Fifteen #4
"Yes, exactly. So, now that we've gotten past all this, where the hell is Mariah, and what the hell is going on with my son?"
Just then, a priestess ran up and cast a healing spell on Korbano, who sighed in relief, then hit me with one, as well. Blinking a moment, I took off the last necklace I had on and handed it to her.
"What's this?"
"Donation to your goddess. I may need some assistance with what's coming."
That said, I walked around the table, bent over, and picked up Suzona. I sat down, set her in my lap, gave her a hug and a kiss on the side of the neck, and then locked eyes with the king.
"Now, you were about to tell me something?"
"Mariah died when Jordon was six from complications during childbirth.
She was ill, apparently. Her husband did not take it well and began drinking, and he started to take it out on Jordon.
Once I learned of it, I took Jordon away from him and gave him to another family to raise.
He was quite well-behaved, but at sixteen, he had a run-in with his stepfather that did not end well.
Unbeknownst to any of us, by the time he was seventeen, he'd fallen in with a very bad influence, and on his eighteenth birthday, he declared himself a champion for the god Molnitus. "
"Let me guess, Molnitus isn't a very nice, caring, or sharing kind of god?"
The King gave me a look. "He's considered evil, and he started a war on our southernmost island. His tactics have been draconian, and they've put more than a few people to the sword."
"How is Jordon being his champion a key to this?"
"Jordon is actually a very skilled warrior.
That confrontation with his stepfather? Jordon beat him to death with his bare hands, and his stepfather was by no means weak.
It also does not help that we've been dealing with encroachments to the north, so we've found ourselves with two fights going on, and our champion is typically up north fighting, not down to the south. "
"How long ago was his birthday?"
"Ten days."
"When did the fight start?"
"On his birthday."
I thought about that for a moment. "How soon can Suzona and I leave to go there?"
"What are you going to do to him?"
"Well, first, I'm going to kick his ass into next week. Then I'm gonna spank him for being a brat. After that? Well, if he's worth saving, I'll take him someplace else. I'm guessing you don't want him 'round here anymore?"
"No, I don't. What will you do if he's not worth saving?"
I sighed. "Kill him. I will not have any child of mine spreading evil across the land. Any land. We don't do that."
"I'll have a ship readied immediately. You can leave as soon as you board."
"Great." Standing up, I picked up Suzona and set her on her feet.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will deal with my son." I bowed. Going back over to my seat, I shifted back to human form and quickly got dressed.
"Dad?"
I looked up. "Yes, Helena?"
"Can I go back with you when you leave?"
"You understand that it could be years before you could come back, if ever? It would be a pretty major change in your life."
"Honestly? I've always wanted something a little more exciting in my life than living in a city, and if you weren't my dad, I'd be trying to get in your bed," Helena said and didn't even blush.
"Jocelyn?" I asked, looking over at her.
"If you're okay with it, Will, I'm okay with it. She's eighteen."
I shrugged and opened the 'eyes and ears' to Fel.
"Do you want to be a human woman like you are in a world with catfolk like me? Or do you want to go to a world where you'd be a catfolk, as well?"
"I think I'd like to try being one."
"Any issues with me sending her, Fel?"
I got a warm feeling.
"Say goodbye to your mother; you're leaving now."
"What? Now?"
"Yup."
"What about, I don't know, clothes?"
"You'll be covered in fur. Now, hug your mom and say goodbye. I've got a boat to catch."
Helena ran up to her mother, gave her a hug, and kissed her goodbye, then ran up to her stepdad and kissed him, too.
She came over when she was done.
"Now what?"
I opened a gate and pointed at it. "Just step through."
She took a step up to it and looked at it, and I pushed her through and dropped the gate, causing Suzona to giggle.
"Sorry, but I am in a rush."
"Can you bring her back here, Will?" Jocelyn asked.
"Yeah, but I'll make her prove she really wants it. It's a long trip." I gave Jocelyn a hug, shook hands with Theo, and gathering up Suzona we headed off to the room to get our things, with Elsabeth running to catch up.
"I can't believe she did that!" Elsabeth said.
"Maybe she likes cats?"
"What she likes is men."
"Well, we have a lot of them back home, so I'm sure she'll be happy. You're not thinking of being next, are you?" I teased.
Elsabeth shook her head no. "I wouldn't have anyone; I'd be all alone."
"She doesn't, either."
"But her father lives there, and I can't blame her for wanting to get to know you better after everything we heard and saw tonight."
"Good point," I said, dropping the 'eyes and ears' to Fel. Opening the limousine door, I helped Suzona and Elsabeth in, then got in myself. Tomorrow would probably be a very interesting day.