Unfortunately, the Andarion War Hauks had a bad history with the eton Anatoles. And the ruling eton Anatoles were Bastien’s cousins through his maternal uncle’s spawning twin sons with the Andarion heiress. So while Bastien was a loyal friend to Fain Hauk, Bastien’s cousin Jullien eton Anatole had taken preference for the wedding invite.
Besides, he liked Jullien.
“Wow. Someone who’s a bigger leper than I am. Never thought I’d live to see the day. I am impressed, Bas. Truly an incredible feat for Bastien Aros Cabarro, handsome baby boy genius.”
Speak of the devil.…
Igorning Jullien’s use of the irksome nickname Bastien’s mother had given him in childhood, he turned to find his half-Andarion cousin standing behind him. Damn, for such a humongous bastard Jullien could move even more silently than the best-trained League assassin. It was a most unnerving trait.
But at least one person wasn’t shunning him. Mostly because Jullien, being half human and half Andarion, was used to everyone fleeing at his approach. As if he’d had a choice in his birthright. He couldn’t help his mixed heritage, any more than Jullien was responsible for the fact that humans and Andarions had been at war for most of their history. Yet both races held it against the prince as if he was personally responsible for all their sins.
Bastien had always felt bad for his cousin over the way he was treated. Had always gone out of his way to be nice to him. ’Cause if the truth were known, he preferred Jullien over his own siblings most days. While Jullien could be a bit standoffish and blunt, he was highly intelligent and had an honest, offbeat sense of humor that Bastien appreciated. It was a breath of fresh air amidst the courtiers who practiced duplicity and lies in all things.
At least with his cousin, he always knew where he stood and what Jullien thought.
“Good to see you, Julie.”
Jullien snorted before he made a grand gesture of fluffing the lace at his left cuff. “Appreciate that bald lie when we both know I’m as welcome here as a lethal STD in a whorehouse.”
Which was exactly how Bastien felt at present. He laughed at the perfect description for the two of them.
Jullien stumbled a bit and Bastien sighed at his poor cousin. Even with those dark red glasses covering half his face, it was obvious Jullien was flying high on something that was most likely illegal in every known system. He probably wouldn’t even remember being here, and that broke Bastien’s heart for him. As Jullien had said, he was ever a leper, and most of their family cursed his name the moment they saw him approaching.
It was so bad and frequent that Jullien often introduced himself as “Dammit Jullien” to people as a joke.
But Bastien didn’t see a hybrid human-Andarion bastard in front of him. All he saw was family.
So what if Julie had a set of fangs and human eyes with Andarion features. That had never mattered to him. He didn’t judge folks on their looks.
Only on their actions.
He arched a brow as Jullien grabbed a glass of Tondarion Grade-A Hellfire from the tray of a passing server. “Should you be drinkingthatin your current condition?” Depending on what the boy had taken, it could prove lethal.
Jullien knocked it back in a single gulp. “Why not? It’s a celebration, right? If the family’s lucky, they could get a twofer out of this. Your wedding. My funeral.”
Okay, then…
Jullien’s human bodyguards retreated into the crowd as his father approached them. Similar in looks to Bastien’s mother, Aros Triosan was the same height as his son, but lacked Jullien’s massive Andarion size.
And that regal pissed-off aura of rebellion that was only undercut by an overt ennui that said Jullien was resigned to his unwanted place in the universe.
Aros grabbed Jullien’s arm in a grip so tight that Bastien winced from the bruise he was sure Jullien would have over it. “Shouldn’t you be heading home now?”
With a fierce grimace that exposed his fangs, Jullien jerked out of his father’s grasp. “Don’t worry, Paka. I shall take my inebriated ass out of here before I intentionally expose it and further embarrass you. Besides, my jailors won’t like it if I fail to report back by curfew.”
When Jullien started to leave, Aros splayed his hand across Jullien’s chest to stop his retreat. “For the love of God, could you sober up? Just once?”
Jullien snorted derisively. “And deal with all of you without the benefits of being chemically numb? Are you out of your minsid mind?”
With a smug sneer directly in his father’s face, Jullien flipped his hair back with an affected bored nonchalance that was no doubt designed to piss his father off.
And judging by Aros’s features, it succeeded.
“But no fears, Paka. I shan’t urinate in Bastien’s pool tonight. My fury isn’t for him.” Jullien tucked his cane under his arm before he turned back to Bastien. “Word to the wise, kyzi. Take your bride and get as far away from the family as you can.” He jerked his chin at Aros. “They’re treacherous bastards. The whole lot of them. Never trust them at your back. Triosan or Cabarro. They’re all selfish to the bitter end. Trust me. Sooner or later, one of them will find the nerve to come for your ass and take you down. Birth order doesn’t matter. We eat our own. One child at a time. It’s just a matter of time,drey.”
And with that, Jullien left.
Aros let out an audible sigh of relief. “Sorry about that, Bastien. I don’t even know why he came.”
