Saven Deception (38 page)

I act on instinct, adrenaline pulsing
through my veins. “Watch out!” I shriek, pushing him down. He groans as we
crash to the ground, landing awkwardly on his front. My arms and legs snake out
protectively as I attempt to cover his larger body with my smaller frame.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I ready myself in preparation for burning pain.

“Sadie? What’s going on?”

“Don’t move. Stay down!”

Ignoring my plea, he twists underneath me,
and with amazing skill maneuvers my back to his front. We face skyward as he
half-sits up with me nestled in his lap.

We gasp in unison. The red beam hovers inches
from my chest, not moving in either direction, poised menacingly. “What is it?”

“A fire beam. In your movies they call
them laser beams.”

“If it touches us, it’ll be bad, right?”

“Really bad,” he admits in a hushed tone.

The recurring thought in my head is that I
need to protect him. To save him. It’s more than a thought. More than a desire.
It’s like life itself. A million strands of infinite truths flex and bend
within me, weaving their way into every part of my body and mind, screaming
something I know to be true, but can’t quite comprehend. But it’s enough to
propel me into action.

I jump up and launch myself at the beam.
Logan screams behind me. A wave of inner peace washes over me as I prepare to
welcome the pain.

But nothing happens.

“Oh the stars,” Logan says.

My eyes flit open. The beam has moved back
a few inches, although it still hovers in front of me. I step off the sidewalk
as Logan curses. I take several steps and the beam follows me. “Don’t move,” I
caution him, taking another step to the left. The beam swings back the other
way but my reactions are equally as quick. I jump in front of Logan before the
beam reaches him.

I glower at the beam as if it’s a living
thing. “You will not get near him. Do you hear me? Leave. Him. Alone.”

My breath rattles in my chest and I’m
trembling on the inside, but I hold firm. Logan moves behind me, and I reach
around and grip his wrist. “Don’t you dare move!”

We face-off for another couple of minutes,
and then the most miraculous thing happens. The beam retracts. Slowly, at
first, and then it rescinds quicker than the eye can track until it’s
disappeared completely. “Do you think it’s properly gone?”

His arms wrap around me and he buries his
head in my hair. “It’s gone.”

His body shudders as my own latent stress
transforms my limbs to Jell-O. “Oh my God.” Air puffs frantically out of my
mouth. “What was that?”

Gently, he turns me around. Words cannot
describe the look on his face. Unfettered emotion paints his face until it’s
virtually unrecognizable. His eyes shine with love. “You saved me. You saved
me.” He hauls me into his arms. I grip his waist, needing his mass to ground
me. I think I’m in shock. “I love you. I love you so much, Sadie.”

A sharp, keening sound jolts us both and
we break apart. Instinctually, I look up and scream. Layers and layers of red
beams crisscross and interlace above our fake sky. Sparks illuminate the
previously invisible protective layer of the city and the domelike structure
shudders and bends inward as the beams start to rip through the outer casing.

People spill out into the street from
nearby cafés and restaurants. Frightened cries mix with incredulous looks as
everyone stares at the sky. “We need to go right now.” Logan grabs my hand.
“Can you run?”

“Yes.” I grip his hand fiercely as he
pulls me back up the street. The noise of our feet slapping the asphalt matches
the pounding in my chest. “Where are we going?”

“To the RT station. Neve and Haydn will
meet us there. I’ve notified my father and he’ll send transportation for us.”

“How?” I start to ask but stop myself in
time. Telekinetic communication. Got it. “I need to warn Jarod and Fern!”

An ear-shattering screeching sound pierces
the center of my eardrums and my head throbs painfully. We both stop, clutching
our heads in our hands. “Here,” Logan says, passing his comm-clip to me. “Tell
them to get to the main terminal. Subvees will start to evacuate people.” I
clip it on my ear. “Tell them to go now. Leave everything. If the city
collapses, not everyone will get out in time. They need to get to the station
as quick as they can.”

Logan keeps hold of my hand as we run, and
I make the calls, screaming out orders to Jarod and Fern. Another piercing
screech rings out and then it’s raining. The droplets start light but quickly
turn heavy, and water pelts our clothes and skin with blistering intensity.
“Run faster.” Logan’s tone is laced with desperate urgency.

My small legs already feel like they’re
stretched to the breaking point. “I’m running as fast as I can, Logan,” I reluctantly
admit. I hate acknowledging any weakness.

