Born of Defiance

by Sherrilyn Kenyon

  Morra loosened Felicia's hands so that she could free herself. She patted her arm encouragingly.

  Felicia still couldn't see them, but just knowing they were here ...

  Never had she loved Talyn more.

  "How did you get free?" Merrell asked his mother.

  "Batur arranged it. Tell me where you are and I'll send an entourage to escort you both to the palace."

  "We'll come on our own. See you shortly." Merrell hung up.

  Chrisen gasped. "What are you doing?"

  "Something about this doesn't feel right. I don't trust that bastard lack-Vest. Do you?"

  Chrisen glanced back toward Felicia. "No, but he loves his female. For her safety, I think he'd obey us."

  "Then she's coming with us." Merrell moved to take her and collided hard with Talyn.

  Talyn immediately decloaked. In full battlegear, he reached for Merrell. "You should have just gone on." He slung him against the wall, then pulled his blaster out and angled it for Chrisen. "One excuse to pull the trigger. Please!"

  Chrisen held his hands up.

  The expression on Merrell's face said that he wanted to be stupid. Until he realized Talyn wasn't alone. One by one, six more Andarion soldiers decloaked.

  Both Merrell and Chrisen went down on their knees and surrendered.

  Talyn clicked his blaster from kill to stun before he shot each of them.

  Twice.

  Morra arched an inquisitive black brow at him.

  He pulled his helmet off and handed it to the soldier on his left. "I want them kept unconscious until Cairistiona orders their deaths. Otherwise, I'm going to be executed for murder." Talyn turned to Felicia and knelt down by her side to gather her into his arms.

  Felicia buried her face against his neck. "I knew you'd come for me."

  "Always." Trembling from the relief of finding her, he kissed her with everything he had.

  Felicia gasped as Talyn stood with her in his arms. "I can walk."

  "I know."

  She scowled as he refused to set her down. "Talyn?"

  He tightened his arms around her. "I came too close to losing you. Right now, I'm not sure I'll ever let you out of my sight again. Definitely not until all the dust settles from this shit."

  Smiling, she laid her head down on his shoulder. "Okay, then. But this might get awkward when I have to go to the bathroom."

  He laughed as he carried her down the hallway. He paused to look back at his men. "If you want to drag those two bastards out of here by their ankles, instead of getting hernias carrying them, I'm all right with that. And if you bang their heads into everything you pass along the way, I'll consider expedited promotions."

  The soldiers laughed so hard, they actually did drop them.

  Morra clapped the one closest to her on the arm. "Not used to management with a wicked sense of humor, are you?"

  "Not used to one with any kind of humor. Period."

  Felicia snuggled against Talyn.

  Until they were outside. Talyn locked gazes with her. She had no idea what the expression on his face meant.

  "No more hiding," he breathed an instant before a huge set of wings expanded out of his back.

  Gaping, she reached hesitantly to touch the soft texture of them. "You're winged?"

  "Stralen isn't the only recessive gene I carry."

  She kissed him. "And I love every molecule of you. Recessive and otherwise."

  Talyn glanced to the other soldiers with him. One by one, they released their own wings. He grinned at her stunned expression. "Cairistiona and I reinstated the Winged divisions for the armada. She's extended her protection to us. After all, we're an endangered species now. The very last of our kind."

  Morra grabbed the largest Andarion male who didn't have a prisoner to carry. "I have to say, I'm beginning to have a fine appreciation for these non-green species."

  Felicia laughed as the soldiers took flight.

  Talyn hesitated on the ground with her. "You ready for this?"

  "I trusted you with an airbike. I think I can handle it."

  But instead of joining the others, he stared down at her. "I love you."

  She rubbed noses with him. "Love you, too."

  He tightened his arms around her before he took flight. Felicia's stomach fluttered as the ground rapidly receded. She wasn't quite as brave as she'd claimed. The only thing that kept her fear at bay was the knowledge that Talyn would never willingly allow any harm to come to her. That here, finally, she was completely safe.

  Funny how she'd always thought of love in the most childish of terms. She'd assumed being in love meant someone would lavish her with attention and gifts. Spoil her blind. But that wasn't true love. True love was placing someone else before yourself. Giving without the expectation of getting anything in return, because their happiness meant more to you than your own. She totally understood that now.

  And love was only right when the one you were with felt the exact same way about you. That was why they spoiled you and why you spoiled them in return.

  No, she didn't know what the future would hold for them. But whatever disaster or challenge life threw at them, they'd get through it the same way they'd gotten through this.

  Together.

  EPILOGUE

  Felicia shot to her feet as Duel Odelus knocked Talyn to the Ring floor with a brutal punch.

  Lorens wrapped his arm around her. "It's all right, Felicia. He can take it."

  Yes, but she didn't want him to. More to the point, she couldn't take him taking it.

  Glancing at Morra and Qory, who were sitting beside her, she winced as Talyn was struck again and again. This was why she'd never wanted to see any match Talyn was in. Why she'd always stayed in the locker room during the fight.

  His blood and pain were more than she could take. But this was their anniversary and she'd promised him that she would sit Ringside with her brother and nephews, and their friends.

  Little had she known how hard this would be.

  When Talyn came to his feet, his gaze went straight to her. By that, she knew how much he appreciated her being here.

  For him.

  It was the least she could do, since she was still the reason he was getting the snot beaten out of him. This was the last fight he'd contracted for to free her of her contract. How she wished she could go back in time and change things.

  But then, if she hadn't contracted with her agency, she would have never met him.

  That part was all she didn't regret.

  "It'll be all right, Aunt Felicia." Gavarian handed her his drink.

  She took a sip to settle her nervous stomach as she ignored the crowd that cheered Talyn getting beaten. Even Qory cheered with various signs while Morra made loud shouts of encouragement for Talyn to rip out Duel's spine.

  For a moment, she thought he might. It was what he'd done to Chrisen in their fight a few months back. Something that had made Ferrick deliriously happy and unbelievably rich.

  Shaking her head, she tried not to think about any of that.

  So much had changed over this last year. Completely sober, Cairistiona was now the beloved Andarion tadara, with Nykyrian and his son, Adron, as the crowned heirs behind her in line for the throne, Eriadne, Jullien, and the remaining Anatoles were in prison or exile. Galene was the prime commander of their armada. Lorens was Galene's adjutant, and Talyn was now the commander at Anatole Base. As such, he was in charge of their primary fighter corps, and a lead advisor to his mother and her brother.

  While she and Talyn still couldn't legally live together or marry, they did have a contract, courtesy of her mother and Morra. It wasn't as good as unification, but it was the best they could hope for under current Andarion law.

  And since it allowed her to remain with Talyn, it was more than enough for her.

  Felicia winced again as Duel slammed Talyn to the ground, again and stomped him. "How can he stand that?"

  Lorens snorted. "Your male is one tough SOB."