Born of Silence

  Darling let out a short, bitter laugh. "Yes, they were extremely dry and boring, and in between my sucking off thousands of men, stealing the money from our treasury and embezzling funds from the pleb schools, getting shanked and filmed every afternoon by Nylan, all my stints in and out of mental wards where I, as a boy your son's age, beat the staff to the point they were all terrified of me, and raping and brainwashing the Resistance leader I'm only marrying for political reasons, I committed every single one of those laws, our laws and my father's code, to memory. And in between my numerous extracurricular activities, superhuman that I am, I've kept up with every change to every law that has been made in my lifetime."

  Shame filled Giran's eyes over Darling's sarcastic reminder of what he and his brother had been publicly alleging every time a news camera came near them. "I'm so sorry I said those things about you, Majesty. It... I was wrong to do so, and I apologize deeply."

  Pride must have choked him hard to admit that. And the fact that he did, that he was here begging for Darling's help after attacking him so viciously, also let him know just how desperate Giran was. Not that he blamed him. If someone had his son, he'd bust Kere's domain wide open to get him back.

  Gods help whomever was dumb enough to touch someone he loved.

  Still, Darling wasn't as forgiving as his father would have been. Not after everything they'd been doing to not just him, but those he loved.

  Giran's words and actions, in particular, resonated loudly in his memory.

  "You publicly and cruelly insulted my fiancee, and then aired the most humiliating moment of my entire life to everyone who might have missed it, all the while insulting my integrity, intelligence, and sanity with lies you knew to be untrue. Why should I ever help you?"

  Giran averted his gaze, but not before Darling saw the agony and shame he was trying hard to hide. "You're right. I shouldn't have come here for a favor. I have no right to ask you for anything. What I did to you was beyond cruel and it was wrong. And I'm ashamed of the fact that I took pleasure in hurting you."

  Yeah, right. The only thing Giran was ashamed of was that after having held Darling's head down and rubbing his nose in the past, he now had to belly crawl to him to get his son released.

  Tears fell down Giran's cheeks. "I only pray that whoever has possession of my son is showing him the compassion I should have shown you."

  There, Giran had finally stumbled onto the magic phrase. Darling wanted the bastard to admit to not only him, but to himself, what he'd done and how wrong it'd been. And why it was wrong. It was the only way to make sure Giran didn't do it to someone else.

  "Scars are there to remind us of the price we pay when we learn a vital lesson. Never hide them, Darling. Revel in the fact that you've grown as a person. Embrace the newfound knowledge you learned about yourself."

  His father's words rang in his ears. No matter the situation, his father always knew what to say or do to make it better. How he wished he had one tenth of what his father had possessed.

  Instead, he stumbled through his life blindly, hoping he was doing the right things.

  Giran started for the door.

  "I didn't say I wouldn't help you," Darling said coldly. "I only wanted you to understand that I'm under no obligation to do so, and that I have every reason to turn my back on you as you did me when I went to you and the CDS in good faith, expecting you to help me do the right thing for our people."

  "I understand," Giran breathed. "Honestly, I'm not sure if I'd help me if I were you, given what all we've done." He met Darling's gaze with a burning sincerity in his eyes. "And this is a favor I won't forget, Majesty."

  Darling inclined his head to him. "Good, because if I succeed in getting them back, you are to set the record straight with the media about my past. I want you to recant every lie you've spewed. More than that, I expect you to support and back my governorship before the rest of the gerents and CDS."

  Giran's lips quivered. "If you save my son, Your Majesty, I will spend the rest of my life making sure no one ever questions your decency, mercy, or reign. I will give my life for you."

  "Good. 'Cause I need you to rally the CDS to an emergency session as soon as possible. The steps I'm going to have to take are severe and extreme. It's a move I don't want to do without the full support and knowledge of the CDS."

  He bowed low. "I will see it done, my lord. You are truly an asset to the people. May the gods bless you for your benevolent mercy, and give you the longest and happiest life imaginable."

  Darling scoffed at his obsequious fawning. The only reason Giran was here was for his son. If anything went wrong or Darling failed in his mission, he'd be the first to lunge at Darling's back. "Don't flatter me, Giran. I know what you really think about me when you're not worried about your kid. Everyone in the universe knows since you've been extremely verbose about it. And I would rather have your sincere hatred than unctuous friendship any day."

  Giran straightened and let his aristocratic mask slip so that Darling could see his real emotions. This wasn't an aristo in front of him. It was a father who was terrified of losing his son because of his own stupidity. "Sincerely, Darling, thank you for at least trying to help me. I do mean that."

  "Let's hope the gods listen to your prayers." Because they had very seldom listened to his. "Now, go. Every second wasted is one more your son lives in danger."

  Giran left immediately.

  Darling turned to Gera who was still waiting for orders about Zarya. That was the only thing that...

  His gaze went past Gera to the monitors he'd had on for the last few days so that he could watch the news and stay abreast of the Resistance attacks, and the gerents' confederacy of dunces.

  All four of the wall mounts showed clips of a League raid on his territory. It was one thing for Giran to tell him. Another to see it in full color. The League soldiers were shooting indiscriminately into crowds of innocent people, and shoving bystanders around. Men, women, and children.

