The Wizard Assassin Read online

  CHAPTER 16

  Old Wounds

  “So the Baronet finally decides to grace me with his presence” Asher said looking at Dax.

  “Actually I came here to have lunch with your father” Dax replied.

  “With my father?” Asher asked.

  “Everything eventually turned out well for me” Dax replied. “The only ghost I still have is with the king and I am ready to end it. It will be odd though having all three of them there.”

  “All three of who?” Asher asked.

  “My actual father, Duke Bartlett and my birth father” Asher replied.

  “Does father know you are coming?” Asher asked. “I think he would have mentioned it.”

  “He does not” Dax replied. “I am going to waltz in his throne room like I own the place and ask if he is free for lunch. I want to have it in the place I was raised, my mother has been so worried and excited that she has changed the menu three different times.”

  “Do you need me there?” Asher asked. “Of course you need me there.”

  “Bethany isn’t going to be angry with you just dipping out?” Dax asked.

  “Who knows” Asher asked. “I doubt she would mind though.”

  “How is your mother doing?” Dax asked.

  “She is changing” Asher replied.

  “Changing?” Dax asked.

  “She has given up on trying to bully my father or throwing a fit” Asher replied. “Now that I am married I don’t know who was more to blame for her actions. She could have been acting out because father was fucking everything walking, then again he could have been doing so because he had mother to deal with. Either way father has stopped his whoring and mother has slowly become a different person. She is not so judgmental anymore, of course that could be because I will walk out of the room and ignore her. She is slowly changing from a bitter nasty woman with nothing nice to say about anyone to someone I don’t mind being around. Me and her have had a heart to heart, mostly about you and her stupid thoughts about you. She really doesn’t have a reason to hate you.”

  “I know that” Dax replied. “But I don’t give a shit either way.”

  “I know you don’t” Asher replied. “But her nastiness robbed you of a chance to know our family. I hate to admit it, but I think I am happier now than I was when everyone was still alive. Bethany, other than being a manipulative little shrew is everything I could have hoped for in a wife. The people love her and she is always out and about doing some kind of charity work and helping out the less fortunate. She will one day become the Queen this kingdom needs, I can't see anyone doing the job with as much compassion she brings to it. How goes things with Dawn?”

  “She wants to flaunt her wealth and I want to be left alone” Dax replied. “It is going well other than the amount of parties and things I have to attend. She is very good with money and although she likes to show off, she likes to save even more. I have almost doubled our initial wealth, and that is without Utopia.”

  “You are calling the island Utopia now?” Asher asked.

  “Why shouldn’t I?” Dax replied. “It has its own rulers and it’s not like it is some great chunk of land.”

  “How goes your fight with my uncles’ supporters” Asher asked.

  “Very well” Dax replied. “A few of them have turned up murdered, possibly by their own men.”

  “I heard something about assassins” Asher replied.

  “Well I wouldn’t send any assassins” Dax replied. “If I am going to kill someone I prefer to do it in person.”

  “You wouldn’t send assassins?” Asher asked.

  “On my honor, I have never sent an assassin against anyone” Dax replied marveling at his half-truth. In reality, he hadn’t sent any assassins. Dax could see Asher was a bit skeptical so he changed the subject.

  “So what does the future hold for you?” Dax asked.

  “Well there are still threats to the country” Asher replied. “A small rumor I heard is that the mages want to have more power in the kingdom. At least one kingdom other than Saul has thought about attacking us since we have shown instability with the coup and of course my uncles are still out there, not to mention Duke Bartlett.”

  “The Duke is happy where he is at” Dax replied. “Everything he wanted to happen has happened, the people in his duchy are happy so he is happy. They even approve of Ashley.”

  “How are you and her doing?” Asher asked.

  “As well as can be expected” Dax replied. “Her and Dawn are still not talking to each other, Ashley has awkwardly tried to get me to cheat on Dawn several times with various servant girls. That is just not in my character though, Dawn is a decent enough woman that I would never disrespect like that.”

  “So you have finally consummated the marriage?” Asher asked.

  “She insisted on it” Dax said and shuddered. “But you already know that, you nobles are sick lot. I had to have people in the room with me while we did it. Most embarrassing moment of my entire life, she didn’t mind though, found the whole thing hilarious.”

  “Well I am glad you are doing well” Asher replied.

  ~

  “So I think it is about time you tell me why you hate me so much” Dax said as he walked into King Jordan’s sitting room and found the man having tea with his wife. “In fact I think both of you owe me an explanation. Both of you had more than enough money to see to my education and well being but did nothing.”

  “You were named Baronet” Farah snapped.

