He breaks down, and massive sobs rock his body. His chest heaves as tortured cries waft through the air. There is something so raw, so visceral, so heartrending, about witnessing such a strong, impressive man reduced to a base emotional state. At least, that’s the only explanation for what I do next.
Something completely foreign to me.
I get up and hug him. Fiercely. Tightly. Pouring all my empathy into the embrace. He doesn’t hesitate to hug me back, and I’m glad I am able to offer him some comfort.
After a couple of minutes, he eases out of my arms, composing himself. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
“I had no idea,” Logan says, leaning forward on his elbows. “Kyrn was a good guy. He didn’t deserve that. You didn’t either. I’m so sorry.”
I sense the distrust thawing, and though this is painful, it is also therapeutic. Flopping onto Logan’s lap, I kiss his cheek as his arms encircle my waist. He nestles his head in my neck, and I cling to him.
“It warms my heart to see how much you two love each other,” the king says, smiling through his tears. “To know I did something right.”
We both perk up at that.
“When I broke things off with Griselda, she vowed to seek vengeance, and I believed her. I knew I had to do something to thwart her. She had threatened the Saven also, and I knew she blamed Tayla for my refusal to marry her. I tried to warn your father, but he wouldn’t even hear me out. After your mother’s death, I was worried she would seek revenge on you and Dante. I’d visited Torc many times during the period I was engaged to Griselda, so I had some friends in important places, and I enlisted a couple of guys I knew were trustworthy to act as my eyes and ears on the ground. One of them was a member of the Assassins Program who traveled into the future to spy on you.”
He pauses briefly, before continuing. “He gave me a copy of the recordings and told me everything she had planned.” A spark of enthusiasm lights in his eyes. “When I saw what you two will achieve, I knew you both had to be protected, even if it meant risking everything I’ve worked so hard to build here in Narik.”
Looking a little sheepish, he turns his gaze on me. “I was going to abduct you myself and keep you here until I could connect you with Logan, but she got to you first.” His face is full of regret. “So, I invoked Plan B. I knew I would never be able to pull off a rescue mission, so I did what I could. It was a long shot, but there was something different about you two. I saw it in the way you moved around one another like you were part of the same entity. It wasn’t a conscious act; it came completely naturally, and I don’t think you even realized you were doing it. In the original version of the future, you weren’t Eterno connected, because you were one hundred percent human, Sadie. But I had an intuition, a very strong feeling that you two were meant to be together in every way conceivable. So, I asked my friend to swap out the DNA sample they were intending to use on you.”
My spider senses tingle in awareness, and I suck in air. “Oh my God!” I jump up. “Are you saying that you … that it was your …”
His face softens as he shakes his head. “It wasn’t my DNA we used.” My heart kinda deflates. I like this man, and I wouldn’t have minded having a genetic link to him. Yes, it wouldn’t have meant he was my father in the real sense of the word, but it would have been nice to have a connection. Now, I’m kind of embarrassed at jumping to the wrong conclusion.
He clearly reads all that on my face. “Nothing would have pleased me more, my dear.” He takes my hands in his. “But I couldn’t risk it. If the sample had been analyzed and they discovered Narik DNA, then I don’t think it would have taken long to make the link. I couldn’t risk my friend. There are thousands of hybrid Tor-Saven on Torc, so I knew it would garner less attention if the sample switch was somehow discovered. Besides, if the Eterno connection was to stand any chance of linking you two, we needed as potent a sample as possible. I asked my friend to find the most pure Tor-Saven DNA to switch out, and he did. And it worked. And here you two are.”
No one speaks for several moments, letting the enormity of what he did settle.
“Thank you.” Although, I’m still muddled over how I feel about these new revelations, I know things could’ve been a whole lot worse if he hadn’t interfered.
Logan is abnormally quiet beside me, still struggling to take it all in. I don’t blame him. It’s as if we’ve been hit with full-blown gale-force winds, knocking us off our feet and taking our collective breath with it. At least, that’s how it feels to me.
The king twists his body toward Logan. “I failed your mother, and for that I’m so sorry. Believe me, not a day goes by when I don’t analyze all the ways in which I could’ve done things differently. I should never have let her return to your father, not when she had such strong suspicions, but she wanted to do right by him. I loved her so much, and I miss her, every single day. She is the first thought in my mind when I wake up, and the very last one when I go to sleep. Her and Kyrn.”
He looks down at his lap. “I regret that I wasn’t able to save her, but I was determined to save you and your brother. I have tried to stay in the shadows, watching over you from the sidelines. Unfortunately, your brother is a lost cause— there is obviously too much of your father in him. But you, Logan. You are the future of the galaxy. Both of you are.”
His gaze bounces between us. “It’s time to step out of the shadows. I will stand by your side and pledge my support and the support of the Narik. Everything here is at your disposal.”
Logan holds his head upright and stares at his mother’s former lover. Something unspoken passes between them. “I have misjudged you, and for that I apologize. I knew my mother was unhappy. I was only a little kid, and even I could see that. The only time I saw her laughing and smiling was when she was with us on her own or when she was with you.” He pauses briefly. “I saw you and her, that last time at the Heir’s Summit.”
