Saven Deception (34 page)

“Meaning you will inherit my morality.”

“Exactly. I already feel myself changing
around you.”

While I haven’t had adequate time to reflect
on all this, when it’s a matter of life and death, there’s no time for
contemplation. “So, let’s do it now.”

He crushes me to him and I hear—no, I
feel
—his
heart beating in sync with mine. “I’d connect with you in a heartbeat but
there’s a further complication.”

“Which is?” I prompt.

“There is a set of commandments that
govern the Eterno connection. You heard reference to that the other night.”

I nod.

“This is going to seem weird because it’s
the opposite of human religious belief. We have to sleep together before our
commitment ceremony. When we step up to the altar, it has to be as one. The
ceremony identifies and confirms that oneness, blesses it, and cements it for
eternity.”

A hot flush steals over my cheeks.
Personally speaking, I have no issue with that condition. My blush spreads as I
reflect on how much I’ve changed in a few short months.

“You remember what I told you about the
conscience transfer?”

“I remember.” A small trickle of unease
starts to wind its way through my veins.

“No Saven has ever Eterno connected with
anyone outside our race, so I can’t be sure it’ll work exactly the same way. If
it doesn’t, then the opposite could happen. I couldn’t live with myself if I
did that to you.”

My insides curdle. “So what you’re
saying—to coin a well-known human phrase—is that we’re caught between a rock
and a hard place?”

“Yes. In order to fully protect you, we
have to seal our Eterno connection by sleeping together. But in doing that, I
may take away the thing that is most precious to you in the world. Your
conscience, your will, your freedom.”

“Yeah. That does complicate things.” I sound impressively
calm despite the dangerous nature of our predicament. I’m not sure what it says
about me, but all I’m focusing on right now is the fact that Logan and I are
apparently unable to share intimacy on that level. It gravely upsets me. Way to
assign priorities, I mentally criticize myself.

“Hey.” He touches my face. “We’ll figure
out a solution.”

“Is it bad that all I can think about is
the fact that we can’t do that?” My cheeks flush again.

“Not at all. Obviously, protecting your
life is most important, but don’t think I haven’t thought the same thing. I
might be an alien but I’m still a boy, with all the same feels. Trust me when I
say that’s crossed my mind on more than one occasion. Which is why we’ll find a
way to overcome it because I can scarcely keep my hands off you as it is. We’ll
have to exercise some restraint going forward. The closer we get, the harder
it’ll be to avoid taking that next step.” His face scrunches up.

“Oh, Logan, I’m so sorry. If I’d let you
explain all this to me yesterday, then I wouldn’t have lost my temper with
Dante.”

“Look, he was always going to be a
problem. But now you’ve made it a challenge. He’s hell-bent on destroying me,
and he won’t think twice about using you to force my hand. I had some comfort
the other night in knowing that my father would help keep him in line, but
Dante will let no one or nothing stop him now. I don’t want to scare you,
Sadie, but you need to understand how much danger you’re in.”

“I get it, honestly, I do.” I shiver
involuntarily.

“Excepting times where I need to meet my
father or attend meetings, I will be your constant shadow. When I’m not around,
Haydn will be with you. I know you like to be independent, but you can’t argue
with me on this.” His look says he will broker no compromise.

“I won’t,” I promise. Besides, the idea of
being with Logan twenty-four-seven is hugely appealing. I can’t believe I ever
harbored any doubts about him. No one who has gone to such lengths—such
extremes—to protect and care for me, is a threat. I’m so glad I didn’t say
anything to Vin that could be construed as a betrayal.

“What about after we leave here? I haven’t
had a chance to tell you this yet, but it looks like I’ve secured a new
position in political administration, working for the government. And you’ll be
… where will you be?”

“You have? That’s fantastic. I’m proud of
you.” He presses his forehead to mine and I squeeze him tight, overwhelmed with
the extent of the emotion I feel. “Wow, hard to breathe here.” I relax my hold
on him slightly. “Don’t worry about anything else for the moment. We’ll figure
it out. However, I suspect things are going to come to a head quicker than we’d
like.”

“What do you mean?” I sit up straighter in
his lap.

“This was the other thing I needed to tell
you. I’ve been at several meetings in the last couple of days, and it looks
like we’re about to be ‘outed.’” My eyes pop wide. “There’s an underground rebel
organization opposed to your government’s rule. Apparently, they’ve been trying
to undermine the authorities for years. Somehow, they discovered the alliance
with the Saven, and they’re planning on broadcasting this news to the nation
tomorrow night. As a counter measure, the government is screening a live
broadcast tomorrow evening to announce it first.”

