“Most of them. Once I realized the magnetic field and radiation played havoc with tracking devices, I decided Shithole Central suited me fine enough.”
Hauk snorted at that. “Doesn’t seem to be playing with mine. They haven’t had any problems tracking me.”
“Ah… that’s why they keep hitting you. Wondered about that.” Bastien frowned. “So who wantsyoudead?”
Hauk lifted the container that held his confiscated head. “That’s what I’m going to find out.”
Gruesome, but understandable.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Bastien nodded. “Guess being Sentella, you have a lot of friends who want to play with you.”
“Yeah, but I’d rather take my ball and go home.”
Bastien laughed. “Why do I doubt that?”
“Probably because I’m about to take my ball and go shove it up the ass of whoever started this.”
And now Hauk reminded him a lot of his cousin Jullien. “Spoken like a true Andarion.”
“Known a lot of us?”
Bastien hesitated to answer. Obviously, Hauk didn’t know he was royal or related to Jullien, and he wasn’t about to bring that sore topic up since The Sentella had their own bounty out on his cousin’s hide. Not that he blamed them. The Sentella was led by Jullien’s twin brother, who hated him over the fact that Jullien had stupidly assisted Nykyrian’s bitterest enemy in his abduction of Nykyrian’s wife.
Hence the condition of the base Bastien currently lived in. He’d found those data files and had been shocked by them.
Until he’d heard Jullien’s side of things.
His cousin had been in a dire situation, and much like Bastien, had been left with almost no options for survival. And he loved Jullien, and owed him way too much to ever judge him for the steps he’d taken to keep himself alive.
Desperate people did desperate things.
He was just too damn grateful to have his cousin still with him.
However, he wasn’t about to bring up something that could get him killed right now. So he settled on a safer Andarion topic.
“Just one.” Technically true since Jullien was only half-blooded and while Unira and Vasili were Andarions, the Fyreblood race was vastly different from the Ixurians—which was what those with dark hair and skin would be considered. “Nasty-tempered bastard, but damn good in a fight.” He cast an amused grin at Hauk. “Now that I think about it, he looks a lot like you.”
“Yeah, well, we all look alike.”
Bastien rolled his eyes at the bad stereotype that Andarions used against all humans, and it definitely didn’t apply to him. “Wouldn’t know. He’s the only Andarion”—full-blooded Ixurian, anyway—“I’ve been this close to, besides you. Come to think of it, his name’s also Hauk. Only it’s his last name.”
Hauk narrowed his gaze as if he was one breath from attacking. “Friend or foe?”
“Good friend, so if you plan to shit-talk him, you better be ready to draw again and shoot when you do so.”
This time, Hauk grinned wide enough to expose razor-sharp fangs. “I never shit-talk Fain behind his back. Only to his face. Otherwise, big brother would kick my ass.”
Bastien went slack-jawed as he instantly knew exactly who this was—and it was a damn good thing he hadn’t brought up Jullien’s name, since this particular Andarion had his grudge against his cousin. “You Dancer?”
He inclined his head to him. “I’m Dancer.”
“Well, I’ll be damned. Small fucking universe. The way Fain talked about you, I thought you’d be the size and age of the kid you’re with. Had no idea you were so close to his age and build.” Bastien held his arm out to him. At a distance that let Dancer know he really was familiar with Andarions and their culture. “I owe Fain my life. You need a point or anchor,anytime, I’m yours.”
Dancer shook his arm. “How you know my brother?”
“He used to live in my neighborhood on Kirovar. We worked out at the same gym. I was the only one who’d spar with him. After a while, we ended up as drinking buddies.”
Dancer nodded. “So you must know his first mate, Durden.”
