She holds her head in her hands, and her skin successively changes color. Whatever’s troubling her is causing a maelstrom of emotions. But she’s obviously done sharing and caring for the day, as she makes her excuses a few minutes later, leaving me in isolation to ponder the whole conversation. Something is definitely afoot, and I need to find some way of warning Logan before it’s too late.
I’ve no idea where my comport is, or what time it is, but it’s safe to assume I’ve spent hours trying fruitlessly to connect with Logan’s mind. Nightfall arrives and another tedious day is nearing a close. Frustrated and pissed off as hell, I eventually doze off.
Dali only shows up at mealtimes the following day, and I’m going out of my mind with boredom. When she reappears later that night, I’m so pleased to have company that I almost consider voluntarily hugging her. Almost.
She hands a small box to me, and I tentatively pry the lid open. At least ten books are stacked neatly side by side, and I hug the treasure trove to my chest with glee. “From Logan,” she whispers in my ear. “He thought you might be bored.”
I semi-choke on my giddy laughter. I plonk down on the bed and examine each book. They aren’t what I would normally pick for myself, but I’m not in any position to complain. It sure as hell beats staring at the shiny walls. A wide smile encapsulates my mouth.
Dali looks at me strangely. “I can tell you love each other a lot. What does that feel like?”
“You’ve never been in love?” I pat the space beside me in invitation.
She kicks off her shoes and makes herself comfortable. “I think I might be.” Her eyes come alive as her skin flushes bright pink.
I attempt to stifle my grin, but it’s a feeble attempt at best. “I’m guessing pink denotes love?” Her cheeks stain red, and I don’t need any special ability to read her embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Sorry.”
“I keep forgetting you can see. I guess the Amaretti wouldn’t do so well on Earth if every human could detect our emotions so easily. I’ve never spoken to anyone about this,” she admits sheepishly.
“Who is he, and how long have you been together?”
“We’re not actually together, and I haven’t ever told him how I feel, nor has he said anything to me, but I see the way he looks at me, and it’s the same way I look at him. Do you think it means he loves me?”
“Jeez, I’m the last person to issue relationship advice. Logan’s been my one and only boyfriend, and our love definitely hasn’t been smooth. Case in point,” I say, gesticulating around me.
“What is the one thing you wish you’d done differently then?” She looks earnestly at me.
I don’t need to think about it for long. “I wish I had told him I loved him sooner.”
Dali makes a brief appearance the next morning, looming over me while I eat. Anxiety drips off her like slime, but when I probe, she clams up. After showering and redressing in the fresh set of clothes she left me, I lie on my bed and read.
A few hours later, the trumpeting noise outside my window captures my attention. Marking my page, I toss the book and jump up for a look.
Huge crowds are gathered outside again. Images of Logan and the princess fill the screens, and my stomach churns anxiously. I guess it’s D-day or W-day. I snort though there’s truly nothing humorous about it. I know I’m not strong enough to witness this, but my eyes are glued to the spectacle, and I can’t look away.
Voices and footsteps echo outside my room, distracting me. I climb off the bed as the door opens, and a heavily made-up Princess Dalitza enters the room. She’s wearing a white headscarf over a plain white pants and top combo. Not what I was expecting. Then again, if she’d shown up here dressed in a stunning wedding gown, I’d have no problem bringing my eye-gouging fantasy to life.
Leaving the empty doorway wide open, she approaches me with urgency, snagging my hand. “We need to leave, Sadie. Now.”
CHAPTER 14
Glancing beyond her, I circumspectly scan the empty corridor. Now’s my chance. Without a second thought, I remove her hand and blast my foot into her torso, sending her flying backward across the room. The side of her head impacts the bathroom door with a resounding thud, and she slinks to the floor, out cold.
I chew on my lip. Crap. That wasn’t intentional. Dashing to her side, I’m relieved to feel a pulse and detect the slight rise and fall of her chest. I hurriedly rummage for anything useful as my eyes keep check on the door. The coast looks clear. Finding some form of hand-held weapon tucked underneath the band of her pants, I carefully remove it and curl my fingers around the cold, solid metal contraption.
