Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  That news caused another violent wave of protests.

  "She's a criminal!"

  "Her father was a traitor!"

  "Death to the Resistance, and all its members!"

  "How could you even think about marrying an outlaw?"

  "You insult us with that choice!"

  "Have you not seen what the Resistance has done to this empire?"

  "No wonder you were confined to a mental ward. You're insane!"

  Variations on all the above rang out in a harsh cacophony.

  Until Kyr Zemen stepped forward. Dressed in full League battle gear, he only broke from one League tradition. He didn't have on a pair of sunglasses. Most likely due to the eye patch he wore over his right eye. Though to be honest, he didn't need the sunglasses to be sinister. He pulled it off with an aura of I'll-kick-your-ass-so-hard-your-ancestors-will-feel-it. In fact, he hemorrhaged stone-cold cruelty from every pore of his body.

  Now that she knew he was related to Maris, she saw the similarities in their features. Aside from their shared height, Kyr also had that indefinable intensity of personality. But where Maris had black hair, Kyr's was a deep chestnut brown that gleamed with reddish highlights.

  And the sneer on his face questioned Darling's mental capacity. "You did not get League sanction to pardon her."

  Darling shrugged nonchalantly. Something that was either extremely brave...

  Or incredibly stupid.

  "Since she's only wanted by my government, I didn't have to seek your approval."

  Kyr tsked at him. "You should have consulted us anyway."

  The smile on Darling's face was absolutely frigid. "Last time I read the laws, the Caronese governor wasn't a pawn of the League's. Rather we're a sovereign empire."

  Kyr gave him a hostile glare that was tinged with something that appeared to be hope. "Are you declaring war on us?"

  Darling deftly sidestepped that loaded land mine. "By stating Universal law? I don't see how. Are you declaring war on the Caronese?"

  He narrowed his eye on Darling. "I detect a note of rebellion in your tone."

  But Darling refused to be cowed. "And I detect a note of contempt in yours."

  Maris sucked his breath in sharply. "Darling... don't goad the devil. He won't take it well."

  Zarya didn't comment on Maris's warning as she continued to watch and listen to the meeting.

  A slow, sadistic smile curled Kyr's lips. "Perhaps you see your own sins in the actions of others. I believe your psychologists and therapists"--that was a low blow to bring up Darling's past in front of the others--"would call that projection."

  Darling didn't rise to the bait. He stayed eerily calm under fire. "Again, I say to you that I am not my uncle. If I was to declare war, or should I ever rebel, there won't be any guessing. It will be clearly stated and unmistakable."

  The heat in Kyr's eye said that he was begging for Darling to take a single wrong step. "I only have one other question for you, Governor." Could he have put any more contempt into that title?

  "And that is?"

  "What does your boyfriend have to say about your upcoming marriage to a woman?"

  The room erupted with laughter and mockery.

  A taunting grin curled Kyr's lips. "It must be so confusing for you at night when you have to figure out which part of her anatomy to tap."

  The rage in Darling's gaze was unmistakable, but to his credit, he kept it in check. Something that amazed and mystified her.

  "What was it you accused me of a moment ago?" Darling asked Kyr. "Oh yes... projection. I do believe, dear Commander, that your sins are now aired before all."

  Everyone in the room sucked their breath in, waiting for Kyr to attack.

  Instead, he took a single step forward. "You're playing a dangerous game with a most lethal opponent."

  Darling's expression dared him to make a move. "You're talking to someone who experiments with explosives in order to wind down at night. Believe me, I learned a long time ago exactly how much pressure to apply in order to achieve the desired result." He stared at Kyr's eye patch. "Not to mention Nykyrian Quiakides taught me well."

  Syn snickered at Darling's comeback. He jerked his chin to Nykyrian, then explained to her the significance of Darling's comment. "Just so you know, Zarya, Kip's the one who injured Kyr's eye."

  She let out a low whistle at Darling's nerve in bringing that up.

  Kyr stepped back. "I bid you well, Governor. And I leave you to the care of your empire." He swept his gaze around the gerents, then finally pinned it to Ryn. "May you follow in your father's footsteps."

