Born of Legend (94 page)

Jullien stepped back to introduce them. “My much better half, Ushara. Shara, my cousin Bastien.”

“Imprä
turu, Ger Tarra Samari.”

She gaped at Bastien's formal Andarion greeting and bow. “You speak Andarion?”

Straightening, Bastien winked at Jullien. “Not really. Just a few words here and there that Julie taught me when we were kids.”

“Impressive, nonetheless.” Ushara gestured to Trajen. “And this is Trajen.”

Bastien held his hand out. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“And you … Highness.”

Bastien shivered. “Please, don't. I was never all that into the pomp and ceremony, anyway. It's just Bastien or Bas. Asshole, if you really must.”

“Ah God, there are two of you in this universe,” Trajen muttered, glancing to Jullien as he shook Bastien's hand. “So what brings you here?”

“To beg a favor from my favorite cousin, which I know I shouldn't. But…” He flashed another grin at Jullien. “Dancer Hauk blew up my base without warning.”

Jullien gaped at that unexpected disclosure. “Pardon?”

Nodding, he snorted. “The whole bloody damn thing. I got nothing left. Not even my porn collection. And I need that database I shared with you,if you don't mind.”

“You're going after Barnabas?”

“Hell yeah. He killed my family. Be damned if I'm going to let him sit on my father's throne in peace. I don't care who rules, just so long as it's not him or any bastard he spawned.”

Jullien dropped his gaze to the Alliance patches on Bastien's sleeve. “The Sentella helping you?”

“They offered me a position with them. I'm not interested in that. All I took was the clothes and ship, which I intend to pay back. My mistress is Vengeance, and she's the only one I'm cuddling up to for now.”

Jullien definitely understood that sentiment. “I'll get you a copy of the database. Is there anything else you need?”

“No. Just the files on the family. Once I have those dossiers, I'll be out of your hair. Sorry I dropped in unannounced.” His gaze went to Ushara's stomach. “Congrats, by that way. I didn't realize you had another one on the way. Is Vasili excited or afraid of having more spiders he has to hide his things from?”

Ushara gaped. “You know Vas?”

“He's made a few stops with his father on my rock to drop off food and ammo.”

She tsked at Jullien. “Someone's been keeping secret missions from me.”

“Only to protect Bastien. I didn't want any logs of that particular landing stop, or anyone wondering why we kept going to the desert for no apparent reason. Just in case.”

“Makes sense.” She smiled at Bastien. “Why don't you stay for dinner, then? Meet the girls and say hi to Vasili? I'm sure he'd love to see you.”

He looked to Jullien. “I don't want to intrude.”

“Just don't flush my head down the toilet, and we're good.”

Bastien burst out laughing. “Gah! You think you had it bad? I was the one who lived with her.
And
Quin. Plus, she ended up as my wingman. How the hell I survived my childhood without being drowned, I do not know. Can you imagine how much better a human I'd be if I hadn't suffered severe oxygen dep and brain trauma as a child?”

Trajen laughed. “I see now why you like him.” He held his hand out to Bastien. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Bas. I've got a lot of things I need to take care of, so I'm heading out, but I'll make sure and clear you for any future visits you want to make here. Consider yourself welcome anytime. I know Jules would appreciate having some family around who doesn't want to hang him or screw him over.”

By the grateful expression on Bastien's face as he thanked him, Ushara was pretty sure Jullien wasn't the only one, and that Trajen knew it.

While Bastien and Jullien headed for the condo, she walked with Trajen toward their makeshift offices.

Trajen slid a knowing gaze toward her. “Yes, he's fine, Shara. He bears no malice toward Jules at all. If he did, I wouldn't have granted him safe passage here.”

She snorted as she realized why Trajen had shaken Bastien's hand—he'd been testing him. “Okay, boss. Thank you for allaying my fears.”

He inclined his head to her. “No problem. And I meant what I said. It'll be good for Jules to have some blood family with him. And for Bastien, as well. Now, put your mind at ease. You know I'd never let harm come to you.”

But there was something he wasn't telling her about the two of them, and she knew it. She could always tell whenever Trajen withheld information. Luckily, she trusted him and she knew when not to push him. He was terribly stubborn, like Jullien, and wouldn't answer until he was good and ready.

