Born of Legend (60 page)

With a happy shriek, the figure jumped into his arms. Her hood fell back to expose a wealth of bright red hair as she gave him a kiss so hot it left Jullien gaping.

Laughing, Ryn pulled her into his ship and quickly sealed his hatch shut, locked it down tightly, and armed it.

Well then …

Jullien now knew why Ryn wouldn't be coming up for air while they were here. Unless he missed his guess, that little red head was Mack Hinto.

Jupiter's sister.

Well, I won't have to worry about running into him for the next two days.

Ryn was going to be too busy dodging Jupiter and Gadgehe who would have his balls for
that
trespass.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him.

Jullien turned and pulled his blaster only to meet the shit-eating grin of Jupiter as he held his hands up.

“Didn't mean to startle you, me large Andarion friend. Fasten your heart down,
cade
. Sorry I interrupted your daydreaming.”

Holstering his blaster, Jullien laughed. “Yeah, right. I was just plotting devastating revenge on my enemies. You know … the usual.” He pulled Jupiter in for a hug. “I didn't realize you'd be here already.”

“Came in a few ago, and I saw your brother-in-law in the bay. He told me where to find you. Thought I'd stop in and say hi to you. See what trouble we could get into here in your backyard.”

“Are you here with just your crew?”

“Me sister and her crew came in with me. She lit out, but she's around.”

“Yeah. I'm sure she had some
Precious Cargo
to see about.”

Jupiter groaned out loud. “Ah, dear gods … you know?”

Jullien hesitated as he saw the agonized expression on Jupiter's face. “
You
know?”

Grimacing, Jupiter motioned him in. “Can I trust you?”

“Of course.”

“This be a big a secret,
cade
. And I'll know if you tell it. But since you know, I don't want you to be thinking bad things about me Mack. She and Ryn are married. But no one's to know, especially not our father. He'd flip it if he ever learned it.”

“Seriously?”

He nodded. “They've been together since she was eighteen. It was about time he made an honest woman of her, if you ask me. Took the bastard long enough to put a ring on her finger. He's lucky I haven't killed him before now.”

“Why the secrecy?”

“You know why we have St. Hestia's Day, right?”

“Yeah, she reunited the Tavali Nations into the single UTC after The League demanded The Tavali split into four separate companies and not call ourselves a single nation anymore.”

“Right, but you know why St. Hestia did that?”

Jullien shook his head. “No. Not really.”

Jupiter sighed. “Back in the day, Hestia Waring was the HAP of your Gorturnum Nation, and they were at constant war with the Wassies for territory. Some say she went after Isiah
Dane
who was the VA and heir of the Wasturnum Nation to seduce him so that she could use him against his father. Others say she loved him from the moment they met. However it began, they fell in love and united the two nations. Everything was going well until Dane and their son and crew took refuge from The League with one of me ancestors in the Septurnum Nation under Safe Harbor. Moglidice Hinto slaughtered them and Hestia Waring-Dane slaughtered him brutally for it. For two hundred and fifty years, the name Hinto was banned from all Tavali rolls and our Nation punished horribly for the deed. It's why we're still not really trusted by the other three Nations. So … The UTC don't like for the sons and daughters of two high-ranking officials to hook up to begin with. To have a Hinto and Dane be married…” He screwed his face up. “Is a bit of scandal. See? And me da would be horrified. Ain't no telling how our Lady Tavali, Hermione Dane, would react to finding out her precious, only son done gone and married a Hinto. None of us want to be around for that explosion.”

“Got it, and I'll take it to my grave.”

“Good male. Now lead me into temptation, brother. For it is the one thing I cannot resist.”

But as Jullien headed with him out of the bay, they ran into Jay and Ryna who were standing with two attractive Porturnum females. Something about them seemed very familiar.

And when Ryna called him over to introduce him, Jullien understood why.

“There he is. Jules, come meet Venik's daughters. Vyra and Lyssa. We were just talking about you.”

