Nykyrian gave her a shuttered stare. "I can't stand on the street. Too many people would like to shoot me."
His low, evenly toned voice cut through her. He seemed to delight in constantly reminding her of the precariousness of his life and how many people were looking to end it. Granted he had been a little nicer since they made love, but he was still being difficult.
With a sigh, Kiara followed after him, shocked when he led her straight inside the restaurant. She caught the angry glare of the people who were waiting before them. Heat crept up her cheeks.
The maitre d' looked up from his podium, his smile bright. "How nice to see you Commander, your party is waiting."
Kiara gazed from the maitre d' back to Nykyrian. A sharp jolt of surprise from the maitre d's words rippled through her. "Commander?" she asked.
Nykyrian shrugged. "My rank in the League."
"You were a commander?" she gasped, amazed he had attained such a high rank.
The maitre d' smiled at her. "He saved my son's life at the Battle of Wymon!"
Nykyrian shifted in discomfort. "Hardly. All I did was warn him of an incoming bomb."
The maitre d' smiled. "Had you not, he'd be dead now."
Nykyrian rolled his eyes at Kiara. She stifled her laughter. At least Nykyrian appeared to be in a better mood now than a little while ago. She was still shocked she had actually managed to drag him out of the house. The entire trip here, she had expected him to turn about and return home.
"I took the liberty of having your favorite dish prepared for you and your wife. The others have already placed their orders," the maitre d' said, before leading them through the dining room.
Kiara followed the maitre d' past the intricate rows of crowded tables. He led her to the back of the restaurant where the private dining rooms were reserved for prominent guests.
A twinge of discomfort ran along her spine as she remembered the fact her husband was a prince. She wasn't sure if she cared for the idea at all.
The maitre d' opened a door and ushered them in. Kiara hesitated as she recognized Emperor Aros seated at the table with Nykyrian's mother and aunt.
She barely heard the faint curse Nykyrian muttered under his breath. Looking over her shoulder in concern, Kiara saw the anger burning in his eyes. Obviously, Nykyrian wasn't quite ready to meet his father.
Cairistiona smiled and came to her feet. "There you are," she breathed happily. "We had begun to worry you had changed your mind."
Nykyrian couldn't have betrayed any fewer emotions if he were a statue. Kiara was tempted to kick him. The maitre d' excused himself and left them to a modicum of privacy.
Aros rose more slowly. He clutched his hands in a way that told Kiara he wasn't used to being uncertain about himself. "I hope you don't mind my presence. When Carie told me she had found you, I insisted that I attend as well."
Kiara took Nykyrian's hand and gave an encouraging squeeze. His fingers were icy cold. She could almost swear they trembled. For several awkward seconds, no one spoke.
Nykyrian finally broke the tense silence. "This is my wife, Kiara." Aros smiled. "We've already met, but it is a pleasure to see you again."
Kiara returned his smile as she curtsied. "It's an honor to see you again, Your Majesty."
Aros blustered gruffly. "None of that, my dear. You're family now. I hate all that posturing and bowing anyway. It's demeaning!"
Kiara laughed at his words, feeling a little more at ease about the dinner.
Aros pulled a chair out next to him for Kiara. "Come child, have a seat. You shouldn't be standing."
Kiara glanced at Nykyrian to see how he was dealing with his newfound family. As usual, she couldn't tell. Without a word, she moved toward his father and the chair Aros held for her. His mother and aunt exchanged worried frowns and each kept looking at Nykyrian nervously while he seated himself in a chair next to Kiara's.
Kiara took a deep breath, wondering what she could do to helpfully interfere, but not enrage Nykyrian to the point where he would get up and leave.
"We will no doubt have beautiful grandchildren, wouldn't you say, Carie?" the emperor asked, pushing Kiara's seat up to the table.
Cairistiona smiled. "They will be the envy of everyone," she agreed.
Nykyrian shifted uncomfortably beside her. Kiara placed her hand over the one he held in his lap. He looked up at her with something that appeared to be pride.
They remained quiet while their meals were brought in and placed before them.