  “Do you really think that was for me?” Dax asked. “I just wanted to ensure my parents would never have to work again. That still doesn’t answer my question. King Jordan I was your first born and anyone who has seen me thinks I am your spitting image. I can see why you wouldn’t try for a relationship, you had your real family here and it would have made problems. Doesn’t excuse why you never saw to it I was properly cared for. That money wouldn’t have hurt you at all and I doubt your wife would have ever found out about it. As for you Queen Farah, I think you are the nasty vile woman I have ever laid my eyes on. I was out of sight, out of mind during your entire courtship but you saw to it your children and everyone else hated a little boy.”

  “You can't talk to me that way” Farah said.

  “And why not?” Dax asked. “You can't honestly ever believe that you are a good person, not with all that has happened. I hear you and the king are coming to some kind of balance but that doesn’t change anything.”

  “He is right Farah” Jordan said. “I could have and should have done a lot more. I know when he was little he was bullied and attacked on more than one occasion. Part of it was my doing and I know you had a hand in some as well. I wanted you to leave here Dax, I thought to offer you money but my father wouldn’t here of it. Instead I thought if people made your life hard your parents would leave. Linus Davary is not a man to be cowed, he killed two men you don’t know about that were paid by Farah to get your family to leave. You sliced up at least three boys your age and none of the money offered was worth it to anyone to harass you. They were just trying to rough you up a bit while you were going all out. I was embarrassed of you, at home that is all I would hear about. I have had many mistresses, my wife only cared about your mother Helen and talked incessantly about her. When you made fourteen I had thought to make your acquaintance, Farah wouldn’t hear of it and I was a coward. I do not have any good reason of why I let you live the way you did. Trust me when I say I am paying for it now. You have grown up to be quite capable and have made your own name without any of my help. I iwsh growing up that I was half the man you and Asher both are. I am happy you have a relationship and would like to have one with you as well.”

  “What about you?” Dax said looking at Farah. “Snapping at me is a defense that isn't working. Your husband has made it clear to you that he is not standing for it anymore and neither am I. I don’t care if me being here makes you both stop talking to each other for years, I am not out of sight any more
.”

  “Your mother” Farah said as look of acceptance came across her face. “Anyone who had seen you remarked of how handsome you were and how healthy you looked. My children never got any such compliments even though there were two of them and Ashley and Asher both came into the world sickly. I am a noble and a mage, my children were both mages and people were pitying my husband because a commoner laundress birthed a wizard and did a better job than I could have. Jordan has never said as much but I know he wished his children looked more like him instead of their coloration. Both of my children know they are not much to look at. I don’t have a good excuse for hating you or your mother.

  “Now that is out in the open and you both openly admit to being tossers” Dax began. “I came over to invite you both to my parents home for lunch. It is nowhere near as grand as this place but my mother is a good cook and the seats are clean.”

  “You want us to go visit your mother?” Farah asked.

  “Of course” Dax said. “I have moved passed hating you both. I will warn you Duke Bartlett and Ashley will be there. Well Ashley doesn’t know she is going and probably won't realize where she is at until it is too late to leave. Asher and Bethany will be there as well along with both of you if you decide to come.”

  “We will both be there” Jordan said.

  “Great” Dax said. “I look forward to having you both around.”

  EPILOUGUE

  Dax took a deep breath as he crawled along the roof, the lunch he had went better than he would have thought but the real reason he was in town was that he had a job to do. Utopia still had spies and had tried to kill King Jordan twice before, the reason the attempts didn’t work was due to luck, King Jordan had simply not been where the assassins thought, like earlier in the day when he went to Dax’s childhood home. Dax had found the assassins and the man sending them, he was one of the three heads of the triumvirate and was not going through official channels. Dax found the window and was surprised it was not locked as he slipped inside.

  “I was wondering when they would send someone” a voice said from the darkness. “I have been waiting on you for three days now.”

  “Sorry to keep you waiting, Baron Botweiler” Dax replied.

  “You should know assassin, I have two of your kind here ready to deal with you” the Baron replied.

  “So you say” Dax replied as he turned and leapt out the window just as two crossbow bolts filled the air in the place he had been.

  Dax landed on the steep roof and used a dagger to dig into the roof and stop his fall. A figure leaned out of the window, Dax pointed the palm of his hand at the figure then closed his hand into a fist and yanked hard, his magic grabbed the surprised man and sent him flying out of the window. The assassin tried to find purchase but couldn’t, it was a three story fall and Dax was not sure if the man died but would find out before he left. Dax regained his footing and watched another figure dive out of the window but keep his balance. Dax met his attacker who had two daggers as weapons, the assassin never knew what hit him as Dax gave him a shock then tossed him over the roof as well. Dax didn’t even wait for a moment as he came back into the room with two throwing knives, they both left his hand and landed into a curtain where someone was hiding. The man groaned as Dax took off at a run and jumped, slamming both of his knees into the man’s face and making the back of his head collide into the wall. Baron Botweiler looked stunned as he pulled out his sword and faced Dax.

