Born of Defiance

“Talyn’s CO. I didn’t know who else to try, except you and my brother. Commander ezul Nykyrian refused to discuss it with me.”


Her hand shaking, Galene picked up the intercom. “I’m calling the tahrs.” She dialed, and waited until his secretary answered. “This is Commander Batur. I would like to talk to Tahrs Jullien about Major Batur. Immediately.”

Waiting with bated breath, Felicia toyed with her necklace Talyn had given her.

Galene’s face turned bright red. “I see. Is that his last word on the matter?” Her grip tightened on the link. “Thank you.” She set the link down and, without a word to them, headed out.

Glancing to Lorens, Felicia followed after her. “What did he say?”

“That it doesn’t concern me.” She walked with a hurried purpose.

Tears started falling as hopeless despair ripped through her heart. “What do we do, Commander?”

“We go to someone the royal prick can’t brush aside so easily.”

Felicia sucked her breath in sharply at Galene’s brazen words. That, too, could be construed as treason, should the wrong ears hear it.

Galene stopped outside a door and knocked. A moment later, a young servant opened it. “I need to speak with Tizirah Tylie immediately.”

“Please come in, Commander.” She opened the door and showed them into an elegant sitting room. “I’ll notify Her Highness.” She vanished through another door.

Felicia wiped at her tears. “Do you think the tizirah will help?”

“I don’t know. I can only ask.”

Eternity seemed to have passed before Tylie came through the door with the bearing of the royal tadara herself. Her long black hair was braided and coiled elaborately around her head. She wore a sheer red dress that showed her exquisite body off to perfection.

She frowned at the sight of all three of them in her receiving room. “Galene? Is there a problem?”

This time, it was the commander who teared up. “They’ve arrested my baby, Highness.”

Gasping, Tylie reached for Galene’s hand. “What? Who?”

“Tahrs Jullien.” She sniffed back her tears. “They won’t tell me anything. They say he committed treason. But I know my baby and so do you. You know Talyn would never do such a thing. He’s always been fiercely loyal to the crown.”

Tylie cupped Galene’s cheek in her hand. “Breathe, sweetie. Just breathe. We’ll get this taken care of immediately. I promise you.” The tizirah rubbed Galene’s back. “Kelsei!” she called. “I need you to locate Major Batur. Now!”

A secretary appeared instantly from the same room Tylie had been in on their arrival. “Yes, Highness.” She quickly typed into the pad she was carrying. “There’s nothing anywhere about a Major Batur.”

“He was arrested.”

The secretary shook her head. “Nothing’s showing, Highness. I’m searching everything… with your codes, even. We have no records for him.”

Tylie scowled. “Are you sure about this, Lena?”

She nodded. “I even talked to His Highness’s secretary and was told that I should stay out of it.”

“Highness,” Lorens said, stepping forward. “I’ve spoken with the tahrs’s staff and Commander ezul Nykyrian myself. I know they took Major Batur into custody. But they wouldn’t tell me anything more.”

Tylie broke off into a list of profanity under her breath. “Come with me.” She walked with the same determined stride Galene had used as she crossed the palace and entered another wing.

Without preamble, she threw open a set of doors.

Indignant over her entrance, Tahrs Jullien, who was supposed to be off-world, rose to his feet. The moment he saw the commander, rage darkened his gaze. “What is the meaning of this?”

“You tell me,” Tylie demanded. “Where’s Major Batur?”

“He’s of no concern to you.”

“And there you would be wrong, Julie. Where is he?”

“He’s part of my staff.”

“Really?” Tylie’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “You employ felons now? So much for those mandatory background checks, eh?”

Jullien curled his lip. “Batur is my —”

“Enough!” Tylie growled. “You will produce him for me, right now, or I’ll go to my mother, and you won’t like that, I promise you. While you think she loves you, I am her daughter she nurtured at her breast. And if that doesn’t scare you as much as it should, I’ll put a bug up your mother’s ass. Cairie will get him or take it out on you.”

Jullien lifted his chin defiantly. “He attacked me.”

“Show me the evidence.”

“You would defend a felon?”

“You have a history of lying, Jules. Let’s not go there. Now I’m sure if the Iron Hammer hit you, you’d have one hell of a bruise. In fact, knowing you, you’d have a medical record for it. So show me the bruise or the write-up from your doctor. Now!”

“Why do you hate me so?”