Born of Legend

  "Vidarri," Trajen greeted. "What can we do for you?"

  "I wanted to verify my granddaughter's news that she gave me before she left." He approached Jullien with Unira Samari flanking him.

  Jullien immediately stiffened and went into that warrior's stance that never boded well for the ones facing him.

  "Easy, m'tana," the high priestess said, touching him lightly on the arm. "It's all good."

  He cast an uncertain glance to Ushara.

  "Graspa?"

  Without responding to her, he gently pulled the glasses off Jullien's eyes to look at them. He sucked his breath in sharply at their red color. "Dear gods ... it is true. You weren't lying."

  "Paka?" Her father rose to his feet. "What's going on?"

  Tears welled in her grandfather's eyes. Reverently, he and her grandmother went down on their knees in front of Jullien and bowed reverently.

  Which infuriated her father. "What are you doing! We do not kneel before--"

  Her grandfather cut him off with a sharp hiss. "You show respect before the last Samari son!"

  Her father scowled. "What?"

  Jullien grimaced in pain. "Yeah. My grandmother got around a bit."

  Her father shook his head in denial. "Bullshit! It's not possible. Only males carry the gene. He couldn't have inherited the stralen from his mother. His father's human."

  Trajen shrugged. "The human DNA must have mutated the Fyreblood genes and somehow activated the stralen within him. It's the only thing that makes sense. But you can't deny the fact that he's stralen, and a Fyreblood."

  Ushara nodded. "I've seen him breathe fire. And he was tested against Unira's DNA. He's definitely Edon Samari's grandson."

  "How long have you known?" her father asked.

  She glanced at Jullien. "I found out not long before he left."

  "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "I asked her not to."

  Her father looked ill at Jullien's words. "You really are one of us?"

  Unira nodded. "I suspected as much the first time I saw him when he came to temple--he looks a great deal like some of my family. In particular, my father. It was why I did such a double take that day. And then once the admiral told me he'd gone stralen, I knew he was the one the old prophecies spoke of. Through him, the rarest bloodlines of Andaria are united. And if he fathers a son with your daughter, every bloodline could finally be merged--winged, Fyreblood, darkheart, and stralen. For the first time in centuries, there could be a full-blooded Andarion child born of all lines."

  Her father's eyes teared as he realized the magnitude of that. "My grandson could be the onakenedd?

  "Yes." Unira smiled at Jullien. "And as the very last of the Samaris, I would be humbled if you'd allow me to adopt you back into my lineage so that your children could carry our name, if they, and you and your wife, so choose to honor us."

  Jullien couldn't breathe as those unexpected words hit him. He was too used to being disparaged and rejected by everyone.

  Accepted?

  He turned to look behind him to make sure she was actually speaking to him and not someone else. But there really wasn't anyone there.

  Unira smiled kindly. "You all right?"

  "Sorry ... yes, I would be thrilled to be part of your lineage. I was only making sure you meant me and not someone else."

  Unira laughed at him, then gave him the envelope in her hand. "And this was the gift I wanted you to have that I mentioned yesterday."

  Frowning, he opened it and gasped as he realized it was the title for her ship. "I don't understand."

  "I'm old and I don't need to be running blockades anymore. The gods were trying to tell me something when they grounded me. And I've been thinking a lot since I saw you working on my old girl with such loving care ... I want you to have her."

  "But I'm not Tavali."

  "Not yet. You will be and you'll need a ship. She needs to go to someone who understands her and who will love her as I have. You not only love her, but you can repair her and keep her flying in a way no one else can. I can think of no better captain for her than you."

  "High Mother--"

  "Matarra," she said with a twinkle in her eye, cutting him off.

  Jullien gifted her with a rare smile. "I--"

  "Don't say you can't accept her. She was meant for you. I know it with every part of my heart. The gods wanted you to have her and so do I."

  Jullien took her hand. "I will accept her only on one condition."

  "That is?"

  "You remain as part of her crew."

  Unira tsked at him. "You'll have to convert. I won't fly with a heathen captain and risk the wrath of the gods."