“Hop up,” he says. Or at least I think he
says. The water is pouring on top of us, pelting off the ground in angry
rivers, flooding the streets in noisy outbursts. Logan crouches down, and I
fling myself onto his back, wrapping my legs around his waist and my arms
around his neck. My dress is plastered to my body and my hair hangs limply, in
soaking wet strands, around my face. Logan urges his legs to move faster and
faster.

“Bet you wish you had some of Thor’s super
strength now, eh?” I joke in his ear.

“Damn straight. I must talk to my father
about that!”

Another round of vomit-inducing squealing
resonates throughout the city, and Logan hunches over, his breathing heavy and
pronounced. “Let me down. It’s too much.”

“Are you kidding? You barely weigh
anything. I’m only getting tired because we’ve been running for miles. We’re
close now.” He grips my legs with renewed vigor.

Distraction might help. “What would Will
Smith do if he was here?”

“Well, if he was in
Hancock
guise,
he’d just grab you into his arms and fly the hell outta here.”

“That would be damn handy right about
now,” I muse, looking at the deluge of water pummeling us from all angles.

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Don’t tell me you’re doubting the mighty
Will’s mad skills?” I tease, planting a light kiss on his cheek.

“Hancock was a bit of a train wreck at
times. I’m not convinced that he wouldn’t fly you smack into the dome and break
your neck or something.” His arms hold me tighter.

“I thought Will was the eternal savior of
the world. I’m more than a little upset with him right now.” I snort in
mock-disgust. “Though, if he was in Agent J guise he could just use that flash
thingamajig to get us out of here.” It’s hard to speak clearly in these
conditions. My voice sounds like a cross between a strangled cat and a
pre-pubescent teenage boy, and Logan nearly collapses under the weight of his
laughter. I join in and if anyone were looking at us now they’d easily mistake
us for a couple of loonies.

“Sadie, enough,” Logan pleads, coming to a
stop. “My stomach is sore from laughing. Anyway, we’re here.” He bends over and
I slink down his back. He pulls me up against him, kissing me fiercely.

Shooting darts of luminous light whip over
our heads as we break the kiss and stare ominously at the sky. I cry out as a
large spurt of water pummels my back like a thousand sledgehammers all at once.
The overhead fireworks show zips the length and breadth of the dome in dizzying
fashion. Red beams cut through the dome with razor-sharp precision, slicing
cleanly through buildings, trees, and pavements, leaving a wake of destruction
in their path. Terrorized screams and cries fill the air, and I don’t want to
think about the catastrophic loss of life.

Buildings crumple inward, toppling to the
ground explosively, sending billows of smoke and dust rising into the sky. A large
hole has opened up in the dome, and a deluge of water gushes into the city.
Logan propels me forward without a word.

Racing into the station, I spot Neve,
Haydn, Dante, and an unfamiliar blond-haired guy waiting at the edge of an
outbuilding. A large group is clustered behind them. “What’s he doing here?” I
pant, pointing at our arch-nemesis.

“He’s the king’s son,” Logan reminds me
through chattering teeth. “Please don’t start anything. We need to get to
safety. That’s all that matters.”

I’d nod if I had the energy. Instead, my
chilled fingers squeeze his frozen hand.

Haydn runs to meet us. “ETA in three
minutes.”

We walk toward the waiting group. Neve
rushes to hug me. “Jeez, Sadie, you’re shivering.”

“The city is flooded in case you hadn’t
noticed.” My lip trembles and my teeth chatter as a powerful shiver rocks my
whole body.

“Cute outfit,” Dante says. “Nice undies,
too.” He licks his lips suggestively and I’m revolted.

Glancing down self-consciously, I feel
practically naked. My light summer dress offers no protection from predators of
the Dante kind. Unfortunately, he’s correct and my underwear is clearly visible
through the thin material. My cheeks redden as I cross my arms over my bust.

“Here,” Neve says, peeling her wet sweater
off. “Put this on.”

“Thanks.” I accept it graciously,
attempting to pull it on over my head, but my fingers are like solid blocks of
ice and I’m trembling too much. With extreme tenderness, Logan plucks it from
me and helps me into it.

“Call me anytime you need help getting
dressed,” Dante says, winking.

Logan drags me into his chest. Tension
drips off him in layers and his muscles are stretched tight underneath me.
“Knock it off, bonehead.”

People run in all directions toward the
station in all manner of distress. “What fools,” Dante says and my arm itches
to swing for him.

