Page 9 of Claiming Sarah

“Sheis. She’s alive, I swear to you. Help me do this, Volatile, and I will make sure you see her again. And with any luck, you may also see your brother fall out of power.”

He chuckled. “The smuggler who dethroned a god?”

I shrugged. “Something like that.”

“That is something I would like to see,” he admitted. “I will get you a list of my children’s whereabouts.”

Mission almost accomplished.“Thank you, Volatile. You will not regret it.”

His face became serious again. “If you were to do them any harm, I will hold you down for qualshaw myself.”

“No need for that.” I gulped, then tried to smile and make light of the threat. “Isn’t the prisoner supposed to be buried in the sand up to his neck for that?”

He grinned. “Yes. But I would make an exception for the man who hurt my children. Holding him under waves as the tide rolls in, so I could hear the sounds he made as the water tried to drown him over and over with each wave as they built up…now that would be something to savor.”

Just thinking about such a thing, I couldn’t breathe. Not that I planned to harm his children but hearing qualshaw described sucked all the air out of the room. “Good thing I mean them no harm, then.”

“Indeed.” He smiled, the threat still hanging in the air between us. “You and your crew will stay the night here. Returnto your master in the morning. By the looks of them, they could use the rest. In the morning, you will have your list.”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

I couldn’t refuse a royal offer without cause. But I wasn’t leaving without that list. I was grateful Deacon had given me a new assignment after Sarah had left. I needed a mission to take my mind off of her, even if I was spending time with her biological alien father to do it.

CHAPTER 3

Deacon

Sarah snored next to me after I finally let her drift off to sleep. I was too happy to see her. No way I could have been satisfied with just fucking her once. Thankfully, she had similar feelings.

Watching her sleep, I couldn’t stop smiling. Despite the pain her leaving had caused, I understood her reasons. She was a civilian who had never been in a fight on that scale before. She had no frame of reference to understand the feelings one is consumed by after a battle. Part of me worried about her return—would she leave again, if there was another fight?

No, not if. When.

Ladrian life was not like her American life. What little I knew of them, Americans were cushioned by distance from their enemies, and civilians did not face the horrors of war on a common basis. My Sarah had lived with a wealthy paramour, which brought even more distance from crime.

But I knew that somewhere in her past, she had faced violence. Upon our first meeting, she had cowered from me when I was angry, as though I would strike her. Nothing could have been further from my mind, but she recoiled like a beaten animal. It had broken my heart. I wanted to ask about her past, but I did not wish to dredge up a painful memory, either.

Sarah smiled in her sleep, and it made my own smile broaden. Then she snored loudly, and I couldn’t stop snickering at the obnoxious sound, so I got off the bed for fear I would shake it. She remained asleep, thankfully.What is she dreaming of that makes her so happy? Is it me?I had so many questions for my once and future consort, but they would all have to wait until she was awake once again.

I dressed as quietly as possible, then left my quarters. I sealed the lock on my door, so no one would disturb her. My crew was polite, but they were accustomed to being able to wake me at all hours, and I did not want them to barge in on her.Nothing will disturb her sleep.

I strolled toward my father’s cottage in the early morning amethyst light, hoping to find him awake so we could chat. Silence Bateen was still ununited, which left both her and their children at risk of possession. A dangerous status on Halla. Many ghosts respected my father, and so far, our luck had held out. But it wouldn’t be long before that was not the case.

As much as the ghosts of Halla enjoyed toying with the bodies of the living, when the living had the gall to set up residence on the micro-planet, they became a favorite target of the ghosts’ unseemly sport.We must find Silence a new companion.

My father’s usual routine started with checking on his flower garden in the early morning light, but with two infants in his home, I imagined his routine would change. When the front door opened, it was not him, but I smiled all the same.

Omen was one of two ghost conduits that I trusted. Her generously curvy form was my former type, and I understood why she and Jac had their connection so long ago. Unlike the living, ghosts had no sheen when the light hit their skin, but I remembered Omen’s had been pink against her tan skin—much like my own. She had a narrow face for someone with her frame, but a nice smile. It was her gray eyes that told the truth about her. Beneath her soft exterior was the hard heart of a warrior and the steel spine of a spy. We were lucky to have her on our side.

“Omen Ayext. Good day to you,” I greeted her.

“And to you. You must be very relieved Sarah returned. I know I am.”

I tipped my head curiously. “I know why I am relieved by it, but why are you?”

“The contra should be here on Halla. Orhon, Earth,” she shook her head in a negative manner. “There is no other planet for her.”

“You are so certain Sarah is the contra. Why?” I asked.

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