Page 23 of Claiming Sarah

Gods, why now?“He is encroaching on your property?” I asked.

“His goons keep coming by. I don’t think he’s ready to make a move on me yet, just making noise. You know his type—always looking for more than what he should have.” Offhand huffed and kicked the dirt. “Damned Terians.”

“The rest of the Terians aren’t so bad,” Jac pointed out. “Just Rex.”

“As you say,” Offhand dismissed. “I was wondering if your father had heard anything. Thought I’d stop by.” He gestured to his rucksack. “Got some presents for the twins.”

“I am sure your visit will be welcome, Offhand,” I said with a smile and waved toward my father’s cottage. “Do not let us keep you from it.”

He nodded before he left to knock on Father’s door.

Quietly, and with concern in his voice, Jac asked, “What are we going to do about this new bit of information?”

I understood his worry about Rex trying to gain even more power, because it matched my own. “We make sure Sarah is well-prepared for the Mother Test.”

“With Rex now in the mix, you don’t think we should focus on that?”

“The best preparation will be to ensure Sarah is strong enough to deal with Rex, as well. It is the only way,” I said firmly. Because if Rex ever discovered the depth of Sarah’s powers, he’d set his sights on her.

Jac exhaled a harsh sigh. “I trust you on this. You knew him better than I did. We will get Sarah ready for whatever lies ahead, even if that means the damned Motherhood Test.”

I nodded and we walked toward my ship. My confidence in my plan was little more than a mask. With Rex Terian around, I had no idea what was in store for any of us.

CHAPTER 7

Sarah

The conduit temple had been built with large gray stones stacked in the shape of a wide pyramid, which stuck out from a cleared space in the middle of the forest. It had been a long trip to the temple inAllegiant, and night had fallen during the journey. None of us had said much on the ride—I was sure Deacon, Jac, and Omen were as nervous as I was.

My pulse fluttered as we walked into the temple. Omen lit a torch and used it to ignite the other torches in the corners of the enormous rectangular space. It could have been filled with hundreds of people, but the temple was empty, aside from some furs on the steps and the ominous altar in the middle of the sunken floor. I needed Deacon’s help down the stairs—they were built for long Ladrian legs, not my short human stems.

I approached the altar, heart in my throat. Nothing had changed since the last time I was there. The altar itself was madeof the same stone as the walls, but the top of it was covered in a thick, black liquid. Before I laid my hands on it, I turned to my companions and said, “If this goes wrong or something, I want you both to know that I love you very much.”

Jac clutched Deacon’s hand like he was nervous, but calmly said, “I love you, too, and nothing is going to go wrong. You can do this, Sarah. I know you can.”

Deacon smiled and nodded once at me. “I love you, too, Consort.”

I took a deep breath and looked to Omen. “Thank you for your help, trying to prepare me.”

“You are a good student.” Omen gave me an encouraging smile. “You will prove me right.”

Gathering my courage, I placed my hands on the black top. Closing my eyes to concentrate, I tried to ignore my fear. It was just as cold as last time, and the sudden temperature drop made my bones ache in an instant. My hands were sucked into the liquid, just above my wrists.

This is just like last time when you tried to contact mom, no need to freak out.I redirected my thoughts to the Mother Test and took a deep breath.

The thick black liquid crept up my arms.

Okay, that’s not like last time.

Trying not to panic, I looked to Omen, who only watched what was happening.She’s not worried. Must be normal.I took another deep breath to relax myself, but the liquid kept rising up my arms. When it reached my shoulders, some of it slipped beneath my clothes, staying on my skin, as it began to coat my body.

Legit fear took over. When I tried to ask Omen if this was normal, the liquid came into my mouth, choking me. I tried to cough it out, but suddenly, I was no longer in the temple.

I wasn’t covered in the thick black liquid anymore, either.

I wore a purple uniform. My hands were my own—I hadn’t mogged into a Ladrian. Looking around, I came to realize I was in a ship’s hallway. But it wasn’tSovereignorAllegiant. The floor was green, and the walls were brown, but the ceiling matched the floor. The air smelled fresh. Panels on the walls blinked with blue and purple lights, and there were no windows.

“You have come for me yet again, Contra,” a deep woman’s voice called out behind me.

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