Goap turned his head slightly. It looked like it took every bit of energy he had to force his head to move. He spit blood onto the wood. “Soft,” he repeated.
“I could say the same to you,” Bathin said. “You brought the wrong weapons. I cannot imagine that was a mistake.”
“I nearly took your head off with Bunny Kisses, the King Killer.”
“But I am not a king,” Bathin said, glancing at the ax. “Bunny Kisses would not have harmed me.”
Goap smiled. “That’s why I was going to gut you with Feather Duster, the Brother Stabber.”
“Wait,” I said, wondering how hard I’d hit my head. “The ax is named Bunny Kisses, and the…sword? That huge blade is Feather Duster?”
“They are demon weapons,” Bathin said, like that explained anything.
“Demon weapons. And they aren’t named something like Grave Digger or Earth Shaker?”
“Those are monster trucks,” Bathin said, while Goap muttered, “Obviously.”
“All right, okay,” I said, “fine. Why did you try to kill Bathin with something that only kills kings? Why even bring that here?”
Bathin crossed his arms over his wide chest and nudged Goap’s knee with his boot.
“Father is coming for you,” Goap said. “For you, for mother, for Avnas—who I can’t believe just packed bags and is shacking up with her. He is shacking up with her, isn’t he?”
“She’s keeping her options open.” Bathin shrugged.
“Oh.” Goap frowned. “Disappointing. I always thought they made a good pair.”
Bathin grunted. “So did I. You’ve told me this before—not about Anvas, but that father wants to kill me. I knew that even before I left his kingdom. Of course he’ll want to kill mother for breaking their contract, and Avnas for leaving his service.
“This is obvious. Why are you here? Again. Warning me. Again. What are you up to?”
“Is it so difficult to believe I am just worried about you?”
“You tried to behead me.”
“It got your attention, didn’t it?”
“Tap…”
“Don’t call me that. You left me. You both left me. You don’t get to use that name.”
Bathin’s nostrils flared, but he nodded. “Apologies.”
The anger shifted in Goap, settling into stubborn lines. “He is not as you remember him. He is much, much worse. There are some among us who would stand against him.”
“Demons are always up for a juicy backstabbing,” Bathin said.
“Yes, but it’s more. There is a growing rebellion. Change is coming to the kingdom. Brutal change.”
“Did you steal the weapons?” I asked.
Surprise crossed his face before it locked down into a sneer again.
“Did you box them up and send them to us?” I asked. “Did you mark them with the red circle and feather?”
“Answer her,” Bathin ordered.
I didn’t think he’d do it, but maybe he remembered the boot to the face.
