Hidden Nature

by S. M. Savoy

  Copyright© S. M. Savoy, August 8, 2021

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission of the Publisher or Author except where permitted by law.

  Published by

  Ace Lyon Books LLC

  Acelyonbooks.com

  First Edition

  Cover Design by S. M. Savoy

  S. M. Savoy Hidden Nature

  ISBN

  eBook:978-1-947122-42-0

  Paperback:978-1-947122-43-7

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places and incidents or events either are products of the Author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  BOOKS BY

  S. M. SAVOY

  *

  Valor

  A Warrior’s Fury

  A Sun Priest’s Magic

  Beyond Valor

  A Rogue’s Passion

  RELATED SERIES

  Return of the Fae

  Enter the Frey

  Danu’s Children

  COMING SOON

  Forged by Lightning

  *

  Essence of the Storm

  Storm Wrought

  *

  COMING SOON

  Dusted

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  ATTACK AT THE SKI LODGE

  CAN’T CHANGE THE PAST

  NOW OR NEVER

  WHAT PRICE FEAR

  MEETING ON THE MOUNTAIN

  MAGIC IS BORN

  WORLD CHANGER

  REPORTING

  WORLD DOMINATION

  HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY

  PROGRESS

  NORMALCY

  TOMAS RETURNS

  WE KNOW NOTHING

  A MAJOR DISAGREEMENT

  STUCK ON BASE

  CONFRONTING TOMAS

  HORRIFIED

  MISDIRECTION

  PROJECT BLACKOUT

  RESCUE

  MY SARA

  THE GIFT OF FORGETFULNESS

  THE MAGIC DOESN’T LIE

  COVER UP

  COMMANDER IN CHIEF

  OWN YOUR ANGER

  BURYING THE PAST

  THE END

  A VOW UNBROKEN

  - 1 -

  ATTACK AT THE SKI LODGE

  Charlie’s life at the naval academy was almost back to normal— or as normal as he got. Sara was on the road to recovery and slowly but surely regaining her strength. The fight for dominance with the magic had taken all her reserves. Not an ounce of excess flesh remained on her bones. The week-long struggle, on top of the week she’d spent unconscious from the stasis chamber, had left the magic no choice but to use muscle-mass to provide energy. But given time, Sara would recover completely.

  Her work at the lab had come to a complete standstill. Oz stayed busy working on all their myriad projects and teaching classes. A mage’s mind never stilled, Charlie thought, grinning ruefully.

  A priest’s mind was just as active. Sara had insisted on returning to teaching, promising Liz she’d nap before and after, and quit work in the lab until she’d built up more stamina. The tanning bed helped. Food and rest helped more.

  One crisis at a time, Charlie reminded himself before his circling thoughts could generate enough anger and worry for her to feel.

  Before the new magic wielders could meet her, she needed to build up some reserves. Another struggle for dominance with her magic in her condition would kill her.

  No one mentioned the new warriors to either of them. Everyone tried to project normalcy in the hopes that faking it would make it true. The death and resurrection of Joy was neither spoken of nor alluded to. No one wanted to upset Sara’s balance, least of all him.

  Joy was likely headed there now, he thought as he spied her near Sara’s door, and he picked up his pace to join her.

  Joy saw him coming and waited for him to catch up. Charlie gave her a quick hug. His magic hummed happily as it always did when he saw her. He wondered for a moment if this was how his magic would’ve responded to Sara if he hadn’t made that vow and connected them like he had. But sharing Sara’s sparkling happiness at her first sight of them convinced him that he was glad he could sense her like he could.

  Joy kissed Sara’s cheek as the magic swirled about them, looping and flowing in thick skeins and tight spirals.

  Joy said, “Keep greeting me like this and my head will swell.”

  Sara recalled her magic, smiling ruefully as it immediately left Joy and reabsorbed. Her magic was being very obedient.

  “I’m trying to work out a balance with the magic, letting it have what it wants whenever I can, and it loves you. We both love you. Letting it touch you is easy. Neither of us mind that you feel our love.”

  “I love you too,” Joy said.

  Sara smiled and closed her eyes, drifting to sleep.

  Charlie knew they’d both meant it as they knew he loved them too without him having to say a thing. A lie was impossible surrounded by magic. The magic made feelings clear, reveling in them and magnifying them. Joy kissed Charlie’s cheek and tiptoed out, leaving Sara sleeping.

  Charlie smoothed Sara’s hair before going to find Liz to look over Sara’s latest test results again. Her lack of energy was really worrying him.

  He found Liz in her office and knocked lightly on the open door.

  “Come in.”

  She rose to hug him and gestured him to a seat when she broke from the hug.

  “Sara is doing very well.”

  “She’s so tired,” he said.

  “That’s to be expected until the muscles can regrow. She’s completely cured from the Paraneoplastic Syndrome, and if the magic will let her hormones alone, I don’t foresee her relapsing, but I’ll be running weekly tests and if her high levels fluctuate at all, we’ll know it.”

