Page 48 of Keeping Sarah

We brushed her concerns aside with comforting words, but I hesitated to hug her yet, not sure of the reception I’d get. So, instead, with my arms open, I asked her, “Can I?”

Sarah merely nodded and I wrapped her up in my embrace. I held her tight against me and breathed her in. She still smelled like her—sweet and a little floral. A scent unique to my consort. I loved it and that familiarity gave me a semblance of calm.

Deacon’s hesitation regarding magicians was understandable, but as I held her, I knew there was no limit to what I would do for her. I petted her hair and back as she clung to me, and I didn’t let go until she did.

“Youknow a magician?” Deacon asked her incredulously once the quiet moment had passed.

“Sort of.” She hesitated a moment before saying, “He’s a friend of Rex’s though, so I’m not sure how it will go.”

I exhaled a deep, fortifying breath. “There’s only one way to find out.”

CHAPTER 15

Deacon

As my consort and companion readied for the journey, I consulted with Omen privately near my ship. “You are certain this is the only way?”

“It’s the only way thatIknow,” she said. “That’s not to say that it’s theonlyway.”

“Who else would know of an alternative?” I asked, hoping for other options.

“Mother Portend might have.” Her voice went flat. “She was an expert on possession.”

I closed my eyes and when I tipped my head backward, it clunked againstAllegiant. Of course. Mother Portend, who tried to kill us all and whom Sarah had killed. “Splendid.”

“I know.” Omen kicked absently at the dirt on the ground. “She would have loved the irony of being the only person who could save Sarah.”

I tamped down my aggravation. “Portend aside, does anyone else spring to mind?”

“Deacon, I would not have suggested seeking magicians lightly. I’ve slaughtered several myself. I know how dangerous they are. But…” Her attention was divided between myself and my union coming to join us. Quietly, she said, “There are no other options, to my knowledge.”

Then she plastered a beatific smile on her face for Sarah and Jac. “Good evening. Are you prepared to go?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Sarah said with a pained smile before she boardedAllegiant.

Jac glanced at Omen. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? We could use someone with your skills for this trip.”

Omen shook her head. “For my queen to stand a chance of a magician helping her, she does not need him distracted by my presence.”

“You could stay on the ship, as backup,” I suggested.

“Since we conduits took it upon ourselves to mercilessly hunt them down, magicians have taken to setting up perimeters of magic, some trick we don’t know and cannot sense, and those perimeters signal when conduits are around.” Omen appeared a little confounded after saying that. “Honestly, I’m not sure how she met a magician without him knowing what she is.”

I thought about that, as well. “Perhaps it is because she is the contra. He may not have known, or he could have seen her as a potential ally, since the contra was supposed to take away the conduits’ power.”

“Maybe.” She considered that. “Or he knew exactly what she was, and he wanted to have some fun with her because of it. Whatever happens, don’t let her out of your sight.Ever.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Jac said as he walked up the onramp.

“We will keep her safe, Omen,” I promised her. “Rest assured.”

She mumbled, “I will not rest until my queen is whole again.”

I know the feeling.

I went to the cockpit, where Sarah was sitting with Drift. I gave Drift his orders to pilotAllegiantwherever Sarah told him to go to find the magician, then left for the café where Jac sat with a cup of water with herbs.

I smiled when I saw him. “Not banwine?”

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