  Darling took that veiled threat in stride. "Thank you, Commander. And may you reap all the fruits of your diligent work."

  Zarya held her breath as Kyr glared at Darling, then turned and stormed from the room. The rest of the League soldiers fell in behind him.

  Syn shook his head. "Our boy is something else."

  She couldn't agree more, but his fearlessness terrified her. "Remind me not to ever try to verbally outmaneuver Darling. He's good."

  Maris winked at her. "You have no idea. He's like lightning in everything he does." He paused and gave her a quick once-over. "Well, not everything. But it's good that he takes his time with that."

  Heat stung her cheeks. Unwilling to comment, she returned her attention to Syn's mobile.

  There was so much tension and animosity in that room that she felt terrible for Darling. She couldn't imagine having to stay so controlled while facing so many people who loathed her.

  The gerent leader stepped forward. "You still haven't told us what you intend to do with the Resistance... my lord governor."

  Wow, it was impressive how he made that title sound like an insult.

  "I will deal with them."

  Laughter rang out again from the group.

  "As you dealt with them before?" His features smug, the leader swept his gaze around the room. "I wonder whose name they'll carve into your face this time."

  Rage darkened her sight at that verbal blow. She started for the counsel room, but Maris stopped her.

  "You can't go in there," he warned.

  "So I'm supposed to stand here, listening to them attack him and do nothing? You're asking too much of me, Mari." She gestured to Syn's mobile. "That was so wrong."

  Worse, it was unbelievably cruel.

  Sadness darkened Maris's eyes. "But it's not the worst he's had to suffer. Believe me."

  She winced at a truth that made her want to kill someone. It was one thing to be told about the horrors Darling had suffered. It was another to watch it happen.

  Syn turned his device off. "That's enough of that." He glanced to Nykyrian. "You know, I can find that man's address. Accidents happen all the time."

  "They do, indeed," Nykyrian said with a sigh, "but unfortunately, Darling would explode if we interfered with his governorship."

  Syn growled deep in his throat. "Damn shame that."

  "Yes, it is." Zarya was far from satisfied. "Can I at least kick the gerent some place that counts?" She glanced to Syn. "I can always say that, too, was an accident."

  Syn laughed. "You're such a perfect addition to our crew."

  Maybe, but she couldn't get past one truth that kept slapping her in the face. "I'm a detriment to Darling, aren't I?"

  "No," Maris said firmly. "If not for you, we wouldn't have him at all. You weren't here, Zarya. You didn't see him when he was first released from the hospital."

  "He's right about that." Caillen jerked his chin toward the mobile. "That is not the same man who was walking around wired in explosives, daring people to attack him. He's sane again. And I have to be honest, I didn't really think anyone could reach him and bring him back to us."

  Indignant, Maris stiffened. "Is that why you told me to do it?"

  Caillen grinned impishly at him. "I figured you were the least likely to be gutted if you failed."

  "Oh thank you, Cai. You're so considerate."

  Zarya sta
rted to speak, then paused as she caught sight of Kyr in the doorway. He was staring a hole through Nykyrian.

  Syn nudged Nykyrian slightly to get his attention. "Look, Kip. Your friend wants to say hi."

  Nykyrian scoffed. "Damn, you're slow, Syn. He's been eyeballing me for about five minutes now."

  Syn snorted. "Eyeballing. Ar, ar. I get it."

  Unamused, Nykyrian released an elongated breath, but Zarya thought it was funny.

  Sick, true. Still...

  She sobered as Kyr and his four League escorts came over to them. Given the way he'd been staring, she expected him to approach Nykyrian.

  Instead, he stopped in front of her and raked her with a sneer. "What are you doing here?"

  She gifted him with her best eat-crap-and-choke smile. "I was personally invited by the governor. You?"

  Caillen started laughing, then had to quickly pretend to cough as Kyr glared at him. And she couldn't help noticing the amused quirk to the corners of Safir's mouth. A quirk he quickly hid before the others saw it.

  Returning his attention to Zarya, Kyr curled his lip. "No wonder the air in here is stale."

  Nykyrian scoffed. "Little boy, don't. Darling already cleaned your clock. I think you've had enough humiliation for one night. But if not... I am willing to hand you your other eye."