  He laughed at her less-than-subtle manipulation. "It's a deal. Besides, I was going to convert anyway for Ushara and Vasili."

  Rising on her tiptoes, she kissed each of his cheeks. "I've always wanted a child of my own. The gods could not have given me a better or a more honorable or handsome son than you."

  Jullien swallowed hard as those words sobered him. He wasn't sure how to take them. No one had ever wanted him before.

  Ushara placed her hand on his shoulder. "You've stunned him speechless, High Mother. That's quite a feat."

  Her father approached him sheepishly. "And I've done you grievously wrong. I should have welcomed you into my family as my daughter urged me to do, and instead, I conspired against you. Can you ever forgive me for what I've done?"

  "For the sakes of your daughter and Vasili, I can ignore the past."

  Her father inclined his head and shook his hand. "I promise you that I will never again give you cause to doubt me or my honor."

  "Thank you."

  Davel draped his arm around Jullien's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Aw! I think this means you're all mine now, drey. I get to torture you on my crew."

  "Beautiful," Jullien said in the driest of tones. "Eighteen months?"

  "Yeah."

  Jullien sighed wearily. But there was a gleam in his eye that said he didn't really mind it.

  Her grandmother finally approached Jullien. Her expression was a cross between pain and disbelief. "I still don't know what to feel about you. And I will never understand why the gods would place the last surviving son of our greatest family in the body of our mortal enemy. Surely they must have their reasons, although I'll never understand them. That being said, you are stralen for my blood. I could ask for no greater gift or honor for my granddaughter. She's been harmed enough in this lifetime. It's time for her to have a male worthy of her heart, even if his heart is a dark one. I welcome you to our family, m'tana. Whichever name you choose to go by, I will gladly stitch it to your uniform, and pray for your safe return every time you leave us."

  "Thank you, Ger Tarra."

  She kissed his cheeks and bowed to him.

  Davel clapped him on the back. "Welcome to the Altaan clan, drey. I'll start getting it changed on your papers."

  Jullien ruffled Davel's hair. "While I appreciate the thought, I think I'll continue using Ixur."

  "Why?"

  He jerked his chin toward their father's disgruntled expression. "So as not to provoke your paka any worse and to keep your uncle from entirely losing his shit. I think it best to maintain some semblance of family harmony for the time being. Plus it keeps a layer of protection between me and Ushara and Vasili. I don't want any of my enemies to use them to come after me."

  Unira placed a motherly hand on his shoulder. "You are a good male, and a devoted husband. I would suggest at least switching to Samari to protect yourself from those who are looking for your current alias. We can easily fabricate all new paperwork for you, to protect you as well as them."

  Jullien swallowed hard as his throat tightened in gratitude. "I'm honored, Ger Tarra." It was the first time anyone had sought to protect him from his enemies. Honestly, it kind of scared him to have someone consider his well-being now. "Thank you. I swear I will do nothing to bring shame to your lineage or name."

  "I hav
e full faith in you, m'tana. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were an Andarion of high integrity and utmost nobility."

  "I wouldn't go quite that far. But I strive to do right ... sometimes."

  She smiled. "The Kadurr occasionally were forced to commit a few sins in order to set things right. Yet the gods forgave them. It is the intentions behind the actions that the gods take into account more than the actions themselves."

  "I'm not sure that puts me on any better ground, as my intentions are not often any better than my actions."

  "At least you're honest." Laughing, the priestess shook her head. "And with that, I have much to do. I shall take my leave now."

  Her grandmother took Ushara's hand and Jullien's. "Once your Dagger converts, we'll expect a real wedding from the two of you. Not the hackneyed civil travesty you did without your family present. I shall get with your mother and sisters, and start the planning. We want the full obnoxious fare."

  Ushara laughed. "My poor love has no idea what he's in for."

  Davel tsked at him. "Brother, take my word. Run."

  Her father nodded. "You're going to wish I'd shot you in the head."

  Jullien turned toward Trajen. "Joke?"