“Really?”

Laughing, Ryna nodded. “They said that you're old friends with one of their brothers, and that he's told them a lot of fond stories about you. Apparently, you went to school together?”

Ryna's polite words made his blood run cold. Yet not half as much as the speculative glimmer in the pale eyes of the two Veniks as they studied him way too intently.

“Pleasure to finally meet you … Dagger,” Lyssa said.

Jullien slid a furious glare toward Jupiter who caught on fast that this wasn't a friendly exchange. Nyran was tempting the Koriłon badly and involving innocents who should know better than to come between two Andarion males at war.

But if they were that stupid …

“You're the crew of the
Black Widow
?” Jullien smiled.

“We are.” Vyra glanced to her sister. “Why do you ask?”

“Making sure I have the correct crews matched to the right ships in my head, especially with those newer models. Their circuitry's so pissy these days. You never know when it's going to get a worm in it. Jam up and freeze at the damnedest time. It's why I don't fly them. They're terribly unreliable. Like some family members I know. Bastards turn on you when you least expect it. Leave you hanging out to dry, while they save their own asses. Got to be careful what you put your faith in. And whose battle you pick up to fight.”

Lyssa lifted her chin as she caught Jullien's
other
meaning. “Porturnum doesn't work that way. Family backs family. Always.”

“Do they?” He arched a sardonic brow. “You seriously might want to rethink the veracity of
that
statement. As I have much evidence to the contrary.”

She glanced to Ryna and Jay. “Yet
you
expect loyalty from
your
family? What kind of hypocrite would hold others to such a higher standard given all the ones you've betrayed? Is there anyone you
haven't
knifed?”

“Hey now!” Jay snapped. “You don't insult our brother.”

“Why not? He just threatened us.”

Ryna started for Vyra, but Jullien caught her and forced her back.

“Don't. Just let it go.”

“Listen to him, Fyreblood,” Vrya spat. “And mark our words. To save his ass, he threw his own twin brother into jail. He cut the throat of his own cousin with his bare hands and shoved his pregnant sister-in-law into the hands of a rabid psychopath. You think he's changed? He hasn't. He can't. A lorina is incapable of changing its spots.”

This time, Jullien went for them.

And Jory stopped him.

But not before Jullien saw the shadow in Jory's eyes that doubted him and believed what those bitches said. Worse? He saw it in Jay's eyes, too, and on Ryna's face.

No matter how hard he tried, he was still a worthless piece of shit. No one was ever going to allow him to forget the mistakes he'd made in his past. Not so long as Nyran and his grandmother lived.

There would never be peace for him. And they were never going to allow him to have a home he belonged in. Sooner or later, they would steal this from him, just as they'd taken everything else.

It was already beginning.

So help me, gods, I'm going to kill you both.
One way or another, he was going to end this.

And them.

 

C
HAPTER
22

Ushara glared at Jullien and her brother. “I can't believe you're even contemplating this. Every time he goes out, it ends badly.”

Jullien cracked his most charming grin at her. “This time I'm instigating it. It's a small run, with Unira, to test the
Pet Hate
.”

“The
what
?”

Unira laughed. “My former
Stormbringer
. Once Dagger finished the repairs,
m'tana
renamed my lady-ship
Pet Hate
.”

Ushara scowled. “Why?”

“Seemed a fitting name for something I'll one day run, provided I ever make citizen.”

Mary came up behind her and gave her a sisterly hug. “Let him go, bossy pants. We're all going out with him to cover his cute little bottom for you. He's got more guards than a Vistan virgin on her way to her wedding night.”

Ushara laughed. “Thanks, Nightmare.”

“No prob.” She grinned at the priestess. “I'll be needing to confess this weekend, won't I?”

“I'll hold an appointment for you.”

“Damn.”

“An extra long one.”

Mary let out a painful whimper.

