rest until he took care of this and made sure the females under Anatole’s command were safe.
Determined, he entered the main gate guardhouse. Pulling out his orders, he handed them to the daytime duty officer’s adjutant.
Bored by it all, the female signed him in and summoned a lieutenant to escort him to his new CO’s office. Like his mother’s office in the tizirah’s wings, it was massive and impressive. Elegant.
The older male had graying hair and the royal bearing of an emperor. As soon as Commander ezul Nykyrian saw Talyn, an odd smile toyed at the edges of his lips. Rising to his feet, he returned Talyn’s salute. “So you’re Galene’s boy.” Then he scowled and tilted his head to study him. “You remind me of someone.”
His father, most likely. Before Fain Hauk had been disinherited, he’d answered to Commander ezul Nykyrian at one of their embassies. But Talyn withheld that information.
“We might have met when I came to work with my mother. Years ago.”
The commander nodded slowly. “Tizirah Tylie said that you used to calm her sister when you were a child. She also made it clear that you were to be treated with regard, in spite of your caste and what your record says about you.”
Talyn went cold. “Sir?”
The commander sat down and pulled up Talyn’s file. “I want you to know that while I respect my dear cousin, Tizirah Tylie, I’m not one to put up with insubordination. Unlike my nephew and regardless of what my cousin wants, I will have you whipped for any infraction. You will stow your attitude and toe the line. Understood?”
Nephew? Cousin?
Minsid fuck. He should have known he’d be reporting to one of Chrisen’s relatives.
“Yes, sir.”
“Nor will I tolerate dereliction of duty or late check-ins. I have no idea what favors your mother was forced to call in for you, or perform on your behalf, but your past behavior stops now. I run a tight crew. The safety of my family relies on the skills of our guard corps. You step out of line, Batur, just once, and you’ll learn why they refer to me as the Bloody Axe. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
The commander buzzed for his adjutant. As soon as the door opened to admit him, Talyn felt his world tilt even more.
Merrell Anatole. Chrisen’s older brother.
Shit.
Talyn saluted him.
With eyes lit by malice, Anatole returned his salute. “I shall take it from here, uncle.”
“You sure you can handle this?”
An insidious smile curled his lips. “Absolutely. It’ll be my pleasure to show the major around and finish his orientation.”
“You’re dismissed.”
His stomach knotted tight, Talyn followed Anatole from the room.
Merrell didn’t speak until they were in the hallway. Then he turned on Talyn with a sneer. “My brother told me what a tattletale little bitch you are, Batur. You should know that if you try that here, it won’t be just your rank we’ll take.” He moved to invade Talyn’s personal space. “My blood family rules this planet, never mistake that. This is our empire. You live in it only because we allow you to live. Got it?”
“Understood.” None of the Anatoles could stand on their own. They bullied and intimidated, and expected everyone to bow down to them.
If only that was in the nature of the Baturs and Hauks.
Merrell arched a brow. “Do I hear treason in your voice?”
Talyn shook his head slowly, reminding himself all the kinds of stupid it would be to punch that look off Merrell’s face. “No, sir. I understand your terms.”
And just like at his previous post, there was no one to appeal to. No justice left in this empire. WAR was right. The Anatoles were rotten, through and through. They had become a disease that needed to be carved out of their gene pool.
What sickened Talyn most was that all but one member of his father’s family had been slaughtered in war to put these bastards and their forefathers on the Andarion throne. His mother’s lineage had been persecuted to the brink of extinction by the Anatoles – hence the real reason the commander was called the Bloody Axe. His mother’s direct family were the last of the once-great Baturs, who had rivaled the Hauks for their military strength and expertise.
Until the current tadara herself had gone after the Baturs and driven them into exile or graves. Only his mother’s grandfather had survived the “Purging” to remain in Andarion territory.
“Is that defiance I see in your gaze, Major?”
Yes, it was. But he wasn’t completely stupid enough to confirm