Privileged (Talented Saga Book 7) by Sophie Davis

Author:Sophie Davis [Davis, Sophie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-06-07T03:00:00+00:00

Erik

Eden, Isle of Exile

Three Days Before the Vote

“Sorry to have kept you all waiting,” Victoria said by way of greeting, striding into her own office with none of her normal grace and polish. Her golden-amber eyes swept the room as she performed a quick headcount. “Good, it seems all but one person is here.” The councilwoman turned to her assistant. “Hank set up the connection.”

Hank gave a small bow before retreating to the outer office.

I looked around the room impatiently. In addition to Frederick, Penny, Miles, and myself, Penny’s other half, Brand Meadows, Henri Reich—my and Talia’s former teammate and longtime friend—and a man around Victoria’s age with an expensive suit and snooty accent were already seated inside the office. So whom were we waiting on?

A moment later my question was answered. Ian Crane appeared as a hologram sitting in a comfortable looking armchair next to Victoria’s desk.

“Ian, thank you for taking time out of your—”

“No need to thank me, Victoria,” Crane cut her off. “I am as eager to find Talia as you are, though likely for a very different reason.”

I smiled appreciatively at Crane, grateful he at least cared more about Talia’s wellbeing than the public relations nightmare her escape had created. Or, well, rather would have created had UNITED informed the media. Thus far, everyone wanted to keep her disappearance quiet, just as they’d kept her incarceration quiet, to prevent mass hysteria.

“We are all on the same side, Ian,” Victoria said sharply. She gestured around the room. “Every single person in this room has a vested interest in finding Talia Lyons, one that goes beyond our organization.” The councilwoman paused and stared pointedly at first me, then Frederick, and finally Penny. “And at least three of you are capable of tracking her from a distance.” Focused back on me, she continued, “The truth, Erik, have you been in contact with Talia?”

Nine sets of eyes bore down on me. The combined weight of their love and concern for my girlfriend made my throat constrict.

“Erik, I know you must be very worried about her,” Crane began. “And I know you want to help her. The best way to do that is to tell us where she is. It probably feels like a betrayal—”

“I don’t know where she is,” I snapped angrily.

Miles put a hand on my shoulder and guided me back to my seat. Until that instant, I hadn’t realized I’d gotten to my feet.

“Keep it together, kid,” he murmured, talking out of the side of his mouth.

Crane still seemed skeptical.

“He’s telling the truth, Uncle Ian,” Penny chimed in. For good measure, she added, “I haven’t spoken to her either.”

“What you both need to understand is that UNITED is not the only people looking for Talia,” Crane said, clearly trying a different tactic to persuade us to be honest.

“He knows, Ian,” Victoria said. “I have explained about Nightshade.”

Identical grim expressions came over both Victoria’s and Crane’s faces. Henri, who had never mastered the art of blocking his mind but excelled in projecting his thoughts, started to ask about Nightshade.

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