Born of Fury

CHAPTER 24

His blood begging for vengeance, Hauk forced himself to kneel before his queen in the center of her small, makeshift office that had been set up for her onboard the ship, even though what he really wanted to do was take the sword from across his back and use it to cut her head from her body…

Mother of Nykyrian or not.

But he knew the eight guards standing between him and her would kill him before he could take more than a single angry step in her direction. He was good, but they were loaded for Andarion and would be as motivated to murder him as he was to execute his queen for arresting Sumi.

Cairistiona sat on the opposite side of a large desk, staring at him with an expression he couldn’t even begin to read. Her long black hair was coiled in intricate braids around her impeccably beautiful face as she watched him with suspicious white-and-red eyes. In her youth, before her affair with Nykyrian’s father, she had risen to the rank of prime commander for the Andarion armada.

Her lineage had always been one of the fairest skinned of all Andarions and her blood contained the only warriors who could give the War Hauks a run for their ferocity in battle. It was why his grandmother had sought to unite their blood after all these centuries. She firmly believed that they would birth legendary warriors who would guard Andaria for eternity.

And like his family, Cairistiona’s wasn’t known for its forgiveness or tolerance. Some of the worst blood feuds marring Andarion history had come from her lineage.

She ran her tongue over her right fang speculatively before she finally spoke. “Interesting… the last time I had a War Hauk kneeling before me, it was your father confessing how he’d dishonored me and broke his pledge to my lineage. Have you any idea how embarrassing that was for me?”

He glanced down to the burn scar on his arm as he remembered all the times he’d knelt before Dariana and had his pledge coldly and painfully refused in front of their families. “Yes, Majesty. I do, and I apologize deeply for any slight my parents have ever caused you.”

Tilting her head, she drummed her claws against the desk as she continued to watch him. He had no way of knowing what thoughts were going through her mind… if she intended to punish him for his parents’ transgression against her. As queen, she had full rank and privilege to do with him whatever she wanted. All Andarions were viewed as property and servants to their royal house, which was another thing that made his father’s actions against Cairistiona so egregious.

And it might have a lot to do with why she’d refused to have Nykyrian present at this meeting.

She stopped drumming her claws. “Rise, Dancer of the Warring Blood Clan of Hauk, son of Endine and Ferral, and tell me why you’ve so brashly requested this audience.”

Hauk stood slowly and made sure to keep his gaze averted from his queen. He might be best friends with her son, but it wasn’t his place to look their queen in the eye. “I’ve come to beg our most sovereign crown to allow me to take the place of the human woman you hold, Sumi Antaxas. Whatever her crimes, I offer my life for hers and will gladly accept her punishment in her stead.” His request was normally something a husband did for his wife, a father for his son, or a brother for a sister.

She narrowed her gaze on him. “And why would you beg me for the life of a human?”

He had to bite back his sarcasm that she’d disdain the human race so, especially given the fact that her sons were half human. Swallowing hard, he knew only one answer might sway the queen into granting his request for leniency. “She is my life, Majesty. I would not see her harmed.”

Cairistiona rose and moved to stand before him. She took his chin in her hand. “Look at me.”

He glanced at her eyes and then away.

“You’re stralen?” she asked in a shocked tone.

He nodded.

She dropped her hand from his face. “For this human?”

“Yes, Majesty.”

Sighing heavily, she paced around him. “We have a bit of a problem, War Hauk. It is your own family that called for her arrest.”

That stunned him. While he’d figured they would be a problem once he landed, he hadn’t anticipated them acting this fast. “Excuse me, Majesty?”

Cairistiona inclined her head to him. “I am well aware that the human female endangered the well-being of my granddaughter. I also know that she saved Princess Thia’s life and guarded her with her own. At the behest of my granddaughter, I forgave the human for those actions against the crown. But it was the insistence of your mother and your pledged that I had to arrest her for endangering the lives of you and your nephew… the last of your most sacred blood clan.”

He went cold with those words. “As the last of my blood clan, Majesty, I forgive her. She saved our lives, too. She doesn’t deserve to be punished for risking her life to save ours. But if it is to be, then please allow me to take Sumi’s place. I will gladly accept whatever punishment they demand of her.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

His heart stopped beating as fear invaded every part of his being. Andarion justice was swift and extremely brutal. Rarely did an Andarion survive it.

