Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  As Darling came around the corner, he dropped a bead on the next target who was in the room where Maris had gone.

  Then he froze in place.

  No.

  It couldn't be.

  Blinking, he tried to make sense of what he saw. To understand something that couldn't be. Maris was in the room with a woman in his arms. A woman who wasn't supposed to be here...

  "Zarya?" Darling breathed as his knees went weak.

  Maris nodded.

  "Darling?" The sound of her voice brought tears to his eyes.

  Still, he couldn't fathom what he saw. Not until Maris handed her off to him. The warmth of her skin...

  Her scent...

  She was alive.

  It wasn't a dream. It was real and she was here. With him. Not dead. Not missing...

  Alive.

  Her face was badly bruised and her features pale, but it didn't matter to him. She'd never looked more beautiful than she did right now.

  Tears fell down his cheeks as he clutched her tight.

  "I knew you'd come for me," she breathed, laying her hand against his helmet. "I knew it."

  "She never once lost faith in you."

  Darling looked past her to see the man Maris was now helping to stand upright. Like Zarya, he was filthy and bruised from repeated beatings.

  The man licked his chapped lips before he spoke again. "I told her it wasn't feasible. That you'd never find us, but she was right. She said you'd promised her that you would bust hell itself open to get to her. And that you never lied." His legs buckled.

  Maris caught him before he fell, then swept him up in his arms. "Don't worry. I'll get you to the medics as soon as I can," Maris assured him.

  Darling started to remove his helmet so that he could kiss her, but Zarya stopped him.

  "They can't know who you are, sweetie," she whispered. "It would be an act of war for the Caronese governor to attack a League facility."

  She was right about that.

  Still, with her in his arms, alive and breathing, nothing else mattered. Nothing at all. Everything around him faded until it was just the two of them.

  He was so centered on absorbing every part of her that he forgot where he was, and what he was doing.

  Something brought home an instant later when she reached down and grabbed his blaster, then shot over his shoulder. He turned to see a League soldier who'd had a clear shot at him. But for her, he'd have probably died just then.

  Maris growled deep in his throat before he pulled back into the room. "They're coming in fast and furious." He set the man in his arms down.

  Darling hated letting Zarya go, especially since he had her again. But he had no choice. Not if they were to make it out of here.

  And he had no intention of dying today.

  He set her on her feet, then swung around. "Let them bring it. You ready, Mari?"

  "You know I hate fighting. But I think a little payback for my battlesuit might actually make me feel better for once."

  "I know it'll do great things for me." Darling pulled a fully charged blaster off his holster and exchanged it for the one she'd shot. "Stay behind us."

  Maris handed one to the man. "Do you know how to shoot?"

  "Not straight... in more ways than one. But if I aim at their feet I can hopefully wound them until one of you finishes them off. And that way if I really miss, I won't kill an ally. You'll just limp a little."

  Maris laughed. "Thanks for the consideration. I'm Maris, by the way, and I should probably warn you that it didn't go well for the last guy who wounded me."

  "I'm Ture."

  Darling tapped his link to call the others. "Hauk? You still evaccing civs?"

  "Yeah. You pinned?"

  "No. We're coming out of the last cell. I just didn't want you to shoot us by mistake. I know how caught up you get in a fight."

  Hauk hissed. "Why are you bitching about that again? I only shot once and it was an accident caused by your premature exploding problem. Had you not startled me while I was changing our charges, it wouldn't have happened."

  "Anyway," Darling said, ignoring his outburst, "there are four of us. Don't fire." He turned then to see Zarya's face before he plowed into the thick of the hallway battle.

  Zarya paused as she watched Maris and Darling open a hole for them through the thick enemy fire. Fearless and skilled, they moved in total synchrony.

  While she'd known Darling was exceptional, she now realized why Maris got so offended whenever she questioned his abilities. He was an incredible fighter in his own right. No wonder he was decorated.

  She and Ture stayed behind them with her giving cover fire as Maris and Darling led them down the hall, then up the stairs. The stench of burning wires turned her stomach. But it was much better than the stale air of her cell.

