Born of Betrayal (47 page)

Dancer swallowed. “We can't do that, Fain.”

“Yes. You can. Don't lip me. We're venting atmosphere. I can feel it. We need to isolate this section and we're going to have to make a hard decision soon, anyway.”

Galene shook her head. “No! I'm not about to leave you down there with no ventilation.”

“Yes!” Fain looked up and met her gaze. “Stormy, we both know I'm nothing but a worthless piece of shit. I've never done anything right in my life. Please, don't risk Talyn for me. We've got to get him out of here.”

“He's right,” another engineer chimed in. “We are venting atmosphere.”

“Then work faster,” she growled. “Get them out!”

“We don't know where the leak is. We could make it worse. Again, we might lose them both.”

Galene broke on those words. “No!” She leaned over and tried to find them through the darkness. “Fain … please, don't do this.”

“It's okay, Storm. I'll always be with you. You know that. Not even death will keep me from you.”

Dancer met Galene's gaze with eyes filled by torment. “What do I do?”

“I don't know. I can't make this decision. I won't … I can't lose either of them. And I can't watch another brother die.”

An aftershock shook the station, knocking the engineer from his feet. Dancer cursed as he went skidding sideways.

Galene barely caught herself before she fell, tumbling over the edge, down on top of Fain and Talyn.

Fain let out a roar of pain as more debris crashed on top of him and Talyn.

“Baby?” she called. “What's happening?”

“It went deeper.… I'm bleeding worse. You have to move fast. I'm not sure how much longer I can help Talyn. Send me the lift.”

“No!” Talyn growled. “I'm not leaving you. We fell in together. We get out together.”

Fain smiled at the son he didn't deserve. “You live. I live.”

Talyn shifted and took Fain's hand in both of his. “There's only one thing in this life I want, Paka.” He swallowed hard. “To hand my son to you for his naming. For him to carry on
your
name for another generation.”

Closing his eyes, Fain savored those words. That was the highest honor any Andarion son could bestow on his father. While mothers chose the names of their daughters, the fathers picked the names of their sons. For a male to ask his father to name his son in his stead …

It was rarely done.

Normally, the birth father chose the names of family members he wanted to honor or impress. Friends who meant something special to him. Fain only had Dancer, but he wouldn't take the honor of Dancer being able to name his son after himself.

Besides, Dancer had
always
hated his name. And there was only one other Andarion Fain honestly treasured.

Fain blinked back his tears. “Then if it's a son Felicia honors us with, I would ask that he be called Talyn Aubrien of the Winged Blood Clan of Batur.”

“Aubrien?”

He smiled sadly at his son. “The name I would have given you, after the War Hauk who gave his life to save his sisters. And Talyn for the greatest athlete and son Andaria has ever produced.”

Talyn laughed, then groaned. His red eyes burned into Fain. “Love you, Paka.”

“And I, you. Forever and beyond. With all I am, and all I hope to be.”

The lift fell down by Fain's side, striking him so hard that for a moment, he thought he might lose consciousness. Only his sheer force of will and refusal to see his son perish kept him alert enough to pry it from the rubble and work it around Talyn. With the last of his strength, he pulled up on the beam that pinned Talyn's legs.

“Lift!”

They did. The moment Talyn began to rise, it shifted the weight of the beam that was piercing Fain and brought it down on him even harder. Fain bit his lip and tried to remain silent as pain ripped him apart. But he couldn't stand it. Crying out, he waited for death to stop the agony.

Suddenly, the pain lessened.

Not understanding the source, he looked up to see Nero and Hadrian through the breaks in the debris. With arms spread wide, they were using their Trisani powers to hold the rubble back from him while the engineers lifted Talyn out.

Galene pressed her hand to her lips and prayed beside Jayne as Talyn came free of the wreckage. Weeping silently, she ran to him. The medics placed him on the ground so that they could evaluate his condition. For once, he didn't fight them when they placed the mask over his face or even while they cut away his uniform.

That more than anything told her how bad his condition was. The only other time he'd not fought against medics had been after his last fighter crash.

