Born of Shadows (36 page)

If something were to happen to Caillen, she had no doubt it would devastate her entire being. The mere thought of losing him was enough to drive her to her knees.

A swell of emotions she couldn’t even identify choked her.

I love you.

Three simple words that seemed so inadequate for what she felt for him. How could anyone convey so much emotion with mere words? And yet she knew they could never be together. Especially not if they cleared their names. He was the prince and heir of his empire and she was the heiress to hers.

Their countries and politics would never allow them to unite. Two rulers couldn’t marry. It was a conflict of interest. One of them would have to step down and she knew it couldn’t be her. There was no one else to take her mother’s place. Gwen would never be able to handle the responsibility.

And Caillen wasn’t the kind of man who would willingly subjugate himself to the role he’d have to play on her world. Nor could she ask that of him.

Maybe he could beat me…

The truth was, she didn’t want to fight him for it. The thought of taking arms against him and bruising him…

She couldn’t do it.

There was no future for them. None. That reality cut through her as she realized just how hopeless all of this was. It wasn’t fair. No matter what, she would lose him.

Caillen turned in his seat to flash that familiar devilish grin at her. “You all right back there? You’re being awfully quiet.”

Fain snorted. “It’s okay to admit you’re sick from his lack of skill at the helm. No one here would think less of you for it.”

Caillen shot Fain a lethal glare. “You’re just jealous I’m a better pilot than you are.”

“Yeah, that’s so it. I live in fear of the comparison.” The dryness of that tone would rival a dust bowl.

Desideria smiled at their banter as she tried not to think about the fact that she’d have to leave him soon. “I’m fine, and Caillen is a fabulous pilot.”

All three of the men appeared shocked by her compliment. Honestly, it shocked her too. Since she’d grown up with nothing but criticism, any kind of compliment was hard for her to give to someone else. Yet she couldn’t help it. She wanted Caillen to feel good.

Girl, don’t feed
that
ego. The gods know, it’s the last thing you should do.

Yeah, okay, that was probably true.

Heat stung her cheeks as Caillen carefully guided them into a well-secured space station. A calm, smooth approach that was a nice change from their frenetic launch.

As they entered the bay and continued forward, guided by a tractor beam, Desideria’s eyes widened at the impressive display of artillery that followed them all the way to the landing pad. If there was any doubt about how serious the occupants were when it came to their safety, the red targeting dots put it away. If those cannons went off, there would be no escape.

She let out a low whistle. “Wow, they’re not playing around with that, are they?”

Hauk shook his head. “The Sentella can’t afford to. The League has too big a price on the head of anyone associated with them. You put one of us down, we’re taking you with us.”

Obviously.

Hauk took over the communications from Caillen as the controller gave him explicit orders to safety lock all of his weaponry. “This is XN-8-2-1 requesting clearance.”

There was a moment’s hesitation. “Voice analysis match. Welcome, drey,” said the smooth computer voice.

Drey? That word confused her as she moved to stand closer to Hauk. “What does drey mean?”

“Brother,” they answered in unison.

“What language?”

Hauk’s fangs flashed as he spoke. “Syn’s. It’s a corruption of Ritadarion and Andarion.”

Syn… Caillen’s handsome brother-in-law she’d seen in his vidframe. Desideria tucked that knowledge away as Caillen ordered her to strap herself in. She quickly took a seat and did as he asked.

Caillen made a smooth landing on the back pad while the pirates and fighter followed suit nearby.

It only took a few minutes to lock the ship down and open the hatch. Before Caillen could do more than unbuckle himself from his chair and stand, three women ran on board and practically tackled him to the ground. Desideria would have been jealous had she not recognized them as his sisters.

They each took turns scolding and adoring him in a variety of pitches. Their words came so fast and furious that it actually made her dizzy trying to follow them.

“How could you be so reckless?”

“Have you any idea how much trouble you’re in?”

“What brain were you attempting to use?”

“How dare you put us through this, you selfish little worm.”

“We’ve been so worried about you!”

