Now ...
"The Probekeins still have a contract out on Kiara's life, and her father is dealing with that distraction already. We can use some of our special guard to attack and make it appear as if they're the ones after Kiara."
Jullien nodded. "I can contact Bredeh--I went to school with him and his brother, Arast. He wants the bastard dead even worse than we do."
Merrell dug his index finger into Jullien's shoulder to emphasize his point. "You do that. Because if your mother or aunt ever learns that hybrid is still alive..."
"Trust me, I know." They would personally kill Merrell's mother and demand the tadara's head. "You think I should tell my yaya that I saw him?"
Merrell paused to consider that. While the queen had been the one who'd originally used Merrell's mother to pose as Cairistiona to get rid of Nykyrian, the tadara was a capricious bitch. There was no telling how she'd react to this news that her grandson was still alive. The gods knew, she'd been furious when she'd found out Nykyrian had gone to school with them and they had failed to kill him then. The queen had as much to lose in this as they did should Nykyrian ever come forward.
But Eriadne wasn't that big a fan of Jullien these days either. She saw him as the weak hybrid coward that he was. Yet even so, she still preferred to see her direct blood on the throne than that of her sister. Which meant both he and Chrisen were forced to kiss Jullien's repugnant ass.
All these years, Merrell had been hoping to eliminate Jullien from their lives before the mutant troll spawned an heir. So far, they'd at least succeeded in keeping Jullien from marriage and procreation.
It hadn't been easy. Both he and Chrisen had bloody hands from it. And if Jullien ever found out, he'd kill them himself.
Hating that he had no choice except to kowtow to the creature he hated most, Merrell growled low in his throat. "Let me address this in private with her." And while he did it, he planned to use this as a way to get permission to eliminate Jullien from succession as well. It was time for the throne to shift from Eriadne's Anatole branch to Merrell's.
Time for serious Andarion change.
Jullien nodded. "I'll go make a few calls and see what I can put into place."
"And I'll stir the pot with Keifer Zamir. If Nykyrian really is with his daughter, it should be easy to make that paranoid bastard want his life for it. I'll tell him that you suspect the hybrid raped and is abusing her."
An evil smile curved Jullien's lips. "Good."
Merrell watched Jullien leave while his thoughts whirled. Things were unraveling fast. Sadly, he might have to sacrifice his younger brother to Chrisen's stupidity. But that was Chrisen's own fault.
This time, Terronova was out for blood.
If they fed Chrisen to Terronova, that should appease him for the time being. It would also quell the unrest with the nobility that was beginning to call for a restriction on royal power. Something they'd all taken a hand in causing, lately.
And once the nobles were distracted, Merrell would be able to go in and clean house.
Starting with the entire ezul Terronova line and ending with Eriadne's life and that of both of her two remaining daughters.
CHAPTER 23
Felicia set a drink down by Talyn as she smiled at his patience while teaching Qorach how to play squerin--an old Andarion game. She was quite stunned at how fast and easily Talyn picked up both Qorach's native language and his signs. Her male was exceptionally intelligent and quick.
As she met Morra's gaze, the elevator pinged unexpectedly. Something that never happened.
Assuming it would be Galene, she turned to welcome her. Instead, Aaron stepped off first and was quickly passed by a group of eight enforcers who had weapons drawn and aimed at them.
Morra and Qorach held their hands up immediately and laced their fingers together behind their heads. The light in their eyes said they were debating if they could take their attackers, and what the cost of fighting them would be. Felicia was a little slower to move. For one thing, she couldn't believe this was happening.
Homes didn't get invaded on Andaria. Not like this.
Talyn didn't move at all. He kept his hands on the table, in plain sight. "What is this, Aaron?"
"I showed them the lease and told them that you were friends with Tara Orfanos and that you and your other friends were here, visiting."
"Shut it!" an enforcer snarled as he pushed Aaron aside. "Talyn of the Winged Blood Clan of Batur. You are under arrest for an unsanctioned carnal relationship with Tara Felicia Orfanos."
