Born of Defiance by Sherrilyn Kenyon
"Is there a Tara Felicia here?"
Felicia sighed as she realized what must have happened. She rose and went to him. "I'm Felicia."
"Are you squeamish?"
"No. I'm a med student."
"Thank the gods. You've got to do something with your male! He's impossible."
She suppressed a smile as she followed the female through the doors, down the hallway, and to the table where the doctor was attempting to treat Talyn while he cursed them for it. She heard him long before she saw him.
"Keramon?" Felicia chided in a patient tone. "What are you doing?" She moved to stand by his side.
"Tell them to stitch the damn wound and give me Prinum!"
Felicia narrowed her eyes at him before she glanced to the images on the monitors of his injuries. She looked over to the doctor. "Are those Talyn's?"
"Yes. As you can see, he has a lot of tissue damage--"
"Stitch the damned thing closed! Now!"
She tsked at Talyn's shout. "Are you a doctor?" she asked him like a mother to an angry toddler.
"No," he said sullenly.
She met the gaze of the anesthesiologist. "What all have you given him?"
"Enough to choke a rhino. I can't believe he's still conscious."
When she looked at Talyn, she saw the raw determination in his gaze.
"I need to be on my feet, Felicia ... please."
She stroked his whiskered cheek. There was no missing the feral determination in his gaze.
Finally, she relented. "Give him Prinum and stitch the wound."
The doctor sneered at her. "You're a student--"
"Who knows your patient. Trust me, Doctor. If you don't do what he wants, when he wakes--and he will--you won't be happy. The Iron Hammer is an Andarion with a steel will and terrifying temper. The Prinum will heal him."
Growling in anger, he obeyed.
Felicia teasingly touched the tip of Talyn's nose. "Now play nice and don't bite the doctor." As she started to leave, the doctor's voice stopped her.
"Don't you dare step one foot outside this room until I'm done with him. You're the only one he listens to."
She snorted at that. "He doesn't listen to me, either. If he did, he wouldn't have been hurt."
Talyn reached out for her.
She took his hand and kissed his open palm. "You really are more trouble than you're worth."
He ignored her playful chastisement. "Did you call my mom?"
"No. I figured you only needed one female yelling at you at a time."
"Thank you." He grimaced as the doctor began stitching his wound.
Felicia sucked her breath in sharply. "Please tell me you took a local."
"He refused it," the doctor mumbled. "Apparently, he likes pain."
She sighed heavily. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Keep loving me ... I hope." He held such a sweet, vulnerable look in his eyes that she had to smile.
"Always that."
His grip tightened on her hand.
"I wish you'd take something."
Talyn shook his head. "So long as Eriadne and Jullien are on the run, you, my mother, and your family are in danger. I will not lie in a bed and sleep until I know you're all safe from harm."
The doctor gentled his touch. "Is that why you've been so difficult?"
Talyn nodded.
The doctor glanced over to his assisting nurse. "Give him thirty RTs of Strisassin."
"What is that?" Talyn growled.
Felicia stroked his hand to calm him. "It's a local that won't make you drowsy."
"But it will numb the pain until the Prinum works." The doctor grimaced at the depth of Talyn's wound. "You're lucky the medics repaired your artery. I'd still rather have you on the table, yet I understand why you want back into battle, and I commend you for it. I lost my sister to the Anatoles." He met Talyn's gaze sincerely. "I'll have you on your feet within an hour.... And next time, son, don't just growl at us. Let us know why you're being an ass."
*
Talyn let out a stern growl as he lifted his jacket so Felicia could examine his ragged wound. He needed to rendezvous with her brother and get a status update. While he adored her, he needed to go.
Fast.
She cast a nasty glare at him before she kissed the skin above the wound and slapped his ass. Hard. "Mess with me and I'll shoot you myself to keep you home."
Snorting at her empty threat, he straightened his uniform and sealed his armor over his healing injury. "Satisfied?"
"Not even a little." She handed him his helmet.
