Born of Silence (The League Gen 1 #4)(34)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

His siblings had always taken his help for granted. He could give them the entire universe and they’d think nothing of it. As for his parents, they expected it of him, and were extremely disappointed whenever he failed to help someone.

But not Zarya. She had never failed to make him feel so incredibly special and courageous. It was why he’d always begged his father to take him along whenever his father visited Lord Starska. As soon as Zarya saw them coming into the palace, her entire face would light up and she’d run as fast as she could to say hi to him.

In all the years they’d been apart, he’d never forgotten the way she made him feel.

Welcomed. Appreciated. Noble.

Loved.

It had been the same when he, as Kere, had been working with the Sentella on a rescue mission to save the Caronese Resistance members who’d been pinned down on a remote outpost. Since he hadn’t heard a single word about any of the Starskas in years, he’d assumed Zarya was long dead, or that she was so deep in hiding that he’d never see her again.

He and Hauk had volunteered to get as many of the Resistance soldiers out as they could. Smoke and enemy fire had been thick all around them.

While Hauk secured the rear, Darling had gone on ahead. He grabbed the first soldier on the ground that he’d come to and pulled him back to where the bulk of the Resistance’s troops had been pinned down for hours.

There in the midst of utter chaos, with hell itself raining down on them, Darling had stared into that pair of amber eyes that had haunted him as a boy.

Zarya had smiled up at him with that same, exact look she’d worn when he saved her cat—the look that made some unknown part of him soar.

“Thank you!” she’d breathed with such sincerity that he’d glanced behind him to see if she was talking to someone else.

Momentarily stunned by the way she smiled at him, he’d taken a shot to his shoulder that had sent him into the wall next to her. Cursing, she’d sprung to her feet and opened cover fire to protect him from the Caronese guard corps.

He’d been in love with her ever since.

But never in all the talks about childhood they’d had since their first meeting as adults had she ever mentioned those long ago afternoons he’d spent with her as a boy. He’d assumed that they had meant nothing to her. That her hatred for his family had destroyed all remnants of what, to him, had been some of the happiest moments of his life.

He cupped her cheek in his hand. “You remember us as children?”

Her smile widened. “I remember you.”

“Why did you never mention it?”

She grimaced. “Like yours, my childhood memories are too painful to visit, so I try to never go there. Not because they were awful, but because we were so happy before your father died, that it hurt too much to remember them. Until I met you as an adult, I never thought I’d ever be happy like that again.”

Darling inhaled her scent as he savored the sensation of her arms around him.

Right now, his entire world was in chaos. His people were revolting… in more ways than one. Life was changing faster than he could handle.

The only constant he had was Zarya.

Nothing good ever lasts. If he’d learned nothing else in his life, it was that one fact. Every time he’d found solace or comfort of any kind, it had been ripped from him. It was why he should have never proposed to her. Had he refrained, he could have saved them both a year of utter hell.

Yet he wanted this relationship to be real. Most of all, he needed it to last.

But in his heart, he knew the truth. This was temporary and soon the gods would divide them again as they always did.

He wasn’t meant to have Zarya. He wasn’t meant to be happy. Whenever he tried to make his life better, the gods made it worse.

Just don’t let her die. He could handle anything except that.

Closing his eyes, he held her tight against him, knowing that all too soon he’d have to let her go for good.

Senna listened as the remnants of the Resistance met in a dive hole not far from where the Workers Coalition had been rallying. No more than a few moments ago, Gerst had returned from the palace and disbanded them.

She narrowed her eyes at Hector. “I told you Cruel has mind control. Now you have proof of it.”

Hector nodded angrily. “He is far more cunning and dangerous than his uncle ever was.” He slid his drive toward her. “Those are his medical records from when he was committed. He’s extremely unstable. Anything can set him off and as far as I can find out, he still has bombs planted all over the city that could explode at any moment.”

“Then how do we bring him down?”

Hector shook his head. “He should never have survived our attack. We have to get him out of the way so that our ally can seize the throne.”

