Page 21 of Claiming Sarah

“He gave me apartiallist of his children,” Jac said, his annoyance clear in his voice. “He wants to know I mean his children no harm, so the list consists of his older children. Those he believes can defend themselves, just in case I am being nefarious. Which I understand, considering Volatile thought I came to his island to assassinate him.”

Surprise rippled through me. “Are you serious?”

Jac speared his hand through his loose hair. “Yes. He was under the impression that you are hunting Bateens, and that I had murdered Silence in prison.”

“Moons above,” I exclaimed, shaking my head incredulously. “How did you clear up the misunderstanding? Did he hurt you? Threaten you—”

Jac gave me a wry smile. “He didn’t so much threaten me as we had a discussion while he held a Doxunon aimed at me.”

I grimaced. “I believe that qualifies as a threat.”

He shrugged, nonplussed. “I get it. If I were him, I would have worried about the same thing. But we discussed everything, and he seems to see reason. Mostly.”

I frowned but understood Volatile’s concern. “Very well then. It is likely we won’t need his other children anyway. As I was saying, since Sarah is the last living conduit we know of, and Omen is understandably convinced she is the contra, Sarah wants to take a test. The conduit test of Motherhood.”

Jac’s gaze narrowed at me. “I thought that was dangerous.”

“It is, but—”

“Nope.”

“Jac, we must be open to—”

“Nope.”

I touched his shoulder, but he shrugged me off, anger bristling off him in waves. “Jac, this must be open for discussion.”

He stopped and spun around on me. “I will not discuss anything that is going to put Sarah at risk, Deacon,” he said heatedly. “Never again. Case closed. I can’t believeyou, of all people, would be okay with her doing something like that.”

“Why meof all people?”

“Between the two of us, you are the cautious one. I’m the rebel who goes off, half-cocked.”

I smiled at his characterization for each of us. “Perhaps that is the past, and we have traded roles.”

“Don’t get cute with me,” he snapped irritably. “I am dead serious. She can’t do it.”

“Do you lack faith in our consort?”

His jaw clenched as he shot daggers at me with his eyes. “How dare you say that to me.”

I tried to remain reasonable when he was being anything but. “It is only a question, brought on by your refusal to even address the topic.”

“Fine, you want me to address it?” He came to an abrupt halt once again, forcing me to do the same, and jammed his hands on his hips as he glared at me. “Here goes—I’m not willing to riskSarah’s life onif’sandmaybe’sand some mystical whatever. I am not sure whyyouare.”

“She stole my voice, Jac.”

He frowned. “Yeah, when we were talking before she left for Earth—she stolebothour voices,” he reminded me.

I shook my head. “She did itagain. When she first arrived and we were having sex, during the act, she stole my voice accidentally.”

Jac took a beat to think. “That doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”

“Ode Hrimp had told us that she likely only borrowed Silence’s power to steal voices from the blood transfusion after the battle, but if that were the case, then it should have left her body by now. She didn’tborrowit—she owns it now,” I pointed out. “And Silence can still steal voices—I asked her. So, Sarah did not steal the power, either. It is simply that she can do it now, irregardless of the transfusion. If she could no longer do it, then I would agree with you that this is, at best, a guess at her abilities. But the fact that she can still steal voices tells me that she is more powerful than anyone thought, and that likely means she is the contra. The conduit to end conduits.”

His brow furrowed as he became angrier. “I don’t care what the conduits want her for, Deacon, I want her forus. Why do we have to add this stuff with the faith into the mix?”

“It is a part of who she is, Jac,” I said, trying to get through to him and past his fears. “I do not believe we can divorce one from the other. Yes, the Mother Test is dangerous, but Omen says she will reap significant power that will help to keep her safer, should the other conduits try to stir up trouble again.”

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