Nykyrian held Kiara's soothing hand while berating himself for coming along on this stupid expedition. He didn't know these people, and he wasn't really sure he even wanted to. Worse, his temper was slipping.
He had wanted this moment for most of his life. A brief chance meeting where he could talk to his parents, have them look at him with love, have them accept him. Now that he had it, Nykyrian didn't know what to do with it.
"I know this must be hard for you," Aros said after the room cleared of servers. "You must know I didn't know you were alive. If I had even suspected, I would have torn the universe apart looking for you."
Nykyrian took a sip of his drink, tempted to curl his lip and make a caustic reply. He remembered Thia.
No one had told him about her, and to her knowledge he was just as guilty of abandoning her. For all Nykyrian knew, Thia harbored the same feelings of rejection and isolation. The revelation almost choked him. How could he blame his parents for the same thing he had done to his own child?
"I don't blame you." Nykyrian caught Kiara's astonished look. "Why don't we forget the past and just start with this moment and go forward."
Aros saluted him with his glass. "I regret the lost years. I can tell they are one of my greatest losses."
Nykyrian snorted, looking straight at Kiara. "You were probably better off. I was a rotten child who spent weeks sulking."
Kiara smiled. "Some things never change."
His parents laughed.
Grateful for Nykyrian's changed mood, Kiara wondered what had caused it. He was so handsome sitting next to her, she beamed with pride. Leaning toward him, she whispered in his ear.
"I'll show you," Nykyrian said, scooting his chair back.
Kiara blushed at the stares she collected. She seemed to be going to the rest room every few seconds lately. "Just tell me where it is and I can find it."
He shook his head. "It's too crowded. I don't think you should go out there alone."
Kiara's face felt so hot, she feared it would explode. "I can go alone," she said, stressing the words. "I'll be right back."
She could tell by the tense line of his jaw, he wanted to argue some more. "Don't be long."
Kiara smiled, relieved he had yielded. "You won't even have time to miss me."
Excusing herself from his parents, she made her way out the door. It didn't take her long to find her way through the dining room and to the restrooms.
As Kiara left the bathroom, she smiled at the maitre d' as he passed by her, leading another set of guests. Happy her husband was behaving and not being too sullen, she made her way back through their dining room. "Kiara?" She stopped, wondering who had called her.
Turning around, she tried to locate the source of the familiar voice. Kiara's heart stopped as she recognized Jullien seated at a table with another man. Why wasn't he in their room with his parents?
She started to head back to the dining room without acknowledging him, but her conscience wouldn't let her. As Aros had said, she was family now and she couldn't be rude.
Jullien crossed the floor, stopping right in front of her. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon," he said warmly. He took her hand and placed a wet kiss over her knuckles. Kiara stifled her shudder.
His smile was warm enough, but she wondered at the coldness behind his eyes. "I realize you must be here with someone," Jullien said, looking around the room. "But could you take a moment to say hello to my friend. He's a fan of yours and he's dying for a chance to meet you."
"It'll only take a moment," he begged with those eerie eyes. "Please?"
Reminding herself this was her brother-in-law and a royal prince, she nodded her head.
Jullien gave her a warm smile and led her back to his table. "This is the woman I was telling you about."
The man stood and slowly turned to face Kiara. Her heart hammered in fear.
"You!" she gasped, recognizing the man who had glared at them that day in the bay of her flat— Aksel Bredeh.
He pressed a small blaster into her stomach. "Act like you're happy to see me," he said in a low menacing tone. "Or the chef will have fresh human entrails to serve the hybrid. Smile," he suggested.
Kiara wanted to spit in his face, scratch out his eyes, anything other than go along with him. But what choice did she have? She had no doubt that he would kill her if she so much as twitched.
One day, she would learn to listen when someone cautioned her not to do something! Provided she survived this, her mind taunted her.
"I owe you," Aksel said to Jullien before narrowing his gray eyes on Kiara. "Walk slowly to the outside door."
Nykyrian looked up from his food expecting to see Kiara enter, instead it was the frightened maitre d'.
"Commander!" he said, his voice and hands shaking. "Your wife just left with a friend of Prince Jullien's. I don't think she went willingly."