Now, why would she have that?
I extract two beeping square boxes from her pants pocket and turn them over in my hand. While I don’t have a clue what these devices are, I’ve a feeling it might come in handy, so I keep one and place the other back in the princess’s pocket. Standing up, I cast one last look at her. I genuinely hope she isn’t seriously injured. Why was she here in the first place? I look at the weapon in my hand. Perhaps she’d come to take out the competition.
Well, if that’s what the Amaretti have in store for me, I’m not going down without a fight.
Squaring my shoulders, I ease out into the corridor, scouting left and right. There isn’t a sinner in sight. Working off instinct, I turn right and race through the long silver-paneled corridor until I come to a stop at a plain black door. There’s a solid dead end on my left, while another corridor stretches to my right, running in the direction of the outside communal area. I’m all kinds of keen to avoid public exposure, so I guess this door is my only option.
The small black device in my hand emits a shrill beep and I shriek. A thin blue line, with what looks like an arrowhead at the tip, snakes out of the front of the device, pointing clearly at the door. Is this some kind of navigator? Guess I’m about to find out. There’s no handle, only a circular red flashing light in place of one. I ram my shoulder against the door, but it doesn’t budge. Inspecting the weapon, I point it at the flashing red light and press the small button on the side. A sizzling noise emits as the weapon fires discreetly, leaving a large hole in the door, as it swings inward. A weapon that fires soundlessly and a navigation device? Perfect. Thanks, Princess.
I step through the door into a tiny room. The space is vacant except for a narrow metallic cylindrical object residing in the center of the room, stretching at least ten feet into the air. As I approach, a panel slides back, and I jump in fright.
I peek in at the empty cavity. Bolstering my courage, I step cautiously inside. As soon as my feet hit the middle of the chamber, the door closes and it plummets downward at speed. My insides jiggle as a scream gets stuck in my throat. Flattening my hands against the side, I pray that my intestinal contents stay down. Hair whips around my face, masking my view. After what feels like eternity, but in reality is no more than a few seconds, the motion stops, and there’s a gentle whirr as the door reopens.
Shoving my hair back off my face, I stumble, disoriented, out of the chamber. An endless well-lit passageway, lined completely in the same silver paneling, stretches out before me. The thin blue line points clearly ahead, so I start walking on shaky legs. When my body has sufficiently recovered, I pick up pace and sprint down the corridor.
I run for miles, sweat pumping out of my body, muscles aching. Thank God for the navigator. Otherwise, I’d be definitely second-guessing myself at this point. The skin at the back of my ankles chafes against the inflexible shoes, rubbing raw. For all I know, I could be running straight into the arms of the enemy, but I’m pretty low on alternatives. Why did the princess come to me? And why was this her planned route? Perhaps I was too hasty in my actions. Maybe I should have heard her out. Too late now though. If I manage to get out of here, and find some place to hide from the authorities, what then? How the hell am I supposed to get off this stinking planet without my comport or any way of calling for help? And I’m sure once word gets out about the pri
ncess, I’ll be public enemy number one. Particularly if she’s seriously injured. Guilt swamps me. I hope she’s okay. I didn’t mean to hurt her, only incapacitate her long enough to flee.
My fingers caress my pendant as I run. I need to find Logan. He’s my only hope.
Light filters through the tunnel up ahead, and I slow down. Carefully approaching the door, I peep out of the small glass window. Barren wasteland seems to extend for miles in every direction. The place looks completely deserted. I hover hesitantly. I don’t like the thought of being so exposed, but I’m fresh out of other ideas. Besides, the navigator is clearly indicating this is the way to go.
This time, when I nudge the door, it opens fluidly.
I step out into blistering heat. Automatically shielding my eyes, I squint up at the sky. Two large red suns hover gloriously amid a sky streaked with yellow and orange lights. The view is truly spectacular, but I don’t have time to admire it.
