Saven Disclosure (The Saven Series Book 2) (10 page)

Haydn is waiting in the Autovee at the end of the working day. I trundle home feeling like a dead bolt is latched to my back. The only bright spark is Jarod’s succinct message confirming we are all systems go for Friday.

Stepping into the apartment, I shriek at the unexpected figure awaiting me. My gut roils with liquefied fear, but I school my features into a neutral line. King Adjani is standing in front of the fire, his hands clasped inflexibly behind his back.

“My king,” Haydn says, entering behind me. He does that stupid half-bow thing, but I hold my posture intact. He’s not my king yet, and I’ve had just about enough of authority figures trying to bend me to their will today.

“Ah, Ms. Owens,” the king says, smiling politely as he turns to face us. “I’m glad you’re here.” He strides toward me with purpose. His eyes bore into mine, and that habitual harsh, inhumane glare accosts me, solidifying the blood in my veins. The alien king gives me major heebie-jeebies. He shepherds me in front of him. “You need to come with me.”

“Sir,” Haydn speaks up, “May I be permitted to accompany Sadie? The crown prince was very insistent that I never leave her side.”

“I imagine he was.” The king looks pensive.

“May I ask where we’re going and for what purpose, sir?” I pose the question.

He looks at me with an obvious fake smile on his face. “My advisors are investigating the Eterno connection between you and my son, and they’d like to run a few tests.”

I flinch with uninhibited fear, and little sweat beads dot my brow. The king surveys me quizzically. “I assure you, it is nothing to be overly concerned about. And your bodyguard may attend. Follow us, Officer Rox.”

The king jabs a button on his comport as his arm circles my waist. I squeeze my eyes shut, hoping to avoid the anticipated disorientation. My lifeless body floats like Jell-O as the movement of air swirls around me. My eyes remain shuttered for a tense thirty seconds.

All the weight returns to my limbs as my feet land on solid ground. “It’s okay, Sadie,” Haydn says at my ear, placing a reassuring hand around my waist. “We’re here.”

My eyelids flutter rapidly as I adjust to the sight. I quickly scan my surroundings. We are on an elevated metallic platform in front of a row of workstations. Several men and women—Saven, I presume—attired in shiny silver jumpsuits with strange blue wraparound glasses sit in front of holographic screens. Flicking through images in quick succession, they tap soundlessly on whisper-thin keypads. You could hear a pin drop in the room, and it’s straight-up weird.

The platform silently lowers as I stare warily at my feet. The pressure of Haydn’s hand on my back steadies me. “Follow me, please.” The king leads the way, and we take up the rear. Walking out of the control room, we enter a wide passageway which bends and curls successively the farther we walk. I attract my fair share of attention from the steady stream of Saven who pass us on both sides of the corridor. Growing more and more self-conscious with every step I take, I covertly scrub my sweaty palms over the front of my pants. All the surfaces are glossy white, and my shoes squeak on the floors as we walk.

The king falls back to stroll alongside me. “We are on the STSS, Ms. Owens. I presume my son explained about our main mode of transportation.”

“Partly, sir. He told me this ship was the main form of travel for large groups, and in most other instances, teleporting was the preferred option.”

“That is correct. However, the Saven Space Transportation System is more than a simple means of traveling from one side of the galaxy to the other. It is also our main control center and the hub for communications and technological management and scientific research. It is operational twenty-four-seven, and when not in transit mode like we presently are, it resides over the sky in Saven. I wanted to ensure you were in the best possible hands, and our most experienced advisors are on board this ship. This way.” He gesticulates for me to go ahead of him, as a slim bronze door glides open in front of us.

I walk into a large open-plan room with a long narrow desk at one end, manned by a pretty girl with strange shimmering amber-colored eyes. I try not to stare. Several empty rows of chairs are lined up on the other side of the space, and Haydn steers me toward this area. My chin elevates as I notice the panoramic window, and my breath snakes out in astonished bursts. My feet move to the window as my eyes latch on the enthralling sight.

Two planets are visible from this position, the closer, larger one seeming to dwarf the smaller one in the distance. A gazillion tiny bright lights twinkle in the inky black backdrop of outer space. A blinding golden light monopolizes the view. Bright yellowish-gold rays jut out at uneven intervals like the largest, most dazzling star, its reach extending for thousands of miles.

