169
“I present to you Mr Grey, Chief of the Grey Tribe, from Florida in the United States of America,” the man announced me.
“Please Mr Grey, take a seat,” King Florin said as the man left me standing in the doorway of the grand dining room.
“My King, my condolences on the passing of your father,” I said and bowed my head.
“Thank you, he was a good man,” Florin said.
There were new faces around the table, faces I didn’t recognize, younger men in the positions previously held by his father’s men. Now I was convinced that Rex didn’t die naturally, that his death had somehow been orchestrated.
“Mr Grey, we meet again,” Alexandra said where she sat on Florin’s left side.
“Princess,” I said and bowed my head without looking at her.
“Let’s eat shall we, we can talk business later,” Florin said as servers walked in and placed plates down in front of us.
I ate and listened to the conversation around me, only answering when someone spoke directly to me. Alexandra kept giving me looks which I tried to ignore. The dinner went by slowly and the only place I wanted to be was home.
After an elaborate dinner I was shown to Florin’s office. His father had only been dead for three days but the office looked completely different. There wasn’t a trace of King Rex in there, even the desk was different.
“Whiskey?” Florin asked me.
“Thank you my King,” I said.
“Please call me Florin, I know you were on a first name basis with my father,” he said.
“I don’t mean any disrespect Florin but I need to get back home, the sooner the better, my wife is on the verge of giving birth,” I said.
“Congratulations, there’s nothing like a new life to make you realize what matters and what doesn’t,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said and accepted the glass from him.
“I hear that you live on a lake island,” Florin said.
“It’s peaceful and the kids can’t go very far,” I said and he laughed.
“So this pregnancy isn’t your first born?” he asked me.
“My son is five and this one is a daughter,” I said.
“Blessed are those that have a son first,” he said.
“You’re still young King Florin, your time will come,” I said and he smiled at me.
“Sooner rather than later if my mother had her way,” he said.
“On my last visit here Alexandra told me a bit about how your marriages work,” I said.
“I can see why my father liked you Ryder and I promise I won’t keep you here longer than necessary,” he said.
“I appreciate that, I liked your father too,” I said.
“I’m hoping that we can continue the same relationship that you had with him,” he said.
“Which relationship are you referring to?”
“The one where you acted as his assassin,” he said.
“I sincerely hope that your throne has less enemies than his had,” I said and Florin laughed.
“So do I Ryder, but first, my father left this box for you. You can open it in your room where you’ll have some privacy but I do want to add that no matter what you choose, you’ll always be seen as a friend to the throne, you have my word,” Florin said.
“Thank you my King,” I said and took the box from the coffee table that Florin had indicated.
This time though my room was on the third level, for guests of high rank and by the scents that mingled, I wasn’t far from Alexandra’s room. I locked the door behind me and sat down on the armchair and placed the box on the table.
It was a silver box, adorned with dragons and I opened the lock with the key that had been on top of it. Right at the top was a letter addressed to me. I took it out and put it on the table. Next was a black dragon stone ring with the King’s insignia on it. A small velvet bag filled with diamonds was pushed to one side.
At the bottom of the box was a note with an account number and a password. I put that in my wallet for safekeeping and continued rifling through the box. The memory stick I found went into the inside pocket of my jacket.
Another velvet box held an emerald necklace made of dragon stone. The gifts were beyond my own imagination because I hadn’t expected to get anything from the King. I was his assassin and I got paid for every kill, nothing more was necessary.
“To my friend,
Thank you for a friendship that lasted until my dying day. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have known you. How proud your father must be to have raised a son like you. I sometimes wish that my own sons could be more like you, destined for greatness without the open doors that the throne gives them.
The black dragon stone ring was a gift from my grandfather who told me that he had received it from his best friend. He also instructed me to one day pass it on to someone that fulfilled that role in my life and so it now belongs to you.
The emerald necklace is a token for your wife, to show my appreciation at her patience and kindness. She must be a gem of a woman to have your love and devotion and I wish you many years of happiness together.