The sad fear in her eyes gave him pause. Cupping her cheek, he offered her a smile. "It's Jullien we're after now. He won't attack the way Chrisen did."
"How do you know?"
"He's not that smart or that brave." He gave her a deep kiss that conveyed his own fear for her safety. Then, he gently rubbed his nose against hers. "I want you naked in my bed on my return," he whispered.
She nodded. "Don't shatter my heart, Talyn."
He swallowed hard against the sudden lump in his throat that was caused by those words. It was said that when two Andarions were really in love and divinely unified, if one of them should die, it shattered the heart of the survivor. It was why stralen males seldom lived more than a day after the death of their wives.
Trembling with what he felt for her, he took her hand in his and led it to his chest so that she could feel his heartbeat through his red armor plate. "I will forever be your bitch, couriana."
She rolled her eyes and pushed playfully against his chest. "And here I thought you'd say something sweet in return. I should have known better."
Talyn started to leave her on that note, but stopped himself. This could very well be the last time he ever saw her in this life.
Before he could think better of it, he pulled the glove off his hand and took hers. He lifted her hand so that he could kiss her palm. Felicia's gaze fell to his fingers.
A sharp scowl lined her brow as she pulled his hand closer so that she could see the small, intricate tattoo that encircled his unification finger. "What's this?"
"My caste forbids me from tattooing your lineage on my arm." It was something only married Andarion males did to honor their wives and vow their eternal fidelity. "Nor does it allow me to buy a pledge ring." He tightened his grip on her hand. "This was the only legal way I could let the universe know that you are, and will always be, my one true heart."
Felicia bit her trembling lip as she read the Andarion words that encircled his finger. Forever Felicia's. Tears blurred her vision at his very public and extremely defiant declaration to everyone that he loved her. "When did you do this?"
"A few days ago while you were visiting your mother."
"How did I miss it?"
He smiled. "I was careful to keep it hidden."
"Why?"
"I wanted to surprise you with it for your birthday."
A tear ran down her cheek until he kissed it away. Only Talyn would remember something so trivial in the midst of this chaos.
"I don't deserve you," she whispered.
He laughed at that. "I know. You must have really done something awful in a former life to get stuck with me in this one."
She laughed in spite of her tears. "Be safe."
Stepping back, he saluted her. "Yes, ma'am." He placed the helmet over his head, completely shielding his face from her. He was so huge and fierce in his suit. So invincible in appearance. But she knew the truth.
Talyn wasn't. He bled, and he could die doing this.
Even worse, he was heading into an extremely dangerous situation. While Jullien might be a coward, Eriadne wasn't. She was a feral bitch who'd murdered half her family to take her place on the throne.
Now she was cornered and losing.
Eriadne wouldn't go quietly into history. She'd take as many of them with her as she could. Something she'd proven an hour ago with an attempt on Felicia's father. It was why Felicia was so he
If they didn't secure the remaining royals ASAP, this would turn into a bloody civil war that could go on for years. They needed a lightning strike to put them down.
Immediately.
Another tear slid down her cheek as she feared for Talyn. Eriadne and The League had a staggering price on his head. The only ones who wanted his throat more were the Tavali.
All of them would be after the bounty on Talyn's head.
No matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise, she couldn't find a happy ending in this. WAR had been trying for decades to put Eriadne down, and like some supernatural beast, she always returned to power.
And this time if she returned to the throne, the bitch would claim the lives of everyone Felicia loved.
CHAPTER 26
Talyn hesitated as the soldiers he passed kept saluting him, which, given his new rank, wasn't completely unexpected. But what made him so uneasy was the way they looked at him.
With respect.
Ever since he'd led them in after Chrisen and Merrell, everything had been different.
Everything.
The guard captains who were stationed at Lorens's door even opened it for him.
Yeah, Andaria was definitely coming to an end. This had to be the sign of some impending doomsday.
"Is something wrong?"
He turned toward Lorens before he remembered he was supposed to salute him.