It was so irritating.

So she headed home to start dinner and to get to know this man that Jules had only mentioned in passing.

As the hours went by, she had to admit that Trajen was right. Bastien was extremely likable and charming. Like Jullien in the early days of their relationship, he had a deep sadness that haunted his dark hazel eyes. And a biting sarcasm that kept them all entertained and laughing.

The girls took to him immediately. Although, they were perplexed at first.

Mira had rudely pulled at his lips. “But if you're Paka's family, why don't you gots fangs, too?”

“And black hair?” Viv had chimed in. “Don't all Ixurianir have black hair?” She'd slapped her hands to her face. “I'm so confuzzled.”

Laughing, Jules had picked her up and kissed her cheek. “My paka's human, and he's the older brother of Bastien's mother, who is also human. So a lot of folks on Andaria, and in some other places, don't consider me Andarion.”

Bastien nodded. “Yeah, and I'm completely human. Sadly, I have no Andarion blood in my veins at all.”

Mira sighed heavily before she patted Bastien's cheek in sympathy. “I am very sad for you. But we loves you anyway,
kyzi.
Even though you gots no fangs.”

“Thank you, Mira. I deeply appreciate that.” He ruffled her hair and flashed a handsome grin at Ushara. “They are precious. I can't believe anything so sweet came from Julie's surly, irritable hide.”

Jullien snorted. “Thanks a lot.”

“Well, you have to admit, you were never
this
cute.” He tickled Mira until she squealed and jumped from his arms to run to her brother for protection.

“Neither were you.”

“True. I was too busy being the baby brat. A job I relished quite seriously.” He took the ale from Jullien's hand and lifted it for a swig. “You remember that god-awful summer camp when Barnabas was trying to make us run the obstacle course?”

“Remember? Hell, my dignity's still on that wall, pinned next to my left testicle.”

Bastien laughed as he turned toward Ushara, who was stunned by Jullien's description. “My uncle's a total scabbing prick. I loved my dad, but he had some weird parenting techniques, which included occasional weekend maneuvers, and summers every year spent at Camp Hernia for a full six-week program of survival training. And poor Julie got roped in one year when you were what? Thirteen?”

“Fourteen. I was supposed to have been on my Andarion Endurance.”

“Endurance?” Bastien scowled.

He took a drink of ale, then explained the term for Bastien. “It's an Andarion coming-of-age ceremony where an elder of the family takes a younger one on a quest to teach them how to survive on their own. The youngster goes out a kid and supposedly returns as a capable adult, ready to take their place in Andarion society.”

“Ah. Then how'd you end up on Kirovar for it?”

“Because I was half human and fat, none of my Andarion relatives wanted the embarrassment of being seen with me when I failed the family quest. So my aunt shuffled me off to my father, who promptly sent me to yours, who then shunted me to your uncle. Fun times.”

Bastien shook his head. “Indeed.”

Ushara ground her teeth as she sliced vegetables, wishing it were the throat of her in-laws under the blade. She couldn't imagine how bad Jullien must have felt as a child to be tossed around like that by his insensitive family.

But Jullien didn't seem to care as he winked at her and Vas, who was suddenly interested in the story. “So there we were. The hottest summer in Kirovarian history, on maneuvers with these massively heavy backpacks Barnabas had loaded with heat-absorbing rocks, where it was eight hundred degrees in the shade. Not that there was any shade to be found on that course, mind you.”

“He's not exaggerating. It was so hot, it melted my granola bar.”

Vas scowled. “How do you melt a granola bar?”

“Exactly!” Bastien said with a laugh. “I swear the heels of my boots melted off.”

“Yeah, and unlike Bas and his siblings, I was overweight, with atrophied muscles from a period of—” He paused as he glanced to Vasili. “—confinement, and I wasn't used to their atmosphere. At all. It's a lot thinner than what we have on Andaria, with different gravity and allergens. So I'm disoriented, choking and wheezing, and doubled over, puking.”

Screwing his face up, Bastien nodded. “Not a pretty sight. My brother and sister are yelling at poor Julie because my uncle's threatening to make us run extra laps if he doesn't get back on the course and finish it. And I give him credit, he's on his hands and knees, trying his damnedest to push himself to his feet. Hell, he's even crawling in an effort to get to the end. I'd never seen anyone so determined to get up in my life, but it's just not happening. He's choking and sweating so badly that I'm expecting Julie to die any minute.”