I jump in his arms. “No way!” I can only
imagine the response. “It will cause widespread panic!”

“Unfortunately, that’s why they’ve decided
to tell the truth about ‘The Experimento.’ We are all about to be ‘outed’ on a
global scale.”

“Get out! Seriously? They are going to
tell the public that aliens and humans have been cohabiting in Thalassic City
for months now?”

“Yep.” He rubs his hand across my lower
back, sending a river of tingles gushing across my skin. “It’s the only way to
try and calm the populace.”

“I’m not so sure that it won’t have the
opposite effect.” I’m imagining my mother’s reaction when she finds out aliens
are among us. She will totally and utterly flip out except I doubt that concern
will extend to me. I’d like to say Mom is one of a kind, but truth be told, she
is representative of a lot of folk in our Sector. They won’t handle this news
well. This can’t be good.

“Well, it’s the best we’ve got.” Logan
raises his palms in defeat.

“The world really has gone to hell,” I
mumble. “You know, if you’d told me four months ago that all of this was going
to transpire, I would’ve said you were on a one-way ticket to the nuthouse.
Because this is crazy stuff! Insanity!”

“So why do you sound so exhilarated?” His
question is laced with humor.

My God, he’s right. “I do? Don’t I?”

He gives me a knowing look. I’m silent for
a few minutes while I ponder his question, and I love that he lets me be. That’s
the thing with Logan—maybe it’s the Eterno connection, or shared understanding,
or he’s observed me more closely than I realized these last few months, but
whatever it is—he gets me. His soul speaks to mine on an innate spiritual
level, and he knows when to speak up and when to stay quiet. He probably even
knows what I’m going to say before I say it.

“Because things are changing. I can feel
it in my bones. And if it ends badly for me, at least I’ve experienced what it
feels like to be a part of change on such a massive scale, to witness the world
transform in front of my eyes. You can’t bottle that.” My eyes blaze with fiery
passion.

“I feel it too. And more than that.
Together, you and I can make a difference. It’s more than wishful thinking.
It’s something that resonates deep inside.”

***

We converse through our minds as we make our way back to my
apartment. Logan reiterates what Neve and Haydn said earlier: That he isn’t
happy with his father’s strategy and he believes there is another more peaceful
way for his people to develop a conscience. With each word and every step, I
feel lighter and brighter and infused with hope that together, we can put a
stop to this.

The only blip on the horizon is my new
rebel connection. I’m scared of mentioning it to Logan because I know he’ll
consider it a threat to my safety, and that he won’t want me involved. Despite
my own reservations, I can’t do a U-turn. I’ve made a commitment, and I intend
to stick with it. Besides, we’ll need all the allies we can get if we’re to
halt the government’s plans.

***

We’re both tucked up in my bed, and I still can’t switch
off my mind. I don’t like keeping secrets from Logan—not when he’s finally
opening up to me—but I also don’t want to say anything that might give rise to
discord between us. Memories of my father also flit through my mind, and I’m
experiencing so many differing emotions at his passing. At some point, I’m
going to have to figure out exactly how I feel about it.

After hours of deep inner analysis, I
decide to chat to Jarod in the morning before mentioning anything to Logan. He
has enough to contend with as it is, and I know he already worries too much
about me. I don’t want to add to that unnecessarily.

The rhythm of Logan’s steady breathing and
his ever-loving arms wrapped snugly around my waist ease me into slumber.

Hands hold me down, pressing rigidly into
my flesh. I thrash about futilely. Stabs of pain prick my arms and a strange
sensation surges through my body. I scream.

“Sadie, wake up!” Logan shakes me awake
and my scream fades out. My throat is coarse and dry. Disorientation is a new
mask I wear. Confused, I stare at him questioningly. “You were having a
nightmare,” he explains. “You were screaming over and over. Do you remember
what it was about?”

I search my mind but it’s a blurry mess.
“All I remember is the sensation of fear and loss of control.” My voice is
croaky and Logan hands me a glass of water. Gratefully, I chug it back. I rub
my tired eyes. “I used to get similar nightmares when I was a kid. It hasn’t
happened in years.” I yawn.

“You’re tired. Go back to sleep.” He pulls
me into his arms and I conk out immediately.

Waking beside him the next morning is a
euphoric moment. Visions of a hundred moments like this—a thousand—bring a huge
smile to my face. “I could get used to this.” I stretch my arms up over my
head.