“Ignore him, Sadie.”

“I don’t know how you do it.”

“I’ve had a lifetime’s
practice.”

“Oh, oh,” Haydn says, visibly flinching as
he looks over Logan’s shoulder.

Logan spins us around and I scream at the
swirling, tumultuous torrent of water heading our way. Huge chunks break off
the dome in sporadic places, crashing to the ground with an almighty roar. A
cacophony of screams rises above the pounding water funneling toward us.  Logan
reacts fast, flinging me onto his back. “Hold on tight.” I grip his body like a
spider monkey.

A subtle breeze dances over my moist skin,
and I look up into the underside of a sleek, metallic craft. Wide beams of
light latch onto each of us and slowly we start to rise up through the air. I
press my body into Logan’s back and cling on tighter. My limbs are light and
carefree as we ascend, and I feel like I’m floating on air. 

“Take Sadie, please,” Logan says tightly.
We’ve reached the edge of the craft, perched precariously on a narrow steel
ledge. Haydn, Neve, and her blond-haired preferred earthen are inching up
through the opening, hundreds of other Saven ascending behind them. Reaching
across, Dante peels me off Logan’s back by my forearms. His hold is bone
crushing, but I bite down hard on my lip to stop my cry. He holds me at arm’s
length as Logan dips down for one second. In that instant, Dante’s intent is
written clearly on his face.

A victorious grin spreads his lips wide.
He steps forward and holds me out over the gap as Neve and Hayden both reach
the ledge.

“You know, I actually think you and I have
more in common than you realize. In other circumstances, I might like you. This
isn’t personal.”

“What isn’t?” I rasp.

“This. Bye-bye.” He releases me and I drop
into the sky, flying backward out through the gap, away from the craft,
plummeting through the air in a mass of terrified swirling limbs.

Free falling through the sky is both magical and
terrifying. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’m plummeting to my almost assured
death, I might actually enjoy it. But the terrified part of me has the upper
hand and I’m choking. Indistinguishable shapes blur as they float upward toward
the craft. My eyes sting from the rush of frigid air and pelting rain as I
continue to drop.

My back hits the solid expanse of water
with a resounding thud, sending shards of crushing pain whipping through my
body. I flail about as I sink farther into the water, being sucked down by a
possessive invisible force. My lungs scream for air as mounting panic gives way
to quiet acceptance. Of all the ways I could die, this so didn’t make my list.

My eyelids grow heavy as the raw shredding
pain in my throat and chest beats me into submission.

Strong arms wrap around my waist.
“Stay
with me.”
Logan hauls me against his body as he struggles to fight off the
current desperate to cling onto us.

“Can’t breathe.”

“
Hang on, Sadie. Please. Live.”

And I want to, but the pain overwhelms me
and I black out.

When I come to, I’m lying flat on my back
on solid ground. Logan pumps up and down on my ribcage, blowing air into my
mouth in controlled motions. I splutter and twist to the side, expelling water
by the bucket load. The raw burn in my throat matches the raw ache in my chest
as I snatch greedy mouthfuls of air and draw them deep into my lungs.

“Hell, Sadie,” Logan says, pulling me into
his arms. “I was afraid I’d lost you.” I paw weakly at him. Water crashes off
the pavement in gushing rivulets and panicked screams fill the air around us. I
attempt to speak but scorching flames coat my esophagus and my speech emits in
a feeble croak. “Save your voice. I got you.” Logan cradles me in his arms and
takes off up the nearest hill.

“Where are we?”

“
About two miles from the station. We
need to get back there to find a Subvee. The SSTS had to leave. It wasn’t safe
to stay here any longer, and I couldn’t risk everyone on board.
”

I splay my fingers on his cheek. “
I
understand. You did what you had to do to save the others. Thank you for saving
me.”

He glances at me.
“I haven’t saved you
yet. But I will get us out of here. I promise.”
He kisses my forehead as
cascading water barrels down the hill, crashing into us like a wrecking ball. I
cling to Logan as we’re thrown backward with the force of the water.
“Hold
tight!
” My fingers pinch his shirt as his arms wrap firmly around me. The
water pitches us down the hill. We twist and tumble and jointly splutter for
air. When we reach ground level, Logan throws his arm out and grabs hold of a
nearby pole. Swinging his legs around, he maneuvers us into an upright
position, securing my hands to his around the pole as water pounds us from all
angles. Every jolt feels like a physical punch in the gut.

