by Robyn Bachar
Sabine’s eyes widened as she looked from Bryn to Jace. “But Jace would never hurt us.”
“I’m glad you have faith in me,” Jace said.
“I defended your honor.” Bryn kissed him for emphasis, and warmth glowed through Sabine, a combination of Bryn’s trust and Jace’s pleasure.
As her mind cleared, her abilities strengthened, like flexing a muscle that had atrophied. Sabine couldn’t read thoughts, but she knew what people wanted. How to please them. It helped keep her clients happy. It had alerted her to Bryn’s initial attraction to her, and now, it had given Sabine insight into Jace. Like Bryn, he wanted to take care of Sabine. She wanted to be able to take care of herself, or at least to take care of them as well. Sabine couldn’t fight with guns or swords as Jace and Bryn could, but as an aleithir she could arm them with information once she had better control of her abilities.
Bryn tugged them toward the door. “Come on. You’ll understand in a moment.”
They entered Andelynn’s sitting room, and Jace started in surprise. “Captain. Talena. What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Remember how I wanted to run Sabine’s genetic profile against Tali’s?” the captain said. Sabine didn’t remember any such conversation, but she was likely sedated at the time.
Jace muttered something in Cy’reni—a curse, Sabine guessed. “Is this bad?” she asked.
“No, of course not, a’mhain,” he assured her. “You’ve met Captain Hawke. This is her mate, Talena Spenser, and Talena’s brother is Lord Degalen, of House Sunsinger.”
“Lord?” she repeated, her voice a high squeak. Her half brother was lord of a house? How was that possible? Sabine turned and studied Talena. They did have the same color eyes and similar hair. Talena bore slave marks at her throat, and Sabine recognized the top one as the same top symbol as her own. Their brother might be a lord, but Talena had been born a slave, just as Sabine had. Did she know what happened to their mother? Or her name?
Talena stepped forward as though she intended to embrace Sabine, but she shied away and hid behind Jace and Bryn. Talena blushed and took a seat across the room.
“Harrow, I think you’ll want to go talk to Dack and Galen,” Captain Hawke said. “They’re in the archive with the indexer.”
“Of course, Captain. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll need to shower and change.” Jace turned, but Sabine grabbed him, drew him to her and kissed him passionately.
“Since I won’t be able to kiss you before you leave,” she explained with an impish grin.
“I want one of those too,” Bryn said.
Jace growled and kissed her as well, and then gave them both a searing look that promised hours of pleasure upon his return. Sabine shivered with anticipation before taking a seat across from Talena and Captain Hawke. Bryn sat beside her and held Sabine’s hand. Bryn wasn’t worried, and that eased some of Sabine’s anxiety—Bryn was always a source of strength Sabine could draw on.
Sabine eyed her half sister’s rounded belly. She had always wanted children—Sabine and Bryn had discussed adopting before the phase. If she became pregnant with Jace’s child would she need to fear for that child’s life, constantly worried that assassins would attack again?
Sabine swallowed hard. “You were in phase recently?”
“I was, yes. Do you need anything? House Sunsinger has excellent medical staff.”
“House Morningstar does as well,” Bryn countered. Sabine squeezed her hand.
“I’m fine, thank you. You are mates?” Sabine looked from Talena to the captain. She had noticed Captain Hawke’s mate marks during their trip in the shuttle, because it was so odd to see a human with Cy’ren markings.
“Yes, we share Dack.” Talena smiled. “Are you…” She glanced at the bedroom door. “Are you all right? If you were forced into this, we can find other options for you.”
Frowning, Sabine looked to Bryn. “But you picked Jace for us.”
“I know. They don’t believe me. I think they’re suffering from the delusion that Jace could best me in a fight,” Bryn said.
“If you’re concerned about Jace treating us poorly, you shouldn’t be. He’s been very good to us,” Sabine assured Talena.
Talena nodded, but didn’t seem convinced judging by her prickly anxiety. “I’m glad to hear that, but he can be…manipulative.”