  “And then what?” Charlie asked bitterly.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it but, Charlie, the magic has no need to try this again.”

  “She can’t fight it again.” Saying the words made him slightly breathless as if he’d run for miles.

  Liz winced. “She has no need to. It’s behaving. I don’t recommend she goes without contact with other magic wielders. Her magic has evolved, and I doubt it will ever become completely quiescent again, but it seems happy enough with the contact she allows it with others of its kind.”

  Charlie stood. “I really hate this.” He more than hated it. Worry and guilt were making his bones ache.

  “I know and I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s my own fault. I know that.”

  “None of this is your fault. It isn’t wrong to want things for yourself, Charlie.”

  “I’ll take better care of her, of all of them. Call me if there are any changes.”

  Charlie closed the door behind himself and leaned against it a moment, reigning in his anger.

  Sara had never blamed him for leaving her behind to go the Truman, no one had blamed him. But he knew if he’d never gone, her magic would never have woken like it had.

  “Being angry won’t help any of us,” he muttered as he began to jog to the gym. He’d burn off some of his rage and maybe he’d be calm enough not to worry anyone by the time she woke.

  * * *

  A week later Charlie grabbed his math book and headed to the door, holding it for his roommates to exit.

  “Paul, I was hoping you could find some time to walk with Sara today? She wanted t
o talk over some of your game designs, and she could really use the exercise.”

  “Sure. I can’t believe how much better she’s doing already.”

  Charlie hid his wince, He hated lying about her illness, especially to Paul.

  He said, “She is doing better. She can walk a few laps now without needing to rest. Stasia is meeting her this morning for some light sparing, and Hawk will take her for a walk for me tonight while I stand my watch, but she’ll have some free time right after lunch. Don’t tell her I sent you though. I don’t want her to know that I’m worried— and go slow.”

  “You’re sure all this exercise is okay?”

  “Doctor’s orders. Liz has proscribed frequent light exercise. If we leave Sara to her own devices though she’d sit at her desk thinking all day. But she’ll happily join us as long as she believes she isn’t bothering us.”

  He grimaced ruefully because there was no way to fool her. She was getting seriously annoyed by their worried hovering, and far as he was concerned, she was much too obsessed with finding out who’d orchestrated the abduction of the president last fall. Both she and Oz spent every free minute investigating. She stayed up late almost every night and it was much too worrying. But Paul had no magic for her to sense and he loved talking about his game ideas. He was the perfect companion for her.

  * * *

  The guards at the door greeted Paul with smiles and waved him right in.

  Sara was in her classroom and grinned when she saw him.

  He said, “Charlie said you wanted to talk over some of my game ideas?”

  “Yeah, we were —”

  Paul interrupted, “Can we talk outside? I’ve been inside all day and could use some fresh air.”

  She rolled her eyes but joined him where she grabbed her coat from a hook by the door and donned it, making an extravagant gesture.

  Paul laughed to himself as he led her to the track. She knew he’d been sent and told to bring her outside, but she seemed genuinely interested in talking about his games. When he described his newest idea, she laughed so hard she had to sit for a few minutes to catch her breath. Still snickering she lay in the grass wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks.

  Paul sat beside her.

  She sat up, leaning on one elbow, and said, “I’ve been meaning to speak with you about your games. Charlie and I spoke to Mr. Martin, our lawyer, and we want to offer you financing to get your company up and running so that your games will be ready for the release of Virtual Imagery.”

  “I don’t have the kind of money it will take to produce them. I’ll need to get investors and hire a business manager. I’m sure I can do that, but not for the release. Once the game is going, I’ll have investors coming out of the woodwork.”

  “You don’t need to wait. I’ll be your investor and supply all financing and you retain full control of your company. Charlie’s dad will get your games ready for distribution until you’re ready to take over. Mr. Martin drew up the papers already. Take them to your own lawyer.”

  She sat, looking a bit anxious. “This isn’t charity; it’s good business for us. If we don’t want our product to tank, we need good games available at the launch. You’d be doing us a huge favor. I emailed you my lawyer’s info. Please talk to him soon. We really need to start production to make our deadlines.”

  Paul jumped up and offered her a hand to rise. She accepted the help, giving him a quick hug.

  Charlie was a lucky son of bitch, he thought wistfully as he tucked a strand of golden blonde hair behind her ear. The blue of her eyes exactly matched the blue of her parka. She looked more like her mother all the time, but she had her father’s genius for design. He wondered again why she didn’t work with him.

  He said, “It’s good to see you looking so well. Almost back to normal.”

  “Thanks, it’s good to be back to normal, or as normal as I get anyway.” A small snort of laughter was quickly smothered as she waved a hand, dismissing his inquisitive look.

  Paul escorted her back to the VI building, handing her off to a guard at the door.

  She waved and headed inside.

  The guard nodded a friendly greeting, but her attention was on Sara, not him.

  They both headed to the private elevator that led to the lower level he’d never been in, and he wonder again what they were working on so diligently in the basement.