A human, even one as strong and resourceful as Sumi, would never make it through.

Cairistiona shook her head sadly. “Had it been any family save yours, I could have delayed my actions.”

But because they were second only to the royal house, she was required to act and give them the justice they demanded.

Immediately.

“Your mother was insistent that the human give up her life for her crimes against your family. I had no choice.”

Absolute horror filled him and in that moment, he hated Syn for keeping him unconscious. Had he been awake at the time Sumi was arrested, he could have stopped this.

Six hours later…

“I will gladly die for her, Majesty.”

“It’s too late for that, War Hauk,” she said sadly. “The human Sumi Antaxas no longer exists.”

Tears filled his eyes as he felt like someone had just kicked his teeth in. How could Sumi be gone so fast?

Damn you to hell, Syn!

He would kill that Ritadarion bastard first. And then he’d kill the rest of them for not protecting the one thing he’d asked them to. For decades, he’d put his life and limb on the line for all of them. Had never once hesitated to protect them, no matter the personal cost to himself. He’d never before asked them for anything. Ever.

And they’d paid him back by allowing his woman to be killed while he lay helpless to stop it.

Never had anything hurt like this betrayal…

Against the law and tradition, he met Cairistiona’s gaze as a single tear fled down his cheek. He couldn’t breathe or think. All he wanted was to die, too.

How could he have allowed Sumi to be harmed? Gods, it was so unfair that she should die like this.

Because of him.

Cairistiona stopped by his side to brush his tear away with a kind touch that made him hate her even more. “Since you were a child, Dancer of the Warring Blood Clan of Hauk, you have been a great friend to my son. When no one else could spare a kind word to him, you, alone, befriended him and stood at his back to protect him at great personal risk and cost to yourself. You’ve been a blessed protector of my grandchildren and daughter-in-law, and have bled countless times for them all. For that alone, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. And I mean that with every ounce of honor that flows through my eton Anatole blood.” She smiled and patted his cheek. “Now, if you don’t mind, I shall leave you with my daughter to discuss your futures.”

Hauk frowned as she gathered her guards and exited the room. Nykyrian didn’t have a sister.

Was the queen insane?

A slight, hooded woman entered the room as the last guard left. The door slid shut behind her. Her royal scarlet robes shimmered in the dim light as she approached him.

His scowl deepened as he watched her move. She had a slow, seductive gait he knew intimately.

No… it couldn’t be.

“Sumi?”

She lowered the hood to show him the smiling face he craved most. One that had been painted with the scrolling marks of the royal Andarion blood clan. “Hi.”

Still on his knees, he pulled her into his arms and held her close as relief flooded him. He absolutely shook with the weight of it.

“Can’t. Breathe. Dancer!”

He loosened his hold as he kept his face pressed against her stomach and inhaled the sweetest scent he’d ever known. “Please tell me this isn’t a dream.”

“It’s not a dream, sweetie.” She brushed the braids back from his face before she cradled his head to her. “When your mother demanded my life, Nykyrian and Cairistiona said that the only way to save me would be if I were a member of the royal house. No one can demand the life of an eton Anatole. They said she could challenge me to the ring, but she couldn’t require an actual death sentence.”

He still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. What Nykyrian and his mother had done for him… it went far beyond friendship.

Hauk took her bandaged hand into his. It was Andarion custom that whenever a child was adopted by a mother, the hand of both was cut and their blood combined to seal the union. Now that he thought about it, Cairistiona’s left hand had been bandaged, too. “The queen adopted you?”

She nodded. “Is that okay?”

Rising to his feet, he kissed her with everything he had.

Until someone cleared his throat.

Hauk pulled back to find Nykyrian staring at him with an arched brow.

“That’s my unmarried little sister you’re mauling, Hauk. Want to put some distance between the two of you?”

Still furious, he narrowed his gaze on Nykyrian. “Don’t push me. I’m barely refraining from planting my foot up your ass for not telling me about this.”

“Didn’t have time. We had to move fast and pretend we didn’t get your mother’s last transmission – she’s a tenacious one. You have Chayden to thank for that subversion, by the way. Never heard anyone fake static so well in my life. He’s quite impressive.”

