start interviewing until I find out what’s going on.”
Talyn let out a frustrated growl. “I have a personality conflict with my CO, Mum. Okay?”
“What kind of conflict? What’s he been doing?”
“Any time he gets a wild hair, he cancels my leave or resets my check-in times. I pull a lot of double shifts and get every fun assignment he has. He keeps restricting me to my barracks. If I sneeze wrong, it goes to Provost.”
“Have you reported him?”
He gave her a sullen stare. “And have him retaliate? No thanks.”
“Have you put in for a post transfer?”
“No, Ma, it never once occurred to me.”
“Don’t get smart with me, boy!”
Talyn glared at her. “Of course I’ve put in for transfers, promotions, you name it. Everything comes back either filled or denied.”
Felicia’s eyes watered at the frustrated pain she heard in Talyn’s voice. At the obvious anguish in his eyes. In that moment, she really wanted Anatole’s heart in her fist.
“I don’t understand,” Galene breathed. “Perte always speaks so highly of you.”
Talyn set his orange aside. “Perte was reassigned eight months ago.”
“Then who’s your CO?”
“Colonel Anatole.”
“Chrisen or Merrell?”
“Chrisen.”
Her face went pale at the name. “Oh.”
“Oh, what?” Talyn asked. “What’s that look mean?”
Now it was her turn to be evasive. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
Talyn sighed. “What could you do?”
“I’m a commander.”
“Yeah. In a separate division that won’t touch me. If you say anything, Anatole will come at me, no holds barred. No offense, Mum, but if I want that kind of punishment, I’d rather walk into the Ring and have it taken out of my ass where I can fight back. The last thing I want is to be known as the company crybaby.”
Felicia felt for his mother as she saw the same hopeless despair on her face that she had.
“I will get you transferred, Talyn. I swear it.”
“Mum, please don’t interfere. I can handle this. Okay?”
The tone of his voice made Felicia sick. For him to sound like that, it had to be an even bigger nightmare than she could possibly imagine.
Galene nodded. “I’m so sorry, Talyn.”
“It’s okay. Really. Conflicts happen. Ain’t no big thing. I rub most Andarions the wrong way. It’s a personal choice.”
Tears glistened in her eyes as she brushed her hand through his braids. “Ever my brave soldier.” She kissed his cheek.
As she started to leave, Talyn caught her hand.
“Don’t blame yourself for this. It’s not your fault. I’m the one with a severe asshole allergy that causes me to lip off when I should remain silent. I’m old enough to know better.”
Smiling sadly, she patted his hand. “Love you.”
“You, too.”
As Galene left the room, Felicia sat down on the bed and frowned. “What happened?”
“What are you talking about?”
She narrowed his gaze on him. “You’re hiding something from your mother.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do. I’m learning you, my friend. And by that look in your eyes, I’m guessing that you made the mistake of reporting your CO?”
“I tried to appeal the first time my band malfunctioned —”
“You mean he screwed with your reporting time?”
He nodded. “The higher-ups don’t give a shit about lack-Vest bastard whiners with no pull. I was told not to waste their time with another appeal. To soldier up and make sure that I’m back to post at least an hour prior to check-in. That would solve my problem. So I did that, and he began resetting my times to two or three hours prior to check-in, which meant I was sometimes AWOL even before I left my barracks.”
She could only imagine how many lashes that was. “God, Talyn. That’s awful. And there’s no way to get transferred?”
“Let me reiterate that I’m a bastard without lineage who now has a long list of check-in violations, and a lengthy record of disciplinary actions against him for insubordination and failure to follow orders.”
In that moment, she wanted to personally beat his CO. “Do you think he’s the one who shot you down?”
“I’m not at liberty to speculate.”
“But let’s say, for argument’s sake…”
“It wouldn’t matter. He’s a decorated war hero, who is the grandnephew to the tadara, and I’m a mongrel dog who isn’t even allowed into the officers’ or enlisted clubs to clean them. I can’t even use the company washrooms or lockers with the rest of my unit or squad.”
Felicia winced at the cruelty.
Talyn tightened his grip on her hand. “Don’t look so sad, Felicia. I’m glad the bastard shot me down.”