Bryn snorted. “We’re well aware of that. He is a lord’s son, after all. They all use ten words when five would do. We have him under control.”
“Yes,” Sabine agreed. “He’s been honest with us. He wants us to be happy.”
“But is that what you want?” Talena asked. “You’re free now. You have choices. If you don’t want Jace as your mate, Galen and I will support you.”
“Wouldn’t you rather encourage ties to House Morningstar?” Bryn asked.
“That’s not important. Your happiness is most important.”
Sabine laughed and shook her head. “My happiness. No one ever cared about that before, except for you, and Jace.” She looked up at Bryn. Her lover smiled softly, drew Sabine’s hand to her lips and kissed it. “It’s not an easy thing, suddenly becoming a trio instead of a couple, but we’re working through our problems.”
“How long have you and Brynnaren been together?” Talena asked.
“A little over two years,” Sabine replied. She leaned close to Bryn and affectionately kissed her cheek. Bryn beamed at her.
“She saved me. Sabine made life worth living again,” she explained.
Talena nodded. “Carmen was my first love, but we only reunited recently. I feel very lucky to have both her and Dack. I hope that you both can find that with Jace. Even if he is an ass.”
Sabine smiled. “He can be, but he isn’t really.” They only saw his façade, she realized, not the glimpses of Jace’s true self that she and Bryn had seen. She wanted to explain to ease Talena and the captain’s worry, but she doubted that they would believe her. It didn’t matter—what was most important was that Sabine and Bryn understood their mate. “He’s learning. We think he has potential. And he’s pretty.”
“That’s true,” Bryn agreed. “She prefers pretty mates.”
Talena chuckled. “I can appreciate that, though I’m always having to convince Carmen that she’s beautiful. Now, we don’t have much time, and I want to hear everything about you. Both of you. And please ask any questions you might have of me.”
“Are you having a boy or a girl?” Sabine asked.
Talena smiled so brightly her face almost glowed with happiness. “A girl.”
Jace was greeted with a punch to the jaw when he entered the archive. His sister shrieked in outrage, and Lord Degalen pulled Mordackai away before he could manage another swing. Rubbing his throbbing jaw, Jace glared at his long-time rival.
“Lieutenant Loren, I would appreciate it if you didn’t hit me again.” Jace forced a veneer of calm as Dack struggled with the Sunsinger lord. Degalen wasn’t as strong as the shadow sword, but he was determined.
“Stand down, Mordackai. This gets us nowhere,” Lord Degalen ordered.
“Thank you, my lord.” Jace nodded and bowed politely to him.
Andee hurried to Jace’s side and checked him for bleeding. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Have you made any progress with Malcolm?”
“A little. I’m not sure I understand it, but Galen seems to.”
“Galen?” he repeated, quirking a brow. His sister flushed and cleared her throat. Things must be progressing in their courtship if she was calling him by his familiar name instead of his formal one.
The indexer seemed oblivious to the situation, bent over a circuit board and a tangle of wires. The bitter scents of melted plastic and singed wiring tinged the air. Dack and Lord Degalen eyed Jace with tense suspicion—it was hardly the first time Jace had endured such rega
rd.
“I believe you have questions. If I may?” He gestured to an empty chair.
“Please do, Lieutenant Commander Harrow.” The lord waved him to take a seat. “Concerns have been expressed that you have taken Sabine as your mate because Talena rejected you.”
Jace sat back and relaxed into the chair, projecting an aura of nonchalance despite his annoyance at the absurd accusation. “Which of my sisters did you choose?” he asked instead.
Lord Degalen blinked. “Pardon?”
“Which of my sisters have you chosen as your mate? You have had six months to make a decision. Most mates are chosen within a matter of moments, as I’m sure Lieutenant Loren would agree. He kidnapped Talena at gunpoint, as I recall.”
Dack growled, and Jace smiled politely.
“That was different,” Dack said.
“Ah, yes. True love, I imagine.” He turned his attention back to the lord. “Was it Raziela? She is the eldest, and it seems like you two would be compatible.”
