Born of Defiance (52 page)

Talyn was one of them and he would come for her. He wouldn't let her down.

And when he got here, he would kill every one of them for taking her. She knew it with every beat of her heart.

“There's only fifteen minutes left,” Chrisen said as Merrell changed the broadcasts, looking for news about their mother and the queen. “You think he'll do it?”

“Kill the tadara? Absolutely. Free our mother … I don't know.” He paused on the coverage over what Nykyrian Quiakides had done to Aksel Bredeh and Aksel's base. They flashed to a picture of his weeping, pregnant wife sitting in a hospital waiting room between Tylie and Cairistiona. “At least we don't have to worry about one of our hybrid cousins on the throne. Jullien will never inherit now that his parents know what he did to his own brother. And it looks like Nykyrian will die of his injuries.”

“Good. Then the right order of inheritance is ensured.”

Merrell nodded. “As it should have been. A true Andarion on our throne … me. Not some hybrid piece of shit.” He cast an evil smirk at Felicia. “It appears your lack-Vest bastard doesn't love you, after all.” With a sickening saunter, he closed the distance between them and pulled her hair back from her face.

Felicia jerked as far away as she could. Since the gag in her mouth kept her from speaking, she growled at him.

Merrell buried his hand in her hair and jerked her head back. “You think you're tough? I can't wait to hear that fight turn into screams for mercy.”

“Mer, look!”

They both turned toward the monitor to see Parisa being led into the palace by a group of soldiers. Since the news was still showing Cairistiona in the hospital where Nykarian had been taken, they knew it wasn't her.

Their mother was finally free.

“Unbelievable,” the commentator said. “In a stunning and unexpected move, Tizirah Tylie has agreed to abdicate her power.”

They cut to an interview with the princess in the same hospital, where Cairistiona was sitting in the background.

“My mother will be sorely missed. And the last thing I want is to see another member of my family venture into eternity. Nor do I want another innocent Andarion to suffer. While we are a warring race, the time has come to live in peace with ourselves and only fight against invaders. Those who would do us all harm. It is my honor to step down and allow peace to reign and a new tadara to ascend to her rightful place as our leader.” And with that, Tylie left the reporters who were shouting out questions. She returned to take her sister's hand in the hospital, as their guard pushed the reporters back and closed the doors in their faces.

Merrell let out a sound of utter disbelief. “I'll be damned. Batur did it.”

Chrisen shook his head. “So we let her go?”

Merrell laughed. “Of course not. Our mother's about to be tadara and we will be the new heirs.” He glared down at her. “The only question is, which of them do we gut first?”

Before Chrisen could answer, Merrell's link buzzed. He checked the ID and smiled. “Matarra?”

Chrisen went to his side. “Put her on speaker.”

Merrell obeyed. “Can you repeat that for Lord Dull and Boring?”

“We're planning the coronation within the hour. I need both of you here for it so that everyone can see you take your rightful places in our world.”

Felicia jumped as someone touched her bound hands. It took her a second to realize they were signing to her in her palm.

You're safe. Talyn is with me. We're cloaked.

Tears stung her eyes as Talyn brushed a tender caress against her cheek to let her know he was with her. She felt the air stirring as he moved to stand between her and the Anatoles.

Morra loosened Felicia's hands so that she could free herself. She patted her arm encouragingly.

Felicia still couldn't see them, but just knowing they were here …

Never had she loved Talyn more.

“How did you get free?” Merrell asked his mother.

“Batur arranged it. Tell me where you are and I'll send an entourage to escort you both to the palace.”

“We'll come on our own. See you shortly.” Merrell hung up.

Chrisen gasped. “What are you doing?”

“Something about this doesn't feel right. I don't trust that bastard lack-Vest. Do you?”

Chrisen glanced back toward Felicia. “No, but he loves his female. For her safety, I think he'd obey us.”

“Then she's coming with us.” Merrell moved to take her and collided hard with Talyn.

