The Wellspring (Kaitlyn and the Highlander #12) - Diana Knightley Page 0,73
has stolen the Trailblazer from me. She has pissed me off, seriously. And now look what has rained down.” He swept his arm out toward the windows. “I would not want to be you right now, old man.”
He glared at me then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He sat down in the chair.
His voice was steeled and calm and cold. “Because my kingdom is dependent on your kingdom, you will need to suit up, strap on a sword, and fight these usurpers.”
I sighed. “What dost ye mean?”
“First you fight Uilliam, you kill him. He deserves it. I know him and he is a real jerk. Then you kill… what was his name?” He pulled a paper from the pile. “Scot, funny, I forgot the name Scot. You’ll fight Scot, I don’t know him, we will need to do some research. He is the one with the newer vehicles out there. And then Aodh Menzies. Three men. I will watch. Sound fun?”
“I am nae fighting them.” I folded over coughing.
“They have a right to contest the throne. The health of the kingdom depends on the contestation of power. It’s in the rules. You know this, you’re just not being nice.”
I sighed. “They are stupid rules, and I hae done away with them. Tis why I am nae readin’ these sad letters. There is nae reason tae concern m’self with trifling annoyances. There is a war tae fight.” I tried to straighten in the chair.
“You do not need to fight a war, you simply have to fight them. Be a man. Be the winner. Be the brutal king. Then you fight me, in the arena.” He waved it off. “I will win, easy. You will almost die, but then, to cheers and applause, the crowd going wild, I will grant you mercy.”
“Ye daena look like someone who could beat me in a battle in an arena.”
He screwed his face up and mocked me, “‘You dunna look like someone who can beat me in a battle.’ Magnus I, I will not be refused. I am neither a trifle or a mere annoyance—”
“How dost ye plan tae take my kingdom…?”
He ignored me and pulled a paper, overly folded and worn from carrying, from his pocket. When he unfolded it I could see it was taped taegether, after having been torn tae pieces. “I was given it, by a signature on this form.”
“Whose signature…? What is…”
“This is marriage contract. I am your son-in-law, by the way.” He face grew furious. “Dude, you don’t really get it do you? Let. Me. Explain. I have taken your throne. Already. In the year 2419. It is my bloodline, through my children, that rules the kingdom from then on.” He glanced around. “Hell, it’s my children who rule the kingdom from right now. Look around, you are overthrown.”
He shook his head. “The king of the future will always have more power than the king of the past. That’s just a truth. You rule through my benevolence. Speaking of goodwill, consider this a friendly visit to say, ‘Hey, Magnus I, your mother stole my property, and she better give it back because I am really, really, really, mad.” A slow slithery smile spread across his face.
I was having a hard time concentrating, and this seemed important, but I couldna… I gasped for air. “Ye are m’son-in…?”
I dug in the chair beside me, under the cushion for what I hoped would still be there — a gun. It took effort tae raise it. I held it in front of me, my hand shaking so I could nae get it around the handle, m’finger intae position on the trigger. I raised my second hand to steady the first and then the gun fell from m’hand.
He shook his head.
“I need a physician.”
“No, you do not.” He reached in his pocket, pulled out a vial, opened it, dropped a pill intae his palm, and said, “Want it?”
I stayed quiet.
He dramatically kicked the gun with his shiny white shoes across the room, then placed the pill on the coffee table between us. A soldier poured water into a glass and placed it beside the pill.
“Take this pill and you’ll feel better for a time, and there’s more of these pills, if you keep me pleased with your progress, as I am now, I will give you more. That is my promise to you.”
He picked up a remote control and switched the shifting image on the wall to an image, the two of