Heir Of Violence (#1 Betrayed Destinies) - ONC2024

Chapter 19 - Trick Me Once

Zaen blinked, then met Karzen's almost sheepish gaze as the man rubbed the back of his neck and put the rifle down on a chipped grey counter. Yeah, Caeryssa definitely got her hellion gene from her mother, and damned, but it was hard to keep a smile from his face after seeing both women take the attitude right out of the deadly man in front of him.

Yet her words... How in the ever-expanding universe could the assassin make it right?

Karzen opened a built-in recess and pulled out a clear decanter with dark golden liquid and a couple of glasses. "Want a drink?"

Zaen scowled at the man. "Someone poisoned me yesterday and you're offering me a drink? Trying to finish the job?" He was ninety-nine percent sure Karzen wasn't behind it. Even so, did the assassin think Zaen was a fool? No way was he touching anything to eat or drink on this ship. Just being in the man's territory was risky enough.

Karzen straightened, eyes narrowing. "If you think I was behind it, you'd be dead wrong. There is no way in this universe or the next that I'd endanger Caeryssa. And you can damned well be sure I'll find out who attempted to kill the two of you. Because it would have taken her down with you. That is not something I'll allow."

Some of the tension leaked from Zaen, easing the tightness in his chest. His instincts matched Karzen's words. Despite the man's profession, there seemed to be some sense of honour to him. At least towards his own family, anyway.

"Do you know who is behind it?"

Zaen shook his head. "Not yet, but someone with access to the palace."

Karzen frowned and tapped his wrist com. He flicked through a series of screens not visible to Zaen.

"What are you looking at?"

Karzen's eyes shifted to Zaen, those stormy grey eyes so familiar to his daughter's. "I'm checking current guild contracts to see if someone has a price on you or whether this is a home-grown attempt."

Zaen crossed his arms, leaning against the back of a brown hatch-patterned couch that had seen better days as Karzen returned to his digital search. Why was everything run down on this ship? Guild contracts were lucrative and Karzen's reputation should earn him top credit. But then, he hadn't taken many contracts in the last fifteen cycles.

Why?

There were numerous mysteries around Caeryssa's father, too many things that didn't make sense. Zaen didn't want to make any kind of permanent decision about the assassin until he understood what he was dealing with. Not when it would forever be a barrier between him and Caeryssa. Yet, he had to get justice for his mother and sister.

Would taking down the conspirators be enough?

Karzen certainly had contacts and access to information that Zaen didn't. He might even be willing to help Zaen, given his daughter's connection. His care for his family was obvious. But then... why had he continued as an assassin, putting them at risk?

Karzen's fingertip froze. "Filthy carbon fart of a spacer's wet asshole. There is one. A fucking big one—twenty million Ascendancy credits."

Zaen's heart clenched. That was some serious currency and would bring out a lot of assassins. "Is it just me listed, or is Caeryssa listed too?" A shiver of concern skittered up his spine. He could defend himself, but his little pixie... she was far more vulnerable. What would it take to get a contract taken down? Kill the patron? Pay the guild more?

Karzen's finger scrolled, and he cursed. "You're the preferred target, but they get half if they take her out," Karzen snarled. "Thanks to the big media splash about your mating, the patron probably assumes taking her out would take you too, but given you're Sigma Draconis, you'd survive. Not well and not without pain for the rest of your days, but you're much harder to kill."

Zaen's eyebrows rose and his fists tightened on the couch back as he snarled, "Well, you'd know all about killing dragons given that you murdered my mother and sister."

Karzen continued to flick through screens. "No, actually I didn't."

Zaen blinked at him, a wave of red heat flushing through his body as silver-blue dragonscale covered him. He swung an armoured fist. Karzen deflected with his forearm, and Zaen swung again.

"Will you stop?" Karzen caught Zaen's fist, meeting the prince's gaze with a scowl. "Your mother and sister are alive."

(730 words)