Talyn immediately decloaked. In full battlegear, he reached for Merrell. “You should have just gone on.” He slung him against the wall, then pulled his blaster out and angled it for Chrisen. “One excuse to pull the trigger. Please!”

Chrisen held his hands up.

The expression on Merrell's face said that he wanted to be stupid. Until he realized Talyn wasn't alone. One by one, six more Andarion soldiers decloaked.

Both Merrell and Chrisen went down on their knees and surrendered.

Talyn clicked his blaster from kill to stun before he shot each of them.

Twice.

Morra arched an inquisitive black brow at him.

He pulled his helmet off and handed it to the soldier on his left. “I want them kept unconscious until Cairistiona orders their deaths. Otherwise, I'm going to be executed for murder.” Talyn turned to Felicia and knelt down by her side to gather her into his arms.

Felicia buried her face against his neck. “I knew you'd come for me.”

“Always.” Trembling from the relief of finding her, he kissed her with everything he had.

Felicia gasped as Talyn stood with her in his arms. “I can walk.”

“I know.”

She scowled as he refused to set her down. “Talyn?”

He tightened his arms around her. “I came too close to losing you. Right now, I'm not sure I'll ever let you out of my sight again. Definitely not until all the dust settles from this shit.”

Smiling, she laid her head down on his shoulder. “Okay, then. But this might get awkward when I have to go to the bathroom.”

He laughed as he carried her down the hallway. He paused to look back at his men. “If you want to drag those two bastards out of here by their ankles, instead of getting hernias carrying them, I'm all right with that. And if you bang their heads into everything you pass along the way, I'll consider expedited promotions.”

The soldiers laughed so hard, they actually did drop them.

Morra clapped the one closest to her on the arm. “Not used to management with a wicked sense of humor, are you?”

“Not used to one with any kind of humor. Period.”

Felicia snuggled against Talyn.

Until they were outside. Talyn locked gazes with her. She had no idea what the expression on his face meant.

“No more hiding,” he breathed an instant before a huge set of wings expanded out of his back.

Gaping, she reached hesitantly to touch the soft texture of them. “You're winged?”

“Stralen isn't the only recessive gene I carry.”

She kissed him. “And I love every molecule of you. Recessive and otherwise.”

Talyn glanced to the other soldiers with him. One by one, they released their own wings. He grinned at her stunned expression. “Cairistiona and I reinstated the Winged divisions for the armada. She's extended her protection to us. After all, we're an endangered species now. The very last of our kind.”

Morra grabbed the largest Andarion male who didn't have a prisoner to carry. “I have to say, I'm beginning to have a fine appreciation for these non-green species.”

Felicia laughed as the soldiers took flight.

Talyn hesitated on the ground with her. “You ready for this?”

“I trusted you with an airbike. I think I can handle it.”

But instead of joining the others, he stared down at her. “I love you.”

She rubbed noses with him. “Love you, too.”

He tightened his arms around her before he took flight. Felicia's stomach fluttered as the ground rapidly receded. She wasn't quite as brave as she'd claimed. The only thing that kept her fear at bay was the knowledge that Talyn would never willingly allow any harm to come to her. That here, finally, she was completely safe.

Funny how she'd always thought of love in the most childish of terms. She'd assumed being in love meant someone would lavish her with attention and gifts. Spoil her blind. But that wasn't true love. True love was placing someone else before yourself. Giving without the expectation of getting anything in return, because their happiness meant more to you than your own. She totally understood that now.

And love was only right when the one you were with felt the exact same way about you. That was why they spoiled you and why you spoiled them in return.

No, she didn't know what the future would hold for them. But whatever disaster or challenge life threw at them, they'd get through it the same way they'd gotten through this.

Together.

 

EPILOGUE

Felicia shot to her feet as Duel Odelus knocked Talyn to the Ring floor with a brutal punch.

Lorens wrapped his arm around her. “It's all right, Felicia. He can take it.”

Yes, but she didn't want him to. More to the point,
she
couldn't take him taking it.