  They'd barely reached the upstairs landing when the entire building went dark. Darling and Maris fell back to cover her and Ture.

  "They've reestablished their connection," Syn warned them through their headsets. "We need to tel-ass, folks, or we're going to lose our posteriors."

  Darling swapped out his charges before they ran out of juice. "We're on our way."

  As they rounded a corner, a group of assassins opened fire. Darling shielded her while Maris covered Ture. Making sure to keep himself between her and the volley, Darling returned their attack. "I could really use the tricom right now."

  "Sorry. It was broken when I was taken."

  "Figures." Darling cleared the assassins, then nodded to Maris.

  They started moving again.

  Slowly, they made their way down the hall until they met up with Nemesis who was helping a large group of prisoners get to safety.

  Zarya's panic welled up inside her as she remembered what had happened the last time Nemesis had been in a room with her.

  He'd tossed her to Jayne.

  "Is everyone out?" Darling asked the legendary killer.

  Nemesis nodded. "The last group is coming down behind you."

  Zarya gaped in disbelief. Even with the distortion added to disguise his voice, she recognized Nykyrian's syntax and tone.

  Now there was a billion credits worth of knowledge. His was the most guarded identity of any Sentella member.

  Now she understood why.

  Just as her group joined theirs and she saw some of the people who'd been kidnapped with her, the walls around them flickered.

  Kyr's face flashed, then enlarged to the size of the walls that worked as a transmission monitor.

  Talk about creepy. She felt like she'd stumbled into a horror story.

  And Kyr was furious over the attack. "Do you know who I am?"

  Nykyrian snorted derisively. "We know. We just don't give a shit."

  Curling his lip, Kyr raked him with a repugnant glare. "You have breached the sanctity of one of our prisons. Have you any idea the sentence you've brought down on your heads?"

  Now it was Darling's turn to scoff. "Add it to the other twelve dozen death sentences we carry."

  A tic started in Kyr's jaw. "I don't think you truly understand the magnitude of what you're doing. Return my prisoners to their cells or--"

  "Fuck. You," Darling snarled, punctuating each word.

  Kyr's nostrils flared while he did an amazing job of keeping his temper under control. "Those prisoners do not belong to you. They are League property. You have absolutely no right to them."

  Before anyone realized what he was doing, Darling snatched his helmet off and threw it to the ground so hard, it bounced three feet high.

  Kyr held the same shocked expression Zarya was pretty sure they all held. Every gerent and Resistance worker around her was rendered speechless and spellbound by Kere's real identity.

  Fearless, Darling went straight up to the wall on the right and leveled a killing glare at Kyr. "The hell you say. They are my people, not yours. You sent your army into my territory and took not just my citizens, but my consort. How dare you!"

  Kyr
gave Zarya a look that said she hadn't bathed in a month or more. "She's not your consort."

  Darling shook his head in denial. "She wears my ring and was officially bound to me when we were children--something sanctified and approved by your predecessor."

  Zarya gasped at his unexpected disclosure. Was any of that true? She was desperate to know, but didn't dare interrupt them.

  "By all laws," Darling continued, "she is my consort. And five minutes after I get her home, she will officially be my wife."

  Kyr arched a daring brow. "So you're declaring war on us, then."

  Zarya inwardly cringed as she realized what Darling had done.

  For her.

  The moment he'd yanked his helmet off and allowed Kyr to know Kere's identity, he'd legally declared war on the League.

  Now, there was no going back.

  But Darling was nothing, if not a brilliant politician. "Interesting concept. I would say that you declared it on us when you marched your army into our empire and destroyed our property, then kidnapped our citizens. And now we're answering it. No one seizes my people. I don't care who you think you are."

  "We were invited in by your own council who wanted you removed from power."

  "Were you?" Darling asked with a hint of laughter in his voice. "That's not what I heard. In fact, I have the entire CDS who will swear they never asked for you to intervene. That you took it upon yourself to attack us."

