It was so irritating.
So she headed home to start dinner and to get to know this man that Jules had only mentioned in passing.
As the hours went by, she had to admit that Trajen was right. Bastien was extremely likable and charming. Like Jullien in the early days of their relationship, he had a deep sadness that haunted his dark hazel eyes. And a biting sarcasm that kept them all entertained and laughing.
The girls took to him immediately. Although, they were perplexed at first.
Mira had rudely pulled at his lips. "But if you're Paka's family, why don't you gots fangs, too?"
"And black hair?" Viv had chimed in. "Don't all Ixurianir have black hair?" She'd slapped her hands to her face. "I'm so confuzzled."
Laughing, Jules had picked her up and kissed her cheek. "My paka's human, and he's the older brother of Bastien's mother, who is also human. So a lot of folks on Andaria, and in some other places, don't consider me Andarion."
Bastien nodded. "Yeah, and I'm completely human. Sadly, I have no Andarion blood in my veins at all."
Mira sighed heavily before she patted Bastien's cheek in sympathy. "I am very sad for you. But we loves you anyway, kyzi. Even though you gots no fangs."
"Thank you, Mira. I deeply appreciate that." He ruffled her hair and flashed a handsome grin at Ushara. "They are precious. I can't believe anything so sweet came from Julie's surly, irritable hide."
Jullien snorted. "Thanks a lot."
"Well, you have to admit, you were never this cute." He tickled Mira until she squealed and jumped from his arms to run to her brother for protection.
"Neither were you."
"True. I was too busy being the baby brat. A job I relished quite seriously." He took the ale from Jullien's hand and lifted it for a swig. "You remember that god-awful summer camp when Barnabas was trying to make us run the obstacle course?"
"Remember? Hell, my dignity's still on that wall, pinned next to my left testicle."
Bastien laughed as he turned toward Ushara, who was stunned by Jullien's description. "My uncle's a total scabbing prick. I loved my dad, but he had some weird parenting techniques, which included occasional weekend maneuvers, and summers every year spent at Camp Hernia for a full six-week program of survival training. And poor Julie got roped in one year when you were what? Thirteen?"
"Fourteen. I was supposed to have been on my Andarion Endurance."
"Endurance?" Bastien scowled.
He took a drink of ale, then explained the term for Bastien. "It's an Andarion coming-of-age ceremony where an elder of the family takes a younger one on a quest to teach them how to survive on their own. The youngster goes out a kid and supposedly returns as a capable adult, ready to take their place in Andarion society."
"Ah. Then how'd you end up on Kirovar for it?"
"Because I was half human and fat, none of my Andarion relatives wanted the embarrassment of being seen with me when I failed the family quest. So my aunt shuffled me off to my father, who promptly sent me to yours, who then shunted me to your uncle. Fun times."
Bastien shook his head. "Indeed."
Ushara ground her teeth as she sliced vegetables, wishing it were the throat of her in-laws under the blade. She couldn't imagine how bad Jullien must have felt as a child to be tossed around like that by his insensitive family.
But Jullien didn't seem to care as he winked at her and Vas, who was suddenly interested in the story. "So there we were. The hottest summer in Kirovarian history, on maneuvers with these massively heavy backpacks Barnabas had loaded with heat-absorbing rocks, where it was eight hundred degrees in the shade. Not that there was any shade to be found on that course, mind you."
"He's not exaggerating. It was so hot, it melted my granola bar."
Vas scowled. "How do you melt a granola bar?"
"Exactly!" Bastien said with a laugh. "I swear the heels of my boots melted off."
"Yeah, and unlike Bas and his siblings, I was overweight, with atrophied muscles from a period of--" He paused as he glanced to Vasili. "--confinement, and I wasn't used to their atmosphere. At all. It's a lot thinner than what we have on Andaria, with different gravity and allergens. So I'm disoriented, choking and wheezing, and doubled over, puking."