“
We’re not getting to the station
anytime soon.”
I state the obvious.

“I know.”
His jaw flexes as a pained expression crosses his face. He taps a few buttons
on his watch and looks at me.
“We’ll have to teleport. There’s no other
choice.”

“Why the strained look?”

“Help us!” a woman screams and both our
heads swivel. A dark-haired woman in a sodden red dress struggles in the
swirling river of water surrounding us. A small child clings to the front of
her body.

“We have to do something!”

“There’s nothing we can do. If
we let go, then we’ll get washed away too.”

I know he speaks the truth, but it does
nothing to quell the horrific guilt I feel as I watch the woman and child float
away. I close my eyes and a shrill sob escapes my sore throat.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“Sadie. I’ve never teleported
with a human before. I don’t know how this might affect you. It could kill you.
I—”

“
Do it, Logan
,” I say, as another
volley of eddying water attacks us from higher ground.
“It’s either risk it
or die here. Do it, now, quick!”

Logan pulls me in front of him, wrapping a
protective arm around my waist as he stabs a button on his watch.

The world outside is gone in an instant. A
swirling, gray column of air surrounds us as we tunnel upward into an empty
mass. The lifeless floating feeling is back and my brain empties. I can’t feel
Logan’s arms around me though I sense his presence. Images and sounds dart back
and forth in front of me like watching a creepy movie on a super high-speed
fast forward button. A dull stabbing pain takes up residence in my skull and a
blinding light coats my eyes. I squeeze my eyelids shut.

My stomach drops and my bones jerk alive
as my form solidifies once again. Logan’s two arms hold me securely against his
body as I flounder. “Ssh, Angel. It’s okay. We made it.”

His cold hands rub up and down my arms as
he patiently waits for me to get a grip. Ignoring the hangover-like pain in my
head, I force my eyes open.

We are on a pavement facing throngs of
protesting men and women, hoisting banners and placards with various
anti-government and anti-alien sentiments. Logan has us flattened to the wall,
just out of the line of sight, but it’s not the safest place to be. “Where are
we?” I croak out.

“We’re in the Core Circle. My father’s
apartment is up there.” He points at a sleek metallic and glass high-rise
building stretching above us. “Can you walk? We need to get out of here. Fast.”

I ease out of his arms and take his hand.
“Let’s go.” We duck down the side alleyway and round the back of the building.
Logan tries every door at the rear, but they’re all securely locked. Taking a
slim disc-like object from his pocket, he fits it to one of the doors and it
swings inward. It reminds me of Jarod and his 007 gadgets and acute pain
attacks me. I don’t even know if he and Fern managed to get out of Thalassic
City alive.

Logan pulls me into the dimly lit building
and around to the elevator bank. Once we’re inside, he punches in a code and
the elevator soars smoothly upward.

We step out on the top floor, and he leads
me to a shiny black door at the end of the corridor. Placing his palm on the
hand scanner, he opens the door and motions me in.

Soothing warmth swathes me like a blanket
as I step into the apartment.

We are in a vast room with wall-to-wall
glass windows looking out on an imposing mirrored high-rise across the way. A
line of narrow-backed red leather couches line the space in front of the
window. A plush caramel-colored rug is positioned in front of the seating area,
with a fire off to the side. Logan strides forward and presses a switch at the
wall. Purple and blue flames flicker in the grate and a burst of additional
heat spreads across the room.

“Sit here,” he says, pushing me down
gently onto the rug. “I’ll get some towels.” Bending down, he kisses my cheek.
I scoot closer to the fire, basking in the searing heat scorching my face. My
clothes are plastered to my body like an additional layer of unwelcome skin.
With enormous effort, I start shedding the wet garments.

Logan reappears with two large white
towels. Wordlessly, we help each other out of our clothes and sit huddled
together on the floor in front of the fire, wrapped in towels and each other.

He wanders off into the kitchen and
returns a few minutes later with a plate of crackers, cheese, grapes, and a
variety of cold cuts. He hands me a steaming cup of coffee, and I inhale the
smoky aroma as if it was the air I need to breathe. “Are Neve and Haydn okay?”

“The craft got securely away. They should
be here soon.”

“I wish I could telepathically communicate
with Fern and Jarod. To know they are all right.”

“Hold on a minute.” Logan puts his coffee
down. His eyes glaze over and his body stiffens as he zones out in what is
becoming a familiar habit. A couple of minutes later he comes back to me. “Fern
was with Rylan and they were picked up by the SSTS. She is safe. I don’t know
about Jarod.”