  How dare they! Those were his people.

  He'd tear them apart for this.

  But that anger fled as he saw the one thing that sucker punched him. It was a video of Zarya in cuffs, being led out of the Resistance HQ and placed into a transport by League soldiers.

  His stomach lurched.

  Grabbing the control off his desk, he turned the sound up.

  "... League command is refusing to comment or speculate. But again, they have routed the Resistance and taken all of its leaders into custody."

  They flashed to one of the League high commanders. "We were invited here by the members of the CDS, and we have now taken control of the cesspit of the Caronese Empire. The CDS is no longer the ruling body here and they will be required to submit to our rule until such a time as we deem they are safe."

  "And what of Governor Cruel?" the reporter asked.

  "Since we have been provided with proof of his diminished capacity and known ties to the Resistance, we are relieving him of his duties. If he refuses to surrender himself to our custody, we will be forced to issue a bounty on him and arrest him."

  That actually made Darling laugh. "Bring it, punk. But you better stock up on body bags." He wouldn't go down without a fight.

  He locked gazes with Gera.

  "How did they capture her?" Gera asked.

  "I don't know. But don't worry. I will get her back."

  She gave him a kind smile. "I have faith in you, my lord."

  He wished he shared that faith with her. Because once he set his arrogance aside, he knew the truth. Going up against the League was suicide. It was one thing to defend himself against random assassins sent in to kill him.

  It was another to take an army up against them.

  Darling clutched at the remote. To get Zarya back now would require the kind of bombastic lunacy people wrote warning fables about.

  Great. Arturo was right. My only purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others...

  His gaze went to another mon
itor that showed Zarya from a different angle. There was no fear showing on her face at all. She walked with the grace and dignity of a queen.

  But he knew her well enough to recognize her fear. Underneath her icy facade, she was terrified and she had every right to be. Much like with Giran's son, a woman in League custody never fared well.

  Touch her and so help me, I will kill every one of you...

  "Hold on, baby," he whispered. "I'm coming for you." Even if it meant his life.

  The saddest part? He'd be damned lucky if that was all they took.

  24

  "We're so dead."

  Running her fingers over the restraints on her wrists, Zarya took a deep breath as she tried to stay strong for the men and women around her. Even though Pip had been the Resistance leader for almost two years, she'd worn that responsibility a lot longer.

  And not to be arrogant, but a lot better. If she could get the Resistance members to trust her again, she might be able to get all of them out of this alive.

  As for the aristos in the prison shuttle with her... they were terrified, too. Someone needed to give them hope.

  "We're not dead yet," she said with a conviction she didn't feel. "Stay strong. Don't let them defeat us."

  "We're League prisoners," one of her men sneered. "Do you not know what's going to happen to us when we land? What they're going to do to us?"

  Hopefully, they'd be a little more merciful than Pip and crew had been to Darling.

  Not wanting to think about that, Zarya patted the man on his shoulder, trying to calm him. Darling would remember his name. But while she recognized his face from missions they'd done together in the past, she couldn't recall his name or position no matter how hard she tried. "I do. And I'm one of the primary ones they'll focus their attention on... But I also know people who've survived their custody, and they were a lot younger and more inexperienced than we are. Plus, I know for a fact that Governor Cruel won't allow them to keep us."

  Pip sneered at her. "You're about to learn a harsh lesson, little girl. You're nothing to him. Just another replaceable whore." He raked a harsh glare over her body. "Probably not even that. I've heard his tastes run more along the line of pretty young boys."

  She met his glare with one of her own. "You know nothing about him. And if you refer to him again with anything other than the utmost respect in your tone, you won't have to worry about prison or the League. I'll fucking kill you with my own bare hands."

  Those words had the effect she wanted them to. Everyone sucked their breath in and held it. No one had ever heard her use such language before. It wasn't in her nature.

  But she was through watching others insult Darling when all he'd ever done was try to help them.

  Her conviction fortified by that rage, she scanned the soldiers and aristocrats around her. "We are not pawns. We are not victims. We are Caronese--one of the greatest races in the United Systems. And we're warriors for a cause. All of us. I've bled with most of you and mourned injustice with you all. Yes, the League has us for the moment, but the fight doesn't end here and neither do we. Others have defied them and lived."

  "Who?" one of the aristocratic women challenged her. "Name me one they haven't killed."

  "Nykyrian Quiakides."

  Furstan, who'd been one of her more trusted commanders, scoffed. "We're not trained assassins. He survived only because he was one of them."

  "True. But I've met the man many times and while he is a great fighter, I saw our governor toss him flat on his butt in a fight."

  Half the Resistance laughed in mockery, but she could see the doubt in their eyes.

  "I saw him do it," one of the aristos said. "I was there and she's right. The governor got past him like he was a civ."

  "I saw it, too."

  That quieted the dissenters.

  She nodded at them. "That's right. Darling was trained to fight by Nykyrian himself. He is a soldier well--"

  One of the men snorted derisively, interrupting her. "He's a stupid faggot. He can't protect himself. How--" Before he could finish those words, Ture got up and punched him so hard, the man went sprawling to the deck.