  "You wish." Trajen let out an evil laugh. "So glad I'm celibate. It saves me so much drama." He headed for the door, then stopped to look back at them. "For the record, had I replaced Ushara as my VA today ... my second choice would have been Dagger. I'd have expedited his Canting based on his exceptional military and political knowledge, diplomacy skills when he chooses to use them, and proven battle skills. So you wouldn't have gained any ground. Just FYI to chew on. Once he has citizenship, he will be moved to Canting and through the ranks as quickly as I can make it happen. There's no one else I'd put at Ushara's back or mine." He cut a stern glower to Davel. "Let it be known when you take him to crew that I consider him my family. Anyone else harms him, they deal with me personally. To me, he's my little brother. And I will fuck up any Tavali who touches him." With that, Trajen left them.

  Zellen let out a slow breath. "I shall let everyone know. And get started on the new paperwork."

  Davel tapped fists with Jullien. "Estra, mi drey."

  Jullien inclined his head to him. "Estra."

  Petran pulled Ushara into his arms and held her before he kissed the top of her head. "Now I know how your mother's paka felt when she dragged me home to meet him."

  "Paka!"

  "It's true. He threw me out. Took your mother a solid month of convincing her yaya that I was worthy of courting her. I still had to undergo a full purification with her father and brothers before he'd let me near her. Hate that bastard to this day."

  Jullien arched his brow. "Purification?"

  "Survival training," Petran explained. "And just so you know, they weren't supposed to sell you off. They did that without my knowledge or consent. They were only supposed to return you to where they found you and leave you there. That was what we'd agreed to."

  She frowned. "Then why were you fighting with Davel?"

  Her father scratched sheepishly at his ear. "I didn't believe him when he told me what they'd done. I accused him of lying about it."

  "Paka!"

  "I know. But it's hard to hear something like that and believe it. I didn't want to hurt someone I loved over..." A red stain spread over his face.

  Jullien's expression turned to stone. "Someone like me?"

  "I won't ever do it again, boy. I promise you." Her father held his hand out to Jullien.

  After a brief hesitation, Jullien took it.

  Her father pulled him in and hugged him. "From this day forward, I consider you mine, and I will defend you as such."

  "Thank you, Gur Tana."

  Clearing his throat, he pulled back to look at the two of them. "And I'll be expecting that grandson from the two of you. Along with some granddaughters."

  Ushara laughed. "We will get started on that right away."

  "Good! I'm not getting any younger. Days like today are aging me quick."

  Her link began buzzing with Vasili's tone. She answered it, then went pale. "Honey? What is it?" She paused. "Vas? Breathe, baby."

  Jullien scowled at her worried tone.

  "Are you still at school?" Her voice trembled. "All right. Stay right there. I'm on my way. Don't move." She hung up.

  Jullien rubbed her back. "What is it?"

  "I'm not sure. He was too upset to speak clearly. I couldn't really understand what he was saying. But I've got to get to him." She headed for the door.

  All three of them went with her to Vas's school, which ended up being a good thing since Vasili wasn't in his classroom. Rather, he was hiding in the boys' bathroom, refusing to come out.

  "Vas?" Jullien called as he went inside with Petran and Davel to find him. "Are you in here?"

  Sobbing, Vas ran from the last stall and threw himself into Jullien's arms.

  Jullien held him while he met Petran and Davel's shocked stares. "What's wrong, mi tana? What has you so upset?"

  Vasili pulled out a small box and handed it to Jullien. He spoke in broken words through his sobs. "Was ... in ... my ... b-b-b-backpack."

  Scowling, Jullien opened the box, then cursed out loud as he saw a bloody, severed finger wearing the signet ring he'd traded to buy parts for Oxana's ship. He slammed the lid over it and handed it off to Davel before he pulled Vasili against him again and held him tight. "Did you see who put it there?"

  He shook his head and cried even harder.

  Davel's curse matched Jullien's as he saw it and passed it to his father.

  "Where's the backpack?" Jullien asked.

  "R-r-room."

  Jullien kept his arms wrapped tightly around Vasili as he walked him out of the bathroom and to Ushara. He looked around, trying to find someone who didn't belong here. So help him, when he laid claws to the one responsible, he was going to rip their throat out with his bare hands.