His features stone, Talyn slid his chair back slowly. "Says who?"
They all kept their weapons trained on him as if expecting the Hammer to attack.
The enforcer who'd been talking came forward cautiously. He extended a warrant toward Talyn, but kept enough room between them that he could withdraw fast should Talyn lunge at him. "It's a royal decree. From the tahrs himself."
Felicia felt her knees go weak. "This is ludicrous! It's retaliation for my brother having Chrisen Anatole arrested!"
"It doesn't matter," Talyn said drily. He handed her the warrant. "Call my mother and let her know."
"Talyn--"
"Shh," he said gently. "We can't fight that warrant. Not unless you produce contract papers for us."
Her heart broke at the hopelessness in his eyes. "I'll get you out of this. I swear it!"
Talyn put his hands behind his back and allowed them to cuff him and drag him from the condo. With one last apologetic grimace, Aaron went with them.
Fury tore through her as she read through the warrant. She'd suspected her agency as being the one who'd filed the report and had the prince sign off on it. Instead, it was Tahrs Jullien himself who accused them.
And as she skimmed the allegations and details, she realized why Talyn hadn't fought it. Unless he pled guilty to blackmailing her into the relationship, or produced legal contract papers for them, she would be seized for a DNA swab to see if she'd had sexual contact with him. If confirmed, she'd be arrested, too.
Tears filled her eyes. She handed the warrant to Morra and went to get her link and call his mother and her father to tell them what had happened.
*
Felicia held Galene's trembling hand as her father and brother discussed the best way to get Talyn out of jail before Jullien deported him again.
So far, her father had been able to keep him in the downtown lockup, but either Eriadne or Jullien could have Talyn moved. And at any time.
Morra cleared her throat to get their attention. "I admit that I don't understand Andarion law. At all. But ... from what I'm hearing, all you need is a contract that says Talyn is allowed to have conjugal visits with Felicia, right?"
Her father was less than pleased with how she phrased that. His eyes blazed fury at the small Schvardan. "In short, yes."
"Then produce a contract."
Her father rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple. It would have to predate the allegations and they would have had to have filed it within seventy-two hours of signing it."
"Filed it where?"
"The legal repository, at the palace."
Morra scowled. "Is it automated?"
"Of course." Her father scoffed at the question. "No one could possibly read through everything that's filed on a daily basis. They do eventually review it, but it's a six-to eight-month backlog."
Morra winked at Felicia. "That's it, then. Get me a copy of what one of these things looks like and I'll forge you one. Take about an hour. We'll have him home in two."
Lorens laughed bitterly at her arrogance. "It's not that easy."
"For you, maybe." Morra cracked her knuckles. "For me? I need a sample and an hour. I promise, I can get this done."
Felicia shook her head in denial. "My brother's right. It's not so simple. Nor is it just paperwork. You have to have a licensed overseeing agent or agency. And unfortunately, the enforcers will demand to interview the designated agent before they allow Talyn his freedom."
/> Crossing her arms over her chest, Morra considered that. "How do you form one of these agencies? Could I be an agent?"
Felicia shook her head. "They can only be established by an Andarion with a minimum of twenty years in the industry."
Qorach signed to Morra, who smiled in response. She turned toward Felicia. "Didn't you say your mother was a companion?"
"Yes."
"Could she be an agent?"
Felicia took a minute to run the scenario. "She could have been granted a license to begin one. Yes."
"Could you be her first..." Morra slid an uncomfortable look toward Felicia's father. "Offering?"
"In theory. Why?"
"Can you get her to lie to save Talyn?"
"I think so."
Morra pulled her link out and set it up on the table. "Then tell me what I need to do and what systems I have to tap. Believe me, there's no security that can lock me out. It's why The Sentella hired me. Only two creatures alive are better at this kind of forgery than me, and both happen to work for The Sentella." She passed a happy gasp at Qorach. "Oh look! And one of those two just happens to be sitting beside me! What luck is this?"
Snorting at her enthusiasm, Qorach pulled out his own link and began feverishly tapping.
