A sharp scowl lined her brow as she pulled his hand closer so that she could see the small, intricate tattoo that encircled his unification finger. “What’s this?”
“My caste forbids me from tattooing your lineage on my arm.” It was something only married Andarion males did to honor their wives and vow their eternal fidelity. “Nor does it allow me to buy a pledge ring.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “This was the only legal way I could let the universe know that you are, and will always be, my one true heart.”
Felicia bit her trembling lip as she read the Andarion words that encircled his finger. Forever Felicia’s. Tears blurred her vision at his very public and extremely defiant declaration to everyone that he loved her. “When did you do this?”
“A few days ago while you were visiting your mother.”
“How did I miss it?”
He smiled. “I was careful to keep it hidden.”
“Why?”
“I wanted to surprise you with it for your birthday.”
A tear ran down her cheek until he kissed it away. Only Talyn would remember something so trivial in the midst of this chaos.
“I don’t deserve you,” she whispered.
He laughed at that. “I know. You must have really done something awful in a former life to get stuck with me in this one.”
She laughed in spite of her tears. “Be safe.”
Stepping back, he saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.” He placed the helmet over his head, completely shielding his face from her. He was so huge and fierce in his suit. So invincible in appearance. But she knew the truth.
Talyn wasn’t. He bled, and he could die doing this.
Even worse, he was heading into an extremely dangerous situation. While Jullien might be a coward, Eriadne wasn’t. She was a feral bitch who’d murdered half her family to take her place on the throne.
Now she was cornered and losing.
Eriadne wouldn’t go quietly into history. She’d take as many of them with her as she could. Something she’d proven an hour ago with an attempt on Felicia’s father. It was why Felicia was so heavily guarded and what had motivated Talyn even more to return to active duty.
If they didn’t secure the remaining royals ASAP, this would turn into a bloody civil war that could go on for years. They needed a lightning strike to put them down.
Immediately.
Another tear slid down her cheek as she feared for Talyn. Eriadne and The League had a staggering price on his head. The only ones who wanted his throat more were the Tavali.
All of them would be after the bounty on Talyn’s head.
No matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise, she couldn’t find a happy ending in this. WAR had been trying for decades to put Eriadne down, and like some supernatural beast, she always returned to power.
And this time if she returned to the throne, the bitch would claim the lives of everyone Felicia loved.
Chapter 26
Talyn hesitated as the soldiers he passed kept saluting him, which, given his new rank, wasn’t completely unexpected. But what made him so uneasy was the way they looked at him.
With respect.
Ever since he’d led them in after Chrisen and Merrell, everything had been different.
Everything.
The guard captains who were stationed at Lorens’s door even opened it for him.
Yeah, Andaria was definitely coming to an end. This had to be the sign of some impending doomsday.
“Is something wrong?”
He turned toward Lorens before he remembered he was supposed to salute him.
Lorens returned it with a frown. “What’s got you so skittish?”
Talyn removed his helmet and brushed uneasily at his neck. “Just not used to Vested looking at me with anything other than contemptuous sneers on their faces. It’s scaring me.”
Lorens laughed. “I have our top advisors in the war room. You ready?”
Talyn nodded, then followed him into the adjacent conference room where the elite of the Andarion armada – at least the ones Tylie hadn’t relieved of their posts – waited. They came to their feet and saluted Lorens, who quickly had them retake their chairs.
Lorens gestured for Talyn to occupy the seat on his right. “For those of you who haven’t met him yet, my new adjutant is Lieutenant Commander Batur.”
Now there were the derisive snorts Talyn was used to. And the sneers that had him lifting his chin as he defied them with a hard stare.
“Bastard lack-Vest,” someone mumbled loud enough to be heard.
Lorens glared at each commander in turn. “If anyone in this room has an issue with my chosen second-in-command, then you have issue