Coldness gripped Nykyrian's soul and he tightened his hands into fists.
He heard his mother's gasp of fright and his father's curse. But that was all he heard before he concentrated on the raw anger pulsing through his body. He drew strength from it, because he knew he was going to kill someone over this.
Nykyrian ran for the door, pulling his blaster from his holster. As he crossed the dining room looking for his target, diners screamed, ducked, and ran.
He left the restaurant and headed for the nearby landing bay. Nothing. Not a sign of Kiara anywhere. His grip tightened on his blaster. Nykyrian clicked back the release.
Jullien.
With that single thought burning in his mind, he made his way back through the restaurant to the area where his parents had the bastard cornered.
Blind rage clouded his eyes. All Nykyrian wanted to do was rip out Jullien's heart and feed it to him.
With one fist, Nykyrian picked his brother up from the floor and hurled him across the table. Serving ware shattered and scattered, the icy tinkling sound mimicking the coldness consuming him.
Nemesis was awake and demanded to be appeased.
Nykyrian pulled Jullien off the floor by his neck. "Where is she?"
Jullien tried to claw Nykyrian's hand from his throat. Nykyrian tightened his grip. He wanted to see the fat weasel crawl. "Your life hinges on how fast you answer me, you bastard!"
Two of Jullien's guards moved toward them.
Nykyrian switched his blaster to stun and shot them before they could get near him and the fat slob he dangled from his fist like a frightened gimfry. Nykyrian looked at his parents to see if they would interfere. They just stared at him as if he were an animal. So be it. Kiara was all that mattered to him. To hell with anything else. Nykyrian clicked the blaster to kill and held it under Jullien's chin.
"Answer me, or the next sound you hear will be your brains hitting the wall behind you."
Sweat covered Jullien's pudgy jowls. "Aksel has her. I don't know where he's taking her."
Shock at his unexpected answer was the only thing that saved Jullien's life. Numb, Nykyrian released him. The room seemed to tilt. Aksel has her, the words echoed in his mind like a forgotten nightmare.
His father reached out to touch him. Nykyrian moved away with a snarl. He glared at his father with all the hatred scorching, blistering his soul.
"She's the only reason I came tonight," Nykyrian said, narrowing his eyes at his father. "If something happens to her, I want you to know I'm coming back for Jullien, and when I finish with him there won't be enough left to flush."
Spurred by his agony and rage, Nykyrian left his parents standing next to his brother, watching him with disappointed eyes. To Hell with them. Let them comfort Jullien. He didn't need their love. He didn't need anyone or anything except Kiara.
Nykyrian pushed the bell at Jayne's house. He wiped the tears falling down his cheeks, stunned he would cry now. All the times he had been beaten, wounded, and cursed not one tear had ever fallen. Now he couldn't seem to stop them.
He would gladly trade his life for Kiara's. Whatever it took, he would see her safe.
Jayne opened the door, then stood back, her mouth falling open. Nykyrian disregarded her shock, no longer caring who saw how much the tiny dancer meant to him.
"Aksel has Kiara," Nykyrian said in a ragged, hate-filled voice.
Darling and Caillen came to their feet from the couch. Jayne pulled him into her house and pushed him toward the kitchen table. Dazed, Nykyrian sat in the first chair he reached. Nothing seemed real. It was all like a terrifying nightmare.
He looked at Caillen. "Did you find out anything more about Rachol?"
"He's with my sisters, but I don't know where."
Nykyrian nodded, wishing Rachol were there to help plan this damned thing. His emotions were too tangled. He couldn't think straight. All he could think of was Kiara.
Nykyrian ran his hands over his face, his tears finally stopping. "Darling, I need you to get those disks you picked up from Rachol, along with the ones I got from Driana. With any luck— "
The bell sounded again.
For the second time that night, Nykyrian's world spun. Driana stood outside, clutching Thia to her breast, the child wrapped in a bloodstained blanket. The side of Driana's face was swollen and red.
"He's gone crazy," Driana said, holding Thia tightly.
Nykyrian shot out of his chair and crossed the room to see if his daughter were still alive, his heart lodged painfully in his throat as his fear tripled.
