Betrayal (The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 14)

by J. Naomi Ay

  “I’ll be right back,” the maid replied, and hurried into the kitchen.

  Now was the time, Kinar knew. The opportunity was there, right in front of his nose. So, with his hand protected by a paper napkin, he removed the tiny container of poison from his pocket. Quickly, Kinar sprinkled a few shakes into His Majesty’s coffee.

  “Here you are, sir,” the maid announced, returning with a tiny pot, and bowl of leaves upon a tray. “Take this up to your room, and go back to bed this minute.”

  Kinar thanked the young woman, and taking his tea, he exited to the hallway and central courtyard. He went right back to his bed, drank his tea, and closed his eyes while waiting for something else to happen.

  Eva didn’t find Taner in the Family breakfast nook. He had already gone back to bed with his migraine pills. Instead, she discovered, His Imperial Majesty sitting there. As always, a cigarette was on his lip and a cup of coffee was on the table before him. His blank gazed turned out to the dark forest, at the Empress’s garden of nearly dead flowers.

  “Good morning, Sir.” Eva curtseyed, a thrill running up her spine as it always did. “How are you today, my lord?”

  “Well, Eva, and how are you?”

  “Well, too, Sir.” Eva approached. “Have you got any plans today that might include me?”

  Boldly, she reached out and touched a strand of his thick black hair. Twirling it around her finger, as if it were a line that was reeling her closer in, Eva leaned against his shoulder and laid her cheek upon his hair.

  “Indeed, Eva.” He put his arm around her waist, his hand firmly clasped upon her butt. “Today shall be all about you.”

  He gave her a squeeze, then, he laughed a little, surprising Eva. Tipping his head back, he exhaled a cloud of tobacco smoke into the air.

  “What shall we do? Might we go walking up to the waterfall?” Eva ran her finger across his lips, and down his beard.

  “I don’t think so,” he replied. “I’ve got other plans for you.”

  “Will I like them?” Eva bent down and kissed his cheek.

  “Perhaps. We shall see momentarily. Go get yourself a cup of coffee and come sit with me.”

  “Would you like a warm-up while I’m at it?”

  “No, thank you. My cup is fine.”

  Eva kissed him again, before heading to the buffet for her breakfast.

  “Give me my ring,” Senya said.

  “Do you want your finger?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Flesh is nothing. It is the metal which is important, isn’t it, brother?”

  “It is the symbolism of the gold,” Senya replied, taking a sip from his cup of coffee. “We made a bargain. I have fulfilled my half. Now, give me what I am owed.”

  Luka gazed across the room at the sprawled body. “She is quite pleasing. I shall enjoy owning her soul.”

  “Good for you.”

  Senya took the ring from where it was set upon the table, his wedding band, the one which had belonged to Katie’s grandfather. He picked up the finger as well, briefly placing it upon the socket from which it was taken, before wrapping it in a napkin and setting it aside.

  “You didn’t love her?” Luka asked with surprise. “Certainly, she thought you did.”

  Senya shrugged. “This, Luka, you shall never understand. This is why I have Cassi’ot, and you have only the memories of her running away.”

  “That’s not right. The bargain was for a woman of your own heart.”

  “I don’t care what the bargain was for. The deal is done. She waits for you in Hell now. Get out of my house.”

  “I don’t want just any woman. I want yours. I want you to feel what I felt when you took Cassie from me.”

  “Stop being an ass, Luka. Cassi’ot was never yours. You don’t steal a woman’s soul and expect her to love you in return. It has been Decreed that she is mine, and mine she shall remain. Enough of this. Go away. I have business to attend.”

  Senya picked up his cup of coffee, and drained the entire thing. Then, he tossed his cigarette into the air.

  “I mean it, Luka.” His eyes shone bright. “You are wearing my patience exceptionally thin.”

  Luka laughed. “Somehow, I knew it would come down to this. You think you have beaten me, Mika, but in truth, I have a trump card in my pocket. That idiot, Gavri’el has Cassie, and I dare say, you shall have to fight him to get her back. Let us see which one of you shall first come to me requesting aid.”

  It was right at that moment when the maid arrived to refresh the coffee pot. Spying Eva dead upon the floor, the girl screamed at the top of her lungs. The noise summoned everyone within earshot, as well as those without. In a short time, the entire household was crowding around the Family breakfast nook.

  Joanne heard the ruckus from upstairs. Quickly, donning her robe, she headed down. Wessel, in Taner’s office, rang the Lord Chamberlain, summoning him from his bed, while Jullee, Eva’s secretary delivered the news to Kinar.

  By the time all three arrived to witness the scene, they were shocked to discover it was Eva, not the Emperor who lay dead from the highly toxic coffee.

  “Poor thing,” Joanne gasped with surprise.

  “A tragedy for one so young,” Kinar agreed.

  “Did you drink any, Sir?” Taner asked with grave concern.

  “Actually, no,” His Imperial Majesty replied. Rising from his seat, he pocketed the napkin with the finger, and took his cane from the back of his chair. “This morning, I did decline, as I have been having trouble sleeping as of late. I have discovered that instead, the decaf is quite good.”

  Chapter 26

  Jim Mattson was terrified when he received the Imperial Summons to the villa. Although he had been to the estate before, several times in fact, he had never been summoned to audience with HIM.