My concern scatters. Jarod is a natural
born survivor and he’s gotten himself out of worse scrapes. I have to trust
that he made it out alive. The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about. “Thanks
for checking that.” I lean over and kiss him. “So when you zone out like that
you’re communicating with your people?”

“You noticed, huh?”

“Hard not to.”

“We can astral project and communicate in
that guise.” He feigns nonchalance as if it’s commonplace. I wonder if there’ll
ever come a time when he’ll say something that won’t blow the socks off me.
“There isn’t much that gets past you. You should always trust your instincts.”
He brushes strands of damp hair back off my face.

“I need to get dressed. Are there are any
female clothes in this place?”

“Neve keeps a closet here. Come on, I’ll
show you.” I take Logan’s hand and he leads me away from the main living area
down a wide passageway with numerous doors on either side.

“This apartment is massive.”

“My father doesn’t do things by half.” He
opens a door into a sumptuous bedroom. Soft white carpet adorns the floor and
I’m reluctant to step foot inside. A vast king-sized bed occupies the middle of
the room, positioned in front of a wall-to-wall closet that is the stuff of dreams.
Logan senses my discomfort. “Don’t worry about that, Sadie. Go on in. This is
Neve’s room. I’m sure she won’t mind if you borrow some of her things. The
bathroom is over there.” He gestures toward the silver door on my right. “Take
your time. Have a bath, relax.” He presses against me from behind and lightly
kisses the top of my head.

“I’m going to get changed. I’ll meet you
in the main area when you’re ready.”

 Walking into Neve’s bathroom is like
stepping into a high-end pharmacy. Reams of bottles are stacked neatly on a
succession of glass shelving over the tub. She has every type of product known
to man. And alien. I snicker at my own feeble joke.

Extracting lavender-scented bath oil, I
tap a few drops into the tub as the bath fills. Allowing my towel to drop to
the floor, I gingerly dip a toe in the water and sigh contentedly. The soothing
water sends a radiating warmth scooting up my leg, and I fully immerse myself
in the pleasurable sensation, allowing it to ease my aching limbs. Taking my
time, I wash my hair twice and only get out when I notice my skin wrinkling
like a prune.

Wrapping my towel around me, I pad into
the bedroom and investigate the closet. Because Neve is that much taller than I
am, most of her clothes are too big; however, I manage to locate a short silky
black dress that drapes to my knees and fits around my waist once I cinch it
with a belt. I find a nice red cashmere cardigan and slip my arms through,
savoring the furry softness against my skin. I borrow a pair of plain black
pumps, which fit once I stuff a sock in the toe to address the gap in size.

Sitting at Neve’s dresser, I quickly blow
dry my hair and leave it hanging in loose waves.

The sounds of conversation reach my ears
as I walk along the corridor. Entering the living room, I notice Logan huddled
in intense discussion with Haydn. He has changed into a navy sweater and denim
jeans that mold his physique to perfection. His feet are bare and his wet hair
falls in tumbling waves over his forehead. An urge to jump his bones hits me
hard.

“Time and place, Angel.”

My cheeks flush beet-red.
“How did you?
… Never mind.”
I need to understand this Eterno thingy more fully or things
could get real embarrassing real quick.

“So, you two can already telepathically
communicate?” Neve says, brows raised.

“Yes. But I’d rather we kept that between
us for the moment,” Logan replies.

“Sure.” She steps back and surveys me.

“I hope you don’t mind—”

“Of course, I don’t. Take whatever you
need,” she says graciously. “I’m so happy you’re both okay. I almost pushed
Dante out right after you.”

“She did,” Haydn confirms. “But I didn’t
fancy explaining to the king that both his sons were missing.” He strides
toward me and pulls me into a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe. I knew Logan would
reach you in time.”

“He did. He saved me.” I smile shyly at
him.

“We saved each other.” Logan walks to my
side and kisses me.

“So, what’s going on? What do we do now?”
I ask, wrapping myself around Logan.

Before anyone can answer, the screen in
the room powers up automatically. Shots of Thalassic City light up the screen
sending darts of renewed panic slicing through me. Image after image is
projected, and we’re forced to relive the horror all over again. Getting a
birds-eye view this time does nothing to lessen the terror. So many lives were
lost as the city curled in on itself. The screen blacks out mid-image.