“Thank the gods you’re all right.”

“When was the last time you ate? You look thinner.”

“What happened to your face? Do you need a doctor?”

“I swear, you’re such an idiot! How do you get yourself into these things?”

A loud whistle split the air and silenced them.

Desideria cringed at the shrillness and plugged her ears. She looked to the source to find the infamous Syn. Dressed all in black, he was dark and deadly. His long black hair was secured with a band at the nape of his neck. With at least a day’s growth of whiskers, his face was roguishly handsome and finely boned. Those black eyes took in every detail of the situation with an eerie astuteness that only Caillen’s could rival. One corner of his long coat was pulled back, out of the way of his holstered blaster so that he could get to it if he had to.

But there was no need. A person would have to be an absolute imbecile to confront someone with an aura this lethal. Syn’s sternness made her appreciate the fact that Caillen’s fierce aura was tempered by his humor and good nature. It would have to be hard to live with someone as grim as Syn.

He strode forward with a predator’s lope as his gaze went to each of Caillen’s sisters in turn. “Dagan women, down. The poor man can’t even breathe with all of you stifling him so badly.”

Kasen curled her lip as she raked Syn with a less than kind smirk. Oh yeah, Caillen was right. His sister was insane to confront Syn with anything except devout respect. “The imbecile’s lucky I’m not choking the breath out of him right now.”

Caillen snorted. “Love you too, sis.”

Kasen sneered at him. “Don’t you dare get lippy with me after the week you’ve put us through, you little worm.”

Desideria’s temper flared at the insults and the way Kasen treated him. How dare she! Especially given all the messes she’d gotten Caillen into over the years… such as the stunt that had almost resulted in his execution.

Before she realized what she was doing, she stepped forward to confront her. “Excuse me, but in case you haven’t noticed this really isn’t about you, cupcake. For all the misery you think you’ve suffered, I assure you it pales in comparison to what we’ve been through over the last few days. So before you continue to jump on him, you might want to steer down and step back. In the mood I’m in right now, I
will
do damage and unlike your brother, I don’t mind hitting women. Live for it, point of fact.”

hahara gaped, her expression astonished, then she laughed as Tessa and Kasen glared at her for it. “Oh, Cai, I
really
like her. You done good, little brother.”

Kasen’s nostrils flared before she started toward Desideria.

Caillen caught her by the arm and held her back. “Girl, don’t even. Trust me when I say the little dumpling can take you down. Remember, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog and Desideria has more fire in her than any I’ve encountered. She
will
hurt you.”

The light in Kasen’s eyes said she was willing to test them both.

“Kase,” Shahara said with a sharp, commanding note. “Be nice for once. It’s not often we find a woman who can tolerate your brother, never mind actually defend him.”

Hatred flared deep in Kasen’s eyes as she shrugged off Caillen’s grip. “Fine. Whatever. She’s just a passing fancy for him anyway. Just like all the others. I’ll be here long after she’s gone and he’s moved on to his next lay.”

Those words viciously slapped her and brought home the fact that Caillen, for all his tenderness with her, was nothing except a player who changed women more often than she changed her mind. Oh yeah, that reality slammed into her and burned.

Caillen felt his own temper rise at Kasen’s cruelty. “You need to shut up. Fast. I’ve about had it with you.”

She shoved him back, then invaded his personal space, daring him with her smug expression to hit her. “What are you going to do?”

He wanted to punch her. Hard. But she was right. Other than shooting her to protect her from the authorities, he hadn’t laid a hand on any of his sisters since his adoptive father had died.

Before anyone could react or he even realized her intent, Desideria pulled Kasen back and slugged her, then flew into a round of what he assumed must be heavy Qillaq insults. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, his Qillaq wasn’t fluent enough to know them.

Kasen moved in to retaliate.

Caillen scooped Desideria up in his arms and physically removed her from harm’s way at the same time Shahara blocked Kasen’s path. While he had no doubt Desideria could take his sister, Kasen was by no means unskilled and she not only outweighed, but out-towered Desideria by a full head’s height. Last thing he wanted was a knock-down, drag-out bloodbath between the two of them.