  “You are to bring with you the best orthopedic and hand surgeons from the medical centre,” Kinar instructed.

  Kinar looked a bit subdued, Jim thought. He kept his eyes cast downward, his normal, amicable expression replaced by knitted brows, and a sheepish frown.

  “It shan’t take long, at most an hour or two. Tomorrow, Duke Kalika-hahr, exactly at 9AM.”

  “And I need to be there with the surgeons?” Jim repeated, quickly taking inventory of all his recent crimes and transgressions. There were quite a few big ones, starting with lending Jimmy’s Chariot to Steve, and ending with supplying Joanne with rat poison.

  It was probably too late for Jim to run away, and honestly, he didn’t really want to. He loved his life, his estate in Kalika-hahr, and the way the women just fell into his lap when they learned he was a duke. The last thing he wanted was to be a refugee, sponging off his Uncle Larry back on Earth.

  No, Jim decided to face the music, to do what needed to be done. He’d own up to everything, apologize, and hopefully, keep his job and his title.

  Shelly offered to come with him.

  “I can handle that man better than anyone,” she declared. “I’ll slap some sense into him. I’ll bring my old Louisville Slugger bat. I’m practically his adoptive mother. He’s afraid of me.”

  “No, that’s alright, Gran,” Jim insisted. “I’ve got to be brave and do it myself. If I want to remain the Duke, I’ve got to prove that I’m duke-worthy. Dragging my grandmother along won’t have the same effect.”

  “Don’t end up like Thad,” the Admiral grunted. “You know, he’s dead.”

  “I knew that,” Jim replied, and set out bright and early the next morning to meet whatever fate had destined for him that day.

  The first part of the meeting consisted of Jim watching finger surgery as the Emperor sat in his chair and smoked a cigarette. The surgeons reattached the Imperial Finger, which was obviously the one that had gone missing, as it was exactly the right size, and the nail and fingerprints matched.

  “Where was it?” Jim had asked conversationally, even though technically, he wasn’t supposed to speak.

  “In Hell,” the
Emperor replied.

  “Is that where all loose body parts go?”

  “Precisely,” the Emperor chuckled. “I like you, Jim. I liked Thad too, very much so. I should hate to see you end up just like him.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Jim agreed, feeling his spine go weak, and his knees begin to shake. “How’s Thad doing? Do you talk to him very much? Does he ever ring you?”

  “All finished, Sir,” a surgeon said, and backed away. The Emperor held up his hand as if to examine the bandage.

  “Well done. I thank you. You are dismissed. However, my lord Duke will remain.”

  “Yes, Sir?” Jim said, watching the surgeons leave the room. He stared at them imploringly, as if they might turn around, and insist he come with them. They didn’t. They hurried from the room, quickly shutting the door on Jim.

  For the next few minutes, the Emperor smoked practically an entire cigarette, while Jim squirmed and did his best to stay on his feet. In his mind, he made out a Will, leaving everything he owned to Gwen’s kids. The only problem he foresaw, was that he couldn’t write it down before his death, which appeared to be happening imminently.

  “Jim,” the Emperor said after what seemed an eternity. He stretched out his bad leg and turned to face the young duke in his chair.

  The silver light shone in Jim’s eyes, obscuring everything else in the room. Jim began to get very dizzy. In fact, he felt as if the world was spinning around. Then, he lost his balance, and toppled over upon the floor.

  As Jim lay on the antique handwoven ornamental rug, he stared upward into the mass of shining silver stars. Oddly, Jim felt calm instead of scared.

  “Am I already dead?” he asked, thinking this wasn’t so bad. Actually, it was kind of cool, not that different than flying in outer space. “Hey Thad! Are you here, buddy? Yo, Thad! Dude, it’s me, your son.”

  “No, Jim.” The Emperor sighed. He closed his eyes causing all the silver stars to disappear, whereupon Jim realized he was staring at a light fixture on the ceiling. “Please stand up, Jim.”

  “Oh. Yes, Sir.” Jim bounded to his feet. “Sorry about that. I hope you don’t…”

  “Shut up!”

  “Yes, Sir. Whatever you say, Sir. I’m shutting up right now.”

  The Emperor sighed again, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t know exactly why I am doing this, but I shall give you another chance.”

  “Really? Sorry, shutting up.”

  “I have a task for you. You must perform it well. If you don’t…”

  “I will. I swear!” Jim held up his hand. “Boy Scout honor.”

  The Emperor shook his head, and closed his eyes, while rubbing his bandaged hand against his brow.

  “Go back to your office and await my next instructions.”

  “Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir. Thank you very much.”

  “Don’t thank me. Thank Shelly and her baseball bat.”

  “Yes, Sir. I will.”

  “Get out now, Jim,” the Emperor growled.

  “Yes, Sir. Going out. Going out of the room.”

  The next day, Jim received Imperial Orders to go to Earth. He was to travel in an Imperial Spaceplane with a pilot and a crew. His task was to retrieve the members of the Imperial Family, dead or alive. It didn’t matter, just bring them back.

  And now, we take a brief sojourn backwards and to the side. Let’s explore Arsan for a little bit, as well as fill in the gaps and put to rest that rascally Korelesk family.

  The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 15

  Fairy Tales

  Only on Amazon.com

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MG31QKC