Sumi touched her nose to Dancer’s. “I was on my way to the infirmary to tell you about it when I met Syn in the hallway. He said that when you woke up and I wasn’t there, all he could get out was that I’d been arrested before you started tearing everything out of your body and you stormed out to confront the queen.”

“And he should still be in bed,” Syn chided as he joined them.

Hauk pulled Nykyrian against him into a brotherly hug. “Thank you.”

“Told you I’d keep her safe. You didn’t really doubt me, did you?”

“Maybe a little.”

Nykyrian clutched his hand in Hauk’s braids. “You’re such an asshole.”

“Learned from the best.”

Jerking at his hair, Nykyrian draped Hauk’s arm over his shoulder and walked him back to his infirmary bed, where Nykyrian was less than gentle in removing Hauk’s sword and tucking him in.

Nykyrian handed the sword to Sumi. “Can you please keep his sorry ass in there, this time?”

“I will do my best.”

Syn was also a bit rough as he hooked up Hauk’s monitors. “Don’t make me do this again. The next set I’m shoving where the sun doesn’t shine, buddy.”

Hauk started to say something truly insulting, but the sound of an excited little voice made him bite his tongue.

“Uncle Hauk!” Devyn came running into the room and jumped on the bed before he threw himself over Hauk’s chest and hugged him tight.

This tiny being was the only reason he hadn’t killed Syn yet. “Hey, Devy. How’s my boy?”

Eyes wide, he gave Hauk a huge smile as he sat on his stomach. Right where he was injured.

Hauk ground his teeth and forced himself not to curse at the pain.

“Guess what? Guess what?” Devyn asked in an excited tone. “I grew a monkey, Uncle Hauk!”

Hauk frowned at the impossibility as he looked from Devyn to Syn, who was laughing about it. “A monkey?”

“E-e-e o-o-o ew ew,” a monkey said drily as it joined them in the room and sat down on the bed next to them. “Not that I haven’t been the sacred embryo’s monkey from birth, but this is a little ridiculous. Don’t you agree?”

Hauk was aghast as he recognized that acerbic tone. “Vik?”

The metallic monkey sighed so heavily, even his shoulders slumped. “Who else would the bonebag torture this badly? I would be more upset about it, but look.” With a large, creepy smile, he held up his hands for Hauk to see. “Opposable thumbs!” He wiggled them for emphasis. “Lot to be said for these. Makes me want to look up my old girlfriend.”

“Why?”

Vik wagged his eyebrows. “Cause now I can really turn her on.”

Hauk made a sound of irritation at the bad pun before he explained it to Sumi. “His old girlfriend was a lamp who, and I am using his words, lit up his entire world.”

She pressed her lips together. “Ah… okay.”

Devyn grabbed Vik into a choke hold. “I planted monkey seeds in a garden and I grew him! So he’s all mine!”

Vik stuck his tongue out like he was dying. “Help! I’m being oppressed and licked by a toddler! Stop sliming me, Dev. I’m going to rust!”

Sighing, Syn picked up the monkey and set it on the floor. “See what happens when your significant other can’t find a babysitter and refuses to let you go save your friend without her?”

Hauk scoffed at his annoyed protest. “You love every minute of it.”

Syn picked up his son and cradled him to his chest. “Yeah, I do.” He inclined his head to Sumi. “Hauk, you need to take a look at your transmitter I dug out of you. Fain thinks it’s Andarion. I’ve tried to get a lead on it, but this is more your expertise than mine.”

Sumi pulled it out of her pocket and handed him the small vial.

Hauk frowned as he held it up to the light to study the circuitry. “Yeah, it’s Andarion. But this is old-school stuff… kind of thing I first played with as a kid.”

“Jullien?”

He shook his head at Syn’s suggestion. “Jullien could afford better than this. He wouldn’t waste his time with something so primitive and old. I need it under a mag to see more of it.”

Sighing, Vik climbed back up the bed and took it into his hand. He opened the vial and placed the chip in his palm then turned to the wall and projected an enlarged image of it. “How big do you want me to go?”

“Twenty. I need the serial.”

“Got it,” Vik said. “Want me to run it?”