“What?” He gives me a funny look.

“Waking up beside you.”

“You better get used to it,” he says,
reaching out and mussing my hair. “Because I’m going nowhere.”

His words warm all the frozen parts of me.
The strongest urge to press myself to him accosts me. He bites down on his lip
as his eyes fixate on my mouth. Expelling a lungful of air, he jumps up with
urgency. “Yeah, I’m feeling it too. But restraint, remember? I’ll make
breakfast while you shower.” He strides quickly from the room and I flop back
down on the bed.

Wowzers. Keeping our distance is beginning
to feel like an uphill battle we may not win.

***

Logan travels to the campus with me today. Our hands stay
entwined the entire time. When he breaks the contact to hand me over to Haydn
at the entrance to our first class, I feel immediately bereft. After kissing me
briefly, he is gone, taking half of me with him.

Haydn looks like he’s aged overnight and
there’s a haunted look in his eyes. “How is she?” Panic and fear taunt me.

“Not good.”

“Is it safe to leave her alone with him?”

“Don’t worry. Neve is with her. We won’t
leave her alone with Dante.” He pats my arm reassuringly though it’s of zero
comfort.

***

I skip rehearsal this evening, crying off with a fake
headache. I need to catch up with Jarod, and I want to call in on Jenna.
Considering what I need to discuss with Jarod, dodging my bodyguard has become
my number one concern.

“I’m going to call into Jarod,” I announce
as we step into the elevator, and I press the button for his floor. “You look
exhausted. Why don’t you take a nap and I’ll comm you when I’m done.” I plaster
an angelic look on my face.

“As much as that’s tempting, I’m sticking
with you. Those were my orders.” Haydn moves aside to let me exit first.

One look at his determined face tells me
there’s no swaying him. Time to invoke Plan B. “Fair enough but you’ll have to
wait outside. Jarod is an inquisitive guy, and if you insist on coming in with
me, he’ll be suspicious.”

Haydn ponders my statement. “Agreed. I’ll
wait in the corridor.”

I try to hide my relief. While I don’t
like deceiving him, it’s better this way. If I’m to convince Jarod of a
rebel-alien alliance, I need to be alone to do it.

Jarod’s wide smile falters when he spies
Haydn behind me. “Come in.” He holds the door open.

“I won’t be too long,” I tell Haydn.

Jarod closes the door and walks to the
couch. “What gives with the freak?”

I choose to ignore his insult. “Logan is
concerned that Dante has it in for me, so when he isn’t around Haydn is my
‘protector.’” I make little air quotes with my fingers. Neither Jarod nor the
rebels appear to know Logan and Dante are alien royalty, and I intend to keep
their confidence, for now anyway. I’d rather make a joke of it than confirm
Haydn is the Saven crown prince’s bodyguard.

“So you’re reeling Logan in then? Great.” He
says this with a smug smile that grates on my nerves.

“You spoke with Vin?”

“Yeah. I’m delighted you’ve decided to
join the cause. You’re doing the right thing.”

I seriously hope so, though I have doubts.
I know so little about the movement. “What exactly is the rebel’s agenda? And
how do we fit into the overall scheme of things.”

“The organization has been around ages;
however, it’s only in the last couple of years that they’ve started to gather
support and build momentum. When the government announced those new initiatives
five years ago, our numbers basically swelled overnight. People are growing
increasingly frustrated with the way the authorities are mismanaging society
and how poorly they’re dealing with the key issues. What’s really interesting
is how many of their own ranks are slowly joining our cause.”

I hold up a hand. “Are you honestly saying
there are bullions working with the rebels?”

“Yep. And coins too. Some of the bullions
are VIPs with serious clout and serious financial resources. Hence my access to
the latest technology and those fancy gadgets you’re so fond of.” He winks.

I slump back in the couch. “Wow.”

He leans into me, excitement written all
over his face. “It’s going to happen, Sadie. The timing is right now and it’s
what the organization has been building toward. The government is not going to
be in power for much longer.”

“What are the rebels planning, and how can
you be so sure of their success?”

“I’m not party to senior-level discussions,
but my Dad is on their inner council, and he said they’re making good progress.
He won’t divulge any of the specifics, so all I know is that they intend to
stage a coup, get rid of the current government, and install a new temporary
democracy with the intention of holding countrywide polls to gain majority
consensus on how to lead the country into prosperity. Dad said they intend to disband
the class structure and give stars access to the same opportunities as the
upper and middle classes.”