Bastien didn’t.
“What was that?” Brand asked after a few minutes when no one came to arrest them.
“Neville being the idiot. So we no longer have to worry about him testifying.”
A few minutes later, a guard came and verified that indeed, Neville had fought against them and had been shot and killed.
“Does this mean we’re good?” Ember asked hopefully.
“We’re good,” Bastien lied. He still had doubts, but he wasn’t about to let her know that. Not until he had his son’s future secured, and Xander’s.
And most of all, Ember’s.
One thing was certain. He’d either won a throne today.
Or ended his life.
Yeah, his father had been right. He was forever a reckless gambler with one foot in the grave. But as he looked to Ember, he knew that she was his one anchor in life. And that whenever those suicidal tendencies kicked in, she was the only force in the universe capable of pulling him back from it.
She was and would always be his lifeline.
EPILOGUE
In full emperor’s robes, Bastien entered the throne room with Ember by his side. This was the day they’d been waiting for and dreading.
Kyr Zemin, the League prime commander, stood there, waiting with his crew and the Overseer.
Ember’s hand trembled in his, but she showed no other sign of her nervousness.
And Bastien showed no emotions whatsoever as he met Alia’s cold gaze.
“Well?” he prompted.
“You kept your word,” Alia said with a light note in her voice. “I will give you that.”
Bastien didn’t find any humor in her words. “And how do you find now, Overseer?”
“Everything you said has been proven. I’ve ordered Prime Commander Zemin to remove your name as a Ravin. You’re free, Emperor. Congratulations.”
Congratulations? Was she fucking kidding, after everything they’d put him through?
He wanted to bury the axe inherskull.
But he caught himself and, as he’d promised Ember, he inclined his respectfully head to the Overseer, even though it galled him through and through. “Thank you, my lady.”
Kyr stepped forward. “Now that you’ve been exonerated of killing your family, I’m here to accept your loyalty oath to The League and the United Systems.”
Yeah, right.
Bastien sucked his breath in sharply. “Mmm… sorry, Kyr. ’Fraid I can’t do that, punkin.”
His jaw went slack and the scar around his eyepatch turned whiter. “Pardon?”
Bastien moved to shield Ember with his body and pulled his blaster on Kyr. “Consider yourself arrested by order of the Alliance.”
Kyr’s one eye flared. He lunged at Bastien, but Bastien caught him and countered the strike. It took him several minutes, but he finally subdued the prime commander and cuffed him.
“This war ends. Today. I’ve buried enough people I love. I’m not burying any more.”