Hauk arched a brow at the snotty mecha. “Nah. Why don’t you sit there and stare at it for a while?”

Vik turned to face Syn. “Could you please remove his anal probe?”

Hauk grabbed the mecha by his neck. “How about I give you one?”

“Andarions. No sense of humor.” Vik gasped as his body hit the bed while his head remained in Hauk’s fist.

Ah, crap. Hauk cringed at something that was purely an accident.

“Oh my gods!” Vik snapped indignantly. “The Andarion beast broke me!”

Devyn started crying.

“It’s okay, Dev. Daddy can fix it. Don’t cry!” Syn handed his son to Sumi, who sucked her breath in sharply at the sensation of holding a child.

What did a person do with one? Terrified, she wrapped her arms tight around him, afraid he’d fall, while he continued to wail.

Syn quickly put Vik’s head back on, then paused as he looked at her. “Never held a kid before?”

“No. His head won’t pop off, too, will it?”

“God, I hope not. Shahara would kill us both.”

Laughing, she handed a much calmer Devyn back to his father. He sniffed back his tears as he inspected Vik to make sure Syn really had repaired his toy.

“Now I know why Dancer looked so scared in some of the photos of him with babies.”

Dancer laughed.

Darling stuck his head in the door. “Quick warning that we’re coming into the main Andarion port. We’ll be docked in about fifteen minutes.”

“Hey!” Hauk called to Darling as he started to leave. “You got any photos of this kid of yours I’ve been waiting to meet?”

With a pride-filled grin, Darling returned to the room and moved to stand next to the bed. “Do you one better than that.” He pulled out his PD and pressed it. Instantly, someone answered. “Hey Z, I’ve got an irritable beast who wants to say hi to you and Cezar.” He handed it to Hauk.

Sumi tried not to feel jealous at the light that came into Dancer’s eyes as he took the PD and smiled at the woman.

“Hey, beautiful. Where’s my nephew?”

Darling’s wife audibly gasped. “What’s wrong with your eyes, Hauk? Are you okay?”

“Fine. Just want to meet this baby we saved.”

She pulled her PD back so that he could see the sleeping infant who had a tiny hint of red hair on his head. “There he is. Sleeping like an angel.”

Dancer grinned. “You done good, woman. He’s beautiful. Thank the gods, he takes after his mother and not his dad.”

She laughed. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was terrified when Darling told me you were under fire and had to call for help. That’s so not like you.”

“Sorry I took Darling from you two.”

“Hey, no problem. So long as you send him back in one piece, we don’t mind. And speaking of, Ture wants me to ask you about Maris.”

“Tell him he wasn’t even shot this time.”

“Oh thank goodness,” a man said from off camera. “I don’t know what I was thinking when I said I wanted to marry a soldier. I must have been insane, delirious, or stupid.”

Dancer laughed at Ture’s high-pitched hysteria. “I’ll make sure and send them both back to you as soon as we land.”

“We love you, Hauk.”

“Love you, too. Take care of each other and I’ll be by soon to meet Cezar in person.”

Darling turned it off and put it in his pocket. “So where are you recuperating?”

“I was thinking home.”

“Alone?”

Dancer looked at Sumi. “I hope not.”

Her heart stopped as she realized she hadn’t thought this far ahead. Everything was moving too fast. But there was one thing she had to take care of ASAP. “I have to get to my daughter before Kyr finds out that I no longer have a transmitter. There’s no telling what he’ll do.”

“I’ve already got Syn on locating her.”

Darling frowned. “Whoa… What? What daughter?”

“Sumi has a little girl in League custody,” Hauk explained. “I’m going after her and bringing her home.”

Darling gaped at Sumi. “Was he planning to do this without us? Really?”

Dancer sent a piercing look to Darling. “You need to get home to your son and wife.”

Darling shook his head in denial. “Strong alone. Stronger together.”

She saw the reticence in Dancer’s eyes, but he must have recognized the determination in Darling’s. There was no way the Caronese emperor was planning to give in on Dancer’s request and let him fight alone.

Dancer sighed heavily. “Zarya’s going to kill me.”

“Zarya would kill me if I let you go alone, buddy.”

