with me. You will give him the respect he’s earned through military service and loyalty, or I’ll allow him the honor of having you in the Ring. Any takers?”
That effectively quelled them.
Satisfied, Lorens turned on the monitors that showed various stats and updates on what was happening on Andaria and in their territories. “Now, let’s get to business. Jullien eton Anatole was arrested an hour ago when he assisted mercenaries in the kidnapping of Tizirah Kiara eton Anatole.”
They sucked their breaths in.
Even Talyn let out a low whistle at that particular brand of stupidity. While he didn’t know Nykyrian personally, he knew from Jayne how lethal the male could be. And he knew exactly what he’d do in Nykyrian’s place.
It was a wonder Jullien was still breathing.
“Tizirah Kiara?” Commander Nazaru asked from the other end of the table. “Who is she?”
Lorens glanced to Talyn before he answered. “The pregnant wife of our soon-to-be Tahrs Nykyrian eton Anatole. Acting Tadara Tylie has reinstated his standing in the royal lineage —”
That set off a round of blustering.
“Who is he?”
“Did the plenumus approve?”
The outraged questions blurred together until Lorens held his hands up. They quieted down instantly.
Lorens called up the picture of the male who looked every bit as fierce as his reputation claimed. It was one of Nykyrian in his League uniform. His long white hair was braided down his back, and in typical League fashion, a pair of obsidian sunglasses obscured his eyes. Numerous scars marred his features, including two nasty ones around his mouth that appeared to have been made by a gag of some sort.
“Tiziran Nykyrian was the firstborn twin of Tizirah Cairistiona that Eriadne attempted to murder when he was a small boy. While it is true he was raised among humans, he was a League assassin. A Command Assassin of the First Order. And he is currently a key member of The Sentella. An organization that was set up for the same reason as The League. To protect those who cannot protect themselves from any person or government corrupted by power. Acting Tadara Tylie has assured my father and the plenumus that Tiziran Nykyrian exemplifies everything Andarion.”
They exchanged interested looks at that.
Nazaru cleared his throat. “Do you believe we can trust him?”
Lorens rubbed at his chin. “I haven’t met him, but I trust the opinion of those who have. As soon as he learned that Jullien had aided in the abduction of Nykyrian’s wife, he reacted in true Andarion fashion and almost killed his brother. He and a Sentella strike force are currently en route to save her, and he won’t be stopped until she’s safe… If she’s not, Nykyrian has vowed to return and destroy Tiziran Jullien with his bare hands.”
They nodded in approval at an action any of them would take.
“For Jullien’s actions against his brother, Tizirah Cairistiona herself has ordered him taken into custody. As of this minute, we have all the royal family in custody, except the former tadara. We’ve had several leads on her location, but so far none have panned out.”
Commander Pinara, who was a cousin of Farina’s, sighed heavily. “So long as she remains at large, she’s a major threat to us. She still has allied nations who might come to her aid.”
Lorens nodded. “We’ve contacted all of them, and none of them have heard from her.”
“Yet,” Nazaru added. “Doesn’t mean they won’t.”
Pinara agreed. “Or that they’re not lying to you, biding time until they attack to gain back her throne for her.”
As they continued to argue, Talyn leaned over to whisper into Lorens’s ear. “I have an idea, Commander. I know exactly how to find her. But I’ll only tell it to you.”
Lorens sat back in his office chair while he and Talyn watched Talyn’s plan unfold on his smallest monitor. He laughed bitterly. “Boy, you are brilliant. How did you know?”
Talyn shrugged. “A wounded lorina always returns to its den. With her family arrested, and no one Parisa can trust with her safety, the only place for her to go is to her aunt.”
“I respected you before this, Talyn. Now… I’m glad you’re my top advisor, and I hope you never turn your battle skills against me. You are formidable.”
Talyn didn’t comment on that as he watched Chrisen’s mother, Parisa, “escaping.” Little did she know, she’d been implanted with the same tracer Andarion soldiers all bore. They could track her through anything except extreme electromagnetic fields.
Under Talyn’s orders, they’d sent in a group of supposed patriots to free