“Endine, allow me to present my other son. I don’t believe you’ve met him. Prince Fain of the Most Sovereign Blood Clan of eton Anatole.”
Sumi’s jaw went slack. As did Dancer’s.
Endine, however, looked as if she’d swallowed her tongue and a round of bile.
Like any proud, doting mother, Cairistiona brushed her hand tenderly through Fain’s braids. “It seems this fierce, decorated male had no lineage of his own. Given the selfless, noble service he has provided to my son and granddaughter over the years, I have offered him mine.” She arched a brow at Endine. “Are you refusing to honor my son?”
Endine finally bowed to Fain. As did his father and grandmother.
But there was no satisfaction in Fain’s eyes. Only bitter regret. Until he glanced to Dancer then he blanched.
Fain caught him as Dancer’s knees buckled. He lowered him slowly to the ground. “Syn!”
Sumi held Dancer’s head until Syn brought a stretcher for him.
Syn growled at Dancer as they put him on it. “Damn it, Hauk! Next time you storm a building to save a princess, don’t do it alone.”
Fain snorted. “Patience is not his virtue.”
“Neither is common sense.” Syn put the mask over Dancer’s face as he called for a med lift for them.
Fear tore through her. Dancer was paler than she’d ever seen him. “Syn?”
“I won’t let him die, Sumi. I’m the only bastard in existence who’s even more stubborn than he is.”
“Good. ’Cause I plan to hold you to that promise.” But as she looked at Dancer’s face, she knew it was going to be close.
Sumi paced the waiting room, wanting to beat Dancer’s mother into the ground. The Andarion hadn’t punched him in the stomach, she’d clawed him so hard, she’d almost gutted him.
“How could a mother do such?”
Cairistiona hugged her to her side. “Endine is very traditional. We’re not all like that.”
Sumi wasn’t so sure. “You disinherited your son,” she reminded the queen.
Cairistiona shook her head sadly. “No. I punished my baby for trying to kill his own brother, and for putting my grandson and daughter-in-law in harm’s way. Jullien is still a prince and has all the money entitled to him. He’s just barred from inheritance because of his actions. I didn’t physically harm him. Rather, I kept Nykyrian from tearing out his guts over what he did to Kiara.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s all right. Jullien chooses not to speak to me, but my heart will always be open to my child. No matter what he does. He will always be my baby.”
“Sumi?”
She glanced up to see Syn coming out with the Andarion surgeon who’d been attending the War Hauk family since Dancer had been burned as a boy.
Dr. Duece inclined his head respectfully to her and Cairistiona. “Majesty. Princess. Dancer will be ready to leave in a few minutes. He will be more scarred, but he will heal.”
She had to force herself not to roll her eyes at something she couldn’t care less about. But then, to most Andarions, that would be a primary concern. “Thank you.”
He bowed to her. “He should take it easy for a few days. And in a week, he can resume a normal schedule. I have given the orders to the human doctor who will be staying with him while he recovers.”
Cairistiona inclined her head. “You have the deep appreciation of the royal house for your service.”
While she and the doctor continued speaking, Syn gestured to Sumi. “I’ll take you back to him.”
He led her to the room where Dancer was sitting on a stark white bed. A nurse had him signing an e-tab with orders.
Looking up, he smiled as he saw her in the doorway. “Hey, mia.”
“Hi, sexy beast.”
His smile widened enough to show off his fangs. “Careful, Maris might get jealous if he hears you using his nickname for me.” He scooted off the bed and retrieved his coat.
Syn growled at him before he took the coat out of his hands. “You don’t need to wear something this heavy. What are you thinking?”
“That you’re worse than my yaya.”
“Yeah, well, just wait until you see how many of us are crashed at your house. You’re going to think yaya.”
Dancer growled low in his throat. “Are you serious?”
“I know, you hate company. Deal with it. You’re wounded. Both of you are hunted, and Sumi just challenged one of the most decorated Andarion soldiers in your armada to a death match. Until we get everything settled, you got the yaya contingency sitting on you. Congratulations, bud. Smile.”
Baring his fangs, he draped his arm around Sumi’s shoulders. “Fine. I just want to sleep in my own bed again.” He led her to the entrance, where Fain waited with a transport.
Sumi wasn’t sure what to expect. Eris, the capital city of Andaria, was extremely modern and crowded. Congested. There were over ten million Andarions who called it home.
“You okay?” Dancer asked as he noticed her discomfiture.
She bit her lip. “I’ve never been in a city so large. It’s impressive.” And terrifying.
Dancer pointed to the tallest building, which was almost in the center of the city. It had a main spire that rose high against a huge moon. “That’s the royal palace where your mother lives.”
She blushed at his teasing reminder.
“The two buildings flanking it are government buildings. One is the ruling senate that reports to and advises the queen. The other is the courthouse.” He pointed to a smaller building nestled in the center of a park. “That’s Nykyrian’s house. Not that he’s here much. He mostly stays with his family in his father’s Triosan palace.”
“It’s rare for anyone in Eris to own a house,” Syn explained. “There’s just so many Andarions and so little property left.”
She looked at Dancer. “So you live in an apartment building?”
Sheepish, he glanced away.
Syn leaned forward. “See that huge round building on the coast?”
She nodded.
“That’s where your boyfriend lives.”
Her jaw went slack. “By yourself?”
He passed an irritated glare to Syn for ratting on him. “My paternal yaya you met earlier gave it to me after my paran died ten years ago. It was his wedding present to her and she couldn’t stand living there without him. My father’s the eldest of her children, so by rights, it should have been his. However, she refused to let my parents have it, because she hates my mother… so it went to me.”
Fain cleared his throat. “Dancer was always her favorite. He looks the most like our paran.”
He shoved at Fain.
In response, Fain arched a disbelieving brow. “If you weren’t stitched, kiran…”
Unperturbed by the threat, Dancer sat back. “Fain actually has the guest house as his. He’s not homeless or abandoned.”
“But I rarely use it. Never wanted to chance running into family there.”
After a few minutes, they pulled into a massive garage that led to its own landing bay where Dancer had three fighters and one small freighter docked. He also owned a sleek city transport and two airbikes.
She blinked at Dancer. “Someone likes his toys.”
Syn let out an evil laugh. “Oh, just wait till you meet his house.”
“Pardon?”
His only answer was another creepy laugh as he got out and led the way.
When they neared the door, Dancer pulled her to a stop. “Let me get you entered into the system so that you can come and go as you wish.”
She didn’t know what he meant until he stood her in the doorway to be scanned. “Biolocks on the thresholds?”
Dancer nodded. “And windows. Anyone who’s unauthorized who tries to access the house gets stunned senseless.”