Glancing at Morra and Qory, who were sitting beside her, she winced as Talyn was struck again and again. This was why she'd never wanted to see any match Talyn was in. Why she'd always stayed in the locker room during the fight.

His blood and pain were more than she could take. But this was their anniversary and she'd promised him that she would sit Ringside with her brother and nephews, and their friends.

Little had she known how hard this would be.

When Talyn came to his feet, his gaze went straight to her. By that, she knew how much he appreciated her being here.

For him.

It was the least she could do, since she was still the reason he was getting the snot beaten out of him. This was the last fight he'd contracted for to free her of her contract. How she wished she could go back in time and change things.

But then, if she hadn't contracted with her agency, she would have never met him.

That part was all she didn't regret.

“It'll be all right, Aunt Felicia.” Gavarian handed her his drink.

She took a sip to settle her nervous stomach as she ignored the crowd that cheered Talyn getting beaten. Even Qory cheered with various signs while Morra made loud shouts of encouragement for Talyn to rip out Duel's spine.

For a moment, she thought he might. It was what he'd done to Chrisen in their fight a few months back. Something that had made Ferrick deliriously happy and unbelievably rich.

Shaking her head, she tried not to think about any of that.

So much had changed over this last year. Completely sober, Cairistiona was now the beloved Andarion tadara, with Nykyrian and his son, Adron, as the crowned heirs behind her in line for the throne, Eriadne, Jullien, and the remaining Anatoles were in prison or exile. Galene was the prime commander of their armada. Lorens was Galene's adjutant, and Talyn was now the commander at Anatole Base. As such, he was in charge of their primary fighter corps, and a lead advisor to his mother and her brother.

While she and Talyn still couldn't legally live together or marry, they did have a contract, courtesy of her mother and Morra. It wasn't as good as unification, but it was the best they could hope for under current Andarion law.

And since it allowed her to remain with Talyn, it was more than enough for her.

Felicia winced again as Duel slammed Talyn to the ground, again and stomped him. “How can he stand that?”

Lorens snorted. “Your male is one tough SOB.”

Erix shouted something at Talyn. With a fierce roar, Talyn came off the floor and laid into Duel with an unbelievable fury. In a matter of minutes, he had Duel trapped.

The victory buzzer went off.

Thank the gods, it was over. She could finally breathe again.

When the announcer reached for Talyn, Talyn took his mic. Pulling the mask from his face, he spat out his fang guard. “I have an announcement to make.” His breathing ragged, he met Felicia's gaze through the bars that separated them. “Tonight is a special anniversary. Two years ago, on this day, I met mu Ger Tarra Felicia. Not long after that, I made a promise to her that once I became a commander, I'd retire from the Ring. And with this, my last contracted fight, I'm keeping my word to her and surrendering my title.”

Felicia couldn't breathe as tears blurred her vision. He'd really done it.

Unbelievable! No one walked away from a career like his.

No one. Except a male whose integrity meant more to him than titles. He'd given her his word that he would quit before they killed him.

And he'd kept it.

Tears choked her.

As soon as the cage walls went down, Talyn left the Ring and came straight to her seat.

Hesitating, he held his hand out to her … as if she would
ever
deny him anything.

Felicia threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

“I'm disgusting,” he said with a laugh.

“No. You're beautiful. Even the gross sweat.” She nipped at his lips. “You didn't have to do this.”

He cupped her face in his wrapped hands. “I have ulterior motives.”

“And those are?”

“I don't want another night where I'm nursing bruises, instead of making love to you.”

She tsked playfully at him. “Then what will I do without those boo-boos to kiss?”

A devilish grin curved his lips. “Oh, I think I can come up with something else that needs your attention.”

Laughing, she pulled her hand from his face. As she opened her mouth to speak, he gasped, seeing the tattoo on her finger.

Talyn choked on the raw love he felt as he read the words she'd placed on her flesh.
Forever Talyn's
.