Born of Defiance (49 page)

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 now? There's no way to extract her from a Tavali portbase. They'll annihilate us.”

“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.”

Qory smiled at the thought and gestured to Morra.

“He says your terms are acceptable.”

Talyn shook his head. “I'm not leaving you without protection.”

Felicia arched a brow at him. “I'm in the middle of the armada's command center, with my older brother sitting on top of me like a rabid lorina with its sole-surviving kitten. I assure you, I will be fine.”

Even so, Talyn wasn't convinced. He had a bad feeling in his gut. And it wasn't over
his
mission. “I don't like this.”

“Guess no one's happy, then. You think it thrills me to have you go into the heart of beings I know have already shot you down and wouldn't hesitate to do so again?”

Talyn offered her the charming grin that had gotten him out of much trouble with his mother while growing up. “If I guess correctly, do I get a bonus?”

Growling, she shook her head. “You're so impossible. I have no idea why I love you.”

“'Cause I'm cute and fluffy, and I don't bitch when you rip the covers off me at night.”

She laughed at that. “Go on, get out before I make good my threat to shoot you in the leg.”

Talyn paused at the door to glance back at Felicia. The sad light in her eyes made his stomach lurch. “I'll be back,
couriana
. Promise.”

“You better be.”

His heart heavy that he'd made her sad, Talyn led Morra and Qory toward his office while Lorens stayed behind to console Felicia.

Morra used his link to place a call to her ally. When the man answered, he wasn't what Talyn had pictured as a Tavali. At all. With dark auburn hair, he looked more like an aristocratic politician than a ruthless pirate. In fact, the man bled refinement. But that being said, his manner of dress was a careless casual, something reflected by the fact he hadn't shaved in a couple of days.

The only clue to his real nature was the cold-blooded ruthlessness in his sharp blue eyes. “Lady Deathblade,” he said in greeting to Morra. “It's been quite some time since I've had the privilege of seeing your beautiful face.”

She snorted. “Ryn, Ryn, Ryn … you're such an outrageous flirt.”

“Can't help it. I've always been attracted to the ladies, especially when they're lethal.” He winked at her. “And since I know you so well, I know you're not calling to pass the time. What can I do for you, my lovely?”

“I need a huge favor. Where are you?”

Ryn tsked. “Not at liberty to disclose. I'm on official business for my mother. Why?”

Morra deflected his question with one of her own. “Any chance you're going to be near the Porturnum's Port StarStation base anytime soon?”

The amused grin on Ryn's face said that he knew she was being evasive on purpose. “And again, I ask why.”

She introduced Ryn to Talyn. “I'll let Talyn take over.”

Talyn inclined his head to Ryn. “We have it on good authority that Venik is harboring our deposed tadara, and Parisa Anatole, a wanted fugitive. I want to go in undercover as a Tavali to verify it, and extract them if they really are there.”

Ryn arched a brow at that. “Have you any idea what happens to someone wearing Tavali gear when they're not entitled? We have grave issues with posers.”

“And I have grave issues with the Andarion tadara trying to kill her own grandson and then using the Tavali, who are supposed to be our enemies, to hide her from our justice.”

Morra cleared her throat. “By the way, that grandson he's talking about … it's Nykyrian Quiakides. Someone near and dear all our hearts, who has a grudge against both the queen
and
Parisa.”

Ryn's other eyebrow shot up. “Really?”

Morra nodded. “So long as they're free, Nyk's wife is in danger.”

“You just trotted out the magic name to the game, little sister. I owe Nyk for protecting my brother. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him. Even bring my mother's clan into war.” Ryn turned away for a second as if considering his next course of action. “Fine. I'm already here at their Andarion base. And this explains a lot of what I've been overhearing since my arrival. Y'all come as my guests and I'll sponsor you. Let me know if you have any trouble getting in.”

“Thank you,” Talyn said.

“Peace be the journey.” Ryn cut the transmission.

As Talyn straightened, the knot in his gut drew tighter. Something bad was about to happen. “Can we trust him?”

Morra nodded. “That brother he mentioned? It's Darling Cruel.”

“The Caronese prince?”

She nodded. “They have the same father.”

And Darling was the Sentella friend Jayne was always trying to protect. She thought the world of the man, and Jayne trusted almost no one.

Ryn wasn't what Talyn felt, then. But something was off. He could sense it with the part of him that had never failed to be right.

If only he knew what his gut was trying to tell him.

Qory gestured to Morra as they left to head to the landing bay.

“What?” Talyn asked.

“He's reminding me that we need to dress you like Tavali. You walk in there in
that
uniform … well, I'm always up for a good fight, but if you get hurt, Felicia will kick my ass and Jayne will help her.” She chucked Talyn on his arm as they boarded their Sentella ship, and Qory left to head for the flight deck to do preflight checks. She pulled Talyn to a private room on board. “So follow me and drop those pants, cutie. This is going to be fun.”

For her, maybe.

As minutes went by and Morra used Talyn as a living doll, he knew what caused the lump of dread in his stomach. She put him in things that crawled into areas of his body that the gods had never meant fabric to touch, while Qory took over flying them out of the station and heading them into space.

Talyn had no idea what he was in for until he looked into a mirror. He cringed at what he saw. “Sentient creatures really dress this way?”

Morra laughed. “They do, indeed. And I have to say, you wear Tavali well. There's just one thing we need, that you should love.”