Galene passed a worried frown to Felicia. "Talk to your mother and tell her that if she does this, I will make sure nothing happens to her. Ever. And let's pray." She touched Morra on the shoulder. "While you work on it, I'll see if I can get to Talyn before he confesses to save Felicia and gets in so deep we can't get him out."
*
Talyn felt the air around him stir as someone neared his cell, but he didn't bother to look up or move. He was in too much pain for that.
"Baby?"
He savored the unexpected sound of his mother's voice. Bracing himself for the pain, he slowly sat up.
She gasped as soon as she saw him. "What did they do?"
He wiped at the blood on his cheek and winced. "Interrogated me. Since they have no real evidence, they were hoping I'd make their job easy and confess."
Tears welled in her eyes. "What did you tell them?"
Talyn snorted at her question. "Not a damn thing. If I had, they'd have stopped. Maybe. But you know me, Ma. I don't like to answer questions. From anyone. And my relationship with Felicia is none of their damn business. She's my best friend and that's all they need to know on the matter."
Her brow knit with furious concern, she reached through the bars to brush her hand against his throbbing jaw. "Don't worry. She's getting everything together to set you free. As soon as she can reach her mother and get the file number, they'll take it to the repository and have a copy made of your contract."
Talyn had no idea what his mother was talking about. She had to be high. But, he wasn't quite dumb enough to contradict her when he was sure they were being watched. Probably recorded.
Nor was he dumb enough to indict himself on anything. Hence the beating they'd given him. If his childhood, and Ring training, hadn't taught him how to endure pain, his armada basic training had. Name, caste, rank, CO. That's all anyone was entitled to. And it was all they'd ever get out of him. Which had pissed them off to no uncertain end, and made him quite happy with being their personal barnacle.
Talyn glared up at the camera in the ceiling outside his cell and smiled. "I know why I'm here and who's responsible for it. One day, we're going to meet in the Ring, you coward, and I will bathe in your blood. Probably your urine first, as I'm sure you'll piss your pants in fear. So keep hiding like a scared human bitch. It only makes me that much more determined to have it out with you, Andarion style."
"You shouldn't taunt them."
He shrugged. "What are they going to do? Beat me? Ooo, so scared of that," he said sarcastically. "Besides, they're all a bunch of quivering cowards, hiding behind their mamas. I am a Batur and an Andarion officer. I don't fear lesser beings, no matter what blood they believe flows in their veins. Personally, I think they should be tested to make certain they have the lineage their mothers claim. Surely those impressive families couldn't produce such inferior pansy stock, and if they did, then it's time to clean their gene pool. One fatality at a time."
She winced at his growled words. "What happened to my baby who would never say more than three words, and never anything so harsh against anyone?"
Talyn fingered his swollen lips. "He got tired of being force-fed shit."
The door behind his mother opened. A huge mountainous Andarion walked in and eyed Talyn. For several seconds, Talyn expected the bastard to haul him back to the interrogation room for another fun-filled round of I-ain't-telling-you-shite.
Instead, the guard applauded. "You're bold, boy. Stupider than hell, but bold. And you ain't got nothing compared to the fight in your female."
Talyn scowled at him as a sick sense of dread went through him. If anyone had harmed Felicia, he wouldn't rest until he'd slaughtered them where they stood. His back tingled with a fierce warning of the hell he was about to unleash. "How do you mean?"
The guard turned on the wall monitor and stepped back to let Talyn see the screen.
"All the stations have been playing this on a loop. Your female has started one serious firestorm."
Talyn's frown deepened as the scene went from two anchors to Ferrick and Erix at a press conference he'd forgotten was being held today about his upcoming fights. It had Andarions from every major news agency and even species from other planets. All hungry for information and stats on who would kill whom in the Ring.
Dressed in Talyn's custom fighting robes and carrying the Warsword Talyn used for his Ring matches, which looked gigantic in her delicate hands, Felicia made her way to the podium to address the bemused crowd.