  Yeah, that comment didn't go over particularly well. Part of her expected Kyr to go for Nykyrian's throat. But apparently his common sense held sway over his suicidal tendencies.

  "One day, Quiakides, we're going to tangle again."

  Nykyrian quirked a humorless smile at him. "Oh you better hope not. Next time, I won't be merciful."

  "Neither will I." Kyr's attention went past Nykyrian's shoulder to where Maris stood. "Gods, you get more disgusting every time I see you. Have you had surgery yet to become a woman? Not that anyone could ever tell the difference."

  Maris tsked at him. "Oh, my brother... you always underestimated me. That's all right, though. I have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm the only creature alive who has ever knocked Nykyrian unconscious. Instead of insulting me, you should have teamed up with me. Then you could have killed him and completed your assignment, and not have that ugly blemish on your record. That must really suck for you. But I wouldn't know. My military record is flawlessly perfect."

  This time, Safir was the one possessed of a coughing fit.

  Infuriated, Kyr responded to Maris in Phrixian.

  Maris made an air kiss at him.

  If looks could kill, Maris would be a stain on the wall. Kyr swept her entire group with a withering grimace. "I shall see all of you later."

  "We're so looking forward to it," Caillen called after him. "Fuck you very much, Commander. Have a good day."

  As soon as Kyr and crew were gone, Maris let out a low whistle. "Poor Saf. He's going to get the dog end of every assignment for the next year or more."

  Zarya hated that for him. Unlike Kyr, Saf had seemed like a decent enough... assassin.

  Pushing that thought out of her mind, she turned toward Nykyrian. "What exactly did you do to him?"

  "I gouged out his eye."

  She'd known that, but..."Why?"

  Kiara answered. "Nykyrian doesn't like to be grabbed from behind. Luckily, I'm much shorter than what his muscle memory accounts for, and as a former dancer, I have exceptional reflexes." She looked down at her stomach. "Well, not so much right now. But..."

  Nykyrian gave his wife a droll stare. "I've never once harmed her. Kyr, on the other hand, came at me and made the mistake of being alone when he did it. Don't come barking at my door unless you have a fierce bite."

  Before anyone could respond, one of the ladies came over and cleared her throat. "Now that the meeting is wrapping up, we'll be sitting down for dinner in a few minutes." She bowed to Caillen and Nykyrian. "We have prepared places for both of your highnesses and your wives."

  "Thank you," they said in unison.

  The hostess curtsied again, then left.

  "Who was that?" Zarya asked Maris since he seemed to know everyone. And most importantly, he knew their secrets.

  "That would be Lady Nylan."

  Zarya's jaw dropped. "As in..."

  Maris inclined his head. "Since the senator's one of the oldest members of the CDS, she's the delegate wife who's been hosting the social part of all their meetings for decades."

  Meanwhile her husband...

  Zarya didn't want to think about that. She was too afraid of what she might do to the man. How could anyone be married to someone like that? I will never understand people.

  Most of all, she'd never understand their cruelty.

  Everyone began adjourning for the dining room.

  Nykyrian, Kiara, Caillen, Desideria, and Kiara's father went in first since they were considered guest dignitaries. Something that confused her.

  "Why aren't you considered a foreign dignitary?" she asked Maris.

  "They don't like me."

  She popped him playfully on the arm. "I'm serious."

  "So am I."

  She didn't believe that until they started to enter the dining room. Lady Nylan met them at the door and pulled them aside.

  Her gaze cold, Lady Nylan put on a false smile. "Because of the unexpected guests, we ran out of place settings. As a result, we've set a small table for the two of you, outside of the dining room. That is, if you don't mind."

  Zarya loved when people said that, knowing they weren't about to take a negative response. She felt like protesting just to rub the woman the wrong way, but the last thing she wanted to do was cause a scene and embarrass Darling any more than what had already been done to him.

  "Of course, my lady," Zarya said, proud of herself that she kept her disdain from showing.

  "Please, follow me." Funny how her tone completely disagreed with that formal civility.

  Maris rolled his eyes behind the hostess's back. "We don't want to sit with those apes anyway," he whispered to her.