Lorens returned it with a frown. "What's got you so skittish?"
Talyn removed his helmet and brushed uneasily at his neck. "Just not used to Vested looking at me with anything other than contemptuous sneers on their faces. It's scaring me."
Lorens laughed. "I have our top advisors in the war room. You ready?"
Talyn nodded, then followed him into the adjacent conference room where the elite of the Andarion armada--at least the ones Tylie hadn't relieved of their posts--waited. They came to their feet and saluted Lorens, who quickly had them retake their chairs.
Lorens gestured for Talyn to occupy the seat on his right. "For those of you who haven't met him yet, my new adjutant is Lieutenant Commander Batur."
Now there were the derisive snorts Talyn was used to. And the sneers that had him lifting his chin as he defied them with a hard stare.
"Bastard lack-Vest," someone mumbled loud enough to be heard.
Lorens glared at each commander in turn. "If anyone in this room has an issue with my chosen second-in-command, then you have issue with me. You will give him the respect he's earned through military service and loyalty, or I'll allow him the honor of having you in the Ring. Any takers?"
That effectively quelled them.
Satisfied, Lorens turned on the monitors that showed various stats and updates on what was happening on Andaria and in their territories. "Now, let's get to business. Jullien eton Anatole was arrested an hour ago when he assisted mercenaries in the kidnapping of Tizirah Kiara eton Anatole."
They sucked their breaths in.
Even Talyn let out a low whistle at that particular brand of stupidity. While he didn't know Nykyrian personally, he knew from Jayne how lethal the male could be. And he knew exactly what he'd do in Nykyrian's place.
It was a wonder Jullien was still breathing.
"Tizirah Kiara?" Commander Nazaru asked from the other end of the table. "Who is she?"
Lorens glanced to Talyn before he answered. "The pregnant wife of our soon-to-be Tahrs Nykyrian eton Anatole. Acting Tadara Tylie has reinstated his standing in the royal lineage--"
That set off a round of blustering.
"Who is he?"
"Did the plenumus approve?"
The outraged questions blurred together until Lorens held his hands up. They quieted down instantly.
Lorens called up the picture of the male who looked every bit as fierce as his reputation claimed. It was one of Nykyrian in his League uniform. His long white hair was braided down his back, and in typical League fashion, a pair of obsidian sunglasses obscured his eyes. Numerous scars marred his features, including two nasty ones around his mouth that appeared to have been made by a gag of some sort.
"Tiziran Nykyrian was the firstborn twin of Tizirah Cairistiona that Eriadne attempted to murder when he was a small boy. While it is true he was raised among humans, he was a League assassin. A Command Assassin of the First Order. And he is currently a key member of The Sentella. An organization that was set up for the same reason as The League. To protect those who cannot protect themselves from any person or government corrupted by power. Acting Tadara Tylie has assured my father and the plenumus that Tiziran Nykyrian exemplifies everything Andarion."
They exchanged interested looks at that.
Nazaru cleared his throat. "Do you believe we can trust him?"
Lorens rubbed at his chin. "I haven't met him, but I trust the opinion of those who have. As soon as he learned that Jullien had aided in the abduction of Nykyrian's wife, he reacted in true Andarion fashion and almost killed his brother. He and a Sentella strike force are currently en route to save her, and he won't be stopped until she's safe.... If she's not, Nykyrian has vowed to return and destroy Tiziran Jullien with his bare hands."
They nodded in approval at an action any of them would take.
"For Jullien's actions against his brother, Tizirah Cairistiona herself has ordered him taken into custody. As of this minute, we have all the royal family in custody, except the former tadara. We've had several leads on her location, but so far none have panned out."
Commander Pinara, who was a cousin of Farina's, sighed heavily. "So long as she remains at large, she's a major threat to us. She still has allied nations who might come to her aid."
Lorens nodded. "We've contacted all of them, and none of them have heard from her."
"Yet," Nazaru added. "Doesn't mean they won't."
