Born of Legend (65 page)

“What evil power was this?” Ushara asked.

Trajen winked at her. “Guilt.”

Thrāix snorted. “I didn't even know I could still feel that emotion. So double kudos.” He met Jullien's gaze. “Are you completely sure you want to do this? Once we do it, there's no going back. Ever.”

“What exactly are you doing to him? Trajen was a bit vague.”

“Of course he was.” Thrāix cut a peeved, gimlet stare toward Trajen before he softened his expression for Ushara. “We're rerouting and remapping part of your husband's brain. Opening up a trench, as it were.”

She paled noticeably. “Trajen said there wouldn't be any surgery.”

He inclined his head to her. “I don't need surgery. But it's not without risk. It takes total supplication to me. He fights me, it could cost him some brain cells.”

“Jules,” she said with a warning tone, “I don't think you're capable of doing that.”

“I can do it.”

Aghast, she gaped at him. “You're the most argumentative Androkyn ever born. Your first words to me on the day we met were that you're a contentious asshole.”

“I can control it for this.”

She shook her head in total disbelief before she turned back toward Thrāix. “Fine, but please make a note that I am
not
Trisani. Anything happens to my Jules, and your jewels are the first set I'm coming after.”

Thrāix actually grinned at that. And then, shockingly, his eyes filled with tears. He swallowed hard as his smile faded.

Trajen stepped forward. “You all right?”

In truth, he looked as if he'd just been cold-cocked with a sledgehammer. His breathing ragged, he all but doubled over. “You're weren't kidding. I see now why you chose her. If she were a little taller … She looks just like her.”

“Her?” Jullien asked.

“My wife.” Thrāix cleared his throat and shook his head. He pulled out a small locket and opened it to show the photo to Jullien. Inside was the image of a female who bore a shocking resemblance to Ushara. Except her hair was darker and her eyes were a silvery-blue, and she didn't have fangs. Yet their features …

Damn.

“That's eerie.”

Closing the locket, Thrāix returned it to his pocket. “Yeah, it is.”

“Where is she?” Ushara asked.

Thrāix's eyes flashed red. “She was murdered.”

Ushara touched his arm in sympathy. “I'm so sorry. My first husband was murdered. I know how hard it is to carry on after such tragedy.”

He patted her hand. “I will make sure that you don't lose this one. Contentious asshole or not.”

She laughed even as Jullien let out an irritated growl. “Can I go in with him when you do it? Since it's not surgery?”

Thrāix hesitated, then nodded. “It'll do him good to have you there, I think. You can help keep him calm for it.”

“He's going to be awake?”

“Again, not surgery. He has to be awake while I do it.” Thrāix passed a troubled look to Trajen that said they were speaking privately while Thrāix led them to a set of doors and into the rear of the building.

There, he showed them to a large sterile room with a hospital bed.

“Lie down and get as comfortable as you can.”

Jullien reluctantly obeyed.

Ushara fluffed the pillow and ruffled his hair. “Don't bite the doctor.”

Thrāix arched a brow at that. “The doctor bites back.”

A blanket appeared on top of Jullien, reminding them of just how powerful Thrāix was with his powers.

Trajen stayed back, in a corner of the room. “What do you need me to do?”

“Nothing. You're here for his moral support and to help keep Jullien comfortable, since he doesn't know me. This is more about trust than anything else. He has to stay calm.”

“It's really not
so
bad.”

Jullien shot up at the familiar voice. “Jupiter?”

He came through another door to grin at them. “Hey, Jules.” He inclined his head to Ushara as he approached the bed and shook Jullien's arm. “VA.” Then he looked to Trajen. “HAP.”

“What are you doing here?” Ushara asked.

Thrāix moved a tray closer to the bed. “I asked him to come, since Jullien knows him, and Jory went through this himself.”

Ushara gaped. “How did
you
know about this procedure?”

“Me mother's part Trisani. Mack was actually born with the skills I had to be given. Chafes me arse quarters that I had to have this done, but in the end, me powers ended being stronger as a result of it.”