Wanting to comfort him, but knowing she had to stay out of the medics' way, she squeezed his hand to let him know she was there and met his gaze.

She had half her heart safe.

The other part …

Galene glanced over to Hadrian and Nero. Both were sweating from the strain of holding up so much weight. Though to be honest, Nero looked
much
worse. Hadrian had always been the stronger of the two Trisani brothers. And that was the bad part about their exemplary mental powers. Too much, and they could give themselves brain damage.

Worse case, coma and death.

Jayne fretted by her side. “Hadrian can't do this much longer.”

Galene ran to the side to see if there was any way to reach Fain. Damn it! What good were wings when she couldn't even fly down to him? “Fain?”

“I'm here, love. I know they have to let go. Tell Nero and Hadrian it's okay. There's no need in them risking Jayne descending into hell to kill us all for them trying to do a good deed.”

Hadrian snorted at his misplaced humor. “Not giving up yet, Hauk. Besides, you know how much I love to live dangerously. Why else would I share a domicile with Jayne? Risking her wrath is what I do for fun.”

“You need to find a new hobby, my friend.”

“How 'bout we get you out of that hole and you can teach me one?”

Fain coughed as his sight dimmed. Sadly, it wasn't going to happen. But he was glad that he wasn't alone. If he had to die, he wanted it to be with the sound of Galene's sweet voice ringing in his ears.

“We're losing oxygen. We've got to seal the area before we jeopardize more of the station.”

Galene growled at the engineer. “Not until we get Commander Hauk out!”

Nero staggered and went down to one knee.

The moment he did, Hadrian's nose started bleeding. “I can't hold this alone. It's too heavy.”

His breathing ragged, Nero tried to stand. “I … I can't.” Anguish darkened his silvery blue eyes as he met Galene's gaze. “I'm so sorry, Galene.”

Hadrian tried, but after a minute, he let out a fierce scream of agony before he fell.

And when he did, she knew it was over. Nothing but silence rang in her ears.

Cold. Dark.

Horrifying.

Fain was dead. For a full heartbeat, she couldn't breathe as that reality crashed down on her with the weight of the wreckage that had killed the only husband she'd ever have.

And out of the bitter, aching darkness, she heard a strange squealing sound. At first, she thought it was her soul screaming over the agony she felt.

But after a minute, she realized it was the sound of metal being bent and pulled apart.

Stunned, she looked from Hadrian to Nero, who wore shocked expressions similar to hers.

Hadrian shot to his feet. “There's another Trisani here.”

Jayne drew her blaster. “Where?” She took aim at every shadow.

He glanced down at his wife and smirked. “Given the amount of power I'm sensing, that will only piss him or her off.”

Suddenly, Galene saw where the help was coming from. On her right, Dancer, who had slipped away while she'd been preoccupied with Talyn's medical care, approached her with Syn, Caillen, Ushara, and Nykyrian. They flanked a tall, cloaked figure who had to be the unknown Trisani. By the height and broad shoulders, he was obviously male.

Without a word, he moved with the fluid grace of a wild hunting beast toward her.

When he came even with her, he stopped by her side, yet there was no trace of his features. The design of his clothes kept every part of his form hidden from sight. Only his accent gave any clue to his esoteric origins. Lilting and deep, it was as mysterious, gruff, and majestic as he was. “I swore to my blood oath brother that I would keep his family safe in his absence. And while I know you consider Jullien eton Anatole your bitter enemy, know that it is for him alone that I do this. I would never have exposed myself for anyone else.”

With those words spoken, he spread his hand out and lifted Fain effortlessly from the depths of the debris. More than that, he bathed both Fain's and Talyn's bodies in a strange orange glow.

Uncertain, Galene met Jayne's shocked gape. “Is he healing them?”

She nodded wordlessly.

Unable to believe what was happening, Galene was torn between running to her son and to her husband. As if sensing that, the Tavali mystic lifted Fain's body with his thoughts and placed it beside Talyn's.

He gave her a harsh, red stare. “There. Now you can reach them both, Commander.”

“Thank you,” she breathed before she ran to them to make sure they were all right.