“Put me down!” Desideria growled between her clenched teeth.

“Nah, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Both of you need a time-out.”

She glared at him. “You’re not funny.”

“Really not trying to be at the moment. Just trying to protect two women I care about from a mutual ass beating.”

Desideria froze as those words broke through r anger and calmed her substantially. She stopped fighting his hold. “You care about me?”

Caillen felt as if all the air had been sucked completely out of the shuttle as every eye turned to him and a silence fell so loud that it was deafening. Yeah, he was like a Gondarion antler beast stuck under a microscope for some kind of genetic mutation.

Tell her yes. You care about her.

Yes, asshole, yes
.

He knew it was the wise thing to do.

The
honest
thing to do.

But everyone from Syn to Fain to Hauk and his sisters were watching. Not the ideal place to make a first declaration of affection. Those were for private time between a man and a woman.

His vocal cords seized up so that all he could get out was a very weak “Um…”

That had the same effect as setting fire to a foul mood feline. Desideria literally jumped out of his arms and turned loose more Qillaq that was probably questioning not only his paternal status, but his species and manhood. Even though she’d never been here before and had no idea where anything was, she stormed off the shuttle.

Caillen let out an audible groan as his stomach tightened enough to form a diamond.
I’m so screwed
.

Putting her hands on her hips, Shahara sighed heavily and rolled her eyes so far back in her head it was a miracle they didn’t stay there. “I swear I raised you smarter than this.” She looked helplessly at Syn. “I swear I did.”

Hauk slapped Fain in the stomach. “Gah and I thought
you
were inept with female feelings.” He shook his head at Caillen. “Damn, boy, you might as well have told her those pants made her ass look fat.”

He was right and Caillen felt like crap over what he’d done. There was only one thing to do…

Desideria stalked through the hangar as her temper boiled. She wanted to beat Caillen until he bled. She wanted…

“You all right?”

That had to be the deepest male voice and the most exotic accent she’d ever heard before. She paused to turn and see a man so perfectly formed he’d rival Caillen in looks. With a mask similar to Fain’s pulled down to cover his Adam’s apple, he wore his dark brown hair cut short, but long enough to form a beautiful mess of curls around his face. With hazel brown eyes that were tinged with a haunting ferocity, he was devastating. At the same time, there was something eerily familiar about him. Yet she’d never seen him before.

“Who are you?”

A set of perfect dimples flashed in his cheeks as he answered. “Chayden Aniwaya.”

Her gaze fell to the patch on his black flight jacket that matched the symbol Fain had on his mask. In the back of her mind, she was trying to think of how she knew this man and why he seemed to be a familiar stranger.

Before she could ask him about it, Caillen came running up behind her.

And with that, her anger overrode everything else. “I’m not speaking to you.”

Caillen let out a tired sigh while Chayden laughed.

“Damn, Dagan, what is it with you and women?”

“Don’t ask. In the mood I’m in, I might actually tell you.”

Chayden shook his head as he laughed again. “As an FYI, we surrendered the assassin to the Sentella who took him to a holding room for you when you’re ready. But I should warn you… getting any information is going to be damn near impossible.”

He figured as much. Bad thing about assassins, even paid ones, they seldom gave info or intel, even under torture. But Caillen had a way for getting what he wanted. “Did you check for a suicide cap?”

There was no missing the offended expression on Chayden’s face. “Do I look like an infant?”

“You’re still a little wet behind the ears.”

Desideria waited for the pirate to slug Caillen for that. The expression on his face said he really wanted to.

Instead, Chayden’s verbal response was in a language she couldn’t understand, but she was pretty sure it was an insult even though Caillen grinned in response.

“So are you heading out now?” Caillen asked him.

Chayden’s gaze went to her and something strange flickered in the depths of his eyes.

What was that look? He was hiding something, but she didn’t know what. “I sent my men on before the Sentella changed their mind and decided to arrest them. But I think I’ll hang around for a bit.”