Screwing his face up, Bastien nodded. "Not a pretty sight. My brother and sister are yelling at poor Julie because my uncle's threatening to make us run extra laps if he doesn't get back on the course and finish it. And I give him credit, he's on his hands and knees, trying his damnedest to push himself to his feet. Hell, he's even crawling in an effort to get to the end. I'd never seen anyone so determined to get up in my life, but it's just not happening. He's choking and sweating so badly that I'm expecting Julie to die any minute."
"So," Jullien says, interrupting him. "In true Bastien form--and keeping in mind that he's only seven at the time--he yanks off his helmet, throws his backpack down, and lies on the ground, using the helmet for a pillow, and says to them, and I quote verbatim, Later, bitches. I'm done for the day. Y'all can carry me home or call for a lift. Either way, I ain't moving from here. My ass is too precious for this abuse."
Ushara gasped at the image of Bastien doing that. "How did that go over?"
Bastien snorted. "Like sacrificing a fluffy kitten on a high holiday. My uncle set my precious ass on fire. But it got the attention off poor Julie."
"Yeah, but you bought yourself a world of hurt that day."
Bastien shrugged nonchalantly. "You weren't there when my mother saw the ass bruises after we got home. I promise you, what he did to me pales in comparison to her reaction on him when she saw them. But for my father's lightning-quick reflexes, I'd be shy a few cousins. I actually owe you. Because of that particular fun adventure, I didn't have to go back to summer camp until I was a teenager. And I went with bodyguards my mother had ordered to shoot my uncle if he, or anyone else, so much as raised an eyebrow to me." He grinned at Ushara. "As I said, my ass was quite precious."
Jullien laughed. "Your mother was something else. Until Shara, I'd never seen anyone so protective of her young. I'm amazed she ever allowed you to join the military."
"Again, you missed the fireworks. Holy Jacob ... she actually tried to shoot me to get me out of it."
"I would say bullshit, but knowing your mother ... it sounds about right."
Ushara gaped. "Seriously?"
Nodding, Bastien sobered as grief returned to his eyes. "Yeah, my mother loved us. We definitely lucked out when it came to parents. They didn't deserve what Barnabas did to them, and I won't rest until I make this right."
Jullien reached for a handful of the carrots she'd cubed. "You going after the throne?"
Bastien glanced over to where the twins were playing on the floor. "I don't know. I was never supposed to be ruler.... Third born. It should never have come to me. I was supposed to be the fun-loving playboy of the family, who screwed up and gave the others something scandalous to talk about at cocktail parties." Swallowing, he locked gazes with Jullien. "How did you handle the guilt when everyone thought Nyk was dead?"
"Didn't. Like you said, I never wanted the throne. But after a few years, when I realized that my mother wasn't going to sober up and have more children, and that my father had no intention of remarrying or fathering another heir, I threw myself into school to learn as much about politics, history, and diplomacy as I could. Not because I cared. Just felt like I owed it to my brother's memory to be the ruler I thought he'd have been."
Bastien sighed. "Never thought of it that way."
"That's because you were supposed to be the playboy. I was the spare."
He laughed and clapped Jullien on the back before they carried dinner to the table. Ushara remained mostly quiet as she listened to their bantering and stories. It was strange to see her husband with someone he'd known since childhood, that he was comfortable around.
And the more she listened, the more she loved Bastien. He was a little odd, but he had a generous heart. It was a shame tha
t Jullien hadn't been allowed to spend more time at Bastien's home when he was young. From what she gathered, their visits had been preciously few.
After dinner, Bas helped her clean up while Jullien put the girls to bed and Vasili went to play online with his cousins. "Ushara?"
She paused at the serious note in Bastien's voice. "Yes?"
"Thank you."
"I'm not quite sure what you're thanking me for, but you're welcome."
He put away the glasses before he gave her a hard stare. "You give me hope, and that's something I haven't had in a long time."
She sealed the last of their leftovers into a tub and put them away. "What do you mean?"
"Unlike Jullien, I had a great childhood. The kind every kid ought to have. It's why I never understood how Aros could be so nice to us and then such a douche to his own son. I still don't really understand what crawled up his ass and grew there. Julie wasn't a bad kid. Just a lonely one who grew up intimately acquainted with a treacherous side of others that I was blissfully unaware of. I grew up in a world that if someone, even my uncle, did me harm, it was only because they cared about me and were trying to teach me a valuable life lesson and that it was for my own good."