By the time she got to them, they were sitting upright and staring at each other and her, every bit as shocked as she was. Laughing and crying, she grabbed Talyn and then Fain and rained kisses over both of them. “I swear the two of you are trying your best to shorten my life.”

Fain couldn't speak as he held Galene against him and stared in amazement at being next to his son again. Unharmed and whole. “Are you all right, Talyn?”

“Yeah. Think so. You?”

“Aside from your mother choking the life out of me … yeah.”

Galene nipped his chin before she pulled back. “You ever die on me again, Fain Hauk, and I'll kill you.”

“Well okay, then. I'll keep that viable, sane threat in mind.”

“Commander?” the engineer closest to them said insistently. “We've got to clear this area. We're still venting atmosphere!”

“All right. Clear it and seal it.”

As they pulled out, she saw the looks on Hadrian's and Nero's faces as they gaped at the new Trisani. “Jayne?” she whispered. “What's going on?”

“I think they know him.” Jayne slowed to wait on her husband.

Galene stayed with her.

But it wasn't until they were clear that Nero grabbed the mysterious Tavali and slammed him against the wall so hard, Galene was surprised it didn't leave a dent in it.

When he went to hit him again, Hadrian caught him and held him back. “Stop it!”

“Stop it? Are you kidding? I haven't even begun the ass-kicking I have planned!” He glared at the Tavali newcomer. “How could you?”

The hood dissolved to show one of the most ruggedly handsome human faces Galene had ever seen. While Nero had dark blond hair and Hadrian brown, they were fair and angelic in appearance and features—similar in ways to Ushara.

But Trajen was as beautifully dark as an Andarion. With dark hair and eyes. He looked nothing like any Trisani Galene had ever heard of. “Don't you dare judge me,
brother
. You're lucky I haven't already killed you. Touch me again, and I promise you I will not show restraint.”

Hadrian's jaw went slack. “He really is related to us?”

His breathing ragged, Nero nodded. “Yeah. You've always asked me what our brother was like. Hadrian meet Trajen.” Nero's silvery blue eyes turned brittle. “How could you let me think you dead all these years? I have spent my entire life trying to find some trace of what happened to you and Julia. Wanting closure. Damn you for it!”

Bitterness curled Trajen's lips. “And I've spent my life trying my damndest to forget every moment of it all. Damn
you
.” With those cold words spoken, he turned and left them.

When Nero started after him, Ushara cut him off. “Give him some space. Please.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she shook her head.

“Listen to me, Nero. I know him better than anyone. He didn't lash out at you. That's a good sign. Especially since you attacked him. Trust me. No one strikes him with immunity. No one.”

Tears glistened in Nero's eyes. “What happened to him?”

Ushara hesitated before she answered. “When Trisa fell, your uncle sold him and your sister into slavery.”

“He was supposed to protect them!”

“Yes, he was. Be glad you didn't make that last escape shuttle. Your mother was killed brutally in front of them as she sought to save their lives.”

Hadrian winced.

“Thaumarturgus,” Nero whispered. “I should have known the first time I heard his name.”

Galene frowned at the word. “It's the name he uses. Does it have a special meaning?”

Hadrian nodded. “They were a sect of Trisani priests who voluntarily withdrew from the world. It was said that they were able to master their powers and do things with them that made a mockery of the rest of us.” He looked at Fain and Talyn. “Apparently, it wasn't a myth.”

Nero shook his head. “And here I just thought he took our term to use because he thought it was badass.”

Hadrian snorted bitterly. “Well, a lot of people use it for that reason. Who would have thought?”

Sighing, Nero returned his attention to Ushara. “Is Julia a part of your Nation, too?”

Sympathy darkened her eyes. “No. I'm sorry. She died a long time ago from their cruelty. It left Trajen shattered and brittle. Completely mistrustful and withdrawn. Just be patient with him. He's harsh, but he is a good man.”

Dancer scoffed. “Brothers, huh? What a minsid pain in the ass they are.”

Fain draped his arm over Galene and laughed. “Tell me about it. You should have mine.”