She couldn’t agree more. “What about Starska?”

“We need to accept the fact that she might be lost to us. There’s no telling what he’s done to her by now. How much damage she’s taken.”

“We can’t leave her with him.”

“What do you suggest?” Hector asked.

Senna fished her own small drive out of her pocket and slid it toward him. “I have a way to bring him down once and for all, and to get our leader back. Cruel won’t even know what hit him. I promise you, next time, he will die.”

15

Zarya had known that Darling, as Kere, had an extended family where the Sentella was concerned. But honestly, she’d had no idea exactly how massive it was. Not until they walked into the Sentella’s central headquarters and literally everyone they came into contact with took a minute to speak with him and wish him well.

And she meant everyone. From the cleaning staff to the soldiers to the engineers. Everyone they saw seemed to know him, and most shocking of all, he knew them. Darling asked about them, their families and friends, and mentioned details that showed he not only remembered who they were, but that he cared about their lives, too. That all of them meant something to him.

If she’d ever had any doubts about what a great governor he’d be, this alone would have allayed all fears. Standing back to watch him interact with his people, she was stunned by just how generous and kind Darling really was.

In some ways it was hard to rectify the fierce warrior she knew him to be with the man who was able to soothe a little girl’s fears and to greet every worker with a smile and a handshake.

He absolutely amazed her.

“They like him best,” Hauk whispered in her ear as they were stopped yet again so that Darling could talk to one of the engineers. “Notice how they all ignore me like I’m not even here.”

Maris snorted. “It’s because you always threaten to eat them.”

“Well there is that,” Hauk said with a fang-enhanced smile.

She had no idea why, but she really liked the acerbic Andarion.

He leaned over to whisper to her, “Still… Darling’s their favorite.”

Zarya laughed at Hauk’s feigned pout.

In fact, it took them so long to get down the hallway, that Syn ended up bringing a stretcher for Darling.

His tone dry, Syn pulled Darling’s shoulder and urged him toward it. “Get on here. Lie down. And don’t say anything.”

Darling rolled his eyes before he obeyed.

Winking at her, Syn covered him with a sheet. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with Lord Social here.”

“I vote we shoot him,” Hauk said with an evil smirk.

“You know, there’s nothing wrong with my hearing. Right, Hauk?”

Hauk grinned at Darling’s comment. “Yeah. Like I care.”

“You will when I send you a special gift that’s wrapped with wiring.”

“Children…” Syn had the voice of a stressed parent. “Let’s not fight.”

“Yes, Dad,” they said in unison.

She glanced over her shoulder at Maris who was following them. Drake and Lise were behind him.

“They’re always like this,” Maris mouthed to her.

Shaking her head, she wasn’t quite sure what to make of this more playful side of Darling. As Kere, he’d been reserved and formal whenever he interacted with her soldiers. Ruthless and lethal with his enemies. As governor, he’d been stern and fierce. Guarded. With Maris, like her and his younger siblings, he was protective and strong. Ever watchful and ready to attack anyone who hurt them.

In private, she’d seen glimpses of this playful side of his personality, but he’d never been quite this open and at ease, even with her. It was like a part of him had waited for her to betray or hurt him. Like he feared that she’d reject him if he acted goofy around her.

Yet here in the heart of the Sentella, while on his way to a risky surgery, he was completely at ease and relaxed. Even with people as deadly as Syn and Hauk. His behavior reminded him more of how his brother and sister acted around him.

But then, Darling knew they would kill or die for him just as he would for them. He trusted Hauk and Syn, she realized. Fully.

More than he’s ever trusted me. And that stung on a level so deep, she had to force herself not to flinch from it. They owned a part of Darling that she could never reach.

“Are you okay?” Maris asked her.

She nodded in spite of the fact it was a lie. She wanted Darling to give her this side of himself, too. To be so comfortable with her that he could be silly and childlike without reservation.

As they entered the waiting room, Zarya slowed. Trepidation filled her at the sight of all the unfamiliar people gathered there to see Darling.

