Born of Defiance

For one heartbeat, Talyn was sure Venik would pull the trigger.

Instead, he holstered the blaster. “As tempting as that is, I’ve seen what you do to your own. So I think I’ll pass, before I end up as an unflattering stain on the floor.”

Talyn looked up to meet the older Andarion’s bitter stare. Dark-skinned and well muscled, Brax Venik was not what Talyn had expected from the Porturnum Tavali leader.

And his half-breed status was obvious. No wonder Venik hated Andarions. If they’d been as kind to the Tavali leader growing up as they’d been to Talyn, he more than understood the hostility the Porturnum leader bore the Andarion race.

Venik glanced to Ryn. “While I hate to lose my alliance with the Andarion tadara, Eriadne’s maybe isn’t worth angering your mother or splitting the Tavalis into another bloody clan war. Which is a sure thing if I start killing those under Dane Canting, especially her only son… Tread in peace, little brother. Give your mother my best.” He called off his men and left Eriadne to them.

Talyn scowled as Venik walked away as if nothing had happened. He handed Eriadne over to Ryn before he moved to check on Qory and Morra. “How’s he doing?”

“I’ve got the bleeding stopped. I just need the damn medics to get here!”

They arrived a few seconds later.

Talyn stepped back while they tended Qory. There were several bodies in the room of beings who’d been caught in the blast. He whispered a prayer for their souls.

But those words scattered as he realized that one of the bodies was Parisa’s.

Damn. Venik was right. Eriadne hadn’t even shed a tear over her own niece, or even thought about her. At all.

Hell, even Talyn felt a twinge of guilt for the part he’d played in putting Parisa here. He couldn’t fathom how the former tadara could be so cold.

Not that it mattered.

As he started to tell the medics to take Qory to Andaria, his link buzzed. “Commander Batur.”

“T-T-Talyn?”

His stomach shrank at the terror in Felicia’s voice. “Baby? What is it?”

“Awww, how sweet and touching.”

Talyn reached out to brace himself against the wall as his entire world tilted. It was Chrisen. “What are you doing with her?”

“What do you think? And if you ever want to see her alive again, I suggest you cut the throat of the tadara, and return my mother to Andaria. You will back my mother in her rise to power or I’m going to record the sounds of your female screaming your name for help as I skin her alive.”

Talyn couldn’t breathe as those words sank in and horrified him. He had no doubt they’d carry out that threat.

But Parisa was dead…

Everything turned hazy. A metallic bitterness stung his tongue as his ears became warm and buzzed. His back burned like fire. It was the same frightening sensation he’d had as a small child whenever his emotions had spun out of control.

Why he’d had to learn to control them very early in life. To let no one ever push his buttons. To keep every part of himself leashed at all times.

Now…

The beast inside him craved blood.

“Don’t you touch her! You hear me, Anatole? If she so much as stubs her toe in your custody, there will be no hole in hell you can find small enough that I won’t come for you and drag you screaming from it.”

“You don’t scare me, lack-Vest. You have two hours to show my mother taking the throne. After that… this ezul Terronova bitch won’t be so pretty to look at.”

Morra froze as Talyn made the sound of a rabid animal. Worried about him, she started to reach out to touch his arm. He threw his head back and let out a savage roar. It was so deep and raw, she felt it through her entire body.

All movement stopped instantly.

His breathing ragged, Talyn turned toward her. His eyes glowed a fierce red that was made more sinister by the snarl on his handsome face. An instant later, massive black wings unfurled from his back.

Holy shit.

He spread them wide.

“What the hell,” she breathed.

Falling away from Talyn, Ryn passed a shocked gape to Morra. “Anyone else know Andarions had wings?”

“You’re all supposed to be dead!” Eriadne snarled. “I made sure of it.”

Talyn laughed malevolently in the former queen’s face. “You missed one, bitch.”

During the “purging” of the Winged races, Eriadne had tested, by law, every member of those lineages to see who held the recessive gene. If the test came back positive, the Winged carrier had been executed. Every familial member. But because his mother’s family was medical, the Baturs had found a way to fool the test and save themselves.

Now, Talyn was one of the extremely rare Winged gene carriers left on Andaria. It was why his mother had taught him well to control his emotions and keep his wings concealed.

No matter what.