Sweat glistens on my skin as I peruse my surroundings. Behind me, the noise of the crowd is audible in the distance, and as I twist around, I can see the outline of the auditorium. Dead ahead are infinite tracts of bleak landscape. The soil is varying shades of red, orange, and yellow, and an acrid smoke rises from the ground, stinging my eyes and itching my nostrils. Tiny rivulets weave an erratic path across the scorched earth. Vibrant red water trickles through almost like the ground is visibly bleeding. My eyes land on a smallish mountain a couple of miles to the far left, and the navigation line pings in that direction. My feet take off instantly.
The sun beats down on me as I run, plastering my sweat-soaked clothes to my damp skin. My hair hangs in limp, greasy strands. Using my fingers, I scrape it back from my face, knotting it into a clumsy bun. Blisters rub against my shoes as I run, but I try to ignore the discomfort. Running my tongue over my parched lips, I know I won’t last long in these conditions without water.
I push on, urging my weary body to keep going, but every few feet feels like miles, and I eventually drop to my knees, exhausted. I pant, ignoring the compelling urge to just lie down and die. My tongue is stuck to the top of my mouth, and my throat craves something cold and liquefied. I close my eyes as I give myself a little internal pep talk. You’re not a quitter. Get. Back. Up.
The sun burns my back as I struggle to my feet. The ground is becoming more uneven and unpredictable and difficult to run on. Large, cavernous craters dot the landscape in parts. Dense plumes of black smoke shoot sky-high from the underbelly, emitting waves of excessive heat, which only add to the searing temps. In other areas, the ground is soft and yielding, like quicksand, and it feels like I’m being sucked downward. I have to work hard to stay focused, weaving in and around the various obstacles, as I slowly make my way toward the base of the mountain.
A light tingle snakes over my spine as the cord connecting me to Logan stirs to life. Hope swells, and it’s that extra incentive I need to persevere. I silently call out to him. Though he doesn’t respond, I keep going, certain I’m heading in the right direction. I can feel him. He’s close by. I’d stake my life on it.
When I reach the bottom of the mountain, I stop to draw a breath and spot a lone figure a little way behind me. Adrenaline rockets through me with alarming urgency.
I start to climb with renewed vigor. After the midway point, the mountain becomes more treacherous, and I struggle to ascend the rugged hill, my feet slipping off the serrated edges, as my hands frantically search for anything to hold onto. Sweat rolls over me like water, pricking my eyes and blurring my vision. The cord whips out, buzzing more intently. Logan is really close, and that thought is enough to keep me moving, albeit at a snail’s pace. I daren’t look around for fear I might lose focus and fall to my death. So I battle on, dragging myself toward the peak.
Eventually, I make it to the top, part crawling the last few feet. Hands clasp mine and I shriek. “Angel, it’s me.” Blinking, I look up into Logan’s beautiful blue eyes, and sweet relief courses through me. “Where’s Dali?”
He helps me to sit up as I peer at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“The princess. Where is she? She went to get you.”
The dots join in my head, and I volley my palm into my forehead. How was I so blind? Dali, Dalitza; they are one and the same. The princess has been the one looking after me this whole time. Which means …
Oh, CRAP.
Awash with shame, I tell Logan what transpired in the cell. He screws up his face. “Dammit! We can’t leave her. I’ll take you to the ship, and then I’ll have to risk teleporting to retrieve her. We’re running out of time. I’m sure they’ve realized we’re missing by now. Come on.” Extending a hand, he hauls me up.
Enveloping me in a quick hug, he kisses the top of my head. “I’m so relieved you’re okay.” He takes my hand and starts guiding me down the other side of the hill.
“Wait!” I say, sudden realization dawning on me. “I think Dali was behind me. We need to go back, this way.” I tug on his arm, swiveling around.
We crest the peak, and Logan squints into the distance. “I see her.” Relief is evident on his face. He kisses me briefly, chastely. “You head for the ship while I go and help her.”
“What ship?” I ask, my eyes skimming the miles and miles of empty terrain.
“That ship.” He points with an outstretched arm. A mid-sized sleek silver spaceship gradually takes shape right in front of my eyes. My jaw slackens as Logan chuckles. “I’ll explain later. Go. Win will help you on board. Now, Sadie.” He gives me a little encouraging push.