Ushara chewed her lip. “Is it painful?”

“Stings a bit. Nothing too bad. Just a fierce headache for a few days. I doubt your male'll feel it at all. You've just got to stay in a happy place and don't be letting the darkness swallow you.”

Thrāix pulled a chair up. “Ushara, if you'll take his hand? Jory … standby to help Trajen hold him should we need it.”

They moved into position while Thrāix leaned over Jullien's head. “I'm going to touch you now, if you're ready?”

Jullien nodded.

Thrāix gently placed his hand on Jullien's forehead. “Just breathe deeply and close your eyes. Let me guide your thoughts and don't fight me. Ignore what you see. And follow me through, okay?”

“Okay.” Jullien moved Ushara's hand to his heart while strange images and patterns floated through his mind. At first, nothing made sense. But that didn't last. He saw his past playing out in vivid, biting details.

Shh,
Thrāix whispered in his head.
I'm with you,
kiran.
I'm not judging. Just move with me past it. We have to open this shit up to get where we need to go. Sorry about that.

Jullien tensed as he saw himself in prison and felt the pain of it all anew.
Why am I here?

Thrāix tightened his grip on him.
Part of the process. It's normal. We have to go through the temporal lobe before we move to the frontal. Unfortunately, it'll release kickback emotions and visions as we tunnel into it … from both of us.

No sooner had Thrāix said that than Jullien saw what he meant. At first, Jullien thought it was Ushara, but as noted, Julia was taller and thinner, with blue, human eyes and dark hair.

And she was in a jail cell with both Thrāix and Trajen when they were all a lot younger. Thrāix and Trajen were trying to fight off guards who were dragging her away, but they were no match for the Chillers and the tech that had been specifically designed to negate their Trisani powers.

“Don't you touch my sister!” Trajen shouted, rushing them.

The guard nearest him caught him a blow that broke his jaw.

Thrāix attempted to blast him with his powers and ended up screaming out in pain as it damaged a part of his own brain.

Jullien flinched.

Thrāix tensed and released a shaky breath.
Calm down. It's my pain, not yours, brother.

I'm sorry, Thrāix.

He felt Thrāix's jaw flexing next to his.
It's all right. We all got shit to deal with.

And as their memories merged, Jullien realized just how much they did have in common. But not even that was enough to save him from the resurgence of his past as he was thrown back to the horrors of reliving his childhood.

Ushara panicked as Jullien jerked on the bed and Thrāix, Trajen, and Jory struggled to hold him down.

Thrāix cursed out loud as both their noses started bleeding. “Hold him or we'll lose him!”

Chilled to the bone, she tightened her grip on Jullien's hand and pressed hers to his cheek. “
Mi turi?
Can you hear me? I'm here with you.”

“Shara?” With that single whisper, he calmed.

“I'm not going anywhere.” She moved to lie down beside him and cuddle against his ribs like she did at night when they slept. She even placed her leg over his and draped her arm across his waist.

Jullien settled down instantly. His breathing remained heavy and ragged, his body tense, but with her pressed against him, he didn't move.

By the time Thrāix finally pulled back and let go, he was pale and shaking. Weak. He stumbled and almost fell. When Trajen went to help him, he curled his lip at him. “I'm fine.”

Trajen held his hands up and backed off.

Jullien was unconscious.

Terrified, Ushara rose up and started to wake him, but Trajen stopped her. “He needs to rest. His brain's healing right now. Don't disturb him.”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded.

She glanced to Thrāix for confirmation.

“He's being honest. Jullien's fine from this.” But there was an odd note to his tone.

“What does that mean?”

Thrāix shook his head. “Has Jullien ever talked to you about his family?”

“Some.”

Wiping the blood from his nose, Thrāix let out a bitter laugh. “No. He hasn't.” He met Trajen's gaze. “You haven't really gone into his past, have you?”

“Hell no. The unintentional bits I've caught scarred me enough that I keep my shields up around him at all times.”

