Page 80 of Abducting Sarah

Ode took a beat, thinking things over before responding. “It’s probably because we took Silence’s blood for her.”

“You didwhat?” Jac asked.

“It was the only way to save her, according to Deacon,” Ode said, shifting her gaze to Deacon and arching a brow. “I had no idea Sarah was royal-born.”

“I learned only a few hours before the fight,” I piped in. “But Deacon knew.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” Jac snapped at Deacon.

He merely sighed, instead of barking back at him. “I was protecting you, Jac. I didn’t know who would use that information against you or anyone on your crew.”

I reached for each of their hands, not liking when they were at odds with one another. “Hey, the cat’s out of the bag now, so let’s not dwell on it, okay?”

Jac continued to glare at Deacon, who avoided his gaze.

Ode went on, ignoring the tension in the room. “It’s likely a side effect of taking Silence’s blood, so there’s a good chance it will wear off as your body replenishes your own blood supply. Try not to wave your hands around too much for the next few days, and you should be fine. You may want to speak to Silence about controlling it, though, just in case.”

I smiled at the doctor, appreciating her care. “Thank you, Ode.”

She gingerly touched what should have been a fatal wound at my throat. “How is your neck feeling?”

Shockingly, I felt no sharp or excruciating pain as she gently probed. “Tender, but in one piece.”

“Good.” Ode patted my shoulder. “The tenderness will fade in a day or two. I still can’t believe you did that, just to kill Mother Portend.”

I shrugged. “I knew I would nick myself—I just wasn’t sure how off my aim was, going backward at Portend like that. But I thought—well, I hadhoped—you could save me, if I screwed up. Considering how hurt Jac was after he was stabbed, I figured you could do anything.”

Ode scowled at me. “Please don’t ever test my medical credentials like that again. It was touch and go for the past five days—”

I blinked at the doctor. “Five days?”

She nodded. “You’ve been in a minimally conscious state for the past five days, Sarah. You responded to some stimuli, but—”

“It’s beenfivedays?”

“She does this sometimes, Ode,” Deacon advised, shaking his head in exasperation. “When she hears something she does not agree with or does not want to believe, she often repeats herself or parrots back what you said. I do not believe it to be a sign of neurological damage—”

Ode and Jac laughed in amusement, and Deacon frowned at them.

“I’m familiar with human speech patterns, not to worry,” Ode said. “I did not think poorly of her for it. I will let you three speak alone. I need to check on Tiger and Drift.”

“Thank you, Ode,” I said, grateful for everything she’d done to make sure I didn’t die. “They’ll be okay, too?”

“You saved them both,” she said, and smiled. “Portend would have killed them. Truth is, killing her very likely saved the rest of us, too. You’re a hero.”

It was my fault you were in danger in the first place. I had no clue what to say. “Oh.”

She finally left us, closingAllegiant’sinfirmary door behind herself.

“We will hunt the other conduits down, Sarah.” Deacon took my hand and kissed the back of it. “I swear to you.”

“No, and don’t interrupt me this time, or I’ll use my magic hands on you again,” I said firmly. “I don’t want anyone hunted down for me. I don’t want any more death. I can’t have that on my conscience.”

Also, I knew I couldn’t have either of them be in mortal danger for me ever again. I cared about both of them too much. I hated myself for saying it, but I had to. I didn’t see any other option. For any of us.

“I want to go home,” I said.

“We will set up a residence for you here, and—”

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