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 anaþaswere, 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 theaþaswereand his family would testify to. They believed him to be the Oathbreaker’s brother. Allobjectives 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.
14
Gisela came awake surrounded by warmth. It took her a moment to remember what had happened the night before and to realize that Xaydin was still wrapped around her.
Heat scalded her cheeks.
“Awake, princess?” That deep voice next to her ear sent shivers over her.
