Born of Defiance

All of them would be after the bounty on Talyn’s head.

No matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise, she couldn’t find a happy ending in this. WAR had been trying for decades to put Eriadne down, and like some supernatural beast, she always returned to power.

And this time if she returned to the throne, the bitch would claim the lives of everyone Felicia loved.





Chapter 26





T

alyn hesitated as the soldiers he passed kept saluting him, which, given his new rank, wasn’t completely unexpected. But what made him so uneasy was the way they looked at him.

With respect.

Ever since he’d led them in after Chrisen and Merrell, everything had been different.

Everything.

The guard captains who were stationed at Lorens’s door even opened it for him.

Yeah, Andaria was definitely coming to an end. This had to be the sign of some impending doomsday.

“Is something wrong?”

He turned toward Lorens before he remembered he was supposed to salute him.

Lorens returned it with a frown. “What’s got you so skittish?”

Talyn removed his helmet and brushed uneasily at his neck. “Just not used to Vested looking at me with anything other than contemptuous sneers on their faces. It’s scaring me.”

Lorens laughed. “I have our top advisors in the war room. You ready?”

Talyn nodded, then followed him into the adjacent conference room where the elite of the Andarion armada – at least the ones Tylie hadn’t relieved of their posts – waited. They came to their feet and saluted Lorens, who quickly had them retake their chairs.

Lorens gestured for Talyn to occupy the seat on his right. “For those of you who haven’t met him yet, my new adjutant is Lieutenant Commander Batur.”

Now there were the derisive snorts Talyn was used to. And the sneers that had him lifting his chin as he defied them with a hard stare.

“Bastard lack-Vest,” someone mumbled loud enough to be heard.

Lorens glared at each commander in turn. “If anyone in this room has an issue with my chosen second-in-command, then you have issue with me. You will give him the respect he’s earned through military service and loyalty, or I’ll allow him the honor of having you in the Ring. Any takers?”

That effectively quelled them.

Satisfied, Lorens turned on the monitors that showed various stats and updates on what was happening on Andaria and in their territories. “Now, let’s get to business. Jullien eton Anatole was arrested an hour ago when he assisted mercenaries in the kidnapping of Tizirah Kiara eton Anatole.”

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.”