  “You are better than I thought” Baron Botweiler replied. “But I have practiced with the blade for years, just in case this might happen. No assassin can beat me, you are out of your league.”

  “So you say” Dax replied as he pulled his own blade. “You backed the wrong side Botweiler, you broke the rules doing it.”

  “Well so has whoever who sent you” The Baron replied. “I definitely wouldn’t have given permission to come kill me. Before you die, who sent you? I have been wanting to know the name of the third member.”

  “Duke Bartlett” Dax replied. “He wanted me to let you know it was him.”

  “So that traitorous filth was the third member” Baron Botweiler replied. “I will have to see to him later. He is a fool for not picking better help, you are decent with a blade but you are at a disadvantage here. Bartlett should have picked someone who would keep their mouth shut and also had a chance at beating me.”

  “He picked the best person he could find” Dax replied. “He picked his son.”

  “His son?” the Baron asked confused as lightning started dancing along Dax’s blade.

  Dax struck out with his blade and made the lightning jump from it into the Baron’s body. The baron was stunned then lost his head only a second later. Dax put his sword away and checked on the man behind the curtain. It was Connor and Dax took his amulet and staff. Connor was unconscious and Dax would leave him that way, the only people he had to kill were downstairs. Dax made his way through the house, it was a tougher fight than he expected since the Baron had most of guards with him inside his summer home in the capital. Dax thought he killed eight more men before he went outside and finished off one of the men he threw off the building. The other one had ran already broken his neck during the fall. The Duke’s information was spot on once again Dax thought. Connor would most likely try to secretly become the third member of the Silent Sword, he knew just enough of his uncle’s going ons and Duke Bartlett would secretly help him with the rest. Connor would become a puppet and led around by the nose by Duke Bartlett who just became that much more powerful with Baron Botweiler’s death. Dax snuck out of the yard and down the block, the city watch should have been directed away from this area so Dax was surprised to hear footsteps behind him. Dax used his speed and tore down the street, not bothering for stealth and hid. Moments later he saw a black covered person stop in the street looking for him.

  “You must be in a hurry to die” Dax said from the shadow he was hiding at. “I am not the kind of man to follow around.”

  “Stop with the theatrics” Duke Bartlett’s voice replied. “Is it done?”

  “Yes” Dax said as he came out of hiding. “Connor was with him, he never saw me though.”

  “Well then we have what we need then” Duke Bartlett replied.

  “Why are you out here Your Grace?” Dax replied as he stepped into the light. “You have never followed me before.”

  “Because I have been compromised” Duke Bartlett replied.

  “What do you mean compromised?” Dax asked.

  “I received a cryptic message an hour ago with one word on it” Duke Bartlett replied. “Stop.”

  “So you think the middle of the night on a dark street is a safe place?” Dax asked.

  “No” Duke Bartlett replied. “But whoever sent it would be stupid to follow me out here. Whoever sent it was not the Baron and I doubt it was even in their handwriting.”

  “So what now?” Dax asked.

  “Now we go back home” Duke Bartlett replied. “I wanted to make sure you knew that you may be hunted.”

  “I have already taken precautions” Dax replied. “And I live with a mage, only a fool would try to kill me by being secretive.”

  “There is more than one way to kill” Duke Bartlett replied.

  “Thank you for the warning” Dax replied. “Whoever it is better know what they are doing. I am not a person to take lightly and they would then have to deal with me. Do you have an idea of who it might be? Baron Botweiler was in charge of assassinations and if Prince Jason knew anything he would have already said something or did something about it.”

  “I don’t know who it is” Duke Bartlett admitted. “Whoever it is knows who I am and I am guessing they know who you are as well. There are only a couple of people I think are powerful enough to threaten me.”

  “Well Baron Botweiler had no idea you were part of the Silent Sword” Dax said as he took his mask off. “Whoever it is, I doubt they will stay in the shadows much longer if they do not like the way we ar
e doing things.”

  Reader thanks you for taking this journey with me. Dax was written in some form for the past year and a half and I only completed it thanks to fans like you, in particular Ms. Lisa Jett. A little update about me, I am finally branching out to audio books. The Knight Mage is the first book I chose to go that route with and it should be ready by the first of the year (2019). When I correspond with some of you over email it makes me feel good hearing about how you enjoyed a certain book or even criticism. I get writer’s block all of the time and I often send a book a am working on to my fans to see where I am messing up at. Yep, I’m totally getting free input. As always I hope you enjoyed this book, I am selling it for under a American dollar. Realistically though I don’t care if you got it from kindle unlimited or bootlegged it through less reputable means. I honestly enjoy writing and bringing a smile to people’s face so you will never hear me complain about pirating. Feel free to reach me at [email protected]