Somehow, he was going to make this right for her.
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 theyshouldkill 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 thetrollin 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 theaþasweredied…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 theaþaswere.
Meanwhile, she’d told him—the real mercenary assassin she relied on for such matters—to make sure theaþasweredidn’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.