Andee dropped a tool she had been holding for Malcolm, and she blushed, her cheeks darkening like storm clouds. She glared at Jace from beneath her lashes as she bent to retrieve the tool.
“I haven’t made a decision yet,” Lord Degalen replied.
“No? I see. Well then, would you prefer that Sabine become my father’s fourth mate, or my brother’s third?” Jace asked. The young lord frowned, and Jace continued. “My father is still spry for his age, but, with all due respect to him, I doubt he has the energy to keep up with a young mate in phase. Of course Wylarric does not have that problem, but he does have a nasty temper, and the bad habit of venting his anger upon his mates. Father allows it because Wylarric is the heir. Is that what you want for Sabine?”
“No. I would prefer that she be able to choose her own mate,” Degalen replied.
“She did. She chose Brynnaren, who in turn chose me.”
Lord Degalen sighed. “It seems unfair to her.”
“Perhaps it is. Is that why you haven’t chosen one of my sisters? You feel it’s unfair to them? Or to you?” Jace asked.
“You’re out of line, Harrow,” Mordackai warned as he leapt to his feet.
Jace stood and stared his rival down. “Am I? Would it be fair to leave House Sunsinger to stand alone when your Nightfall brethren invade and slaughter them? Because that is what will happen if you do not honor your agreement with my house.” He turned to face Lord Degalen. “Nightfall has superior numbers and resources. They will crush you. You know that.”
Lord Degalen rubbed his face with his hands. “I doubt I could forget.”
“Then taking Sabine as my mate is the best decision for all of us,” Jace said.
“Your father may not agree,” the lord pointed out.
“Perhaps. I intend to speak with him about it. I believe he will let the issue slide, as Sabine is only your half sister and not in line to inherit. In the meantime, I respectfully suggest that you pick one of my sisters and proceed with the ceremony.”
“Jace, it’s perfectly understandable that Lord Degalen wants time to make such an important decision,” Andee scolded gently. He thought he detected strain in her voice. Did she care for the Sunsinger lord? Or was she worried that he would choose her and take her away from her home? She had been outspoken about inequality of rights between mates in the ruling houses. He would miss her—Jace and Andee were close in age, and she was the only one he trusted among his siblings—though he suspected that he would be spending more time among the Sunsingers in the future. If he lived that long.
“Time is a luxury we are quickly running out of,” Jace replied. “Now, unless you have other questions, I have other people to speak to.”
He marched from the room, determined to let his father know in no uncertain terms that Jace would not allow him or Wylarric to take Sabine from him. Lord Najamek and Wylarric were easy to find—Jace simply followed the shouting to Wylarric’s quarters. Jace frowned at the change in décor as he approached, because apparently his brother had developed a fondness for mosaics of glittering, stylized sunrises. With a sigh Jace entered Wylarric’s outer sitting room to find him locked in a shouting match with their father.
“Have you decided which one of you will attempt to take my mate?” Jace kept his voice calm, his tone sociable, forcing them to stop and listen to catch his words.
Wylarric snarled, near frothing at the mouth with temper. “I will not let you undermine me.”
“Ah. Yes. Because it’s all about you, isn’t it, Wyl?” Jace smiled thinly.
“No one is going to challenge you for your mate, Najacen.” Lord Najamek stared sternly at his sons. “At least, no one from this house.”
“Pity,” Jace replied. “I was so looking forward to watching Bryn thrash Wyl’s men.”
“That’s enough. We cannot afford to fight each other. We have enemies enough on the high council as it is.”
Wylarric scowled and shook his head. “No, it’s not enough. He’s plotting against me. I’m sure of it!”
“Very amusing, coming from you,” Jace said dryly. “I don’t want to be lord. I never wanted it.”
“Liar,” Wylarric snapped.
“Believe what you want. You always have. But know this—I will not allow threats against my mates or my children. If you try to harm them, I will kill you.” Jace’s jaw still throbbed from Mordackai’s punch, but he ignored the pain as he glared at his brother. The heir to House Morningstar…the very thought of it twisted Jace’s stomach. Was it truly worth the price of his own family’s blood? Wylarric seemed to think so.