“And I’d help.” Syn grinned. “Don’t worry, Darling, I wasn’t going to let you leave without telling you what Hauk was planning. I haven’t found her daughter yet, but I will. I have the search running. I should have her location in a couple of hours.”

Sumi’s heart raced at the prospect. Could it be that easy? “Really?”

Darling placed a comforting hand on her arm. “We take care of our own, Sumi. It’s what we do.”

She nodded as tears choked her. Their kind of loyalty was rare indeed. Not to mention unexpected.

And it reminded her of something extremely important. “Speaking of… Mari’s brother, Safir? Maris said that they knew —”

“That Kyr was using him for a punching dummy?” Syn asked. “Yeah. His family took care of that as soon as they found out. Saf’s at home on Phrixus now.”

Hauk arched a puzzled brow. “How’s that possible? He’s a League assassin.” The only way out for an assassin was death.

Nykyrian was the only one who’d ever been granted a release dispensation from The League, after many years of being hunted, because he was the Triosan and Andarion heir. While Sumi was now an adopted daughter, the Andarions were at war with The League. It was far less likely they would be so accommodating with her right now.

And there was no way Kyr would pardon his brother. Not after he already felt betrayed over Saf’s participation in a Sentella escape.

Darling let out a sinister laugh. “What can I say? Kyr had no choice. Saf was an assassin with a herd of angry, high-ranking brothers, who have dared Kyr to come get him. They’re all aching for a piece of his psycho ass over what he did to Saf.”

“How did they get him away from The League?” Sumi asked. “Kyr was holding him deep in the bowels of his HQ.”

Darling crossed his arms over his chest. “Not exactly sure. But it turns out that Madai will still take Maris’s calls. Once Maris called about Saf, Madai told him that they were all furious over it. Torture to a Phrixian is a crime worse than murder. So united, Saf’s brothers had already gone in and pulled him out. They told Kyr that if he wanted Saf, he’d have to challenge him on Phrixus. Which I doubt he’ll do since Saf can wipe the floor with him and he knows it. In the meantime, Saf is now wanted by The League as a renegade. If he leaves Phrixian territory, they’re going to be all over him.”

“How’s Saf dealing with that?” Dancer asked.

Syn snorted. “Better than you’d think. Turns out, he really missed having sex… Last we heard, he was making up for lost time.”

Laughing, Darling nodded in agreement. “If we can ever blast him out of the Phrixian bordello where he’s been holed up since his release, we’re trying to lure him to work for The Sentella.”

“He’d be a great addition,” Dancer said.

Before Darling could respond, the door opened to show Nykyrian and Jayne.

Nykyrian’s eyes flashed with anger. “Heads up, Hauk. Your parents, fave yaya, and Dariana are waiting in the bay for you.”

Hauk cursed. He could already envision the shitstorm that was about to engulf them all.

Unless he gouged out his eyes before they all saw he was stralen.

It was a semi-tempting thought.

Nah, he’d rather fight.

Darling swept his gaze to Nyk, Jayne, and Syn before he inclined his head to Hauk. “Then we’ll go out together. United. And dare them to say one ill word to you or Sumi.”

Tears choked Sumi as her hand tightened on Dancer’s. “So this is what it’s like.”

Dancer furrowed his brow. “What?”

“Having a family,” she said in a tiny voice.

Darling hugged her. “I guess Hauk forgot to tell you that he doesn’t come solo. We’re a package deal.”

She laughed. “Actually, he did warn me. Thia, too. I… just didn’t expect all this. May the gods love all of you for it.”

They felt the ship land and all the humor left her face and was replaced by a fear that made Hauk’s gut tighten.

He took her hand into his and locked gazes with her. “No one and I mean no one is going to harm you, Sumi. They’ll have to get through me first and no one gets through me.”

“I can testify to that,” Nykyrian said drily. “I’m still scraping the remains of the last fool who tried off the bottom of my boots.”

When Syn moved to unlock the bed, Hauk stopped him. “I’ll walk.”

“You’re…” His voice trailed off at the grisly look on Hauk’s face. “Going to walk out of here. What was I thinking? Apparently, I’m an idiot.” Syn unhooked the monitors. “I’ll have the MT unit take Bastien to the local hospital.” He spoke into his link to place the order.

Hauk stood and braced himself for the coming hell that was about to be unleashed.