Saven Defiance (The Saven Series Book 4) (33 page)

Drawing a brave gulp of air, I sprint out of the woods beside him, right into the middle of the skirmish. At first, I can’t even get near any of the fighting as the soldiers and our friends fight bravely, on all sides, keeping the enemy away from us. I watch Izzy with rapt admiration as she spins and twists, pivots and spirals, discharging her weapon left, right, and center, effortlessly taking out guards with all the grace and finesse of a ballerina. Ax plows through the enemy like a knife gliding through butter. With single-minded attention, he slays anyone who crosses his path. Muscles ripple and bunch under the confines of his shirt.

When more guards converge—swiftly alerted to our presence and our intention, as we move as one through the center of the open space—I finally get a taste of the battle. Yanking my hair into a ponytail, I arch into a combative position and fire with rapid, precise aim. Guards rush me and I duck and dive, dodging bullets and retaliating with both weapons elevated and firing. My spine tingles as the Eterno connection buzzes between us, and that’s as much attention as I can devote to my love. Any loss of focus, for either of us, could prove deadly.

A guard catches me unaware, knocking me to the ground as he crashes into me from behind. I topple forward, landing perfectly on my hands and knees, just in time to see him face plant the ground. Taking no chances, I jump on his back and jab my weapon into his temple, firing off one round. His body collapses underneath me.

A typical fiery sensation spears me. Hopping up, I push some loose strands of hair back off my face as I prepare to tackle the two guards rushing toward me. I push off their bodies, shoving them back, as I execute a perfect somersault. Whipping my knives off my calves, I raise both hands as they straighten up, and I launch the weapons at them. They strike both men straight through the heart. Blood dribbles out of their mouths as they stare at me one final time before slumping to the ground.

Yanking my knives out of their chests, I wipe them clean on their shirts. I straighten up, and my eyes meet Logan’s for a brief second. He stares at me strangely, and I can’t read his reaction. “Behind you!” I shout as a guard attempts to sneak up on him. They both discharge their weapons at the same time, and I gaze in horror as Logan drops to the ground, narrowly missing the bullet, which skims over the top of his head. The guard keels over, and my heart attempts to regulate.

A subtle movement to my right alerts me to the latest threat. Angling my arm, I shove my elbow back hard, meeting a firm muscular wall. The guard stumbles a little giving me all the time I need. I pounce on him, knocking him flat to the ground. Still straddling him, I thrust my knife in his chest and watch as the light dies in his eyes. Wiping the bloody knife on my pants, I scramble to my feet as I spot four guards backing Ax into a corner. Fire scorches through my veins, panicky and screaming. The skin on my wrists itches, burns, and expands, tightening underneath my cuff bands.

Ignoring the pinching pain, I spring into action, launching myself at the guards. I jump up into the air and exercise a perfect scissor kick, leveling two of the guards. They are out cold the minute their heads impact the hard ground. The other two approach menacingly, narrowing their eyes at me. Ax punches one in the face as I tackle the other, kicking the gun out of his hand with one rapid-fire movement of my leg. An evil glint flashes in his eyes, and I pale as I spot the knife millimeters from Ax’s torso. I react without thought. Running at Ax, I knock him clear out of the way.

A strident shot of red-hot pain pierces the side of my ribcage, and I slink to the ground, screaming and clutching my side. Blood leaks through the gaps in my fingers. Ax emits an anguished yell as he goes full-on ninja on the guard, punching his face repeatedly until he drops unconscious to the ground. Still, he doesn’t stop, pummeling his face and torso and squeezing his neck until the breath leaves his body in a violent shudder. A carefully aimed shot to the heart ensures he definitely won’t be getting up any time soon.

Ax turns to me and I shrink back at the venomous, dark look in his eyes. His fists are bruised and bloody as he reaches out for me.

Logan’s panicked thoughts race through our connection.
“I’ll live. Don’t get distracted. Ax is here with me.”

