Born of Defiance

And over the next three weeks while she’d cared for him, she and Hadrian had fallen in love with the quiet, reserved boy who quickly became an extended member of their family.

Several times, they’d taken him to the hospital to visit Galene, who’d finally explained that Talyn’s father had never been in the picture and knew nothing about Talyn’s birth. Over and over, Galene had cried and thanked Jayne for a kindness that really shouldn’t be so unusual.

They’d been best friends ever since.

“Jaynie?”

She looked up at Hadrian’s voice that pulled her away from the past, and realized they’d landed and that both he and Nero were dressed in protective gear. “Yes?”

He cupped her face in his hand. “We’re heading out. You joining us or do you want to stay with the ship?”

“I’m coming.”

Hadrian handed her a mask and helped to secure it to her suit as Nero opened the door to the inhospitable landscape.

As soon as she was on the ramp, Jayne cursed Jullien for his cruelty. This planet, like so many others, had been bombed to oblivion by The League. What remained of the native life forms were mutated aberrations that preyed on anything they could find. But what sickened her most was how long Talyn had been here.

Even if they found him, he’d never be the same again.



Jayne cursed in utter frustration. After hours of finding no trace whatsoever through the heavily charged atmosphere that rendered their tracking equipment worthless, it was about to be too dark to keep going.

Hadrian caught her arm. “You go back and we’ll continue searching.”

“I’m not going to rest while you risk your life. Are you nuts? You stay. I stay.”

Hadrian cupped her cheek. “Think of the babies. They need their mother. You’re much more fierce than I am. Go back and we’ll keep looking.”

She hated it whenever he pulled the children card on her. It was the one and only thing he knew she wouldn’t argue against. “You’re a rank bastard, Hadrian Scalera!”

Instead of getting angry, he flashed that charming grin that always melted her heart. “Hadrian Erixour.” He pressed his helmet to hers and turned her around to head back without him.

Just as she took a step toward the ship, she saw Nero’s hand go up in a gesture that told her to hold position.

She pulled her blaster out and gripped it tight, looking for the threat.

Hadrian grabbed her as something went rushing past. She barely saw the blur of the twisted animal that appeared to have three malformed heads. Howling, it left a bright trail of blood in its wake.

She screwed her face up in distaste. As she straightened, she noticed the peculiar light in Hadrian’s eyes that said he was using his Trisani powers. “What?”

He ignored her. “Nero?”

The way Nero acted said that he was talking to his brother telepathically.

“I hate it when you two do that. It’s so rude. Now, what is it?” she whispered to her husband. “Talyn?”

“Not sure.” Hadrian stepped back from her to cover his brother as they moved forward, toward a hole in the cavern wall where the beast had come from.

There was even more blood here.

A lot more blood.

As they went farther in, they heard echoing voices.

“Did you see what he did with his bare hands?”

“Shoot the fucking bastard!”

“Are you crazy? Last time we did that, it only pissed him off more.”

“He’s going to get out of there and kill us. Throw something at him!”

“Fight! Fight! Fight!”

Jayne froze as she finally saw what was going on. At least three dozen men and women stood at the top of a large, steep pit where someone had thrown Talyn. They were in the process of dragging another huge male in chains from a cage toward the hole, as if intending to throw him in on top of Talyn so that they could fight.

“Enough!” Nero shouted.

They froze until they realized they outnumbered Jayne’s small group.

“Get them!”

Those words had barely left the man’s lips before Hadrian threw his arm out and sent a shock wave through the place that blasted them into the walls so hard, it knocked them instantly unconscious.

Nero turned toward his brother with an arch stare. “It seriously pains me that you can do that and not get a migraine.”

Hadrian laughed. “I have a migraine. It’s a big motherfucker, too. Stands about six four…”

Nero shoved at him. “Don’t rub it in, half-bit. Hatred stunted my growth.”

Ignoring them, Jayne ran to the pit. Bile rose in her throat as she took in the brutal sight of where Talyn was imprisoned. Steel spikes lined the pit, pointing downward so that he couldn’t climb out without being impaled or mangled. There were several bodies in the pit with him, and the ground was soaked with things best not thought about. “Talyn?”

His breathing ragged, he glared up at her and bared his fangs as if daring her to come for him.

She pulled her helmet off to show him her face. “Sexy baby T?”

He blinked twice then rubbed at his eyes as if unable to believe what he saw. Tilting his head, he frowned as if he couldn’t place her face.