Page 98 of Keeping Sarah

Shock and relief coursed through me, and we all dragged the throne away from the door, and in came the conduits. All but Omen, who was missing. Then we put the throne back in place, just as more guards tried to breech.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Abyss. “How?”

“We are here to serve our queen,” the conduit said. “I stole Omen’s cottage ship to bring us here. After Valor told us of Sarah, Jac, and Omen’s tardiness, I thought you could likely use some help.”

Sarah smiled at her conduits. “I am so grateful for you to come here, all of you.”

Abyss and the others knelt before her. “We were cowardly before. But we found our strength in you, Sarah. What orders would you give us?”

Jenny gawked at the display in front of us—ghostly conduits bowing to her sister and pledging their allegiance. “I’m sorry, excuse me, what the fuck is going on?”

Sarah patted her arm. “Long story. For now, just hang out, Abyss. Deacon, is your gauntlet driver working?”

“Yes, why?” I asked.

“I need to send a message,” she said.

I handed it to her. As I read the communication she created from over her shoulder, I asked, “Are you sure about this?”

She cast me a sidelong glance. “Do you have any better ideas?”

No, I really didn’t, but… “I am unfamiliar with the others you are messaging, but Angeles is an awful man.”

“I’ve got this.” She sent the message out.

I smiled and kissed her. “I believe in you, Sarah. I’m just not sure if the people outtheredo.”

Elizabeth crossed her arms and arched a brow at me. “So, you’re a little more than herfriend, aren’t you, Deacon?”

Sarah looked at me in surprise. “You told them we werefriends?”

I shrugged. “Well, we are friends, are we not?”

She laughed and told her sisters, “Deacon is my companion, which here, means he is my husband.”

They gasped in unison before Jenny asked, “You gotmarried?”

“Unitedis the term here, and that’s also a long story,” Sarah said. “I’ll be happy to tell it to you, if we live.”

The door banged against the throne again.

“We need weapons,” Tiger said, glancing around. “That throne is not going to hold them for long. Is there a cache here, Sarah?”

“No. I never expected to need weapons up here.”

The conduits produced spare bone knives for us all. Very proudly, Abyss said, “I thought you might need these.”

“You didn’t happen to think of an exit strategy, too, did you?” Elizabeth asked the conduit very politely.

Abyss shook her head, and the banging ceased again. This time, there were no skirmish sounds. Only deep voices, but we could not hear what was said. Then the door cracked again.

“Queen Sarah, it is I, Xylic,” came a rushed voice. “I received your message and have brought the council. Might we have a word?”

Sarah gave me a reassuring smile then addressed the conduits. “Ladies, move the throne and let only the council into this chamber. Not their guard.”

They did precisely that and, once the council was in the room, they slid the heavy throne back in front of the door. The council members quickly noted Rex’s fading ghost on the floor.Angeles was distracted by Sarah’s sisters, though he pretended not to be.

I stepped closer to them and glared a warning at him, specifically.

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