Part 36 (2/2)

”You! You let him back into our lives, knowing how I would feel if I ever found out he's the one who took your leg from you. How could you? For that matter, how can you stand to even look at him, knowing what he stole from you? What he's cost you!”

Talyn gaped. ”Really, Mum? You know, it was my leg I lost. Not you. But you know what? Look around this room.” He gestured at Brach and Gavarian. ”For almost a decade now, I've had two of the greatest brothers any male was ever lucky enough to claim. Yeah, they're a pain in my a.s.s at times, but when I need them, they come, b.i.t.c.hing every step of the way. Because of Hauk, I have the most devoted mother any child could have asked for. Yeah, there have been many times in my life I've seriously doubted your sanity, but never once have I ever doubted your love for me.” He moved to brush his hand over Vega's and War's heads. ”Now, I have an adorable new brother and sister to love. A brother and sister I'd have never met had Hauk not come back into our lives.”

Then he pulled Felicia against him and pressed his cheek to hers. Closing his eyes, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist and held her. ”And thanks to what Hauk did for me, I'm now fully Vested, and have the most amazing and beautiful wife by my side, with my own baby on the way. I'm the second highest ranked officer in the Andarion armada, and the most celebrated Ring fighter of my generation. If all I had to pay for that was half of one leg, then d.a.m.n, Mum, I got off easy. And it was so worth it in my book. h.e.l.l, I'd have given them the whole leg, and an arm. Besides, it wasn't like he took a t.e.s.t.i.c.l.e from me. That, I might not have forgiven.”

”Talyn!” Felicia gasped. ”The children!”

Vega's eyes were as round as saucers while War ran to hide behind Gavarian, laughing.

Ignoring them, Talyn continued. ”So to answer your question, I have no problem looking at my father. I'm too d.a.m.n grateful to still be here with all of you to worry about something as trivial as a leg. Had he not shot me down, Lorens wouldn't have retired early, and I wouldn't have been able to move into your adjutant position. From where I stand, I owe him everything.”

Galene hated whenever Talyn took the n.o.ble ground. It really made her yearn for the days when he was small enough for her to put into a corner.

Unwilling to cede this point, she turned to Gavarian. ”How do you feel about it?”

Gavarian let out a tired sigh. ”It would be really easy to hate Hauk for what happened. Honestly, there are times when I want to. Unfortunately, he's a decent b.a.s.t.a.r.d who makes hating him really hard. Besides, the truth is what I have trouble living with, not his part in my past. As much as I loved and adored Lettice, she didn't love me. Not like that. She was fond of me, but she preferred the life of a fighter pilot over that of a n.o.bleman's or officer's Ger Tarra. Nothing made her happier than battling for glory, and she always said that she wanted to go out in the middle of a dogfight, in a burst of flames, during her prime. That she didn't want to grow old and wither in old age. She got what she wanted. So, like Talyn, I can't lay that at Hauk's feet. We are warriors. When we go to battle, we know what we risk. Blaming another soldier for fighting for his life is pointless. And now that we're on the same side, Hauk's shown himself worthy of his lineage. He is his son's father. I'm honored to fight with him.”

Spoken like a true Andarion.

How she hated that little b.a.s.t.a.r.d for that.

But Gavarian made valid points that only made her hate him more.

Felicia stepped away from Talyn to approach her. With a kind smile, she rubbed Galene's arm in comfort. ”If it makes you feel better, Commander, I want to claw out his eyes for hurting Talyn, too. Like you, I haven't forgotten what Talyn went through to get back on his feet. Between the two of us, we might be able to make Fain limp.”

Galene laughed and drew her into a hug. ”I love you, Felicia.”

”Love you, too.” She squeezed her, then let go. ”And because of that, I want to remind you of something you once said to me. You've only loved two males in all your life. Talyn and the one who gave him to you. You said that if I ever met his father, I would know it instantly as they were so similar as to be virtually indistinguishable from one another.” She wiped the tears from Galene's face. ”You're right. They're both extremely aggravating males. Gorgeous beyond belief. Proud and strong. Andarion, through and through. And as my mother said to me when I first told her I was in love with Talyn, 'There are times when you will look at him and want to eat him up. And the rest of the time, you will wish you had. But remember on those times when you're contemplating his murder that the aggravation will pa.s.s and you again want to gobble him up and wear him like a blanket. So don't kill him without giving me fair warning to save up for bail money.'”

