Part 45 (1/2)

”You're scaring me, Fain. What's going on?”

”Nothing,” he repeated as he entered the main office for the Hadean Corps. Forgetting about his call, he rushed to the desk where their COD was entering data. ”Where's Talyn Batur?”

The guard pa.s.sed a bored look toward him. ”You'll have to take a-”

”Don't f.u.c.k with me, you little mogfart! I'll rip out your minsid spine and beat you with it!” He jerked the human up with one hand to show him just how easy it would be to do it. ”Where's my son!”

”T-t-t-they're processing him. He's in Room One.”

Fain dropped him straight to the floor. His heart pounding, he rushed to the door and threw it open, terrified of what he'd find there.

The guards drew blasters on him. But he didn't care as he searched the area visually for any sign of an a.s.sa.s.sin.

For once, he relished the horrified expression on Talyn's face as he saw him.

Too grateful to find his son alive and in one piece to care about anything else, Fain grabbed him into a hug.

Talyn didn't return the gesture. He stood stiff and uncomfortable. ”You've lost it, haven't you, Hauk?”

Laughing, Fain buried his hand in Talyn's braids and held him close. ”No, thank the G.o.ds. I haven't lost a d.a.m.n thing.” He squeezed Talyn and kissed his cheek before he released him. Then he realized that the Hadean Corpsmen were still aiming for his head.

Fain cracked a smile at them. ”There's been a little misunderstanding.”

Talyn tilted his head. ”Hear that?”

Fain caught the light snap a second later. ”Trip wire.” His only thought to protect his son, he grabbed Talyn and wrapped his body around him while trying to get him toward the reinforced inner hallways that were more sheltered.

Next thing he knew, everything exploded into flames and smoke.

Chapter 18.

F.

ain came awake, coughing up blood. Every part of his body ached and hurt so much that he couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. Not a single part of his body. He was trapped beneath a crus.h.i.+ng weight.

Please don't be my son's body.

All around, he heard screams and groans. The sounds of metal popping and fire. Alarms blaring.

But he didn't hear the one thing he wanted to hear most.

”Talyn?” Blinking, he wanted to brush the blood from his eyes to clear them. ”Talyn?” he tried again, more desperate than before.

”I'm here.” His voice was faint and pain-filled. But it was there. Just to Fain's left.

”Can you move at all?”

Talyn coughed, then groaned. ”No. You?”

Growling, Fain pushed with every bit of his strength. But all it did was hurt him more. ”No.”

The lights went out, bathing them in complete darkness.

By sheer force of will, Fain dug his hand through the twisted debris until he found Talyn's arm. ”I'm with you, mi tana. I'm going to get you out of this.”

Talyn snorted. ”Good luck, old man. But I don't believe in miracles.” Yet even so, he squeezed Fain's hand back and then laced his fingers with his. ”Can you reach your link?”

”No. It fell during the explosion. You?”

”No.” Talyn cursed under his breath. ”If I don't make it-”

”Don't talk like that. You're going to be fine. Just think about Felicia and that baby that needs a paka. You have a promise to keep.”

”What promise?”

”To rip the body parts off any male who comes near her for unification.”

Talyn laughed, then let out a fierce groan of agony.

Fain tightened his grip on Talyn's hand. ”Squeeze as tight as you need to. I'm here for you.”

His breathing ragged, Talyn's grip weakened.

That sent a wave of terror through Fain that made his own pain fade. ”Stay with me, boy! Don't you dare break your mother's heart. You hear me? That's my job. Not yours.”

”You trying to p.i.s.s me off, Hauk?”

”I'm trying to make you fight.”

Talyn let out a bellow of anguished rage. ”Trust me, I'm fighting. I want the a.s.s of everyone who had a hand in this.” He paused his movements. ”You knew, didn't you? It's why you came running in here like you did.”

”I didn't know it was another IED. I just knew you'd been arrested and that you were being targeted by a.s.sa.s.sins.”

”And you came running,” Talyn repeated.

”It's what I would have been doing your whole life, had I known I had you. I'm... I'm sorry I failed you again.”

Talyn coughed and wheezed for several minutes.

For a little while, they were quiet while they tried to dig themselves out, until Talyn finally spoke. ”Can I tell you a secret I've never told anyone? Not even Licia?”

”Sure.”