Stunned and a little scared over her actions, he met his mother's gaping stare that said she'd had no idea Felicia had planned this.
After leaning his Warsword against the podium, Felicia lowered the hood and stared out at the swarm of reporters. "Obviously, I'm not the Iron Hammer. But I am here with important news." She lifted her hand that held a link and pressed it. Immediately, it began playing the call from Chrisen where he insulted Talyn and boldly propositioned Felicia.
Growling, Talyn charged the bars and glared at his mother. "Why didn't you tell me what that putrid bastard said to her!"
Before his mother could respond, Felicia spoke again. "All of you have come to ask about Talyn, and I'm here to tell you that, right now, this very instant, Major Talyn Batur, the Iron Hammer and a national Andarion hero who, as a fighter pilot, has bled in protection of his homeworld and for all of us, sits in jail. Not for a crime he committed, but over a personal vendetta started by a royal coward who has refused Talyn's repeated invitations to handle it like a true Andarion ... in the Ring." She enunciated each word slowly.
A group of soldiers started forward in the crowd, but were stopped by Sentella members who emerged to form a barricade and protect her.
Felicia adjusted her mic. "Before you arrest me and drag me off into banishment as you've done so many other innocent Andarion citizens whose only crime was breathing, I want Andarions, and the rest of the Nine Worlds, to know the truth about our ruling lineage. I am not a rebel. I'm a mere college student who's studying pediatric and physical medicine at North Eris. I never asked to be a tool for certain members of the royal family to use to cripple an Andarion warrior as noble and honorable as Talyn Batur. I didn't believe what I thought were the lies spun by those who hated our government and tadara. This is not the Scythian Age. Or the time of Justicale Cruel. Who in their right mind would believe such crimes could happen in this day and age? I didn't want to believe that Merrell Anatole killed my brother to marry his wife. Or that his brother raped my sister and then forced her to sign a nondisclosure or be killed for it. Nor that Chrisen Anatole would try to kidnap me in broad daylight, outside my own home--just to strike at Talyn for a grudge he holds against Talyn's parents. Those things happen on human worlds. They don't
happen here. Not to our race."
She pressed her link again. This time, it was Merrell and Chrisen blatantly discussing their crimes and laughing over them. Anger rose up from the reporters.
Felicia nodded. "It's in their own voices. Check your inboxes. Each one of you has a copy of these recordings, and more that have been unencrypted and delivered to your e-mails, and to every news agency in the Ichidian Universe, as well as that of The League prime commander. It is time for these criminals to be held accountable for the atrocities they've committed against their family and us! Are we cowed humans to be terrified of standing up to such tyranny? Or are we not the same warrior race that birthed a family of thirteen brave males and females who, united by blood and determination, held back an invading army to protect our brethren?"
A cheer of support went through the crowd.
Felicia struck her heart with her fist and raised Talyn's Warsword high--the Andarion sign of honor, and a challenge to enemies. "Andaria forever! I know Chrisen Anatole went to school with humans, but it's time our royal family member is reminded that he is supposed to be one of us! Not one of them. Get in the Ring, Anatole. Be the Andarion you claim to be! Set Talyn free! Death to all tyranny!"
The crowd began chanting the words with her.
Talyn stared with total incredulity. Proud and awed, he couldn't believe that Felicia would do something like this for him. Why would she risk her life and future?
If that wasn't shocking enough, the guard opened the door to his cell and stepped back to make room.
Unsure whether or not this was a trap, Talyn hesitated and eyed the guard.
A tic worked in the guard's jaw. "Those cowardly bastards have issued a League contract out on your female's life. We have two of our own and Sentella with her, but we know you want to protect her yourself. Like the decent Andarion you are. Good luck, Hammer. Gods travel with you. Get him in the Ring and feed him his teeth." He saluted Talyn.
His mother met his shocked gaze. "I have a transport waiting."
*
Felicia chewed her nail as her father and brother paced the living room, yelling at her for what she'd done with the media.
Her father glared at her with his white eyes. "You should have cleared this with me. What were you thinking?"