“He is.”
Another man, who was standing beside where Bastien lay on the ground, decloaked. Kneeling down, he uncuffed Bastien’s hands. “Sorry about that.”
Glaring his displeasure, but grateful that the stun blast had been mild, Bastien cursed him and his parentage as he rubbed his wrists.
Amused by the insults, the man pulled off his helmet. His short red hair held the royal harone of the Caronese emperor, and it was a face Bastien knew well, as they’d once gone to school together.
Darling Cruel.
The prick who’d started The Sentella’s war with The League. That meant the still-helmeted man next to Sumi was definitely Nykyrian.
Bastien took a moment to survey the man who was both a living legend and his unknown cousin. Equal in height to Jullien, he was a bit leaner.
But no less badass judging by that I’ll-kick-your-ass-and-mean-it stance that seemed as ingrained as breathing. No wonder Thia didn’t date.
Yeah, that would be worse, and even more intimidating than meeting Ember’s father and mother for the first time.
Bastien’s gut knotted at that fun memory. It was never a good idea to date the daughter of someone trained to kill and hide bodies.
Never mind two such parents. The only thing more frightening than Ember’s father had been her Riot Squad mother, whose reputation for cold-blooded ruthless military prowess was second only to Nykyrian’s.
Sumi ran to Dancer and knelt beside him. “He said they drugged him with something while they held him. He was poisoned two days ago from a Partini blade and he has several injuries from other attacks.”
Damn, Dancer was having a worse time than Bastien was.
Syn gaped in disbelief. “What the hell did you do to him?”
Sumi glared indignantly. “I’ve kept him alive.”
Nykyrian pulled his helmet off and held it under one arm. His white-blond hair was cut stylishly short and slicked back. Like Jullien before he’d gone stralen, he had green, human eyes and his face was covered with scars. A face that was so similar to Aros’s it made Bastien wonder how no one had ever made the connection they were father and son. You’d have to be blind to miss it.
“Where’s my daughter and Darice?”
Sumi jerked her chin toward the mountain range. “They’re hiding near camp, with Illyse. There’s a cave just to the south of the climbing approach.”
Inclining his head to her, Nykyrian spoke into a link that was attached to his ear. “Jayne? We’ve secured Hauk. The kids should be near the base camp that we found earlier. I’m leaving Syn and Darling here with Sumi and Bastien. I need you for support while I go after Thia. Everyone else, stay where you are at camp and make sure no one goes near my kid. If they do, make them bleed hard.” He headed off at a dead run for a cloaked airbike.
Impressed, Bastien continued to glare at Darling. “Are we good yet? Or do I have to don my ass-kicking boots and leave imprints some place you’re not going to like?”
Darling glanced to Sumi. “Don’t know. Are we good?”
Before she could answer, Dancer blinked his eyes open. “Sumi?” he whispered hoarsely.
Leaning over him, she placed her hand on his cheek. “Right here, baby.”
Darling and Syn exchanged a shocked, exaggerated gape as Syn pulled out a light and checked Dancer’s eyes.
With a savage hiss, Dancer shoved the light away. “Put that away or I’m going to ram it someplace both you and Shahara will curse me for.”
“Dancer,” she chided. “Let him tend you.”
He started to grimace then pressed his lips together. “I hate that damn light. It burns.”
Now it was Darling’s turn to pull Dancer’s eyelid back to see his eye.
Dancer grimaced and punched at him.
Laughing, Darling took it in stride. “You look like hell, buddy.”
“You ain’t no beauty queen, either. Asshole.”
Darling grinned in bitter amusement. “You better take a nicer tone. I walked out on my wife and son to be here for you to insult me.”
Dancer frowned at him as he rubbed at his eye in a very adorable boyish fashion. “Zarya had the baby?”
“Last night. About half an hour before Nyk called to say you were in trouble.”
Dancer scratched at his head. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. About time I get to save you, and don’t think I’m not holding your impeccably inconsiderate timing over your head for the rest of eternity. You will be paying for this, that I promise. By the way, Zarya wanted me to tell you that you better get back home and see your nephew or she’ll hunt your hulking ass down and skin it.”
Sumi touched Syn’s hand to get his attention while he evaluated Dancer’s condition. “Someone planted a tracking device in Dancer’s back. We’ve had incas coming after him for days.”
Nodding, he tilted Dancer’s head toward him. “You with me, buddy?”