Page 45 of Keeping Sarah

“Seems like there’s plenty to worry about, so I couldn’t blame her for the concern.”

Deacon shot me a look. “Her mother or Sarah?”

“Both,” I admitted. “If my child came to me looking as…harried as Sarah, I’d be worried. And I can understand Sarah not wanting to worry her mom.”

He nodded, then straightened out my dress fatigues. “I do not believe you needed to get so dressed up. It is a garden union, between two people who are uniting for the sake of safety, not love.”

I grinned at him. “I will not show up at a union with my companion and my consort looking as good as they do, andI’min my daily fatigues. Hell no.”

Deacon indicated his own attire. “This is a simple black—"

“Can it, Deacon,” I said with a light chuckle. “You look handsome in that uniform, and you know it.”

He laughed. “Thank you. So do you.” He came up behind me as we looked in the tall mirror in Sarah’s bedroom. Being taller than me, his head sat atop my own. “In fact, when the ceremony and the party is over, I want to come back here and—"

“Are you two going to spend the day flirting and miss the union?”

We turned to see Sarah in the bedroom doorway. Her black dress was something the conduits had put together for her with Silence’s help, and she looked breathtaking. Far more revealing than the usual Ladrian fashion, the soft linen clung to her shape, while concealing the skin. It was closer to things I had seen on Earth, which made sense when I thought of it.

I stepped up to her and took her small hand in mine. “Silence has always had a thing for fashion magazines, and it shows. You look incredible.”

She tipped her head curiously. “I had no idea there are fashion magazines on Orhon.”

“There are not,” Deacon explained. “Magazines and other types of media were imported from Earth for the palace. It is seen as something for only the elite to have.”

“Oh. Well, can I see myself before we go?”

“Of course.” Jac and I moved away from the mirror.

She stared at her reflection, touching her long, dark wavy hair spilling over her shoulders, then smoothing a hand along the front of the dress. “Silence has an eye for clothes, but I don’t know how the conduits managed this.”

“Bone needles,” Deacon said. “Silence draped the fabric, while they used bone needles for the sewing.”

“They went to so much trouble for me…” She sounded sad.

“You are worth it,” I told her, while Deacon nodded in agreement.

“I’m not—let’s get going, okay? I don’t want to be late.” She turned around and left without another word.

We looked at each other in confusion, then Deacon sighed. “She is right, I suppose. About not wanting to be late. Let us away.”

But I grabbed his hand to stop him, and he glanced up at me. “You know she’s not being herself, right?”

“Clearly.” A slight frown furrowed his brows. “Whatever she went through with Rex, she does not wish to speak on it, either. I tried. I failed. I do not know how to get her to open up. It is a unique frustration.”

“I think it’ll just take time. Sharing your mind like that…” I shook my head. “I can’t imagine it. Not really. And with her abilities, who knows what could have happened while Rex was inside of her? There are too many factors to consider. I say we get through today, and then we have a family meeting tomorrow to figure out a plan.”

He smiled at me and my heart lifted. “That is an excellent idea. We should go.”

We left for the ceremony in Valor’s backyard. There was a clutch of tall skinny trees with strangely colored leaves and that was where Silence had wanted her union to take place—betweenthose trees. I didn’t like it. Tactically, it was fraught. The trees hindered good line of sight. But no one had asked me.

We stood by as Wave officiated Silence and Mock’s union, and afterwards, I was shocked by how much I had relaxed when the ceremony was over, as if I’d been unconsciously expecting another attack. Mock was up on his own two feet, limping, but still walking. And now that Silence was safe from possession by the ghosts of Halla, things felt less dire.

Valor’s vivector projected the split disk game onto his cottage’s rear wall outside for all of us to watch the Cinas take on the Jem’horas in the playoffs. Wagers were made, banwine flowed among everyone, and I laughed at a dirty joke Bell told. It was like old times at a party in my youth, except this time, I didn’t try to find some beddable person for the evening, because I was a companion to two beddable people. Things in my life felt like they were finally falling into place.

Until I saw Sarah’s forlorn face.

“Excuse me,” I told Bell, before I left for my consort who was alone by the banwine table. “Hey.”

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