Chapter 13
“Do you have it?”
Garyn cringed at the question from the troll in front of him. Glancing around the crowded inn, he only relaxed once he realized that Xaydin wasn’t in the room. “Are you trying to get me killed?”
The huge, green-fleshed beast glared at him. “Do you think me stupid? I waited until they were both gone. Been gone, in fact. No sign of either returning.”
That only disturbed him more. Normally, he kept a tight eye on Gisela and Xaydin. It bothered him that he’d become so caught up with his hustling the other patrons that they’d slipped away without his noticing.
Such a mistake could get him killed.
“So how’s your guest?”
The troll shape shifter shrugged. “Keeps making threats. He’s not happy that we liberated him from the fish king. I’m thinking we should kill him rather than let him go.”
Made sense. Masakage wasn’t known for his mercy. His reputation as a wizard was well known throughout the kingdoms.
And well feared.
Maybe they should kill him. But only if they could kill Xaydin first. The last thing he wanted was to be hunted down by the pissed off Oathbreaker. No one had ever survived a fight with Xaydin. At least no one he knew of.
And while he considered himself among the best swordsmen in the Thirteen Kingdoms, he wasn’t stupid enough to think he could best Xaydin.
Not in a fair fight, anyway.
Which returned his thoughts to the troll in front of him. “Why are you here?”
“I got your message that said the contract was taken care of. Do you want me to notify the queen?”
“Not yet.”
Diflyn arched a heavy brow at that. “Why?”
Because it wasn’t taken care of the way Meara wanted it to be. Before the fish king had hired him, Meara had sent him out to make sure the ataswere died…preferably by Dash’s sword and not hers. This was about public perception. She wanted the other kingdoms to blame Dash…
Fear him and learn to be suspicious of his intentions. If the High King broke the contract, then she could cry foul to the other rulers and hopefully gain enough support from their fear to overthrow Dash.
It was why she’d sent her “best” assassin out to protect the ataswere.
Meanwhile, she’d told him—the real mercenary assassin she relied on for such matters—to make sure the ataswere didn’t survive this excursion.
He’d started out following Gisela in any manner of ways…such as being a flea on her while she traveled as a unicorn.
Everything had been fine until they were on board the boat.
Even though he was disguised as a fly, Masakage had captured him after the other two had vanished under the waves. “Why are you following us?”
Garyn had seen the fury in the wizard’s eyes as Garyn had used his powers to change into his human form and pin Masakage against the side of the boat while the scared ferryman had looked on. “I mean you no harm.”
That had only angered Masakage more. “And I mean you all manner of harm. Answer my question.”
So he’d done what he always did…lied his way out of it. “I’m here to protect the princess. Make sure no harm befalls her.”
The fact that Masakage hadn’t reacted to the news meant he’d already learned the secret no one, especially not the queen, knew Garyn had uncovered years before.
He’d always wondered why Meara tolerated Gisela’s impertinence when the queen would have gutted anyone else.
Until the night he’d been spying on Meara and had heard the truth from the queen’s own lips.
Garyn had known then that one day that secret might save his life.
Or end it.
That was the problem when one dealt in secrets. They could either help or kill.
With Masakage, the lie had rung true. Best of all, it’d caused the wizard to lower his guard just enough that he’d been able capture Masakage.
Not an easy feat, given the wizard’s powers. But thankfully, his club had settled most matters and had rendered Masakage unconscious.
Which had been flawless until the fish king had sent in warriors to capture the unconscious Masakage from the ferry.
Which had given him the idea to pretend to be Masakage, especially when they’d offered Garyn money to keep Xaydin from learning they’d taken his brother.
Even so, it’d been an awful mess until his partner, Diflyn, had reclaimed their prisoner and removed him from the Ningyoan kingdom to the holding cell they had for him.
Something that hadn’t set well with Masakage, who apparently had issues with their hospitality.
Asshole.
Now, the trick would be releasing the beast without Masakage killing them both in retaliation.
Garyn hadn’t quite figured out how to let Masakage loose.
Killing him would make things a lot easier.
He smiled at Diflyn. “We’re in a bit of a sticky situation right now. But I’ll think of something. Run along and make sure the wizard doesn’t find his freedom on his own.” If he did, they’d pay for it.
Diflyn gave him a cold, hard stare before he nodded and left the inn.
Garyn checked his bag to make sure the contract was still there. While it was no longer guaranteed by an ataswere, it was still binding.
A contract was a contract, regardless of the medium it was written on. The question he needed answered was who would pay the most for it?
King Dash or Queen Meara?
If he sold it to Dash, Meara would still be able to cry foul and attack Dash.
After all, it’d technically been Dash’s own man he’d sent for the contract who’d transferred it.
At least that was what the ataswere and his family would testify to. They believed him to be the Oathbreaker’s brother. All objectives met, including his own that would enrich his coffers. He liked that.
I just have to survive. Something much easier said than done, especially with an angry wizard wanting a piece of him. But he was nothing if not an aggressive survivor.
No. Opportunist. He would rise above this, and he’d make sure that in the end, he would be the richer for it.
As for his witnesses…
If his was the only viewpoint, then it would be the truth. He’d just have to make sure that Gisela, Xaydin and Masakage all met with an unfortunate accident. Then he could take the money from Meara and the fish king, and go on with his life.