Or Jackson.
That level of treachery and maliciousness had been beyond his experience or comprehension.
Jullien scooted the chair back from the desk for Thraix to lean in. “This is it. But it’s not really helpful. Venik has a secured base that’s unknown to The Tavali outside of his Nation. He had it built for my cousin as a precaution should something happen to him, so that Malys wouldn’t be able to kill Nyran or Parisa in a jealous rage. I will lay odds that’s where my grandmother is.”
Thraix studied the schematic. “That’s so deeply in their territory… and Phrixian. We go near that, they’ll know.”
Jullien raked a frustrated hand through his hair. “We’ve got to do something. I can’t let them kill my family. She’s not going to stop trying for my mother’s throat.”
The woman with him rubbed his shoulder. “At least your immediate family is safe from them.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“You know…” Bastien moved forward to access another database of old smuggler routes he’d once used. “There are some ancient trading wormholes that aren’t in use anymore in that sector. They don’t really appear on most maps.” He showed it to Jullien. “I stumbled across this one back when I went through a teenage phase we won’t talk about.”
Jullien snorted. “I remember that phase.”
“We’re not talking about it.”’Cause basically, he was lucky he hadn’t gone to prison for some of the stunts he’d pulled. It was, however, how he ended up in the military against his mother’s protests. His father had insisted on it to keep him out of trouble.
And out of prison.
Bastien pointed to one of the routes that paralleled the station’s orbit. “That would drop you in, clear of their surveillance.”
Jullien nodded as he studied the map. “Mind if I take a copy?”
“It’s all yours.”
He quickly downloaded it.“Thöky.”
Bastien’s eyes widened at his use of the Kirovarian term forthanks. It’d been way too long since he’d spoken his own language. Even with that Andarion accent, it was a welcomed treat. “Glad I could help.”
Jullien jerked his head toward the door. “Want to see about that shower?”
Sadly, he got an actual hard-on at the thought of being clean again from the use of a real shower, with hot running water. “You know I do.”
“We can also drop you somewhere else. Really, I don’t mind.”
How he wished, but Bastien shook his head. “As much as I would, I better stay put. This place plays havoc with League tracking equipment and most electronics. Not sure why Aksel’s shit works. But this is the safest place I’ve found to bed down. While it’s not much, it gives me peace of mind at night. I know I don’t have to tellyouwhat that’s worth.”
Having been on the run from a League warrant himself, Jullien was the one person who would fully understand the nightmare that was Bastien’s life.
Thraix glanced around Bastien’s run-down home. “You want me to make the place a little more hospitable?”
Bastien frowned at the offer, not sure what he meant by it. “How do you mean?”
“I have some skills that can clean this place up and make it more solid and habitable… if you want.”
Bastien couldn’t stop himself from smiling at some of the things he’d kill for. “A solid roof that doesn’t leak during the rare rains we have would be incredible. But don’t make it too inviting. I don’t want it to attract any undue attention. Only things I want crawling in here are the spiders and insects.”
“Got it.”
With that, Jullien gestured for Bastien and the woman with them to follow him out toward their ship.
As soon as they neared it, Bastien bit back a laugh at the name of Jullien’s ship. “Pet Hate?”
Jullien grinned as he lowered the ramp. “Seemed fitting for me.”
Yeah, given that Jullien had been everyone’s pet hate at home, it made sense.
