Page 72 of Keeping Sarah

“I amsotelling her,” I teased.

Omen giggled and we stood together. “I don’t know how long I’ll be corporeal, but for now, I’m going to enjoy it.”

I gave my head an adamant shake. “No, no, no, I’m not helping you enjoy anything other than thatnon-consensualkiss that I had no choice in and wasnotmy fault.”

She laughed harder. “And I will tell her exactly that, even if she questions us separately. I kissed him against his will, my queen, I’ll say. And you will be off the hook. I’ll likely be dead, but you’ll be fine.”

I smiled at her, missing the days when things had been this light-hearted between us. “Sarah won’t kill you for spontaneously kissing me, Omen.”

“She might if Rex is still in there,” she said, more serious now. “Let’s get to the city, while I still look alive, and no onewill mistake me for a dead conduit. I don’t feel like being hunted today.”

I nodded as we walked back toSovereign. “Your contact in the city, he has the ingredient you need?”

“He said he did. Once I have it, I’ll take care of the rest. You just be ready for me.”

I cast a grin her way and said in a playful tone, “I don’t think any man in the history of all Ladrians has ever been ready for you, Omen.”

She laughed. “That sounds true.”

We left the temple for Faithless, and I hoped their rules for champion fighters still applied to me. Omen changed clothes in the back to look less devout, since conduit robes were distinct. She came back to the cockpit afterwards.

“How do I look?” she asked me.

Her brown tunic and pants were fitted to her curves and her blue hair fell around her shoulders in silky waves. “You look like sin.”

Her eyes went soft. “You can be sweet sometimes, you know that?”

“Nah.” I brushed off her compliment. “It’s just a clever disguise.”

“I said sweet, not clever.” She arched a brow. “I’d never accuse you of cleverness.”

I huffed out a laugh. “Wow. Thanks.”

She sat in the seat next to mine while I continued to navigate the way to Faithless. “You know what you can always count on me for, Jac.”

“Yep. Brutal honesty.”

“So, I hope you’ll forgive me when I point out that this plan—it doesn’t feel likeyourplan.”

“It’sentirelymy plan, thank you very much,” I replied, my tone affronted.

“Apologies.” She inclined her head.

“Though I’ll admit, when you came back from visiting your contacts and told us what you wanted to do, I was very happy with how your plan dovetailed with mine.”

She nodded. “The holy text says, ‘When there are no opportunities, you must make your own.’”

“I’ve always found that to be true. Maybe one day I’ll read that book of yours.”

“You can read?” she asked, her tone laced with mock sarcasm.

I laughed and smacked her thigh, which made her curse me. “I like having you corporeal. I can whack you, so behave.”

She grinned. “I will try.”

We were quiet after that until we reached the gates of Faithless. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. It was the kind shared by very old friends and I liked that we were exactly that.

The guards knew the make and model of my ship and were on alert as soon as they saw us arriving, considering Rex’s parting words to Deacon and I the last time we’d been here.

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