"You were naive."
"Blessedly so. Sheltered, even though I didn't know it. So when it all came crashing down on me, and those I thought were my family and friends turned out to be backbiting enemies ... I lost all faith. In everything. But this--" He gestured at the pictures of their family on the wall. "It helps more than you'll ever know. It restores some of the faith I'd lost. I'm glad you saw in Julie what I've always known."
She smiled at him. "I can't imagine my life any other way." Rubbing his arm, she motioned for him to follow her down the hall to the girls' room, where she cracked the door open so that he could see their bedtime ritual.
On top of the covers, Jullien lay on the queen-sized bed the girls shared with his ankles crossed, propped against a stack of stuffed animals. The twins were tucked under each of his arms, beneath the covers, and draped on his chest while he read to them.
His deep voice brought a smile to her lips and made the girls giggle. "And then the lorina tackled her sister and went rawr!" With a guttural sound effect, he grabbed Mira and tickled her until she squealed, then he turned and did the same to Viv.
"Jules," she said chidingly, "you're supposed to be putting them down, not winding them up."
Eyes wide, he gasped at the girls. "You got me into trouble again with mama."
They giggled and snuggled deeper into his side as he returned to reading the story.
Ushara headed back toward the living room.
Bastien lingered a moment longer before he rejoined her. "That's what I mean, Ushara. I wish you could see what a miracle that is." He gestured toward the hall with his thumb. "Julie didn't learn that from his parents. I've never known him to be so open and happy as he's been since he found you."
Embarrassed, she cleared her throat and changed the subject. "So you were with his brother before you came here?"
"Yeah."
"What's he like?"
Bastien shrugged. "I barely know Nykyrian, really. He was assumed dead my whole childhood. I was twenty-six when he returned and was reinstated as heir."
Anger darkened her vision. "And you didn't help Jullien when they threw him out?"
"I tried. Believe me. But you have to remember that it was only three months after Jullien was disinherited that my entire family was slaughtered and I was convicted for it and sentenced to being a Ravin. In retrospect, my father did him a favor. Had Julie been on Kirovar, he'd have been murdered, too."
She sucked her breath in sharply. "I didn't realize that happened so close together."
Bastien nodded. "So no, I never had a chance to get to know Nyk. At all. Not until a few weeks ago, when they showed up on Oksana. He seems decent enough. But I don't have the war stories with him that I share with Julie. Nyk never had to suffer through one of our grandfather's interminable parties."
She laughed. "So I've heard."
"I'll bet you have. To the day he died, my brother Quin counted Julie among his heroes for having the nerve to do that."
"Are we back to the pool pissing?"
Bastien turned at Jullien's question. "I could always count on you to make things interesting."
Jullien rolled his eyes. "Let's not go there." He pulled his jacket out of the closet. "I have the files you need stored on my ship. You want to stay here or come with me?"
"As much as I enjoy your wife's company, I'll come with you and give her a break from my boorishness."
"You're anything but a chore to put up with. And you're welcome here anytime."
"Thank you, Ger Tarra." Bastien took a minute to say good-bye to Vasili, who actually hugged him. It was obvious by the way Bastien held him that it meant a lot to the Kirovarian prince. "Take care, sport."
"You, too."
Ushara watched them leave, her heart light as she whispered a prayer for Bastien's protection. It meant a lot to her that Jullien had someone in his family who treated him with regard. If anyone deserved success, it was definitely Bas. She wished him all the luck in the universe and hoped that everything worked out for him.
She checked on the girls, who were sound asleep, then went to take a long bath and relax.
Two hours later, Jullien still hadn't returned. Concerned, she tried his link.
He didn't answer.
Which only worried her more. Her heart racing, she called Trajen. She expected him to be at home, but instead he was in the middle of what sounded like a cheering crowd. "Trajen?"
"Uh ... hey. Yeah?"
"I'm looking for Jules. Have you seen him?"
