Page 86 of Keeping Sarah

But Elizabeth asked, “On Orhon? What’s that mean?”

I explained the basics of Orhon and some of our situation to them, while everyone else de-mogged. I was careful not to mention my union with their sister. I didn’t know how they might react to such news. “I am sure that is a lot to grapple with all at once, but—"

“Actually, that answers a lot of questions I’ve always had,” Jenny said with astonishment in her eyes. “I always thought there were aliens, or well, people from other planets. Seemed silly to think we were the only intelligent species to exist, you know? Is aliens an offensive term? I don’t want to be rude."

“It’s fine,” Ode said, then warned her, “But where we’re going,you’rethe aliens.”

“Understood,” Jenny said with a nod.

Elizabeth frowned, most likely having trouble sorting through what I had told them, which had been a lot. “So, there’s an evil ruler on Orhon named Justice Bateen, who executed your father, and your father is now a ghost on a micro-planet called Halla, which is in the orbit of Orhon, do I have that right so far?”

“Yes.”

“And our sister, who has always said she saw ghosts, is a powerful medium—which you call a conduit—and she has been possessed or has possessed an evil bastard called Rex Terian, right?”

“All correct.”

She laced her fingers together and her brow furrowed. “And you’renotall part of some cult?”

Jenny laughed and patted her sister’s arm. “No, silly. They’re a part of the rebel force against Justice Bateen. I thought you caught that part.”

Elizabeth shot her sister an overwhelmed glance. “I’m just trying to wrap my mind around all of it, Jen.”

Ode stepped in and explained further. “By possessing Rex, your sister has done something the resident experts on the matter didn’t know was possible, and possession can work like an addiction for the host. Sarah seems to believe that there is a remnant of Rex in her, and a remnant of herself in Rex. Whether that’s true, no one but them can know for sure. What we need from you two is to be there for her and remind her whosheis.”

“So, then…you’ve come to collect us for Sarah’s intervention?” Elizabeth slowly asked.

Ode shrugged. “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

“Oh, okay.” That easily, Elizabeth accepted things. “Where do we go now?”

I frowned at her. “Thatyou understood?”

Elizabeth raised a brow at me. “Honestly, that was all you needed to say in the first place. She’s my sister. If she needs an intervention for her addiction, I’m in.”

I had no idea what an intervention was, not the way she spoke of it. But as long as she was on board with the plan, I was satisfied. “Okay. Eh, well, Jenny, after learning everything, are you—"

“Oh, I’m in,” she said without hesitation. “I get to help Sarah, my sister who has been missing for a year,andI get to travel to some new world? I’msoin.”

After a sigh of relief, I checked in with Drift on the comms, and he responded, "We’re about to break atmo on Halla in two.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Drift.” Then I turned to the sisters. “One more thing. We had to send a team to retrieve Sarah from a dangerous city called Faithless. That is a long story, but they are excellent at what they do, and will be back before we land, but Sarah needed to be rendered unconscious to get her out of Faithless. Otherwise, she wouldn’t leave.”

“How did you render her unconscious?” Elizabeth asked.

“A special conduit formula, some ancient serum for conduits,” Ode explained. “It’s supposed to help them retain their abilities while still sedated. I swear to you, she will be fine.”

Tiger walked into the infirmary in his Ladrian form, and Jenny blatantly looked him over, not at all put off by the purple tinge to his beige skin, judging by the inviting smile that tipped up the corner of her lips before she tried to hide it.

“Hey,” she said in a soft, sweet voice.

Tiger stared right back as if mesmerized, taking in the streaks of blue in her dark blonde hair and her curvy stature. Awareness flickered in his golden brown eyes, and I watched as his own mouth curved with a sheepish smile.

“Hey,” he replied.

Interesting…

“Need something, Tiger?” Ode asked.

---