  "Do you really think they'll back you over me?"

  Darling grinned evilly. "Since they declared me emperor, yeah, I do."

  "You have no idea what you're unleashing right now, verikon."

  Zarya wasn't sure what that word meant, or the language it belonged to, but from Darling's reaction, it was obvious he knew it well.

  "And neither do you, ciratile. You ever try this shit again with me and mine, and I will rape and plunder the village, and burn the motherfucker to the ground..." He looked around at the bodies on the floor. "And as you've seen here today, there ain't nothing you bitches can do to stop me. Talk is cheap. Pain is free. And I'm peddling the shit out of it. So you come on and get some."

  Kyr laughed as if he relished the thought. "War it is. Good luck, Emperor." He sneered that title. "No one will ever support you in this. You're about to find out what happens to nations that fight alone."

  Nykyrian jerked his helmet off and moved to stand beside Darling. "You would be wrong there, Zemen. Not only does he have the full backing of Nemesis and the Sentella, he has that of my people. From both sides. Human and Andarion."

  "And you can add mine to it, too," Caillen said as he exposed his face. "The Exeterians fear nothing, and I'm pretty sure the Qillaqs will back us, too. After all, they love a good fight. The bigger, the bloodier, the better."

  Fain, Ryn, and Chayden didn't expose their faces, but they stood shoulder to shoulder behind Darling. "The Tavali will always fight and back the Sentella, especially against the League."

  Kyr took a full minute before he spoke again. "All of you will regret this."

  Darling smirked. "The war is on. Can't wait for our first dance."

  An instant later, the screens went dark.

  "How rude!" Jayne tsked. "It's a good thing he's on the other side of the universe, otherwise, I'd have to hunt him down and school him."

  Syn let out an evil laugh. "Yes, but not rude on his part." He held up his wrist computer. "I killed the feed. Five more seconds of looking at him and I'd have hurled." He turned his attention to Darling. "Remind me later that we really need to send you to anger management therapy."

  Darling widened his eyes innocently at Syn as he pulled Zarya against him. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Rit. I'm all good."

  "Yeah, but we're not," Hauk said. "We just got busted."

  Fain draped an arm around Hauk's shoulders. "We're not busted, little brother. Only the morons who showed their faces." He passed a pointed stare to Nykyrian, Darling, Syn, and Caillen.

  Caillen shrugged. "What the hell? I never liked feeling safe, anyway. That's for old women."

  Jayne came down the stairs, holding Nero against her.

  Darling rushed toward them. "What happened?"

  "He protected me and got shot."

  "I'll be fine," Nero said with a grimace.

  "Thought you weren't psychic," Darling reminded him.

  "I'm not. But I know my body and right now, my head really hates you, Dar." Nero winced in pain as he met Zarya's gaze. "Don't worry. You're both fine."

  She burst into tears, then rushed to hug him in a way that made Darling jealous. "Thank you! I've been so scared."

  Why was she hugging Nero over the fact that she and he were safe?

  Nero patted her on the back, then stepped away. "Darling? You really should show her those papers you found."

  Darling sighed. "I hate it when you do that."

  "I know. Now I need to lie down for a few decades."

  Hauk took over from Jayne and draped Nero's arm around his shoulders. "Let's all get out of here before reinforcements come. Kyr may be on the other side of the universe, but not all of his army is with him."

  Darling agreed. They had a lot of civilians to take care of. The last thing they needed was to fight more League soldiers with them in the way.

  While the others left, Darling walked slowly toward Zarya. She looked so tired and pale. But even with those ugly bruises marring her face, she was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. "Are you all right, baby?"

  She bit her lip. "Funny you should use that word... According to Nero, I'm pregnant."

  For a full ten seconds, he couldn't breathe as those words sank in. And here he'd stupidly thought that Nero was talking about the two of them. "Are you sure?"

  "Nero swears he's not wrong."

  And he wouldn't be...

  Zarya was pregnant.

  Undefined emotions ripped through him all at once. Stark terror. Panic. But above all was a joy so profound it left him reeling.