“It’s an amazing view.” The king materializes at my side.

“It’s incredible.” I’m audibly awestruck, and a genuine smile slips over the king’s mouth. It’s the first time he has reacted naturally in my presence.

“I need to speak with the advisor. It shouldn’t take too long to set things up.” He pats my arm. “Officer Rox will wait with you.”

“Okay.” I can scarcely tear my eyes from the view to acknowledge him, and I don’t even notice when he exits the room.

I don’t know how long I stand there, mesmerized. To think all this will become commonplace is unfathomable.

“I used to spend hours staring out the window looking at Earth in the frame,” a quiet voice says, luring me back to the present. “Look,” the woman says, pointing her finger in a northerly direction. “That’s Earth there in the distance. The one that looks like a giant blue and green soccer ball.”

I chuckle. Turning to the side, I smile at the woman with the copper-colored hair. Although I only met her one time—when she attended the Gala Event in Thalassic City with Logan—I instantly remember her. Hard not to. She’s the closest thing Logan has to a mother. “Evana. It’s lovely to see you again.”

“I assure you, Sadie, the pleasure is all mine.” She pulls me into a bear hug, taking me by surprise. Her grip is strong, and I try to relax into her embrace, but I’ve never been a great hugger. “I’ve missed human contact,” she whispers in my ear. Easing back, she shoots me a wide smile, taking my hand. “Come. Let me show you my quarters.”

“Dr. Taylor,” Haydn interrupts. “The king has requested Sadie attend some tests and I believe she’ll be called imminently. It’s imperative she remain in the room.”

“My dear boy,” she says, pinching Haydn’s cheek. “Always dutiful, always so honorable. I’m proud of you, Haydn.” He flushes and I chortle at his obvious discomfort. He flings a mock scowl my way. “But I’m stealing Sadie for five minutes whether you like it or not. Teleport to my room when she’s summoned.”

He offers no further argument, and Evana leads me to her personal chambers. “Take a seat, my dear,” she says, gesturing toward the plush velour couch. I float into the downy luxury, nearly swallowed whole. Evana is hunched over a desk in the corner, scribbling furiously. “Would you like a drink?” she asks as she hurries toward me, holding a piece of white paper in front of her torso.

The king is up to something. BE VERY CAREFUL.

I gulp. “No thank you, I’m fine,” I reply to her spoken question, as I nod and reach for the pen.

“Would you like to listen to some traditional Saven music?” Evana asks as I jot down my response.

“That would be lovely.”

I hold the page up.
Do you know what he’s testing me for? It’s not to do with the Eterno connection, is it?

She shakes her head as she speaks. “Play Nutanto Lyrica,” she commands the empty air, and a strange melody starts up, filling the four corners of the room.

I’ve a friend on the Royal Advisory Council. He said there was some anomaly with the blood sample taken from you on Earth.

Ah-ha. I knew there had to be a reason why the king wanted a sample taken from Jarod and me the day we were captured in the underwater colony construction site.

“It’s different,” I say, continuing the charade. “But I like it.”

Evana scrunches up the page and feeds it to a mini-shredder-type device on her desk. She hands me a fresh blank page.

What kind of anomaly? I don’t understand.

She shrugs, raising her palms in front of her.

You need to tell Logan. He’ll find out what’s going on and put a stop to it.

I bob my head, attempting to derail my mounting panic.

THANK YOU.

She disposes of this page before grabbing another clean sheet. She withdraws a sealed envelope from a drawer in her desk and hands it to me.

Can you deliver this to my son?

My head nods vigorously. I’m willing to do just about anything to help her. Logan has previously explained how his father has promised to release Evana after the conscience transfer has succeeded. He told her he would arrange to send her back in time. If she’s giving me this letter now, it can only be because she suspects he isn’t going to honor that promise. My heart aches for her, and I feel her grief as acutely as if it were my own. I can’t help comparing her transparent yearning for her child with my own mother’s reaction. Evana’s entire being craves a reunion with her son. My mother can’t wash her hands of me quick enough. The wrenching difference couldn’t be more telling, or more hurtful.

His name is Glenn Taylor, and he would be in his mid-thirties now. We were living in Seattle though I’m not sure if my husband, John, moved after I vanished. He was an engineer with Techex Corp.