Nykyrian pulled the blanket back and let out a fierce curse. Thia was covered in more bruises than her mother. She turned her little head to look at him, but couldn't open her eyes for the bruises.
"I didn't think he'd stop beating her," Driana said, then broke off into heavy sobs.
Gingerly, Nykyrian pulled his daughter to him and rocked her. He was going to kill Aksel tonight.
"It's all right," he said to Thia, swallowing the wave of tears gathering in his throat. "No one's ever going to hurt you again."
Hadrian, Jayne's husband, came forward to take Thia. "I'll take care of her."
Nykyrian was immobilized by the turbulent state of his emotions. As much as he had hated in the past, nothing had ever prepared him for this burning ache in his soul that begged for appeasement.
Reluctantly, he released Thia to Hadrian, knowing Hadrian would be able to tend her injuries.
"Where is he?" Nykyrian asked Driana.
"He's gone to his base on Oksana. He thinks he's safe there."
"And Kiara?"
"She's with him."
Nykyrian's lip curled into a snarl. He motioned for Darling, Jayne and Caillen to come with him. They would get Hauk, and before the end of the night, he would put an end to Aksel, one way or another.
* * * * *
Kiara strained against the manacles holding her hands above her head against the wall. She had to get free! She met Aksel's gaze from where he sat across the room with two of his men, gambling to see who would be the first to rape her. A knowing smile curved his lips before he doubled his bet.
Kiara looked away. Her heart pounded as she struggled against the chains. She had to get away from him.
Aksel looked up once more from his card game and again leered at her, seeming to delight in the way she fought helplessly against her binders. Kiara shivered.
She prayed for release, but she also prayed for Nykyrian not to come near this place to save her. One too many times, Aksel had told
her what he wanted to do to her husband.
If he captured Nykyrian, Aksel would torture him to death.
Kiara couldn't understand such an intolerable hatred, and after being with Aksel, she was sure she would never ask him to find out why. The man was totally bended.
The door behind Aksel opened. Kiara looked up to see Driana entering, her face red and swollen. Driana met her gaze and Kiara saw the sympathy in the blond woman's eyes.
"Aksel, I need to speak with you. Alone."
Aksel curled his lip. "Can't you see we're in the middle of a game here?"
Driana moved forward with determined steps and upturned the table. She leveled a rifle at Aksel's head. "Tell them to leave."
Aksel's twisted laughter filled the room. "Sure. Boys, if you'll excuse us, my wife," he mocked at the title, "would like to say a few words to me."
Kiara swallowed the lump in her throat and watched as the two soldiers walked from the room, their own laughs trailing behind them as they said something in a language Kiara couldn't understand.
Aksel leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest as he watched his wife, his confidence all too apparent. "What is it you want, dumpling?" Despite the endearment, Kiara didn't miss the raw hatred and threat in his voice.
"No one hurts my baby and lives," Driana snarled. "I'm going to kill you, you giakon. " She clicked back the hammer on the rifle.
Aksel moved so fast, Kiara barely saw his arms uncoil from his chest before he had the gun out of Driana's hands. "You stupid harita," he said, jabbing the stock into her stomach.
Kiara cringed in reflex. Driana slumped to the floor, clutching her middle as she cried out in pain.
He pulled Driana up by the hair. "Where's Thia?"
Driana glared at him and even from her distance across the room, Kiara recognized the hatred burning in the blue eyes. "I gave her to her father."
Aksel's chest pulsated with his deep, angry breaths as he looked up at Kiara. "The hybrid?" he screeched.
Kiara winced at the tone, unable to believe a man could make it.
"Yes," Driana said. "He was a better man and lover at sixteen than you'll ever be!"
Aksel lifted the stock up and brought it down across Driana's back with a dull, heavy thud. Driana screamed, falling to the floor. Kiara buried her head in her arms and tried to block out the sound of the blows that followed in rapid succession. Finally, Driana's screams stopped. Kiara raised her head and saw Driana lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Her stomach twisted. For a moment, she thought she'd be sick.
The League 1: Born Of The Night Page 23