I pray for him to unburden himself. After what we’ve heard, surely, he no longer blames himself? His father already knew about the affair. Logan is in no way responsible for his mother’s death. I hope he can come to accept that now.
“I was incensed,” Logan continues. “I couldn’t believe she’d do that to my dad, and with you, of all people. Everyone knew you and my father didn’t get on, that you were a strong opponent of his views. Of course, now, a lot of that makes more sense, but back then, I didn’t understand.”
Stress ties his shoulders up in knots. Kissing his cheek, I encourage him to continue. “Go on.”
He presses his forehead to mine for a few fleeting seconds. Squaring his shoulders, he turns and faces the king. “I told my father what I’d seen the moment I got home. He flew into the worst rage and went storming after my mother. I never saw her again. It was all my fault.”
His voice sounds harsh and ragged. Emotion threatens to devour me whole. I understand how hard it was to admit that, and I’m so proud of him right now.
“No, son,” the king says, reaching for Logan. He lodges a large hand on his shoulder. “Your father already knew. It probably infuriated him that you bore witness to our affair, and it may have accelerated his plans, but your mother’s fate was already sealed. Adjani was always an arrogant, proud man. He would never have let your mother leave him for another man. And certainly not me. You were only a boy. It was not your fault.”
Logan’s voice is raw when he speaks. “If I’m to accept that, then you must too. It isn’t your fault, either. The only person responsible is my father. He killed her. Not you or I.”
The two men stare at one another, hands clenched tightly, emotion flowing between them. I’m feeling all the feels, and it’s hard to hold myself in check. But this is their moment. Not mine.
“Your mother would be so proud of you, Logan,” he says. “I’m proud of you and proud to stand beside you. I’ve lost everyone I love, and I want to protect my people, and other nations, from experiencing that. There has been too much death, d
estruction, and suffering for far too long. Between us, we are going to change things in the galaxy once and for all.” I stand up, moving out of their way. Wordlessly, the king pulls Logan into his embrace.
Ah, hella. I can’t hold back anymore, and joyful tears spill down my cheeks. I don’t think I’ve ever observed such an emotional scene.
A while later, the men part with warmer smiles than when they first greeted each other.
“Thank you,” Logan says. “For sharing that part of my mother with me. And I’m glad she had love in her life.” He takes a concentrated breath. “But now we need to get down to business. How do you wish to proceed?”
As soon as the guards escort Ax and Dali to the king’s chambers, we are on the move without delay. The king has set up a holocon meeting with the other heirs. He talks animatedly as we walk, and I’m glad his words are detracting from the awkwardness of the situation. Ax drops behind us as Dali and the king converse in front of us.
Logan moves to take my hand, and I hesitate. I know I made a silent pledge earlier to be myself, and to act normally, but I won’t do anything to deliberately hurt Ax. There is no need to rub his nose in it. Logan shoves his hands in his pants pockets.
“Would it be okay if we toned down the PDAs for a little while?”
“I’ll try, but it’s hard. Touching you is as natural as breathing.” He gives me a brazen grin, and my cheeks stain a rosy-red color.
“Thank you. I know this is hard on you, too, but your willingness to agree helps enormously.”
“I won’t add to your stress, and I meant it when I said I felt for the guy, even though we’ve never been close. I hate that he’s impacting our relationship, but that’s the selfish side of me talking. Any time I feel frustrated, I imagine I’m the one in his position. So, as much as it’ll kill me not to touch you when I feel like it, it’d be a lot worse if I was facing the prospect of never touching you again.”
Okay, so, now, I badly want to touch him. To pitch myself at him and shower him with kisses of gratitude. To show him exactly how much it means to me that he is handling this so maturely.
I shove my hands in the pockets of my black shorts instead. “I’m proud of you for this and how you handled things back there. I hope you’ve forgiven yourself.”
“I’m getting there.” Turning his head to me, he smiles, and his eyes seem clearer, brighter, without the cobwebs of the past hindering his vision. Our eyes linger and it’s hard to pull away, but I do.
We’ve been so engrossed in silent conversation that I haven’t paid much heed to our surroundings. The king steers us into a small control room. “We need to update your clearance and upgrade your ID tag.” Standing in line with the others, I hold still as a man in a sterile blue uniform passes a device over the digital imprint on my arm.
Then we are loaded into a small, enclosed elevator, and the king commands it to travel to level minus one hundred. Air is tight in the confined space and fraught with tension. No one speaks. Wedged in between Ax and Logan, I’m tempted to snort at the irony.
I’m like the dwarf meat to their giant sandwich.
I disguise my snort as a cough, and they both direct their gazes to mine in tandem. My head aligns to their impressive chests, which is so not helping.
When we finally stop and the door glides open, I release the breath I’d been holding. Stress knits the muscles in my shoulders. Logan discreetly places his hand on my lower back as we step out into the corridor. The silence is shattered by a crescendo of chattering voices filtering through the air, mixing with the sound of booming communications broadcast in a repetitive stream over the airwaves.
