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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Khol

Iknew my world would be turned upside down following my decision, but it had to be done. I would never be prepared for deceit and treachery, but these things came hand in hand with the crown. King Oderas had warned me and I told him that I wasn’t afraid. Not for myself anyway. I never imagined that I’d love a woman, take her as mate, and conceive a child. Those things were happening even now as I wielded my axe, hacking into the flesh of Norjal pirates, who Sanjit had probably called upon to guard her sloppy attempt at keeping the usurped crown.

My hordesmen had heard rumors of foreigners docking at the ports of Dretis, but only at the last minute did we learn that the Norjal pirates had come to Sanjit’s aid yet again in her hour of need. Had they not been here, my men and I could’ve taken the capitol with almost no trouble. But now, Sanjit and her Norjal mercenaries were giving us a run for our coin.

Several hordesmen had fallen and my heart ached for them as they lay bleeding out on the ground. The Norjal used weapons that were far more advanced than swords and axes. Many of them carried crossbows and other weapons that killed from afar. We weren’t outnumbered, we were just unprepared for the attack. I was ashamed to admit it.

I could barely see for all the blood flowing over my face like a river, but I could see that nothing good could come of this battle. To save the rest of my hordesmen, I lifted my axe, called out that I would surrender myself, and waited on the ground.

“Get away,” I barked at the rest of the hordesmen behind me as the Norjals came toward us. “Go now. Retreat,” I ordered.

A group of my hordesmen ran off on my command, leaving myself, and a couple hordesmen who refused to leave my side.

I vomited blood when the remaining hordesmen were shot by arrow through the heart.

When all was silent, I was knelt on the ground in a puddle of my own blood—and other’s blood. When I was certain that most of my hordesmen were out of sight and range, I took up my axe once again and mowed down a handful of Norjal, pirates cutting through them like putty.

It was only when one of them buried a blade in my shoulder did I drop to my knees. This time, I stayed there. I had no choice.

The world was black. Everything was fading in on me. Still, I was not defeated. I had already served my purpose as a hordesmen. As a king. My seed was growing strong in my mate and my bloodline would preserver. My heir would be born safely. My duty was done.

I struggled not to pass out in the midst of it all and I was glad I forced myself to remain conscious.

I wasn’t shocked at all to see my brother, Ghid, coming down the courtyard toward me following closely behind Visla like a doggie in heat.

My own brother? I was betrayed.

Someone once told me that when they were close to death, they felt nothing. No pain. No sorrow. Nothing. That was the way I felt now. The life force was leaving me.

“Why?” I rasped, staring at my brother. “Was it worth it?”

He frowned.

Visla walked circles around me as if I were prey and she was the vulture. “My, my…but you are a machine,” she purred in awe. “You will never stop, will you?”

“I will stop when I’m dead,” I said, between clenched teeth, clawing at the hard, rocky ground, wishing I hadn’t discarded my axe so far back I wanted to bury a blade in my brother’s skull for being so stupid.

I adjusted my position on the ground and the Norjal pirates acted quickly, securing a rope around my throat and pulling tightly. Certain that the life force was being squeezed from me, I accepted my fate.

“Visla…”

Her name slipped from my lips as I envisioned what she looked like and how beautiful she was before succumbing.

Ghid threw his face upward and laughed. “That is all you can muster, my brother. You’re at death’s door and you call for your human pet. But she cannot come.”

I choked on my own bile. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak.

“Where is she anyway?” He spat on the ground. “We searched that hut and she was gone.”

“Away…from you,” I croaked.

“Ah…not so fast, brother. You forget. I worked on all the ships. I’m a builder. That’s what I do. They’ve been tampered with, dear brother. In the event that you tried to escape with your horde or anyone else, I made sure the engines would fail. And I assure you…any ship that took off without my approval within the last...oh, hour or so, will fail.”

Visla laughed.

Upon hearing what Ghid did, I reared up and grabbed the nearest object to me.

Anticipating my move, Ghid took a steel hammer and brought it down on my head. I felt the pain of a thousand blows and saw black and red…