Galene laughed again. ”Thank you.” She glanced around at all of them. ”Thank you all for keeping me focused. And you're right. Staying angry at the past will only cost me my future. It's time I finally forgive him and let it go. There's no use in looking back and holding it against him. We can't change it. And I'm done making us all pay for it. In spite of it all, I do love him. Even when I want to kill him. I've lived my life without him and honestly, I like having him in it more.”

Yet even as she said the words, she knew it wasn't that easy. There was still an enemy out to frame and kill them. And Fain didn't have the freedom they did.

He was Tavali property. Not that she understood exactly what that meant.

Determined to find out, she left them and went to search for Ryn Dane, or Ryn Cruel, as he was known whenever he wasn't among his Tavali brethren.

It took some time, but she finally located Ryn in the infirmary, lending aid to those who'd been injured in the bombing. As she tried to help, she quickly learned that ”her kind” wasn't welcome there.

”We're not sure your group didn't set this bomb. Now stand aside, Commander.”

Stunned, she gaped at the rude doctor, who brushed past her to tend another patient.

Ryn stopped by her side and offered her a bottled water. ”Sorry about that. Everyone's on edge after the attack. They all want to blame someone who isn't in a Tavali uniform. It's easier that way. The thought that one of our own could do this... yeah.”

”You don't think we had anything to do with this, do you?”

”No. But I'm not an idiot. I don't judge others by their culture or uniform. I judge them by their own deeds and words. One thing I learned early in life, from both my parents, was that rotten seeps into all barrels, and that injustice never discriminates. It hits everyone equally and without reservation or hesitancy.” He took a deep drink of his water. ”So what brings you here, Commander?”

”Tavali law.”

He choked on his water. ”Okay. What about it?”

”How can someone buy out a Tavali slave?”

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. ”Make an offer to their owner. Just like anywhere else.”

She'd already tried that offer and Venik had turned her down coldly by telling her it was against their Code. ”Even if they're a Rogue pilot?”

He frowned at her. ”Rogues aren't slags.”

”Slag?”

He shook his head. ”Sorry, term we use for conscripted, enslaved, or Canting-busted members.”

Now she was really confused. Fain was both, and she knew it. Venik had told her such and refused to sell his contract to her. ”But Venik owns Fain.”

Ryn's scowl deepened. ”He can't. Fain wears a Rogue's Canting... doesn't he?” He stepped back to call out to a pa.s.sing Tavali. ”Hey, Pettrew? Hauk's the current RA, right? I'm not crazy, am I?”

”Yeah, Dane, you crazy as h.e.l.l, but Hauk is RA. I think he has at least another year before we vote again. Why?”

”Just checking the cerebrum. You know, I take a lot of hits to the head. Wanted to make sure nothing's been knocked loose. Thanks.” He took another drink. ”Yeah, he's a Rogue. Ven can't own him. Part of being a Rogue is that you fly independent of Nation and owe allegiance to none.”

”That's not true in his case.”

”You know this for a fact?”

”I do.”

He capped his water. ”Where's Fain?”

”Venik made him report to some quarters... I think he might have called them slag quarters?”

Ryn narrowed his gaze at that. ”With a commander's rank?”

”Yes.”

”That's bulls.h.i.+t.” Ryn stepped over to hail Dancer from triage to join them before he led them away from the infirmary.

”What's going on?” Dancer asked.

”I'm not sure, but I want some non-Tavali backup in case I have to do something radically stupid to help your brother.”

”Ah... Well, if you want that, we should call in Caillen. Radically stupid's his specialty.”

As they crossed to the housing district, Talyn and Gavarian joined them. By the expression on Talyn's face, she knew something else had happened.

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