My feet slam to a grinding halt as I try to absorb the staggering view. A shiny, solid, metallic railing spans the perimeter of the corridor, which winds around in a full circle. We gravitate toward the railing en masse. Peering carefully over the edge, I scan row upon row of floors, stretching all the way to a massive control room at the bottom.
A digital display spans the ground-level space like a curved, latticed roof. Successive clusters of workstations buzz with urgency and vibrancy. People sit, with heads bent over desks, or stand, shouting orders across the room. Hands scoot into the air, dragging the holo display up and down, and back and forth, across the room. Instructions are issued over the public comm system. It reminds me of a beehive—people, as small as bees from this distance, flitting energetically about, buzzing in all directions.
I lift my head and look up. Level upon level ascends skyward until I lose count. “What is this place?” I turn and ask the king.
“This is our military complex. We manage all planetary communications, security, and research and development from this facility. Some of the best brains in our society are employed here.” He brandishes his arms proudly.
Logan leans into me. “The Narik are a hyper-intelligent race, and they have been behind some of the greatest discoveries of our generation. They created the shimmer-steel that was used to construct the dome in Thalassic City, not to mention the high-tech security system that has kept their enemies at bay for years.”
“Wow. It’s very impressive.” I smile up at the king. “I never would’ve guessed. Everything is so laidback above ground.”
“That’s precisely the way I like it and exactly why the city has been remodeled like this. Should any race find a way to breach our planetary boundaries, I want to lull them into a false sense of security. We didn’t look like we posed much of a threat when you first arrived, did we?”
We all nod in agreement.
“If the dome is ever compromised, the fake military compound above ground should confuse our enemies and buy us enough time to mobilize. All our people have secret digital shafts in the basement of their homes, which transports them directly to our evacuation hangar. It’s housed on the western side of this compound,” he explains, jabbing a finger through the air. “We perform dry runs every year, and we can assemble in three minutes. It’s enough time to protect our people and defend our sovereignty.”
“This is what you were focusing on during your years of neutrality,” Logan muses.
“Yes. I meant what I said earlier, protecting my people has been my only concern. Our real world exists down here. Each family has a home, and their every need is catered for. Construction is ongoing on a continual basis, even though the compound already extends for thousands of miles underground. If the surface is breached, I won’t hesitate to obliterate it and anyone who threatens our way of life. If necessary, we can survive underground.”
We all share awestruck looks.
“I want to give the Narik people the kind of lifestyle they deserve, to create an environment that nurtures family and friendship, and one that fosters happiness and contentment. But I’m not a fool. Every day there are new obstacles. New threats to our way of life. Ensuring we safeguard what we’ve built here is critically important to me and every Narik. I am fortunate that my father’s sound commercial acumen amassed such wealth from the mining and sale of shimmer-steel in years gone by. Otherwise, we couldn’t have afforded to build such a facility, to have supported such a community.”
I feel another uncharacteristic urge to hug the man. King Coryn is the first alien leader I’ve met with a sound sense of morality. The first one to actually care about his people in a genuine way. The first one I admire. Having him on our side has given us all a much-needed boost of confidence. It really feels like we can win this with him on our side.
The king guides us to a large meeting room with a mammoth oblong table in the center. We sit down on one side as directed, while a technician opens up a comm channel. One by one, holo images fill the vacant seats as the other heirs connect digitally to the meeting. Logan, Ax, and Dali greet them by first name, and I’m introduced to each and every one. I receive curious looks from most, somewhat suspicious glances from others, and outright hostile stares from a minority.
Feeling very much like an unwelcome outsider, I shift uncomfortably in my chair. Loga
n squeezes my hand under the table, and I relax a smidgeon.
As soon as everyone is present and accounted for, the king opens the meeting. There is a lot of healthy debate as the key issues are tabled one at a time. I sit quiet as a mouse as the others interact with their counterparts. Several of the heirs are confident that their reigning king or queen will support the peace initiative which helps enormously. For others, it will involve taking control themselves. It’s clear that a multi-pronged strategy is required.
It’s hard to stay mute when the topic of Earth is broached, and plenty voice their lack of regard for what is happening on my home planet. But Logan, Ax, Dali, and the king are all vehement that regard for Earth is important in the greater scheme of things. That protection of every species is sacred. For most that is enough to secure their consent. I wish our president could be here, to see so many alien races willing to go into battle on our behalf.
Things get quite heated when discussing Torc, especially when Ax drops the bombshell that his mother has the specifications and the means to build another Tempo. That news unsettles the room.
And me.
Why hasn’t he mentioned this before?
Some of the other heirs have already verbalized their intent to lodge Renunciation Orders with the High Commission in order to oust their reigning parent and assume temporary control of their planet. It’s all fine, in theory, until we come to Torc. I have my own reasons for not wanting Ax to return there, but I don’t have a voice around this table, so Logan has to raise those objections, in a subtle manner, on my behalf. As expected, that goes over like a lead balloon.
“I don’t see how the plan has to be any different when it comes to my home planet,” Ax is currently arguing.
“It is different because—if what you say is correct—then your mother will have the ability to time travel again, and she threatens to destroy everything we are setting out to achieve,” Logan argues back.
Saven Defiance (The Saven Series Book 4) Page 13