Pinara agreed. "Or that they're not lying to you, biding time until they attack to gain back her throne for her."
As they continued to argue, Talyn leaned over to whisper into Lorens's ear. "I have an idea, Commander. I know exactly how to find her. But I'll only tell it to you."
*
Lorens sat back in his office chair while he and Talyn watched Talyn's plan unfold on his smallest monitor. He laughed bitterly. "Boy, you are brilliant. How did you know?"
Talyn shrugged. "A wounded lorina always returns to its den. With her family arrested, and no one Parisa can trust with her safety, the only place for her to go is to her aunt."
"I respected you before this, Talyn. Now ... I'm glad you're my top advisor, and I hope you never turn your battle skills against me. You are formidable."
Talyn didn't comment on that as he watched Chrisen's mother, Parisa, "escaping." Little did she know, she'd been implanted with the same tracer Andarion soldiers all bore. They could track her through anything except extreme electromagnetic fields.
Under Talyn's orders, they'd sent in a group of supposed patriots to free her. In the ensuing escape, Parisa had been shot in the arm with a blast that masked the injection of the chip. She was bleeding, but not so much as to keep her from fleeing.
She hadn't even tried to save her sons during her escape. All her attention had been on her own freedom.
That said it all about their family.
Lorens frowned as they traced her headings. He double-checked to make sure it was correct. "That's Tavali territory she's entering."
Yes, it was.
Talyn cursed as he realized what it had to mean. "So all this time, Eriadne was working with them against our people?" There was no other reason for Eriadne to be hiding there. Given the decades they'd been at war with each other, the Andarion queen would have never gone to the Tavali for shelter.
Unless they'd been secret allies.
Otherwise, the Tavali would have murdered her on sight.
With a stunned expression, Lorens met his gaze. "She had to have been. Shit. What do we do no
"Nice optimism." Talyn considered their options for a few minutes.
Most ended in utter destruction. But the more he thought about it, the more a radical idea began to take form.
A slow smile spread across Lorens's face. "I know that look. You have a plan."
"Yeah, I do. Hang on and let me check on something." Talyn headed back toward the prime commander's lounge, which was actually a small condo set aside for the PC's use whenever they were under threat, such as now.
He opened the door and froze as he found Felicia teaching Qory how to bake in the small kitchen area. What the hell? The giant had flour smeared all over his face while she patiently instructed him. Had the moment been less dire, he'd have laughed his ass off at the sight.
As it was, Morra laughed at Talyn's expression. "I looked the same way a few minutes ago when I first got here and saw them."
Qory made a rude gesture at Morra that Talyn didn't need to have translated.
Lorens pulled up short behind him and burst out laughing.
Felicia glared at her brother. "At least he's trying to learn. You'd starve if you didn't have someone to cook for you."
Lorens held his hands up in surrender and wisely checked his tongue.
Talyn closed the distance between them. "Qorach? Didn't you tell me that you had friends in the Tavali?"
He nodded.
"Close friends?"
He gestured a response.
"Like a brother," Felicia translated. "Why?"
"Is he a member of the Porturnum group?"
Qory let out a sound of scornful amusement.
"That would be a serious negatory." Morra was the one who translated his words this time. "Neither he nor Chayden are welcome among the Porturnum Nation. Their leader hates their branch and, in particular, their Tavali father."
So much for his plan. But Talyn wasn't quite defeated. "Do they have any allies among the Porturnum? Or someone who can deal with them? One who can get me and a small team inside their Port StarStation base?"
Qory made a quick gestured response.
"Maybe." Felicia narrowed an irritated glare at Talyn. "You're not thinking of doing something stupid, are you?"
By that tone, he knew a yes would get him severely cock-blocked. "Um ... no. I would never do something stupid."
Felicia rolled her eyes. "At least you don't try to lie to me so that I don't know you're actually lying." She sighed heavily. Cleaning off her hands, she came around the kitchen island to glare up at Talyn. "Qory ... Go with him and beat him as I would if he does anything too stupid."