan,” I confirm.

Rylan’s mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. It doesn’t take much for him to figure it out. “I need you to keep it a secret.” I spit the words out with urgency. My look brokers no argument.

“Stars! It’s true? You and the king have Eterno bonded?” I nod as he jumps to his feet and bows before me.

“Oh my God, Rylan. Stop that. You’re freaking me out. And you certainly can’t act like that around you know who.”

“Who’s ‘you know who?’” Jarod asks, his gaze skipping back and forth between us.

“Ax. That’s the next part of the sorry tale I have to tell you. But first things first,” I say, fixing my attention on Rylan, “Have you figured out where the message came from?”

“No. It’s alien all right, but I’ve never seen that exact type of technology before.”

I guess that rules the Saven connection out of the equation, unless Dante has access to a different form of tech. Another idea occurs to me. “Let me get Ax and see if he recognizes it.”

I stop at the door and turn back around. “Remember, not a word to him, or anyone, about me and Logan.” I pin them both with a serious look and they nod.

I arrive back a few minutes later with Ax in tow. I apologized profusely for my earlier outburst but the reception is still distinctly chilly. Rylan shows him the screen. His fingers tap idly off the top of the desk as he scrunches his eyes and studies it. “I don’t know what it is.”

“Are you sure?” Rylan asks. “Look again.”

“I’m sure,” he snaps. “It’s not Tor.” A weird sensation crawls over my skin.

Rylan raises his hands. “Relax, buddy. I was only asking.”

Air wheezes out of Jarod’s mouth. “So that’s a dead end.” His disappointment is obvious.

“We can take it back to Saven and see if any of the experts on the STSS can identify it,” I suggest. “Someone has to know something.”

Another thought occurs to me. Anxiety causes rampant butterflies to swamp my chest. “Jarod? What happened to her? Her … body, I mean. Where is she?” The tenuous control on my sanity starts to wobble. It takes considerable effort to hold it together, but somehow I do. I know if I open those floodgates, it will be damned near impossible to close them again.

His look softens. “I buried her in the Garden of Life in Mount Hope.”

“Thank you.”

He nods as a look of understanding washes over Ax’s face. The concern in his eyes almost undoes me. My lip trembles as tears pool in my eyes.
See? This is why I couldn’t have Logan here.
Ax doesn’t hesitate, crossing to me and folding me into his arms. “I’m so sorry, Sadie.” His hand runs up and down my back, and Jarod watches the movement with a healthy dose of suspicion.

I close my eyes and count to ten. I can’t fall apart. Not when there is so much at stake. Wriggling out of Ax’s embrace, I dry my eyes. “I’m okay.” He reaches up and wipes dampness from my cheeks. I step back, creating some distance between us. He’s becoming too familiar again, and I need to stamp it out before he starts getting any ideas.

“I want to visit her grave.”

Jarod scrubs a hand over his jaw as he nods. “I figured you would want to do that.”

“Whe—”

The door slams against the wall as Vin comes crashing into the room. “We’ve got another catastrophe on our hands. He’s frigging insane. He’s going to do it, Jarod.” His panicked eyes latch on mine. “He’s going to kill us all.”

“Are you talking about G?” I ask. Shame and anguish mask Vin’s features as he nods. “What’s he planning now?”

The two good-looking boys with the sandy hair and green eyes appear at his back. “What’s the latest intel?” one of them asks, stalking into the room like he owns the place. He rounds the table, planting his hands on the edge as he leans in.

The second boy, who, I now notice, is pretty much a replica of the other one, sits down beside me. They must be related. He casts a curious glance my way, and I twist my head to look at him. Intelligent dark-green eyes, the color of fresh-cut grass, glisten with interest as he peers at me. It’s unnerving, but I look away instead of calling him out on it.

The other boy shoots cautious glances at Ax and Rylan as he waits for Vin to share what he knows. Tension is thick in the air, and my back is corded into a million knots. “Sometime today, Vin.” The boy at the table appears to have a limited supply of patience.

“Zac.” The boy sitting on my left lets out an exasperated sigh. “Chill out, bro.”

The boy spins around, a furious look on his face. “I told you it was a bad idea letting
them
come here.” He spits out the word like it’s poison as he glowers at me.

I know when we’re not wanted, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to stay here a minute longer. “We should leave.” I scramble to my feet.

“No, you shouldn’t.” The boy at my side says as he yanks on my elbow and pulls me back down.