  He was going to be a father...

  Have a baby.

  And that thought brought a tidal wave of pain crashing down around him. "I saw a photo of you dead, Zarya. I thought I'd lost you." He couldn't keep his voice from cracking. "I came here only to avenge you, and to die. Now..." He placed his shaking hand over her stomach where his child was growing inside her. "Now you tell me that you're pregnant... why in the name of the gods did you leave the palace in that condition?"

  She clutched his hand in both of hers and pressed it flat, wishing they could feel the baby move. But most of all, she wanted him to understand how much he meant to her. "Because you were in danger. I didn't want to lose you. Not after what I went through when I couldn't find you. I thought that if I went to the Resistance, I'd be able to talk sense into them. I had no idea they were under League surveillance, or that the League was planning an attack on them."

  He wanted to choke her for that. But most of all, he wanted to kiss her and make love to her until neither one of them could walk. "I knew they were under surveillance, and that the League was going to attack them. If you'd only told me be--"

  "You would have insisted on coming with me. And that wouldn't have gone over well with them. I had to go alone. I'm sorry."

  "I hate it when you're right." But he was so grateful to have her back. Alive. Nothing else mattered. He brushed his hand over her bruised cheek. "Who hit you?"

  "You killed him in the hallway."

  "I wish I'd known who it was. I'd have made it hurt a lot more."

  Zarya kissed his lips as joy tore through her. "You're being so reasonable about all of this that it scares me."

  "I promise, I'm going to be mad later. Right now, I'm just so relieved to have you with me that you have a free pass to do anything you want."

  She clutched him against her and inhaled the warm, masculine scent of his skin. "Thank you."

  "For what?"

  "Coming to get me. And I'm so incredibly sorry for everything th
at was done to you while you were in our custody. I know I've said it before, but it's never enough. And now, after all of this... I fully understand why you can never trust me. But I swear to you, on the life of everything I hold sacred, that I will never, ever, ever, ever leave you alone again. Not even if you beg me to."

  He kissed her breathless. "You have nothing to apologize for, Zarya."

  She knew better. "That's your relief still talking." She kissed the tip of his nose. "But that's okay. I still love you."

  "And I love you." He scooped her up in his arms, and started down the hallway.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Attempting to sweep you off your feet. Is it working?"

  She smiled at him. "Honey, you did that the minute I saw you in my cell."

  "Good. 'Cause you stole my heart the first time you looked up at me."

  "I stole it?"

  He flashed a wicked grin. "Good point. I gave it to you. I just hope you learn to take better care of it than the rings I keep buying you."

  EPILOGUE

  Three months later

  Zarya had her eyes closed as she sat on the cold marble floor with her long, maroon silk lace dress fanning out around her while she leaned back against Darling. Cradling her in his arms, he held a cool cloth to her forehead.

  She groaned out loud in utter misery. "I can't believe this is how I'm spending my wedding... sick on the bathroom floor."

  Nuzzling her cheek, he laughed softly in her ear. "Well, at least I have it all on video. The priest asking you to confirm your vows to me, and you instantly dashing off to throw up. Kind of apropos really, given our relationship. I'm so glad to know that the concept of being married to me makes you sick to your stomach."

  "You're not funny."

  He laid a tender kiss on her bare shoulder. "Sure I am. You'd laugh too if you hadn't just tossed up a vital organ or two."

  Smiling in spite of her queasiness, she cupped his perfect cheek in her hand. How he could be so kind and find humor in this given the insult she'd inadvertently dealt him, was beyond her. But then that was why she loved him so much. "I'm so sorry, Darling."

  "Don't be." He placed another kiss on her shoulder. "I'm quite happy right now. I have the best view in the palace, and I'm willing to sit here all day, holding you if you want."

  She slid her gaze up to see him staring down her decolletage. The hunger in his eyes and the sudden sensation of him bulging against her hip set fire to her own blood. "You're so bad," she teased.

  "Can't help it. I find you completely irresistible."