Page 64 of The Empire and the Wolf King

“Oh really? And what might they be?”

Magnus raised his brow.

Asgall said, “Well…?”

Magnus said, “I am not one tae tell ye, just ken, I can see ye doing it. I am rejoicin’ in it.”

Asgall raised a hand and snapped. “Service, barkeep! Mistress! We need service, come!”

A maid emerged from the hall looking flushed and upset as she approached the table.

He said, “We want a round of drinks.”

He kept the gun down below the edge of the table, but I could see the heat crawling up her face. She looked as frightened as I felt.

“Yes, sire, what drinks would you like, sire?”

“Where did the barkeep go?”

“He wanted to give you some privacy, sire.”

He grunted. “How about something tae take the edge off, whisky for each of us.”

She nodded, bowed, and rushed out of the room. I thought I saw from the corner of my eye a man’s feet in the hallway. Someone else was there. Was it one of Asgall’s guards?

Asgall said, “I was waiting for yer ransom tae be paid when ye so rudely left. I told yer bitch of a mother that she was supposed tae give up yer kingdom and we had barely begun the?—”

I said, “She hasn’t answered you yet? Maybe you have the wrong number?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe she daena care if ye live or die.”

Magnus shrugged. “She can be irascible, true. She does care, but is unlikely tae show it. Tis something I hae grown used tae, but I will warn ye, whether she cares or not, she inna likely tae submit tae ye. Especially not tae turn over the kingdom.”

While he spoke there was a bead of sweat rolling down his face, it was hot, suffocating in these thick clothes, and the situation was grim. Asgall had our gun, he had the upper hand in everything.

Asgall said, “Ye are too witless tae see how I hae won. Ye will never see yer bairns again, and I will let ye die here in the dirt of Colonial Virginia. Nae one will ken ye were here except Jefferson. Ye will be a side note in history.”

I threw my hands together and began to plead, “Please let us see our bairns. You could send us back there, that’s it, we just want to see them. You can go back to amassing all your land and power and we will stay in Florida, or Riaghalbane.” I saw Magnus wince, but I kept going, “We’ll stay there. You won’t hear from us again.”

He chuckled. “Ye see, now that I ken what a weak man ye are, Magnus, yer wife speaking for ye, yer heart guidin’ ye — ye would give up time travel for yer family tae be reunited? Och, ye are the weakest of men. How can I let ye rule? How can I allow ye tae exist when ye are so weak?”

“I will meet ye in the arena, ye will see.”

He raised his brow. “That’s better.”

“Winner takes all, as it has always been.”

“Why would I fight ye tae the death when I can just shoot ye now, be done with it, and get all?”

“Because only a coward would do such a thing.”

He chuckled.

I couldn’t help it, my hands were still folded in front of me and all I could think of was convincing him to let me see my bairns. “Please, I just want to see my?—”

He flicked his wrist and it sounded like a clap of thunder. I shrieked. Pain shot up the side of my thigh. Air had been sucked from the room. My chair tipped and I collapsed on the ground, banging my bruised cheek on the thin woven rug, holding the place in my skirt where it hurt, feeling a warm wetness flow down my leg.

I couldn’t tell what I felt, not really, just warm wet and total shock —that motherfucker shot me, he took my babies away and now he shot me.

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