it’s time our royal family member is reminded that he is supposed to be one of us! Not one of them. Get in the Ring, Anatole. Be the Andarion you claim to be! Set Talyn free! Death to all tyranny!”
The crowd began chanting the words with her.
Talyn stared with total incredulity. Proud and awed, he couldn’t believe that Felicia would do something like this for him. Why would she risk her life and future?
If that wasn’t shocking enough, the guard opened the door to his cell and stepped back to make room.
Unsure whether or not this was a trap, Talyn hesitated and eyed the guard.
A tic worked in the guard’s jaw. “Those cowardly bastards have issued a League contract out on your female’s life. We have two of our own and Sentella with her, but we know you want to protect her yourself. Like the decent Andarion you are. Good luck, Hammer. Gods travel with you. Get him in the Ring and feed him his teeth.” He saluted Talyn.
His mother met his shocked gaze. “I have a transport waiting.”
Felicia chewed her nail as her father and brother paced the living room, yelling at her for what she’d done with the media.
Her father glared at her with his white eyes. “You should have cleared this with me. What were you thinking?”
She lifted her chin proudly. “That I’d had enough of Talyn being punished for nothing.”
Morra’s green cheeks darkened. “Sorry, my lord. I didn’t realize when I showed Felicia the files we unencrypted that she’d run off half-cocked to the media. She seems so laid-back and sweet. Innocent, even. Who knew she was a sleeping lorina?”
“I could have warned you,” her father scoffed. “She’s her mother’s daughter.”
Felicia opened her mouth to remind her father that he liked that about her mother, when all of a sudden, the elevator pinged. Expecting it to be another attack, she spun, ready to fight.
It was Talyn and his mother. With a happy shriek, Felicia bolted off the sofa to assault him.
Talyn let out a slight groan as Felicia literally launched herself into his arms and wrapped her body around his. He staggered back at the unexpected reaction as she rained kisses over his face. Closing his eyes, he savored the sensation of holding her. Of feeling her body pressed flush to his.
Until she pulled back and saw the bruises. She gasped before she gently fingered them. “What happened?”
“Nothing, but I am seriously pissed at you.”
“For?”
“Putting yourself in danger. What were you thinking?”
Rolling her eyes, she slid out of his arms and groaned out loud. “Oh my God, you sound like my paran!” She sighed heavily and pulled Talyn into the room. “Talyn meet my paka. Paka, Talyn.”
Talyn hesitated as he finally saw the elder nobleman. For some reason, he’d forgotten how much younger Felicia’s mother was than her father and the fact that Lorens was older than Talyn’s mother. He gave a slight bow to the politician who had the bearing of royalty. “My lord.”
Saren snorted. “Please, don’t be so formal.” He patted Talyn on the back. “We’re practically family. Especially given what all you’ve done for my Felicia, who should never have put you through any of this.”
She hung her head.
Talyn’s temper snapped. “She’s done nothing, other than bring utter happiness to my life.” He cut a teasing glare at her. “Maybe not right this moment with the death threats on her head… everything else was never her fault.”
She smiled at him and hugged him close. “Love you,” she whispered in his ear.
He inhaled the scent of her hair and trembled at the fear and love he felt for her.
His mother’s link went off. Excusing herself, she went to answer it.
Saren turned the sound up on the monitors where the news was playing. “I do have to give her credit… we were never able to get anything into the hands of the media. By hijacking your press conference, Felicia accomplished more in five minutes than all of our members combined, over the last fifteen years.”
Talyn frowned. “Excuse me?”
“My father is the leader of WAR,” Felicia whispered in his ear. “He took over after Rhys was arrested.”
Talyn gaped at that unexpected nugget. Apparently, Lorens was as good at keeping secrets as he was.
His mother returned to the room. “Tylie just heard about the civil unrest. She and Cairistiona are off-planet. They were on their way to rendezvous with Emperor Aros at an undisclosed location, when all this started breaking loose. Given the current political climate, and