The need for vengeance, and to make them all eat their unjust convictions against him, swelled inside him. Rising from the bed, Bastien slowly peeled the monitors off.
Then he pulled out the IV.
“For your sake, Uncle, you better pray that I don’t. Because if I do get what I deserve, I will be emperor of the Kirovarian empire. And when I am, your crown is the first one I’m coming after.…” He raked a repugnant stare down his body. “Funny, really, I only came back for the head of one uncle, but after this… two heads mounted on my wall will be all the sweeter.”
CHAPTER9
“You’re sure you won’t stay? At least a little longer?”
Standing in the Sentella landing bay, Bastien hesitated.—Nyk’s question meant a lot to him. Every member of their high command was there to see him on his way. “Thanks, but I have to see this through.”
Syn sighed while Jayne pouted. Even Dancer and Fain appeared to be on the verge of tears. “We’ve grown attached to you. Not often I find someone more sarcastic than me.”
Dancer concurred. “Yeah, you’re like that fungus in the bathroom that no matter how hard you try to scrub it off, keeps coming back. Till you’re forced to live with it.”
Laughing, Darling nodded. “We hate to see you go.”
“Appreciate it.”I think.
But in spite of the missions he’d flown with them over the last few weeks, they weren’t his tribe. And he had a date to keep. “I’ve waited a long time for justice. It’s time I see it met.”
Syn nodded. “You need us, call immediately.”
“Thanks.”
Dancer caught his arm as he started to leave. That personal contact wouldn’t mean anything coming from a human, but for an Andarion to make such a gesture was significant. It meant he considered Bastien family. “I owe my daughter’s safety to you, Cabarro. And my life, and Sumi’s. Night or day, you call.”
He inclined his head to Dancer and clapped him on the back. “It was my honor to see Kalea returned to you and her mother. No family should be separated.”
“Which is why you need to stay with us.” Jayne winked at him. “You’re one of us now.”
Bastien laughed before he returned his attention to Nykyrian. “I’ll return the fighter to you as soon as I can.”
“It’s yours,drey. Least we could do given what we owe you.” Nyk’s expression turned even grimmer than it’d been before. “Sorry about my father and how he treated you.”
“It’s all good.”
Aros hadn’t told Nykyrian that Bastien had threatened him. Most likely because he didn’t think it a real threat.
Then again, it wasn’t.
It’d been a promise.
But first he had another to keep. “I’ll be in touch.”
Their good-byes followed him as he climbed aboard the fighter and prepared for launch.
After pulling his helmet on, he took a moment to glance back at Nyk, Darling, Syn, Fain, Dancer, and Jayne, who was waving at him.
It’d been tempting to accept their help for this, but the last thing he wanted was to drag their nations into another war while they were already fighting against The League. They had their own battles.
This was his.
If he failed, he didn’t want to destroy anyone else’s family in the process. Especially not after getting to know them. A sad smile tugged at his lips as he saw Sumi and Kalea in his mind. They’d met him for a farewell breakfast.
Kalea had broken into tears at the thought of Uncle Bas-Bas leaving. He could still feel the warmth of her wet hug. It really had been his honor to help them rescue the little girl from League custody.
Now grateful for this send-off, he inclined his head to them and signaled control before he launched.