Wordlessly, Ax scoops me up, and his features have softened, now radiating with concern for me. I scream blue murder as unimaginable pain ripples across my torso. Logan and Haydn materialize beside us, looking aghast. Logan is ashen and clearly beside himself.

“I’m okay.” I try to reassure him, but my voice is raspy, and I wince as pain threatens to overpower me.

He all but passes out when he sees the amount of blood gushing from my injured side, pooling on the floor below. “She needs immediate medical treatment. Give her to me,” he demands of Ax.

“No,” Haydn says firmly. “I’m going to create a distraction, and then the three of you are going to run for the palace and not stop until you get inside. On my count, one, two, three.”

Extracting the heavy-looking cylindrical weapon strapped across his back, Haydn flicks a button, and an opening appears at one end. He taps in some coordinates and aims it at the raised dais. A second later, the stage explodes in a massive fireball, sending shards of fiery debris flying through the air. Everyone’s attention is diverted, and the fighting even ceases momentarily as soldiers and guards on both sides stop to question what the hell just happened. At that moment, a huge contingent of rebel soldiers loyal to Logan rushes the auditorium from the eastern garden.

“Go, now,” Haydn urges, giving Logan a steady shove. “We’ll have this all sewn up shortly. Get to safety. Now.” He grabs two soldiers and issues quick orders.

Ax needs no further prompting, sprinting away in long-legged strides. I cling onto him as sweat coats my forehead and my vision starts distorting. Jarring pain punctures me all over as we run. It takes considerable effort to bite back my screams. My eyelids open and close as I try to focus on the forms running behind us.
“I’m right behind you,”
Logan says.
“Don’t fall asleep, Angel. You need to stay awake.”

I blink my eyes open when a rush of fire-power surges through my veins. Shots ring out in the auditorium as the fighting recommences. Ax charges forward as we race toward the sanctuary of the palace.

Despite Logan’s persistent pleas to stay awake, I struggle to keep my eyes open. Eventually, darkness swoops in and lays claim to me.

There’s an all-too-familiar metallic taste in my mouth when I come to. Gradually, the sounds and sights of my surroundings come into focus. Bright lights dazzle my vision when my eyes open. Wheels rattle, doors slam, and harried instructions are frantically shouted as various voices battle to be heard amidst sheer chaos.

I’m lying flat on my back in a bed. Gingerly, I test my limbs, pleased to only feel minor twinges. Someone squeezes my hand. Twisting my head to the side, I look up into Logan’s worried eyes. He’s sitting in a chair by my bed, leaning forward on his elbows as he clutches one of my hands. I smile softly, and instant relief settles on his face. “How are you feeling?” He brushes hair back off my forehead.

“Okay, I think.” I move to sit up, and a hand shoots out on the other side of me, holding me in place.

“The nurse said you shouldn’t attempt to move until she’s checked your vitals,” Ax explains.

I turn and face him. His posture is a carbon copy of Logan’s. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

Logan harrumphs. “He should be the one thanking you. What the hell did you think you were doing taking a knife in the side for him?”

Ax’s eyes narrow to slits as he glares at Logan. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “It’s okay for Sadie to decide to basically commit suicide to protect you, but she daren’t even attempt to help me dodge a blade?”

Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Why did he have to go and bring
that
up?

“What the hell are you talking about?” Logan practically growls at him across the bed.

Ax flicks his gaze to mine. “You didn’t tell him?”

I drape my arm across my eyes. “Nope.”

“Sadie, what is he talking about?”

Air leaves my lungs in a noisy outburst. I’m tempted to brandish the sick and injured card, but I may as well get the admission over and done with. Gently, Logan removes my arm and peers into my face. There’s no avoiding him or his question.

“Help me sit up.” Ignoring Ax’s grimace of dissatisfaction, I shunt up in the bed as Logan’s arms encircle my lower back. Resting against the headboard, I fix the silver hospital gown down over my knees, pulling them in close to my chest. “Wow. It’s amazing. I don’t feel a thing.”