I scramble and slide down the mountain, grazing my hands off the jutting rocks, but I barely feel it. The urge to flee has overtaken everything else, and my entire being is straining toward the craft. The rear of the ship opens as I approach, and a wide runway lowers onto the ground. Win’s imposing black-clad figure looms at the opening. He greets me with a worried frown. “Where is Dali?”
“Logan is gone to help her. They aren’t far behind us,” I pant.
If he wonders why we were separated, he doesn’t voice it. Advancing toward me with long strides, he helps me into the craft. We walk past the storage area, up a few steps, and out into a long corridor, passing several shuttered doors on either side. He leads me into a small seated cabin area and gestures for me to sit down. Wordlessly, he walks off, returning a couple of minutes later with a bottle of water, a damp cloth, and a dry towel. “I’ll go for the others while you clean up.” His jaw is tense, his expression worried.
I reach out to Logan, as I wrap my hand around Win’s wrist to stall him. “Do you have her? How close are you?”
“I have her, and we’ll be there in five minutes.”
I relay that to Win. “Fine. I’ll power up the engine.” Spinning around, he stalks through a door at the front of the cabin.
I guzzle my water without stopping once. Wiping my mouth dry, I reach out to Logan. “Is she all right?”
“She might have a concussion, but she’ll live. Don’t worry, she doesn’t blame you.”
As if that makes me feel any better. Win materializes beside me as Logan staggers into the cabin, an arm slung low around Dali’s waist. She’s propped against him, scarf untied, and her hair is loose. Her green eyes are duller than usual, her gaze alarmingly dazed around her face. A large visible bump juts out from her temple, as if an apple has grown out of the side of her head.
I wince audibly. Win takes one look at her and turns furious eyes on me. “What happened?”
“I didn’t mean to knock her out. It was an accident.” I bite the side of my lip.
His eyes darken with rage, and his skin swirls a lurid red. “You did this to her!” he yells.
“Win. Stop,” Logan says, gently helping Dali into a seat. “Sadie reacted on instinct. It’s not her fault.”
Win glowers at me before dashing to Dali’s side. Bending down, he carefully brushes her hair back and inspects the lump. She flinches and I feel like gutting myself.
Logan comes toward me. Drawing me into his body, he hugs me tight. I clinch his waist gratefully. Twisting around, with me clinging to him like a leech, he addresses Win. “We need to get out of here now. I can’t pilot this ship alone. Sadie will look after Dali.” He releases me with a light kiss to my forehead.
“Yes,” Win says, glaring at me as he passes. “Because she’s done such a wonderful job so far.”
I guess I deserve that. He thrusts a heavy black case into my hands. “Medical supplies,” he grits out.
The boys exit into the cockpit as I timidly approach Dali. She’s stretched out flat on the row of seats, legs curled into her tummy, eyes fluttering shut. I sit down beside her and unlock the case. “I’m very sorry, Dali. I should have stopped to listen. If I had only realized it was you …” Her eyes slowly blink open. Bending over, I place my arm under her back and help her sit up. “You need to stay awake. At least, that’s what they tell us where I’m from if we have a suspected concussion.” I frown as I inspect the contents of the case. Nothing looks recognizable, and all the writing is in Amarish.
“We should’ve shared our plans with you,” are the first words she says.
“That would’ve helped,” I admit, still rummaging through the case. “Why didn’t you?” I look up at her and grimace. “That looks sore. I’m so sorry.”
She stretches around me and extracts a dome-shaped gel-like patch, adhering it confidently over her bump. A relieved smile graces her lips as she sighs pleasantly. “Logan thought it was safer if you didn’t know.”
Misguided protection again. I snort, and Dali giggles. A gentle vibrating shudder races through the ship as we elevate off the ground. The craft rises steadily until we are high over Amara. I walk to the nearest window and peek out. The outdoor auditorium is a discernible form beneath us, the crowd mere ants. Dali stands beside me. “What if they see us?”
Saven Disclosure (The Saven Series Book 2) Page 19