I stumble, landing inelegantly on top of him. I’m sprawled over his thighs, my face dangerously close to a very sensitive part of him, my hands skimming his muscular legs. My face darkens in an instant as I wish the ground would devour me whole. “Oh my God.” He chuckles as he gently lifts me up by the waist. “I’m so sorry!” My skin is flaming as I face him.

He winks. “Honestly, I don’t mind. You can feel me up any time, beautiful.” Ax pins him with a lethal look. “I’m Luc, by the way.” He extends his hand.

“Sadie.” I accept his offering, shaking his hand firmly.

“I know who you are.” He raises my hand to his lips before I can extract it, pressing a kiss on my skin.

Ax charges across the room faster than I can track his movement. Luc is ripped from his seat and flung up against the wall, which is no mean feat because he’s tall and solidly built. Ax pins him with one hand around his throat. A strangled, choking sound disperses from Luc’s throat. Jumping up, I tug on Ax’s arm. “Stop! Ax, stop it right now. He can’t breathe.” I yank his sleeve, but it barely registers. Rage splashes across his face. “Do. Not. Touch. Her. Ever.” He exerts more pressure, and Luc’s legs start twitching.

Sounds of scuffling draw my attention. I glance quickly over my shoulder. Vin is restraining Zac, but he won’t be able to hold him off for long.

“Testosterone overload,” Jarod mutters under his breath, as if this kind of behavior is normal.

“Axton!” I screech. “Let him go. Please.” His face is puce with rage, and I’m not breaking through the haze of anger so I do the only thing I can think of. I deliver a precise strike to his ribs, winding him instantly. He releases Luc as he staggers back, clutching his side. Luc drops into a seat, gasping for air.

Zac snatches Ax up off the ground, wrapping a muscular arm around his gullet and squeezing tight. Ax claws at his arm, but he has him in an iron grip. “If you ever touch my brother again, or harm anyone here, I won’t hesitate to end you.” He thrusts Ax away with a venomous look. “Alien scum.”

Spinning around, he levels his brother with an annoyed look. “Do you have to flirt with every female you come into contact with?”

Luc holds up his palms. “Can’t help it, bro. Comes naturally.” His taunting grin is completely unapologetic.

Zac shakes his head in consternation, as he turns to face Jarod. “This is your fault. I want them out of here in the morning.”

I face Luc. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

He nods tersely. “I’m fine but tell your boyfriend he won’t get to do that a second time and live to tell the tale.” Vibrant red bruising borders his skin on both sides as he massages his neck.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” I pivot in my seat, glaring at Ax. “Don’t say one word.” If he dares mention the “H” word, I’m going to go hyper-ninja on his butt. Rage has given way to impassivity again, and he stares at me blankly. My temper dissipates. “Are
you
okay?” Ax looks straight through me. I try again. “Ax? Are you hurt?”

“No,” he grunts.

I nudge him into a seat and pin him with a cautionary look. “Please, don’t cause any more trouble,” I beseech.

“Well, not that this wasn’t entertaining,” Zac says with a half-sneer on his face, “but we have official business to discuss, so leave. Now.”

“They stay,” Vin says. “They need to near this too. We’re going to need Logan’s help.”

“What has G done now?” Jarod asks.

“Nothing yet, but you remember that plan he mentioned before we left?” Jarod cautiously nods. “I have it on good faith that he’s preparing to launch.”

“What plan?” I look between them.

“He means to lure the aliens into space where he’s going to blast them with a VD8 ray.” Vin bunches his hands into fists.

“Wait?” I mentally prowl the imaginary library in my head. “You mentioned VD8 weaponry before. Back at the apartment.” He nods. A wedge of fear funnels it’s way inside me. “What exactly is it?” All I remember him saying is that it is bad.

Zac drops down in the chair beside Luc and we all give Vin our undivided attention.

“It’s a unique weapon of mass destruction that the government has been secretly working on these last few years. It’s a top-secret project jointly headed up by Commander Vixen and Dr. Fink.” I remember those names. The head of military operations had brought them up during a meeting I attended with Logan, Haydn, the president, and his cabinet, when the Saven and Amaretti first invaded. “Only a few high-ranking officials are even aware of its existence.”

“So how did your dad get his hands on something like that?” I’ve always thought G was too well connected, and it didn’t make sense. My spider senses are firing on all cylinders, and I’m not liking where this seems to be leading.