  * * *

  A fluttering four-inch Valkyrie appeared when Charlie sat down at his desk. His Valory held out a sheet of paper. Charlie reached for the paper and heaved a deep sigh, knowing it would be a request from Major Nelson to attend this week’s practice session.

  Valory disappeared. The paper fluttered into the air morphing into a computer screen displaying his messages.

  His roommates glanced over but they were used to the small figure appearing and quickly turned back to their own desks.

  The tone of the note told him the major was losing patience. He hadn’t issued a direct order, but he was clearly annoyed.

  Charlie sent a denial to the requested meeting for a practice, putting off meeting the new magic wielders again. He hated to avoid his brother, but Sara was still weak and tired easily. The thought of her fighting with her magic again sickened him. The thought of her wanting another warrior made him flush with rage. He put it out of his mind as best he could, which wasn’t very well at all. Her anxiety, a direct reaction to his anger, thrummed along his nerves like a toothache.

  “Paul, does the invitation to come skiing stand?” Charlie asked.

  “Sure, anytime you want. You can stay with us or there’s a great lodge nearby. They have a huge fireplace and cozy chairs big enough for two. It’s a great spot to bring a date— or find one.”

  Paul winked at him and Charlie laughed and rolled his eyes.

  He said, “How about this weekend? Sara could use some fun.”

  “Is she well enough to ski?” Paul asked doubtfully.

  “Well, not all day, but a bunny slope— sure.”

  Paul said, “My little brother, Andy, could teach her. He works there part-time when demand is high. You can come over and meet my family. They’ve been dying to meet you. If Sara likes Andy, he can show her.”

  * * *

  Friday, after class, the three of them headed to Vermont in the VI jet.

  They had a late dinner at Paul’s house and met Paul’s family. His sister Abby, his little brother, Andy, and his older brother Trevor were home. Trevor had attended the academy ten years before and told stories of his time there that had everyone laughing. Sara and Andy hit it off right away. He took her to the bunny slope Saturday morning and taught her the rudiments while Paul, Abby, Trevor, and Charlie raced down from the top.

  Sara was red-faced and laughing when they met for lunch. She went to the room to nap while the five of them skied. That evening they had dinner again at Paul’s parent’s house.

  On Sunday, Andy gave Sara more lessons until she tired and returned to the lodge.

  Charlie came in after his run and kissed her, happy to see her aura so bright.

  “Where’s Paul?” she asked.

  “He says he’s packing.” He winked and she giggled.

  He said, “I’m just glad it wasn’t Hannah.”

  “Me too!” She shuddered dramatically, and he laughed.

  “One more run and we’ll head home. This was fun. We’ll have to come again.”

  The smile on her face was more than skin deep.

  Firelight flickered across her blond hair and flushed her cheeks. I should’ve put Hawk in our group for his buff, he thought as he tucked a plaid blanket about her legs. She grinned up at him. Her teeth were chattering even though she still wore her ski suit, gloves and all, but she was happy, and she’d warm soon before the fire beneath the wool blanket.

  She said, “Have fun. I’m going to drink hot chocolate and admire the scenery. Maybe I’ll go to our room and take a nap to be rested for to
night.”

  Anticipation echoed between them. The magic amplified the desire they shared. It had been a month since they’d made love. She’d been too weak and afraid of her magic’s response. He loved that she was confident in her control now.

  “I love you too.” He traced her brow with a fingertip as he closed his eyes and kissed her. The constant ache had eased and for the first time in weeks the weak hollow feeling in his gut dissipated.

  Please, God, let us get out of this loop, he prayed earnestly. He knew that he was the cause of the loop, that it was his guilt and anger making them both feel bad but maybe now that he felt her contentment he’d be able to forgive himself or at least not dwell on it.

  Soon, he promised his magic as it pushed for contact. Content with how he felt, it didn’t push hard.

  * * *

  The bartender eyed the two women sitting alone in the lounge as he mixed their drinks. Either would do. One had ordered a margarita, the other hot chocolate. The blond was exactly his type though, curvy and weak. Her boyfriend was a big strong guy. She’d never give a man like him a second glance. He could tell she was in love, her eyes lit whenever the boyfriend came near her.

  He laughed to himself. A few drops in her drink and she’d be his. The boyfriend would never know. While he was out showing off to his friends, he’d be doing whatever he wanted to his girlfriend and she wouldn’t remember a thing. The bartender glanced at his watch. Her boyfriend had just left, he had a good forty-five minutes.

  He added the drops to the cocoa.

  The blond smiled as she took the drink in her gloved hands. He smirked back.

  * * *

  Charlie tipped his head back, enjoying the winter sun on his face. One more run and they’d head home. Maybe she could meet the warriors she’d made soon. While he wasn’t looking forward to it, it had to be done and maybe the doing of it would kill his guilt for good.

  Beside him on the chairlift, Andy pointed out deer tracks on the edge of the slope.

  Charlie sighed happily and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Sara’s contentment. This was exactly what she’d needed; time away doing something completely normal. He was tempted to put off their return but knew she’d worry about him missing school.