Nykyrian Quiakides she knew immediately by sight, but only because his face had once adorned more wanted lists than hers and Darling’s combined. Given his extreme height and long white-blond hair that was braided down his back, he was a hard man to miss. And while he was no longer a League assassin, he still wore the dark sunglasses that kept anyone from seeing what he was looking at or who he was targeting.

Next to him was an extremely pregnant redhead. She put her hand on Darling’s arm to stop Syn from taking him straight into the operating room.

Pulling the sheet back, she tsked at him. “Don’t tell me they couldn’t get you here any other way.”

Darling laughed. “Ah, you know. It happens.”

The woman took his hand into hers, sending a little wave of jealousy through Zarya. “I know Syn will take care of you, but… I love you, sweetie. God speed and keep you.” She placed a kiss on Darling’s forehead, then stepped back.

“Don’t worry,” Maris whispered in Zarya’s ear. “Kiara’s an old friend of Darling’s and she’s married to the tall blond killer dwarfing her.”

In spite of Maris’s kindness, Zarya was beginning to feel like an outsider. Even as long as she and Darling had been together, there was still a lot about Darling she didn’t know. And the people here brought that home with a vengeance. Not only did she not know who they were, she wasn’t sure what they meant to him.

The next to stop Darling was a rather large group.

She could identify the tallest of the men, but again only by reputation. Dressed more like a Tavali pirate than royalty—right down to the blaster strapped to his lean hips—Caillen de Orczy was the Exeterian prince and heir to his father’s empire. He’d been hunted a couple of years back when the League had erroneously accused him of assassinating his father and the Qillaq queen. For weeks, no one had been able to go near any news broadcast without seeing his face.

Tall, dark, and exceptionally gorgeous, Caillen had his arm around a brunette woman who was holding a little girl. Asleep on the woman’s shoulder, the girl looked so much like her that it had to be her daughter.

And if Zarya didn’t miss her guess, the red-haired woman beside Caillen was Shahara Dagan—one of the most lethal tracers in the business. Her name was synonymous with death, and anyone who carried a bounty on their life knew exactly who she was. You’d be a fool not to. No one wanted to tangle with Shahara. Most of all, they didn’t want to be pursued by her.

Shahara held a toddler boy in her arms. He blew Darling a precious kiss before laughing and bouncing in his mother’s arms. Then he practically jumped from Shahara to Syn who caught him and held him tight against his chest before he kissed the boy’s cheek.

Zarya’s jaw went slack as she realized the boy looked just like Syn.

“Syn has a son?” she asked Maris.

“Two, actually. The other was with his first wife.”

She arched a brow at that disclosure.

“It’s a really long story,” Maris added.

The boy launched himself from Syn to Darling who sat up to catch him. Squealing, the boy wrapped his little arms tight around Darling’s neck and hugged him close like he was another father.

“Hey, little guy,” Darling said with a laugh. “Look how big you’ve grown.”

The boy laughed and bounced in Darling’s arms.

Her heart melted at the sight. Especially when Darling tickled him, then kissed his cheek. In that one moment, she could see Darling as a father…

“Dang, Shay,” Darling said to Syn’s wife. “What have you been feeding my boy? He weighs a ton.”

“He does not,” she said defensively. “He’s perfect for his age. Absolutely perfect.”

Darling made a face. “He’s also smelly.”

Shahara narrowed her eyes at Darling and then Syn in turn. “If you two weren’t heading into surgery, I’d make one of you change him.” She clapped her hands at the boy. “Come to Mama, Devy-baby.”

The boy arched his back and fell into her arms.

“I’ll change him for you,” the man with her group said. He looked at the shorter of the two women with Shahara. “I need to practice. I’m sure Tess is going to make me change more than my fair share.”

The woman who must be Tess grinned. “Oh baby, you know it. But look on the bright side, Thad. You still have a few more months of freedom before Devyn has a cousin.”

Groaning, Thad carried a laughing Devyn out of the room.