  Agreeing completely, Zayra came to an abrupt halt as she saw the small side table that had been pulled out for them. "Small" being the operative word. It must have been an end table in the conference room. The chairs were tiny foldaways with stained gray cushions. And while the linens were clean, they, too, were stained in places.

  It was the ultimate slap in the face. But for Darling, she'd be throwing a tantrum over it.

  Instead, she smiled at the woman and graciously sat down while Maris followed suit. Never let them know how much they've hurt you. Don't give them the satisfaction. Her father had raised her on those principals and she held them tight. Starskas didn't flinch or bitch.

  They got even.

  Lady Nylan left them.

  Zarya picked up her napkin and placed it primly in her lap. "They don't think much of us, do they?"

  Maris shrugged. "Fine with me. I don't think much of them either." He pulled one of the two hard breadsticks out of the water glass someone had put it in, and held it out to her. "You better eat up, sweetie. I'm pretty sure they won't have extra food for us either."

  "You okay?"

  Darling nodded at Drake as they walked down the quiet hallway with Ryn, Chayden, Hauk, and Fain. "I'm glad to be done with it."

  For the first time in Darling's memory, Drake looked at him with respect. "They weren't as bad as I thought they'd be. And you... you were incredible. I can't believe how well you handled them."

  "Yeah well, when you spend your entire lifetime being a verbal punching bag, you learn how to effectively strike back when you need to."

  Ryn rubbed at his temples. "I don't know about you guys, but I swear I have a migraine. I wish I could blow off dinner."

  "You know we can't." Darling allowed Drake and Chayden to lead them into the dining room.

  Like Ryn, he had a vicious migraine of titanic proportions. But at least Nylan hadn't said a word during the session. He'd been waiting for the bastard to speak up and firebomb him in public.

  Miracles do ha
ppen.

  Instead, Nylan had simpered and smirked the entire time. Which was fine by him. Smirking he could handle. One word from the bastard and he might have snapped.

  May the gods help them then.

  As they entered the dining room, he scanned the crowd for Zarya or Maris.

  Neither was present.

  A bad feeling went through him. Hoping he was wrong, he went straight to Kiara and Nykyrian who stood off to the side with Caillen, Syn, and Desideria.

  "Where are Maris and Zarya?" he asked as soon as he reached them.

  Fury burned in Kiara's eyes. "They were seated in the hallway near the kitchen."

  Darling scowled at the news. "What?"

  "Yeah," Syn said bitterly. "Nylan's wife said that the additional guests"--he indicated their small group--"caused them to run out of seats at the main table. So the two of them were given seats outside."

  Forget what he'd just gone through. This... this angered him more than anything else ever could. "Bullshit. They could have added an extra leaf while we were in session."

  Caillen held his hands up in surrender. "He's just repeating what they were told."

  "Fuck this shit." Darling stormed past them, ready to go to war. Before all was said and done, someone was going to lose their head over this.

  Literally.

  20

  Laughing at Maris's joke, Zarya felt a chill go down her spine. She sobered as the skin on the back of her neck crawled like a living creature.

  When she turned her head to see Darling's furious glower while he stalked toward them, she understood the uneasy knot in her stomach. This wasn't the levelheaded politician who'd met with the gerents.

  This was the feral soldier, Kere. And he was out for blood.

  Maris rose at Darling's approach. "What's going on?"

  Darling broke out into a furious rant in Phrixian... one day, she was going to have to learn that language. It was aggravating to have no clue what they were saying around her.

  Maris attempted to calm him, but Darling was having none of it.

  Ignoring Maris, he turned toward her. "Come, Z. We're leaving."

  She hesitated before she stood up. "Aren't you supposed to be with the gerents?"

  "Yes," Maris hissed, "he is. If he fails to attend dinner, it'll be viewed as an affront to them."

  "And what is this," Darling gestured angrily toward them and their table, "if not an affront to me?"

  Maris scoffed. "It has nothing to do with you. This is a slap at me and you know it."

  "I totally disagree. But let's say you're right. It's still a slap at both of us, and I won't tolerate them treating the two of you like this. I won't."