Page 54 of Seducing Jenny
“First things first,” Sarah said. “My city is no longer called Faithless. It seemed wrong for me, the contra, to be ruling a city bold enough to doubt the faith like that.”
“What is it called now?” Jade asked.
“Sorellamore. Sort of a mish mash of Italian for sisterly love.” She grinned impishly at her sister. “Too corny?”
Jade’s eyes brightened with delight. “No, I love it.”
“I want people to see my silverguard—that’s what I call the conduits now—not as soldiers, but as sisters. Guardians who love and protect this city. That’s what life should be about. Everyone taking care of everyone.”
Jac leaned over to her and kissed her cheek. “You’re getting sappy with your pregnancy—”
She jammed her elbow into his ribs, and he huffed out a laugh. “You’rethe one who helped me come up with the name. Deacon thought it was too romantic.”
“Where is he?” Mal asked.
“Sleeping, at the moment,” Jac answered, that initial cautious look he’d had with Mal fading somewhat. “Someonehere does not sleep so well these days and kicks us all night long, so we take sleep when we can get it.”
Sarah rubbed her slight belly. “Hey, it’syourdemon spawn who kicks my bladder all night long, so you don’t get to complain.”
Mal seemed to visibly relax, knowing Deacon was not going to be present.
Jade eyed her sister with concern. “And the pregnancy is—”
“Fine. Just fine.” Sarah’s lie was not supported by Jac’s wince, or the fact that she quickly changed the topic. “So, the rescue was clearly a success.”
“Yes, but there are other issues.” Jade sighed.
Sarah straightened. “The Illiapol ghosts?”
“Not just them,” Jade said, suddenly looking distressed. “Silence was right about Mal being on Credo’s island, but Sarah, when I saw Credo…his ghost is out of his living body.”
“What?” Sarah exclaimed in shock. “How?”
“He has been in a catatonic state for years,” Mal explained. “No one knows what’s caused it. Justice’s consort, Aphonic, is beginning to show the same signs.”
Jade added, “When I saw him, his living body was on the bed, and his ghost was trying to escape it, but it looked like it was tied to him with these golden strands of light—”
“You allsawthis?” Sarah asked us.
Mal and I shook our heads. Jenny had been the only one to witness that phenomenon.
Sarah folded her hands in her lap. “I have never heard of this before, but we must get his ghost back into his body.”
“And if you can do that, would you be willing to help Aphonic?” Mal asked, a surprisingly desperate tone to this voice. “She is a good woman. She’s nothing like her companion. She does not deserve this.”
“Malice, no one deserves that sort of torment,” Sarah said gently, kindly. “Of course I will help her.”
“Thank you.” Mal’s voice cracked, the emotion in his eyes unmistakable.
Sarah hesitated, then spoke. “But Justice would have to guarantee—”
“No,” Jac cut in, shaking his head, his expression tense. “It’s too risky, Sarah. Especially right now. And you’ve never done anything like this before.”
“I was thinking that maybe helping Credo would be an experiment,” Mal said quickly. “There are no guards on the island. Only his caretakers. And there’s only four of them. We can sneak you in and out—”
Jac shot him a dark look and snapped, “Out of the question, Ripper. Sarah is in no condition to be doing such a thing.”
“Gentleman,” she interrupted sharply. “Let me finish.”