  His nostrils flared, Ture stood over the man with his fists clenched. Never in her life had she seen him like this. For that matter, she'd never known Ture to lose his temper before. Not over anything. He was normally the most laid back person imaginable.

  "I have news for you, breeder," he growled. "Just because we're homosexual doesn't mean we lack the physical strength of men. We can still fight. Most of us better than you, because we've had to defend ourselves our whole lives from jerks who think it's funny to attack us. There's a big difference between not wanting to or liking to fight, and not knowing how."

  Zarya pulled Ture back and separated them. She patted him on the shoulder in sympathy and passed him a silent look that said she not only approved, but was proud of him.

  However, they couldn't afford to fight among themselves. They had the League for that, and she was sure they'd be more than willing to lend a hand in the beatings.

  Right now, they needed to stand together or else they'd die alone.

  As Ture resumed his seat, she returned to the subject. "I know the governor better than anyone. He will not tolerate the League coming into his territory and taking his people prisoner. Not for any reason. He will come for us."

  The woman to her right shook her head. "No offense, but he has to find us first. Have you any idea how many prisons the League runs? Over a thousand on hundreds of planets and outposts. No matter how angry or determined Governor Cruel is, it could take him years to locate us."

  Yeah, okay in her exuberance, she'd overlooked a few small details. That was definitely one of them, and with the League, those prisons were impregnable.

  And with that, came a whole new fear.

  Instinctively, Zarya placed her hand on her stomach. It was also League policy that any child born to a female prisoner would to be taken away for assassin training. If it had any kind of abnormality, it was killed immediately after birth.

  More than that, her child would have Trisani in its DNA. Would the League view that as a defect? Or worse, would they sell her baby into slavery or experiment on it?

  And once they tested the child and found it was part Trisani, they'd test her. And when they found no trace in her genetics, they'd know that Darling and his family were partially Trisani...

  Panic seized her. It would mean the death of them all.

  They can never know I'm pregnant.

  But that wouldn't last. As of today, she'd officially missed her period. By now, she'd be far enough along that they'd be able to detect the pregnancy with either a scanner or blood test.

  Panic rose inside her so strong that for a moment, it took her breath.

  She refused to give in to it. Darling will find me. He will. As unlikely as it seemed, she had to hold on to that belief. He wouldn't let her down...

  The way she'd failed him.

  Tears filled her eyes as she finally understood the true horror of his confinement at their hands. The one person who should have been hunting for him, who should have saved him from his torture, had walked by a thousand times outside the very room where he was imprisoned. And he'd heard her there over and over again.

  Oh gods...

  How would it feel to hear him on the other side of that locked door while she languished in here with no prospect of escaping?

  It was one thing to be told something horrific.

  It was another to experience it.

  How could he ever really forgive me?

  The fact that he'd spoken to her at all after his release was a miracle. How he could still love her was beyond her comprehension.

  I'm so sorry, Darling. Her only hope was that she lived long enough to really make it up to him.

  "What do you mean, you can't find her?" Darling glared at Syn. "Her location has to be in their system. They make a record of every fart one of them takes."

 
Screwing his face up at Darling's crudity, Syn gestured toward his laptop. "I'm looking, but I'm telling you, it's not there. For some reason, probably intelligence, they didn't file a log on her. There is nothing in their system to let me, or anyone else, know where they've taken her. They've all but deleted any evidence of her ever having lived."

  And they all knew what that meant.

  The League intended to execute her and since they had no real evidence to convict her on, they wanted no trace of it. If they didn't find her soon, it would be too late.

  Frustrated and terrified, Darling looked over to Nykyrian who was pacing in front of Darling's desk. "Where do they normally take political prisoners?"

  Nykyrian shrugged. "There are over two hundred and fifty prisons for political inmates. But the problem is, she might not be in one of those. While she is an aristo, she's also a criminal in their eyes. With or without evidence."

  Which brought them back to square one. She could be in any prison on any planet.

  Damn them!

  It'd already been over two weeks that they'd been searching for her. Two. Full. Weeks.

  Darling had paid out more than six million creds in bribes to any-and everyone who might have even a kernel of information about her or her location.

  Nothing.

  When Nero had heard about it just hours after she'd been captured, he'd tried to find her with his powers and had almost burned up his brain in the process. But for Syn, he'd have died. Poor bastard had gone into a coma while attempting it and had developed a vicious migraine that no amount of medication could cure. Fifteen days later, he was still unable to open his eyes in any kind of light.

  At least he tried. For that, Darling owed him and he wouldn't forget it.

  Syn slapped at his keyboard. "They're determined that no one is going to find any Caronese prisoner. It looks like they've scrubbed that word from their vocabulary. I've never seen anything like this."

  And Syn had been professionally hacking files since he was a small child. If Syn couldn't find an e-trace, no one could.

  What are they doing to her? That thought was never far from his mind. If he hadn't been insane before all of this, fear for her life was quickly stealing what little sanity he had left.

  "She's on Brinear."

  He started at Maris's deep voice as his old friend stepped through the door of his office. "What?"