Tess and the taller woman with brown hair came forward to wish Darling well and give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

The last group that stood in front of the operating room doors was all male and all feral testosterone.

Among them was Ryn who had returned to wearing his black Tavali gear. In fact, all four of them belonged to that renegade pirate group. An Andarion who reminded her of Hauk, a blond human male, and another man with dark hair whose features were similar to the woman with Prince Caillen.

All four of them touched Darling on the shoulder or bumped knuckles with him, but none of them spoke. It was as if their bond to him was such that no words were needed.

As Syn started to take him through the doors, Darling made him stop. Still sitting on the stretcher, he crooked his finger at her.

Heat exploded over her face as everyone turned to stare at her with great curiosity. Trying not to notice, she went to Darling.

He took her hand into his and offered her a grim smile. “Here’s to hoping, right?”

Her stomach tightened as a wave of fear for him consumed her. “I still wish you wouldn’t do this.”

Cupping his hands around the one he held, he led it to his lips so that he could kiss her fingers. He nipped one, sending a chill along her spine that made her wish they were alone. She leaned down to kiss his lips.

When she pulled back, he winked at her. “I’ll be fine,” he promised. “After all, someone besides Sorche has to harass you.” He held on to her hand until the hospital staff stopped her from entering the operating area. Even then, he gave one last squeeze before he reluctantly released her hand.

Tears swam in her eyes as he vanished from her sight and the doors closed, separating them. Please don’t die on me…

The mere thought made her light-headed and ill. She couldn’t bury another person she loved. She couldn’t.

Maris wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her tightly. “Have faith. He’ll be fine, Z.”

Leaning back against his chest, she brushed her hand over his arms. “He better be, Mari. I’d hate to have to kill Syn.”

In the next instant, she was surrounded by people who were hammering her with questions so fast that she couldn’t distinguish any one of them. She was so grateful that Maris held her, otherwise she’d be terrified.

A loud whistle split the air.

They all turned to look at Nykyrian. “Yes, everyone. Darling has a girl—as in fully female—friend. Her name is Zarya. Try not to run her off. Darling will be most unhappy with you if you do.”

The muscular brunette who was holding the little girl elbowed Caillen in his stomach. “I told you Darling wasn’t gay. Next time, you’ll listen to me, won’t you?” Smiling sweetly, she stepped forward to offer Zarya her hand. “I’m Desideria Denarii de Orczy.”

Zarya tried not to gape at the impressive pedigree displayed by that single name. “The Qillaq princess?”

“Was. Now happily Exeterian.” She rubbed Caillen’s stomach where she’d elbowed him. “And this is my most wonderful husband Caillen and our daughter Lillya who will wake up eventually and say hi.”

Before Zarya could absorb that, Thad returned to hand Devyn back to his mother.

Taking her son, she stepped forward to introduce herself. “I’m Shahara, Syn’s wife and Caillen’s oldest sister. And I hate to mention this on our first meeting and all, but if you try to kill Syn, I’ll really hurt you.”

Zarya wasn’t sure what to make of that, but one thing was certain. Shahara meant it.

Maris was right, there had to be one heck of a story as to how Syn had ended up married to one of the most lethal tracers in the Nine Systems. And how that tracer was related to an Exeterian prince…

It was enough to boggle the mind.

Shahara tickled the chin of her son, making him laugh out loud. “And this exceptionally handsome boy genius is our baby Devyn—the most spoiled child in the entire universe.”

He squealed happily at Zarya as if he agreed completely with his mother’s description for him.

Shahara held her hand up to the women who were with her. “These are my sisters Kasen and Tess. And Tess’s husband, Thad.”

Zarya did her best to commit all of them to memory. “Nice meeting you.”

The other red-haired woman stepped forward with a regal grace that was impressive. “I’m Kiara Quiakides and the fiercely stern blond on my right is my husband Nykyrian. And we have other kids, but this,” she rubbed her hand over her distended belly, “is the only one with us right now. The others are at home, hopefully not making their nannies too crazy.”