Page 25 of Keeping Sarah

Tiger nodded. “You could be the one Rex calls on to greet foreign dignitaries. I know you’ve already been working your way toward—"

“I have,” Helios said eagerly. “Sometimes, I help him with his business deals.”

“See what I mean? He trusts you. The point is, if you balk at every foreigner’s gift when they’re unconventional, then you will never become the emissary Rex thinks you could be. You’ll stay a lowly messenger.” Tiger put his arm around Helios, as if they were the best of friends. “But I think you could be more than that. Don’t you?”

Helios nodded, looking completely enthralled by the possibility. “Yes. I’ve always wanted more.”

“So, can we deliver these gifts from a foreign saint to Rex in gratitude for seeing us at such an odd hour?”

Helios stood up straighter, and glanced at the Gorrk standing by my side. “I think the master would be most pleased to accept these gifts, Saint Treg.”

It was everything Treg could do not to laugh in his face. His green gelatinous body shook from the effort. But he kept his expression serious and played along. “I thank you, Helios. It will be an honor to bestow these symbols of my faith to him. Rex Terian is blessed by the whales to have a wise man such as you in his employ.”

Helios beamed. “The blessing is all mine. Follow me.”

Treg nodded once and lined up behind the messenger, then shot a smirk at me before he followed him out.

I tapped Tiger’s shoulder and he glanced at me. “Where the hell did you come up with that line of bullshit?” I said in a low, amused voice.

“When we were kids, Kapok often ran into problems he couldn’t get us out of. One of us had to save our asses, so I learned to blow smoke when I needed to.” He shrugged and stepped out into the night.

Omen laughed behind me. “That kid deserves a raise.”

I nodded heartily and followed him out of the ship and onto the estate. The manor was as I remembered it—two-stories, opulent, somewhat menacing. Thankfully, the moat was far from the main entrance. As we entered, it was dark inside. Sparse candles lit the halls to give just enough light to see, as Helios led us to some preordained destination to meet with Rex and Sarah. I presumed it would be Rex’s office or a sitting area.

I was wrong.

We were led to the hall which led to his bedroom. I frowned at the realization.What is Sarah doing in his bedroom?

Helios knocked once on the closed door, and it opened a few moments later. Sarah stood there, and when she saw me, a huge, excited smile lit up her pretty face.

“Jac!” Without preamble, she jumped into my arms and kissed me.

I caught her, and as overjoyed as I was to see that she was fine, I was also confused to find her in Rex’s personal quarters. But the moment her mouth touched mine, I didn’t care about any of it. I just needed her. That scent, those lips, her warmth. I drank it all in, dizzy from it all.

After a minute or so, though, Helios cleared his throat. “Perhaps your happy reunion could wait a spell?”

Sarah ended the kiss and giggled. I set her back down on her feet and searched her face for any signs of distress. “You’re alright?”

She nodded and beamed up at me. “I’m fine.”

“Yes, that’s wonderful,” Helios asked impatiently as he glanced around the room. “Where is my master?”

“Excuse me a moment everyone,” Sarah said, then she tipped her head to her shoulder, and we all saw Rex’s head as though it sprang from her crooked neck.

I stared in shock and disbelief at the man inhabiting my consort’s body.Holy shit.

“I’m right here, Helios,” he said, sounding a bit disgruntled as he eyed me and my crew. “And don’t bother to gape like that. It’s undignified.”

Then Sarah’s body shook, Rex disappeared, and she stood upright once more. “That’s where he is, Helios. He is my captive for the time being. Do inform your colleagues. Tomorrow at midmorning, and not a moment sooner.”

He gulped, his eyes still as wide as saucers. “Yes, of course. Anything you say.”

“Now, where were we.” She gave me a sultry smile and grabbed my fatigues to pull me closer, but having just seen Rex where her head was…

“Wait a minute,” I said, stopping her. “We need to talk.”

“Oh, okay.”

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