I take the pen.
I’ll find him.

With Jarod’s help, I’ve no doubt I can locate his whereabouts, and it’s the least I can do for her after everything she has done for Logan, and everything she means to him.

I place the envelope in my inner jacket pocket, zipping it securely in place.

Watch your back with the king. He will never permit you to Eterno connect with Logan. He hates humans.

I shudder uncontrollably as the extent of the danger I’m in hits home. I’ve no idea what the king has really planned for today. For all I know, he could be preparing to administer a lethal injection. But it’s not as if I can easily extricate myself from this situation.

“This one is my favorite,” Evana says, as the music changes and an eerie, sad harmony sweeps through the room. She tosses the last page in the shredder device the second Haydn materializes in the room.

“You’re up,” he says, extending his hand to me.

This time I don’t hesitate. Hurling myself at Evana, I hug her tight. “I’ll find your Glenn. I promise,” I whisper in her ear. She kisses my cheek, and I spot the telltale glean of moisture on her skin.

“Dr. Taylor.” Haydn bows reverentially as he holds me flush against his body and pushes the switch on his comport.

We reappear in a white-walled rectangular room. Three men, swathed in head-to-toe gold-colored scrubs, stand at the top of the hospital bed awaiting me. The king lounges against the glass window, half-looking out into the hypnotic canvas of space and half-looking at me. The air is warm and dry, floating around me like an itchy blanket, stretching my skin taut and irritating my nostrils. Anxiety of the worst kind sends my blood pressure sky high.

A muffled command is issued. “Please remove your jacket and shoes and climb up on the bed.”

I slip my jacket off and wiggle out of my shoes, handing both to Haydn. Our eyes connect, and concern radiates off him in waves. He isn’t liking this any more than I am.

My hands are clammy as one of the men helps me up onto the bed. I lie down, imploring the thundering in my ears to quiet down. My body quivers as my hands and feet are tied to the bed. My eyes pop wide as I seek out Haydn. He has that hazy faraway look on his face.

An icy chill pervades the length of me as a blinding light dazzles me from overhead. A thin blue line scans my body from head to toe, and I’m struggling to lockdown my panic. Foreign whisperings clutter my eardrums as a sudden darkness ambushes me. Visions flash in front of my eyes and I twitch.

Strong hold.

Fingers digging into my flesh.

Piercing pain.

Eyelids fluttering shut.

Screams. Awful gut-wrenching screams growing louder and louder.

I thrash about on the bed. “No!” I wail, tugging my hands and legs against my restraints. “Let me go! Don’t do this to me.” My voice cracks, and tears stream out of my eyes as I whimper.

“Continue.” The king’s unyielding instruction breaks me out of my trance.

My eyes immediately find Haydn. Alarm is etched on his face as he takes a step toward me.

“Officer Rox.” The king’s tone is a veiled warning. “Do not interfere in official business.”

Haydn is hugely conflicted. It’s written all over his face, clear as day.

A large flash outside the window distracts me. Rotating my head, I peruse the weird distortion in space. Waves of light gray mix with spirals of white, purple, and blue, as the air rumbles and tumbles in circular fashion. It’s a bit like looking at the swirling froth on a cappuccino. Intermittent flashes of brilliant white light spread far-reaching tentacles as the distortion moves closer and closer to the ship. Ripples of alternating sequence push and pull as the distortion takes on a more comprehensive tubular shape. It continues to barrel toward us with alarming velocity.

“Get her out of here!” the king yells suddenly, his horror-struck eyes fixated on the disturbance outside. “Now. Go.” Yanking Haydn by the arm, he thrusts him at me as the doctors work swiftly to free my binds. Haydn clenches my jacket and shoes in his hand as he reaches for me. I don’t need to be told twice. I hop off the bed, clinging onto Haydn as he stabs the button on his comport, and the room disappears.

The minute we arrive back in the apartment, I dash to the bathroom and heave repeatedly into the toilet bowl. Haydn descends to his knees beside me, smoothing my hair back from my face.

When there’s nothing left to expel, I slump dejectedly against him. My body quakes with renewed fear as my hands spread wide over his muscular arm. Haydn holds me close, my back against his chest.