Born of Defiance

Talyn gaped at the sweet gift of a stick girl holding on to the hand of what must have been her father. Her name was in the corner. “Xarah, I can’t take this.”


She nodded eagerly. “Yes, you can. I don’t got no one else to give it to, and it’ll make my mama sad to remember my paka. I was going to throw it away, but I want it to go to you instead of the garbage can.”

He knelt in front of her and brushed her hair back from her face before he inclined his head to her. “I will treasure it, always.”

She beamed a happy smile and threw herself into his arms. “You’re really, really big. You know that?”

He laughed. “I know, sweetling.”

She patted his shoulder before she withdrew and ran off.

Choked by the innocent gift, Talyn stared down at it. “Do you know what happened to her father?”

“Not really. He used to pick her up while her mother worked late. Then one day, he didn’t. Her mother has never said a word about it to me.”

Rising to his feet, Talyn carefully folded the picture and tucked it into his pocket. “I see why you like teaching.”

Felicia smiled. “They are precious. If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll see them to their parents and get my things.”

He watched her return to help them dress and remember their belongings. And in that minute, he knew that when their contract ended, he needed to let her go.

To deprive her of the children she wanted…

It would be all kinds of selfish.

And as he watched Xarah, he wanted blood from whatever asshole had taken her father from her. Having been raised without one, he knew how much it sucked. How much he dreaded school assignments like the one she’d given him. And how many times he’d tossed them on his way home to keep his own mother from feeling bad over the fact that his father had been a total dick. Teachers never thought about it when they assigned such. They believed they were being thoughtful, but it burned in a way unimaginable.

Closing his eyes, he fought against the bitterness that wanted to swallow him whole. Especially since he knew his father’s actions and their society kept him from what he wanted most.

A family of his own.

Unshed tears stung his throat as he remembered trying to buy a simple ring for the female he loved. The humiliation it had caused him.

You have to let her go.

But it hurt him so deep inside that he couldn’t imagine going back to his empty life. To not hearing her voice or feeling her hand on his flesh. She was what saw him through this hell known as life.

Yet as he watched her herd the kids out to their waiting parents, he knew that one day she’d look at him with resentment over the fact that staying with him would curtail everything she’d wanted to do with her future. It would limit her opportunities and taint the way others looked at her. He was nothing but a liability to her, and he knew it. And to see hatred in her eyes for him…

That would destroy him.

No, he would never taint her smile the way his father had tainted his mother’s. The last thing he would ever be was Felicia’s regret.



Two days later, Felicia wanted to cry as she saw Talyn in his uniform. She’d had him at home for so long that she’d grown accustomed to his being here. Worse, she’d enjoyed every second of the time they’d been together.

They hadn’t fought once. Not really.

“Oh, Licia, don’t.” Biting his lip, he cupped her cheek in his hand. “If you cry, I’m going to cry, too.”

That succeeded in making her laugh. As if. “I don’t think anything could make you cry.”

“That’s not true. I just cry on the inside.”

She pulled him into her arms and held him flush against her. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I wish I could stay. But I have to report in.”

She tightened her grip on his sleeve – where his rank patch was stitched. She fought the urge to rip it off and spit on it. “I know.”

Sinking his hand in her hair, he gave her a sizzling kiss. “I’ll call as soon as I can.”

She fisted her hands in his braids. “I won’t breathe until I hear from you.”

He smiled sadly at the old Andarion saying. “I could just throw you over my shoulder and take you with me. Think they’d notice?”

“I’m willing if you are.”

Talyn grinned at the serious light in her eyes. She was so incredibly precious to him. He’d never once thought anyone could mean so much to his well-being. Especially not in such a short amount of time. But every day he was with her made him crave her more. It actually hurt him to see her in pain. He felt her sadness even more deeply than he felt his own.

Dipping his head, he kissed her one last time. “Look on the bright side… I won’t be hogging your covers anymore.”

“I would give them all to you for your cocoon if you’d stay.”

“Now you say that. You didn’t feel that way last night while you were cursing me for it.” He kissed her forehead as his band went off. “I have to go, baby.”

“I know. Be careful. Stay safe.”