“You’ve been through the scanner, and your injuries are all healed,” Logan confirms.

“So what am I still doing here then?”

“Can you look for the nurse?” Logan asks Ax. That’s his less than subtle way of saying can you get lost so I can interrogate Sadie and calmly chew her head off.

Ax gets up with a glower. “I’m only doing this for her.” Lightning-fast, he bends down and presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Logan’s knuckles blanch white at his side. “You are the only reason I’m not smashing my fist in his face right now.”

Reaching out, I unfurl his knotted fists, threading my fingers through his. “Logan.” I borrow some of his talent for inflection, and the word holds considerable caution.

“Sorry,” he says, looking anything but. “I’ll try to locate some patience from somewhere.”

“Thank you. Now, before you go crazy, I only didn’t tell you this because, A, I knew you’d go crazy”—I pin him with a knowing look—“and, B, I completely realized I hadn’t wanted to do it afterward, but at the time it seemed like the only option to keep you safe.”

He rubs his taut jaw. “You know I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about?”

“Back on Torc, I realized there were two threats to your safety, and to Ax’s safety.” I pause, sucking in my cheeks. “Me and the Tempo.” I stifle my nervousness. “I knew it was unlikely that I’d have enough time to escape after I activated the bomb so I … wasn’t planning to.” I rush the last words out and avert my eyes.

Logan says nothing, but I sense his feelings, and he’s a loaded weapon of pent-up emotion. I start a mental countdown, and I’m only up to fifteen when he explodes, uttering a string of expletives in English and his native tongue. A few heads turn in our direction. “Fuck, Sadie. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was thinking of protecting you and Ax and stopping Griselda from destroying the prospect of lasting peace. I didn’t want to die, Logan. I didn’t want to leave you. But it seemed like my only option.”

He sits down on the edge of the bed, setting his hands on either side of my head. “You taking yourself out of the equation wouldn’t have saved me. It would’ve
killed me
to lose you like that. I don’t want to exist without you.” His eyes penetrate mine as he rubs his thumb across my lower lip. “I should be really mad at you.”

“You
are
really mad,” I rasp, almost crumpling under the weight of his emotion.

“Yes, because what you were thinking of doing was crazy insanity.” He leans his forehead against mine. “But I also love you to bits for everything you were prepared to sacrifice for me. So, maybe I’m the crazy insane one.”

“Does that mean I’m forgiven?” I whisper against his hot mouth.

He brushes his mouth against the corner of mine, and I draw in a sharp gasp. “What do you think?” His mouth lands fully on mine as he kisses me passionately.

“Knock it off.” Ax’s timbre implies his patience has reached the breaking point. The chair screeches as he slams down in the seat.

Gently, I push Logan back. A nurse hovers at my bedside checking the digital graphs. “For the record,” I say, eyeballing Ax, “I wasn’t planning on doing it solely for Logan. It was to protect you too.”

He doesn’t reply or give any indication that my statement even registered.

Okay then.

“Your vitals look fine, actually, more than fine,” the nurse mutters, with a perplexed frown. “Your body has an amazing capacity to heal. It’s remarkable.” My suspicions appear to be correct—I do have the power to self-heal. Whether that’s because of my altered DNA composition or my incendio gift is unknown. But I wouldn’t mind finding out. “I need this bed so I’m happy to release you,” she continues, “but you should still rest up as much as possible for the next twenty-four hours.”

I cast the sheets aside and swing my legs out the side of the bed. “Great, thanks.”

“Thank you for taking such good care of my … Eterno,” Logan stutters as I shoot him a cautionary look.

My feet have no sooner landed on the floor than they’re whipped out from under me. “I can walk.”

“You’re still weak and you need to preserve your strength. You heard what the nurse said. I’ll take you to my room and organize some things for you.” Logan uses that commanding no-nonsense voice of his. And I get it. He likes taking care of me. Especially if Ax is there to bear witness.

“I’m going to find the others.” Ax grits his teeth. “I’ll catch you later.”