"Mmmm ... can I plead LASI?"
Law Against Self-incrimination? That didn't sound promising. "What's going on?"
"Not sure I should answer that. You won't like it."
Oh yeah, not promising at all. In fact, her anger rose at those words. "Trajen!"
"We're in the east gym. That's all I'm saying.... Ow! Shit! That's going to leave a mark!"
Cutting off the transmission, she rushed to Vas's room, where it took a second to get his attention off the game and on to her. "I'm going out for a few minutes. Do you mind watching your sisters until I get back?"
Vas looked up from the game console. "They're asleep, right?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Just leave the doors open so I can hear them if they get up." He pulled his headset completely off his shoulders and set it on the floor, then switched the sound to the speakers so that he could listen for the twins.
Her boy was ever responsible.
Ushara closed the distance between them to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, m'tana. You're a wonderful brother. And you do me proud."
He scowled at her as if she were feverish. "You okay?"
"Not sure yet." And with that, she headed off for the gym to see what was going on.
The minute she arrived and saw the giant, cheering crowd that had gathered around two maniac fighters, her jaw went slack. Both Jullien and Bastien had stripped down to their waists and were now attempting to kill each other inside a training ring. At least that was what it appeared at first, until she realized they were both laughing and urging the other one to hit harder.
Gaping even wider, she moved to Trajen's side. "What is this?"
"Did you know Jules could fight like that?"
Not really. She watched as he ran at Bastien, wrapped around him in an impressive hold, and brought him down like a toppled tree. Bastien twisted and flipped, expertly escaping the hold. When he went to pin Jullien, Jullien lifted his legs to catch him around the neck and unbalance him enough that Jullien could roll out of his grasp and twist, then flip to his feet.
Yeah, it was impressive.
"I knew he had to be good to survive the Ladorian hell we found him in. But no ... I've never seen him actually take on anyone this skilled before. Like that." And Bastien was talented. I
f she didn't know better, she'd swear he was an Andarion Ring fighter. He had moves she'd never seen anywhere outside of their sport.
And the gods knew Jullien had never been this rough while training with her or Vasili. Honestly, she hadn't realized just how much he'd held back in their matches until now. No wonder he'd torn through her cousins so easily.
Trajen shook his head as he watched, and the crowd cheered even louder. "Like you, I had no idea when I sparred with Jullien that he was pulling back." He sucked his breath in as Jullien landed a staggering punch on Bastien that Bastien returned with an equal amount of force. "I will never spar with that bastard again, lest he have some kind of psychotic episode and decide to hit me like that."
"Could you stop them, please?"
Trajen snorted at her. "I don't want to get in the middle of that. Are you out of your mind?"
She glared at him before she headed toward the two combatants. On the side of the ring, she stood with her hands on her hips.
Jullien started for Bastien, then glanced at her. The minute their gazes met, he skidded to a stop. Until Bastien approached with another attack. How he saw Bastien, she had no idea. But he whipped around, grabbed him, and slammed him to the mat, then kissed his cheek. "We have to stop now." He jerked his chin toward her.
Bastien looked over and laughed. "Ah crap. Now I'm the one who got you into trouble with your female."
Grinning roguishly, Jullien got up and offered Bastien his hand to help him to his feet. Both of them were bruised, sweating and bleeding. Yet neither seemed to care. They actually appeared elated. How? She had no idea.
Males ... she'd never understand them.
Ushara shook her head. "Really? This is how you wanted to say good-bye to each other?"
Jullien rubbed sheepishly at his neck while Bastien went for towels. "We were just going to practice a bit. Then we got a little carried away."
"A little?" She glanced to the blood all over the mat, which looked as if someone had been murdered there and their body dragged away to be hidden.
Trajen joined them. "I'm impressed with you both."
Bastien handed a towel to Jullien before he wiped at the sweat and blood on his stomach, where he still bore his League Ravin mark. "Yeah, I had no idea Julie could do all that. I'd love to see him and Fain Hauk go at it. Julie's the only one I've ever fought who could drag my ass around a mat as much as Fain did."