“He threatened me, you heard him,” Wylarric said.
“No, he warned you not to do something foolish,” Najamek said. With a deep breath he folded his hands as he studied them, his gaze traveling from Jace to Wylarric and back again. There was sadness in his eyes that Jace didn’t recall having seen before. Lord Najamek was known for his unshakable calm, a trait Jace tried to emulate.
Jace eyed his brother. “I have done everything in my power to convince you that I am not a threat to you. I left Cyprena. I devoted my life to the resistance. I have lived like a shadow, keeping everyone around me at arm’s length because I feared that you would make anyone I cared for a target. What more do you want from me?”
“I want proof,” Wylarric said. “I want you to legally relinquish your rights to the lordship, and the rights of any of your descendants.”
“Fine. Have something written up and send it to me.” Waving a dismissive hand, Jace turned to leave. If that would keep his brother’s assassins at bay, Jace would gladly sign his rights to the house away. Perhaps the Wintersends would take them in; it would make Bryn happy—
“No. You’re both being childish. I won’t allow it,” Najamek announced.
“Perhaps, but I would rather be childish and alive than risk the lives of my mates.” Jace swallowed hard but managed a weak smile. “This stopped being my home a long time ago, Father. Perhaps it’s time I accepted that.”
Unwilling to argue further, Jace left. He had a few other people to speak to before returning to Sabine and Bryn—specifically he wanted to check in with Commander Maysen, the head of manor security, and learn if he had any updates on how the Nightfall assassins had breached his quarters. Bryn had been wounded while trying to save his skin, and Jace wanted to ensure that that never happened again.Chapter Fifteen
Bryn gave up on meditation, too distracted by her healing wound to concentrate and afraid that she would simply fall into an exhausted sleep. The injury was now an aching bruise, as though she had been kicked instead of shot. Not bad, but it was irritating. She stretched out on a divan, a data pad in one hand as the other rested on her pistol. Not that she expected another attack so soon, but she thought it best to be prepared.
The doors opened, and her brow rose. “Who hit you? The brother or Lieutenant
Loren? Or both?”
Jace grimaced, rubbing his jaw. “Just Loren. Where’s Andee?”
“Babysitting Malcolm. Why does Loren hate you?” she asked. Bryn holstered her weapon and set the data pad down.
“Later.” Jace sat beside her on the divan and leaned in close to kiss her, but she poked him in the chest.
“No. I want an answer. Then I’ll consider allowing you to ravish me. But not out here. We’d traumatize your poor sister if she came back and was greeted by the sight of your ass in the air.”
A growl rumbled from his chest, and his mouth claimed hers. He kissed her until she yielded, and then he swept her into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.
“Damn it, Jace. I asked you a question,” she said. Jace set her down and Sabine pounced. She stripped Bryn of her weapons belt and new jacket, and then scowled at the armor beneath it. “And you were supposed to be sleeping.”
“I wasn’t tired. How do you get this off?” Sabine complained.
“It’s not coming off. We can’t all be naked,” Bryn countered. “I’m supposed to be protecting you.”
“You’re my mate. I should be protecting you,” Jace said.
“I don’t need you to protect me. I need you to listen to me. Besides—” she turned to Sabine, “—you’d be very sad if the second son gets his manhood shot off.” She stroked his length through his trousers, and Jace moaned.
“Dear gods, woman,” he cursed. He began peeling off the pieces of her armor, and she sighed, too tired to fight.
“Before you revert to ravishing mode, I do have a point to make,” Bryn said.
“I have a ravishing mode?”
“Yes,” Sabine agreed. “Usually after you’ve been bitten. The hair-pulling seems to help too.”
“You might want to consider a haircut of your own, Morningstar,” Bryn said, though she’d be sad to see his long hair go. It did frame his pretty face rather nicely.
“So noted. I liked your hair before.”
“It was inefficient. But as I was saying, much as I do enjoy this, as your shathlinn I’m supposed to be protecting you, not fucking you,” Bryn pointed out. “If I had been in bed with you two earlier, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