  No one would upset Vas like this and live. No one threatened his family. Ever.

  Petran and Davel came out behind him. "Who do you think did this?" Davel asked Jullien.

  "Nyran," Jullien growled. "Has to be. No one else is this sick." Not even his grandmother would have done that to Vasili. She'd have sent a head to Jullien with a threatening note.

  As a rule, she didn't terrorize children unless she knew them personally. To her, there was no fun in scaring a stranger unless she was there to witness it.

  "What happened?" Ushara asked.

  Davel actually started to give the box to Ushara.

  Tempted to punch him, Jullien snatched it from his hand. "You don't give that to your sister, you moron!" He slid it into his pocket before he explained it to her. "It's the signet ring I traded for your sister's ship."

  "That's not all that's in there," Davel said under his breath.

  "It's all she needs to know." Jullien glared at him. "Don't make me beat you with a chair. Since I can't lay hands on the one who did this, I will make you a worthy substitute for my wrath."

  "Brother, you got some serious anger management problems."

  "Yes, I do." Jullien ground his teeth. He wanted blood for this. Anyone who would traumatize a child so needlessly ... "We need to search his backpack."

  He and Davel went to get it while Ushara and her father took Vasili toward the office to check him out for the rest of the day.

  As they headed for the classroom, Davel sighed. "You need to relax. They can't hurt him on this base."

  "Excuse me if I disagree. They got close enough to plant a disembodied finger on him. They can get close enough to hurt him."

  "Someone had to have seen them."

  "Then point them out so I can end their life."

  As they entered the room, the teacher started to protest.

  "It's all right," Davel said, placating him. "This is Vasili's father. His mother is with him in the office and we're checking him out."

  The teacher raked a curious stare over Jullien
's body. "Are you Tavali?"

  Davel answered for him. "He's TNT. Is there a problem?"

  "Fyreblood?"

  Davel nodded. "Samari."

  Jullien arched a brow as Davel continued to answer for him.

  The teacher appeared impressed. "Does he ever speak?"

  Jullien smirked. "Those who don't know me think I'm quiet. Those who do, wish I was."

  "Beg pardon?"

  He slung Vasili's backpack over his shoulder and cracked a shit-eating grin at the teacher. "I typically practice excessive sarcasm since random throat punches tend to get me arrested in most systems."

  "And that's why we don't let him talk much. Have a nice day." Davel pulled him out of the room. "Gah ... I can't believe Shara lets you out in public without supervision."

  "What? Nobody bled, died, or was bashed in the head during that meeting. My social skills are vastly improving, especially given the mood I'm in."

  "Now there's a terrifying thought. Explains so much about Andarion politics."

  "Yes, exactly. That's why the Anatole standard of diplomacy has always been ... sure we'll negotiate if any survivors happen to remain." Jullien started searching through the backpack as they headed for the office.

  He paused outside the door as he found the note that had been shoved inside with the box. Opening it, he read the words and his fury mounted with every one.

  Just when you think you're safe ...

  Sooner or later, we all pay the Korilon's fee. Your bill is coming, Julie. Look out for it.

  His vision turned dark. Bitch, please. You're the one who better watch the shadows at your back. I'm coming for you, Nyran. And you're about to bleed. Hard and profusely.

  CHAPTER 17

  "You have to go out on Davel's crew. We've been over this a thousand times. You can't gain citizenship without training time on an active ship."

  "Then screw it. I'd rather not have it than risk you or Vas."

  Standing in her bedroom while she finished painting his face, Ushara held Jullien close as she savored those stubborn words and fought the urge to choke him for them. "I know, mi kiri. But we're fine. Trajen has told you as much. It was just a threat to rattle you."

  "It succeeded. I'm rattled. More than rattled, I'm pissed."

  She rolled her eyes at his obsessive paranoia. "It's been two months and nothing else has happened. We're fine."

  He growled at her.

  She growled back and bared her fangs at him.

  That succeeded in making him smile, especially as she straightened his jacket. "How do you always manage to put your jacket on crooked?"