“So,” Jullien says, interrupting him. “In true Bastien form—and keeping in mind that he's only seven at the time—he yanks off his helmet, throws his backpack down, and lies on the ground, using the helmet for a pillow, and says to them, and I quote verbatim,
Later, bitches. I'm done for the day. Y'all can carry me home or call for a lift. Either way, I ain't moving from here. My ass is too precious for this abuse.
”

Ushara gasped at the image of Bastien doing that. “How did
that
go over?”

Bastien snorted. “Like sacrificing a fluffy kitten on a high holiday. My uncle set my precious ass on fire. But it got the attention off poor Julie.”

“Yeah, but you bought yourself a world of hurt that day.”

Bastien shrugged nonchalantly. “You weren't there when my mother saw the ass bruises after we got home. I promise you, what he did to me pales in comparison to her reaction on him when she saw them. But for my father's lightning-quick reflexes, I'd be shy a few cousins. I actually owe
you.
Because of that particular fun adventure, I didn't have to go back to summer camp until I was a teenager. And I went with bodyguards my mother had ordered to shoot my uncle if he, or anyone else, so much as raised an eyebrow to me.” He grinned at Ushara. “As I said, my ass was quite precious.”

Jullien laughed. “Your mother was something else. Until Shara, I'd never seen anyone so protective of her young. I'm amazed she ever allowed you to join the military.”

“Again, you missed the fireworks. Holy Jacob … she actually tried to shoot
me
to get me out of it.”

“I would say bullshit, but knowing your mother … it sounds about right.”

Ushara gaped. “Seriously?”

Nodding, Bastien sobered as grief returned to his eyes. “Yeah, my mother loved us. We definitely lucked out when it came to parents. They didn't deserve what Barnabas did to them, and I won't rest until I make this right.”

Jullien reached for a handful of the carrots she'd cubed. “You going after the throne?”

Bastien glanced over to where the twins were playing on the floor. “I don't know. I was never supposed to be ruler.… Third born. It should
never
have come to me. I was supposed to be the fun-loving playboy of the family, who screwed up and gave the others something scandalous to talk about at cocktail parties.” Swallowing, he locked gazes with Jullien. “How did you handle the guilt when everyone thought Nyk was dead?”

“Didn't. Like you said, I never wanted the throne. But after a few years, when I realized that my mother wasn't going to sober up and have more children, and that my father had no intention of remarrying or fathering another heir, I threw myself into school to learn as much about politics, history, and diplomacy as I could. Not because I cared. Just felt like I owed it to my brother's memory to be the ruler I thought he'd have been.”

Bastien sighed. “Never thought of it that way.”

“That's because you were supposed to be the playboy. I was the spare.”

He laughed and clapped Jullien on the back before they carried dinner to the table. Ushara remained mostly quiet as she listened to their bantering and stories. It was strange to see her husband with someone he'd known since childhood, that he was comfortable around.

And the more she listened, the more she loved Bastien. He was a little odd, but he had a generous heart. It was a shame that Jullien hadn't been allowed to spend more time at Bastien's home when he was young. From what she gathered, their visits had been preciously few.

After dinner, Bas helped her clean up while Jullien put the girls to bed and Vasili went to play online with his cousins. “Ushara?”

She paused at the serious note in Bastien's voice. “Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“I'm not quite sure what you're thanking me for, but you're welcome.”

He put away the glasses before he gave her a hard stare. “You give me hope, and that's something I haven't had in a long time.”

She sealed the last of their leftovers into a tub and put them away. “What do you mean?”

“Unlike Jullien, I had a great childhood. The kind every kid ought to have. It's why I never understood how Aros could be so nice to us and then such a douche to his own son. I still don't really understand what crawled up his ass and grew there. Julie wasn't a bad kid. Just a lonely one who grew up intimately acquainted with a treacherous side of others that I was blissfully unaware of. I grew up in a world that if someone, even my uncle, did me harm, it was only because they cared about me and were trying to teach me a valuable life lesson and that it was for my own good.”