Born of Vengeance (The League #10)

Bastien snorted. “Never met him, but I know who he is.” They were cousins, after all. But Nykyrian had supposedly died before Bastien had been born.

With the exception of Jullien, who’d kept Nykyrian’s living-state a secret for both their healths and continued well-being, no one else in the family had ever been told that Nykyrian was still alive. Not until a few months before Barnabas had killed Bastien’s immediate family and had him arrested for the murders.

Then Nyk had returned to resume his rightful place in the Triosan and Andarion empires with a vengeance. And Jullien had been thrown to the assasins.

Bastian started to say something to Thia about being cousins, but self-preservation kept him from it. He’d had enough family betrayal for one lifetime. Last thing he needed was to chance any more, and he didn’t know these beings at all.

Better safe than a thousand times sorry. He was through being a doe-eyed innocent and having his balls handed to him by people he trusted.

As they neared the door, Thia slowed.

Immediately alert, Bastien pulled his weapon. “You see something?”

Tears swam in her eyes. Even though it was dark, they shimmered clearly. “This is where my mother died, isn’t it?”

Crap …

He’d been so involved with his own concerns and pain, he hadn’t even considered that. This had to be utterly devastating for her, especially given her tender age. Probably a decade or so younger than him, she was just entering adulthood, which meant she’d been a kid when her mother died.

Having lost his own family, he knew exactly how soul-wrecking this was for her. He couldn’t imagine having to go through that loss at the age she’d have been.

Luckily, he caught himself before the words “don’t think about it” slipped out of his stupid mouth. She wasn’t a soldier. Wasn’t used to compartmentalizing her pain. That alone had saved his sanity, though there were times when he didn’t think he was sane anymore. Even more times when he was convinced of it.

But sane or not, he wasn’t an insensitive jackass.

“I’m sorry, Thia.”

With an admirable sniff, she pulled herself together. “I loved my mama, Bastien. I miss her a lot.”

“Yeah, I get that. I still talk to mine in my head, every day.” He pulled out his link and showed her the family photo that’d been taken during his last really happy memory. It was what he’d been holding on to through all this hell that had become his life. “I’d give anything to see my mother again. Tell her I wish I hadn’t been such an ass when I was a teenager. Tell my dad that I wish I hadn’t been such an ass, period.”

She laughed at that. “Who’s the dark-haired woman you have your arms around?”

His throat tightened at her question. “Ember.”

“Pretty name. Your wife?”

Shaking his head, he clicked his link off and tried not to think about how many times a day he pulled that photo up to look at Ember and imagine other things he definitely didn’t want to discuss with someone else. “Nah. I was never that lucky.” He draped his arm around Thia’s shoulders. “C’mon, I’ll make you some tea.”

“Tea?” Darice whined like a champ. “Gah! Do all humans drink that crap?”

“Be nice. I’ve got some Pleteigne for you, kid.”

He perked up instantly at the mention of the sugary energy drink that was a favorite junk food on Andaria. The first time Jullien had brought it in, Bastien had panicked since the word translated to “human blood.” But it was so named for the red juice that came out of a fruit that bore an odd human shape to it. Apparently, it was a delicacy in their empire.

“Pleteigne? How you get that here, human?”

“I have Andarion connections. My bud brings it to me whenever he happens this way. I got a case left from the last time he visited. Don’t know how y’all drink that regularly. One can and I’m wired for days.”

“’Cause you’re human,” Darice said proudly, puffing his chest out.

“For the record,” Thia whispered to him, “if you shoot or preferably kill Darice, I’ll tell Uncle Hauk it was an accident.”

Releasing her, Bastien laughed. This was what he loved most whenever Jullien stopped in. Familial bantering and busting chops.

Unfortunately, he was so focused on them that he didn’t realize his alarm had been tripped.

Not until he turned the dim lights on and met the angry faces of a band of Boldorians who were hiding inside his home.

Weapons drawn.

Ah, minsid hell …

Had he been alone, he’d have chanced their aim against his reflexes. But since more of the smelly beasts came in behind them, he thought better of it. Neither Thia nor Darice seemed particularly trained.

“Hands up!”

Bastien obeyed. “Do it, kids.”