Page 40 of Keeping Sarah

Jac coughed loudly and the next thing I knew, Sarah was unconscious and slumped against me.

My gaze shot to his. “What—"

He held up the jet injector. “I couldn’t take the risk of her hearing it hiss when I used it on her, so I coughed to cover it up.”

“I don’t like drugging her,” I said, feeling conflicted.

Jac’s lips tightened. “You heard the things she said.”

I gently set her onto the pillows, covered her with the fur, then told him, “Come with me to the parlor. We need to talk.”

I pulled on my clothes, he did the same, and we headed into the adjoining room. There, I turned on Jac, releasing my own frustrations on him. “Are you so afraid our tiny human would get the better of you, that you drugged her? Since when are you scared of anything?”

He jammed his hands on his hips, glaring at me. “Since she talked about cutting her own throat, then killing us all. It’s a little fucking unsettling.”

“She’s exhausted, and she’s not thinking straight—"

Anger flashed across his features as he cut me off. “What about this situation do you not understand, Deacon?” he shouted.

I stiffened at his tone. “Why are you yelling at me?”

His face was incredulous. “Because I am scared out of my mind right now. I haven’t slept since yesterday and after I found my consort in the den of our enemy, she insisted we stay there and bang our brains out, and while that part was fucking amazing, it doesn’t change the fact that she just talked about hurting herself and others!”

He continued to glare at me. “Yes, she’s not in her right mind and she’s not thinking clearly, but that is exactly the reasontodrug her, not a reason to let her roam around free, while we’reasleep!” His body started to shake, just like his voice. “If she’s out of her mind and tainted by Rex, what do you think she could do? What is someone like him capable of? Calling the capitol and telling Justice that his daughter, Silence, is here,alive? Or maybe attacking your infant siblings? Or making good on her throat cutting idea? Or—"

I get it, I get it,” I finally said, my mind racing with the possibilities I had not fathomed. I needed something to do, and figure out a way to getourSarah back. “When you were getting Ode, Sarah said her mom liked her brother better than her.”

He looked up at me in bewilderment. “She has a brother?”

“No. When I asked her about it, she said that was Rex’s memory.”

“Shit,” he muttered beneath his breath.

I hated to even voice the disturbing possibility, but I had to share my thoughts with Jac. “I think…this may sound like cina waste, but what if this stems from something deeper inside of Sarah?”

“How do you mean?”

“She has always spoken fondly of her family, aside from her impoverished childhood that she does not speak much of. But what if part of this is due to her lack of their presence? I know she misses them terribly.”

Jac frowned. “You think that if she saw her family, she might be able to sort this out?”

“I think it is worth a try. I think anything is worth a try right now to wipe Rex’s lingering memories out of Sarah’s mind.” Wearily, I dropped down onto the bench seat in the parlor. “If I can get her to the forest temple where she called her mother to her, then perhaps a chat with her mother would help keepher grounded. I’ll takeSovereign, if you do not mind. The other injured are still healing on boardAllegiant. If Sarah and her mother can speak on old times or something…I do not know.” I shook my head. “Do you think it is a bad idea?”

“I think it’s a brilliant idea, Deacon,” he said, pacing back and forth in front of me. “But you saw how she is. Do you think you can get her to agree to try and talk to her mom?”

I gave him a slight smile. “Since she is unconscious, if she wakes up at the temple, then most of that conversation is not necessary, right?”

He laughed. “You’re going to take her there now?”

“Obviously, I am not going to get any rest and since I was the last one of us to get any sleep, I think you deserve a break. Taking her there is the only thing I can think to do right now.”

“You didn’t get sleep, either,” he said in a wry tone. “You were in a coma.”

I shrugged. “Call it what you will, I am still more rested than you.”

He chuckled. “You’re not wrong. Alright, I’ll get some sleep, and you take Sarah to see her mom.” He stopped his pacing and looked at me. “Or do you think I should go with you?”

“No. You will be no good to anyone if you are too tired to function.”

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