Page 7 of Claiming Sarah

“I imagine I would get the same response from the rest of your crew, wouldn’t I?” he grumbled.

“My people are the best and most trustworthy, so yes.”

A flicker of a smile pinched at the corner of his mouth. “Let us say that I believe you, that you did not murder my niece. Why are you here then, if not to assassinate me on Deacon’s behalf as revenge against my brother, Justice, for killinghisfather?”

The trickier part. “Your sister, Constance Bateen, was a conduit—”

“She would have been the new Mother, had she not been murdered,” he snapped, anger vibrating in his voice.

I nodded once. Instead, the evil Mother Portend had taken her place and had nearly murdered Sarah during their attempt to take over Halla. “Constance was a gifted conduit, and that ability travels in bloodlines.”Time to lie.“Since your brother murdered all of the other conduits, there is a rumor that he’s hunting down the bloodlines of the deceased conduits—”

“That is preposterous!” Volatile said with a laugh. “Justice would have to murder hundreds, if not thousands of Ladrians to eliminate all of the bloodlines associated with the conduits.”

I merely stared at him to give him the space to think about what he had just said.

His hand cannon faltered before he tucked it back into its holster. “Is he really doing that?”

I relaxed a fraction now that the weapon was no longer aimed at me. “I can’t say for sure. If he manages to kill them all, then who do we turn to in order to speak to our dead? I know it’s treason to follow the faith any longer, but—”

“People should have a choice.”

I was surprised he said that so soon, but I was also glad he was following the trail of breadcrumbs I had left him in the conversation. My lie was working.

I asked, “You believe the people should have a choice to commit treason?”

“True loyalty requires the ability to make a choice.” Carefully, he added, “If they want to choose treason, and Justice takes that choice from them, then he will never know who his real allies are. If he can no longer know who his allies are, his distrust of those around himself will grow. A paranoid ruler is a dangerous ruler.”

“Justice is already dangerous. This would make him worse.” I nodded to confirm his suspicions and plant that seed in his mind.Manipulation cannot be done in an instant.To give him time to think on that, I changed the topic. “Your days as a star merchant are well-known, Volatile. You were a great traveler, all over the universe.”

He frowned and chuckled at the same time. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Your bloodline has spread across the universe, has it not?” Sarah was proof of that, along with her sisters.

“You want to track down my children?” he asked incredulously. “You think there are conduits among them?”

I know there are.“There could be a new Mother of conduits among them, as well as other conduits.”

He took a breath and blew it out, before he sat on the padded bench near the window. “Of all the things you could have asked me about, Jacaranda Cozz, that is not one I would have considered in a hundred lifetimes.”

I sat on the bench opposite him. “How old do you think your eldest child is?”

He thought for a moment. “It has been many years since I was last gallivanting…my youngest is likely almost an adult. Myeldest, I’m not sure. They could be well into old age by now—some of my off-world paramours do not age like we do.”

Now the big question.“Do youknowif any of your children are conduits?”

He warned me with his eyes. “I will not be a party to treason.”

“Some would say you already have been.” I had to push him.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You let Justice throw his daughter into prison. You left Orhon when he murdered your sister—”

“He did not murder Constance!” he roared as he stood over me. “It was General Liebach!”

“You have to believe that, don’t you?” I asked calmly. “Otherwise, you could never look your brother in the eye again. Tell me, Volatile, why did you have this island erected? It’s pretty fancy for a coward’s hideout.”

He all but vibrated with anger. “I don’t need to explain myself to you. You’re still the same unclassed scout Valor bought years ago. You come intomyhome and accuse me of looking the other way during such a terrible time in my family’s history…do you not understand that I could have you thrown into the royal prisons for the things you have said to me? You are a damned fool, just like Valor was to consort with Silence.”

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