The diamonds are for whatever need you may ever have of them, but one stone must be set into a ring for your son’s wife one day and another stone for your daughter that will soon arrive or perhaps she has already arrived by the time you receive this.
The account is in your name, it is in the Cayman Islands, untraceable and for a rainy day. You deserve so much more than I can give right now because if I could I’d give you the throne. You should burn this letter after you’ve read it and don’t worry, Florin knows of all your gifts, except the account.
Live your life in abundance Ryder. May Typhon bless you and keep you. I pray his blessings upon your wife and your children. May you succeed in this life, until we meet in the next one, take care my dear friend.
Your friend always,
Rex.”
I tucked the envelope into the inside of my jacket pocket, missing Rex immensely. Florin was no Rex and he never would be. I put the dragon stone ring on my finger and I felt something happening to me. It was a tingling feeling and even Abeloth sat up straight as he felt it too.
“The ring holds power,” Abeloth murmured.
“I feel it,” I said as a knock fell on the door.
“Yes?” I asked the man that stood on the other side as I opened it.
“King Florin asked for you to join him in the gardens,” the man said.
I had everything of importance on me so I left my room unlocked and headed downstairs to the gardens. I saw Florin as he stood with a few of the men from dinner and I walked towards them. Florin turned around and gave me a curt nod.
“Have you made a decision about my offer?” Florin asked.
“Yes my King and unfortunately I have to decline,” I said.
“Why? You did this for my father,” he said.
“I have obligations at home that needs my full attention,” I said.
“Very well, take care, perhaps we’ll speak again in the future,” Florin said and turned his back on me.
Back in my room I simply stood there and looked at all my clothes on the floor and the silver box was destroyed. Someone was looking for whatever Rex had given me and I had an idea that it was on the memory stick.
An hour later two warriors escorted me to the landing strip and I boarded the private jet to go back to Florida. I wanted to get away from this cesspool as quickly as I could. Everybody treated me with respect and kindness and I didn’t trust it for one second.
The jet took off and I settled back in my seat for the almost seven hour flight. I’d arrive back in Florida close to midnight. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and smiled as I thought about our little girl that would soon join us.
“Something’s not right,” Abeloth said loudly.
“What’s not right?” I asked him.
“Kaida’s afraid, Echo’s afraid,” he said.
“Abeloth, I’m going to give you control to kick the door open. I’ll be sucked out once it is, separate and catch me so we can get home,” I said to him as I stood up from the seat.
“Everything all right Mr Grey?” the warrior asked me as I slung my duffel bag over my one shoulder and chest so it could rest on my back.
“Sorry whatever your name is, I need to get off this plane,” I said.
“Sit back down or I swear I’ll pull the trigger,” he said as he aimed his gun at me.
“Trust me you don’t want to stand in my way right now,” I said.
“Back to your seat,” he said and flicked the gun to the side.
I grabbed the hand holding the gun and twisted his wrist to the point of breaking it. He was screaming in pain and I aimed the gun at the second warrior that had appeared out of nowhere. “Don’t be stupid,” I said to him as he lifted his hands and sat back down.
“You’ll never make it in time,” he said as I stepped forward and broke his neck.
Abeloth pushed forward and the moment the door flew off its hinges I was sucked out of the jet and spinning head over heels in the air. I fell on top of Abeloth with a thud as the jet lost altitude and I never looked back once.
“Fly like you’ve never flown before Abeloth,” I yelled down at him.
“What do you think I’m doing?” he roared back at me as I clung for dear life as Abeloth increased his speed.
I was praying to whoever would listen to keep them safe. I had no idea what was going on but if Kaida was afraid then I was afraid. Kaida was a fierce dragoness, one that wouldn’t let anyone hurt Wynter or Echo, they were both a part of her.
“That’s the island up ahead,” I said after two hours of flying at neck break speed.
“We’re coming up from the south side,” Abeloth said.
“Roll and dive,” I said as I stood up straight on his back, preparing to jump down.
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