“He has to get some hours in,” Davel reminded her. “You know that.”

“I know. Fine.” Sighing, Ushara kissed Jullien. “Please be careful.”

“I will.”

“Okay.” She kissed him again. “How long will you be gone?”

“Three days.”

She cringed as dread filled her. In three days, there was no telling how much trouble her husband could fall into. He had a frightening ability to seek it out in the safest places. “Stay in touch.”

“I will. Promise.”

Sick to her stomach, she watched as they boarded their ships.

I should have never taken a base position.
Had she stayed as a ship commander, she could have flown out with them. But she'd accepted the VA assignment so that she would be grounded to raise Vasili. As his only parent, she'd wanted to make sure that she wouldn't be required to leave him for any reason.

Now it sucked.

Her heart heavy, she didn't move until they were gone. Then she returned to her office and turned on the news to make sure there was nothing going on anywhere, on any planet or outpost, that might threaten their safety.

And she meant
no-thing.

But as she flipped to the Andarion news, there was definitely something important happening. It was a day later in the Andarion empire, and festivities were in full swing for a massive birthday celebration. Citizens lined the decorated streets where music played and a parade was in motion. The way they carried on, she assumed it was for Cairistiona.

Until she saw the banners that were posted all over.

For Tahrs Nykryrian.

Her jaw went slack as that hit her like a slap across her face.

“Wait a minute…”

If was it Nykyrian's birthday, it would have to be Jullien's, too. They were twins, after all. Born only minutes apart, according to Jullien.

Why wouldn't he have mentioned it before he left?

Then again, Jullien had never said a word about his birthday, really. Other than the most generic things about his birth, he'd never really mentioned a specific date, or even a time of year for it.

Her stomach shrank as guilt shredded her over the fact that she'd never even thought to ask him about the date.
Please tell me I haven't been
this
thoughtless …

She went to her desk and pulled up his files.

No birth date was listed. So she went for his Andarion records, only to remember they'd been erased completely. He had no registration files left of any kind. Not even a library card.

She traced Nykyrian's and sure enough, the sixteenth of Ogronios,
today
, was his birthday. Tears filled her eyes as she realized that they'd met just a handful of days after his birthday, almost a year ago.

In her mind, she saw an image of how Jullien had looked that day.

Starved. Bedraggled. Half-dead and bleeding.

Lethal and desperate.

She couldn't believe how much had changed in so little time. Although Jullien still had trouble sleeping through the night and he didn't eat food unless he prepared it. Nor did he sit with his back to open doorways or cameras.

His hyper-vigilance continued. As did his paranoia.

Yeah, okay, in some ways, he hadn't changed at all.

But he had learned to cuddle. And he seemed to trust her. He sought out her company and Vas's, which for him was monumental.

Sometimes he even talked about things when they bothered him instead of withdrawing into himself and closing down.

Yet not a word about his birthday.

A part of her wanted to throw him a huge birthday party for his return. The kind her family was known for. But as she thought more about it, she remembered the way he was at any large family gathering. He always stood in a corner for the duration. While he'd interact with Nadya and her sisters whenever they'd tease at him, and Vasili and Davel's son and daughter, he didn't really look comfortable at any such event. More like he was visiting the dentist and they'd just run out of the last batch of painkiller and novocaine.

No, her introverted Jules wouldn't want a crushing celebration. He'd want something much more intimate and meaningful. Something that was a long time overdue.

*   *   *

“You're going to get us murdered. And that's just from my little sister should she find out I let you do this.”

Jullien ignored Davel's dire tone as he grabbed a crash helmet from the closet. “Just be on standby in case I have to come in hot. This is something I have to do for my own peace of mind.”

“Fine.
Cald cadaire
.”

Jullien appreciated the Andarion sentiment since he would need all the luck he could get.

Without another word, he climbed into the fighter and launched. Honestly, he was a lot more nervous about this than he was letting on. He had no idea how this would go.