When Thrāix glanced to Jory, he shook his head. “I don't really have those powers.”

“Be glad.” He turned his attention back to Trajen and drew a shaky breath. “How the hell does he manage to trust anyone? With anything?”

“I don't think he does.”

Sniffing against the blood, Thrāix cleared his throat. “Ushara? Walk with me.”

“What about Jullien?”

“He's not going anywhere. Besides, Jory and Trajen are here with him.”

Reluctantly, she followed him from the room. He didn't take her far. Just outside the door. There, he turned and narrowed his gaze on her. “There's something I think you need to see.”

“What do you mean?”

He held his hand out to her. “It's about Jullien. If you want to really understand him…”

She took his hand, then gasped as she instantly saw images of Jullien as a young male in the Andarion palace. He was dressing alone, preparing for his graduation ceremony from primary school. But what burned her was the turmoil inside him. Instead of the joy she'd felt when she was his age and getting ready for her ceremony with her sisters surrounding her, he was utterly despondent.

He winced as he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His eyes were hollow from the drugs Merrell had been feeding him. And he was so pale, his skin rivaled the whiteness of his shirt. He felt ill and dizzy. Nauseated and weak. But he'd worked hard for this, and he was determined to stand strong and be there tonight in spite of them all.

Determined to hold his head high, he pulled his jacket on and buttoned it, then wiped at the clammy sweat on his forehead. He checked the time. His valet should have been back by now with his water.

Whatever.

His link rang. Picking it up, he saw that it was his father. Joy brought a rare smile to his face that his father had arrived early to pick him up and take him to school. “Paka! I was just—”

“Your Highness? This is His Majesty's secretary. Unfortunately, the emperor has a pressing issue that has come up, and he must cancel his appointment with you today. He regrets that he can't be there. But this is an urgent matter of national importance and can't wait. Thank you for your understanding.” He cut the transmission.

Jullien stood there in stunned disbelief as his joy withered under a staggering wave of disappointment.

A pressing issue?

Seriously? Tears gathered to choke him, but he held them back.

Of course his father had something else to do. He always did. Why should today be any different than normal? And there wasn't anything pressing about Triosan security that needed his father's attention. Did his father forget that he watched the news, too?

Screw it.

Trying not to think about it or the fact that his father had probably forgotten to add it to his calendar, he finished buttoning his coat and put himself together as best he could. Once he had himself impeccably groomed, he left his room and tried not to let his father's callousness hurt him. He should have known better than to expect anything else.

With a deep sigh, he hesitated as he passed by his mother's suite of rooms. They were eerily quiet.

Hurt and wanting comfort, Jullien went toward the doors. His breathing ragged, he put his hand on the knob, then stopped short of turning it.

Don't. She'll just yell at you.

If she even knew it was him. Most of the time nowadays, she thought he was his uncle, come to kill her. Ever since he'd hit puberty, she couldn't tell them apart. One look at his face and she would scream and threw something at him.

Aching to the core of his soul over something he couldn't change, he pressed his head to the door and splayed his hand against it, wanting her love and approval with everything inside him.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Jullien stumbled into the room to meet the startled gasp of his mother's favorite guard, Lieutenant Galene Batur. Tall and gorgeous, she hated every one of his guts and didn't hesitate to let him know it.

“Why are you skulking outside the door?”

His hurt turned to anger. “I wasn't skulking. I wanted to see my matarra.”

The unusual sound of his mother's laughter stunned him.

“She's awake and alert?”

Galene didn't speak as he stepped around her and into the room. He followed the sound of his mother singing to find her in a rocking chair with a young boy in her lap. Talyn Batur. The sight struck him like a kick in the groin, especially since the child held one of Nykyrian's prized toys that his mother didn't allow anyone to so much as breathe on without a shrieking fit.

“What's this, Yaya Tizirah?”

His mother smiled down at the boy and smoothed his long hair back from his face before she kissed him. “It's a lorina, like you!” She tickled him until he squealed in laughter.