Page 56 of Blood of Dragons
I spun around and shoved him back as I pulled my blade free. The blade was at his neck a moment later, my hand gripping the front of his shirt.
Vivian gave a gasp.
“Listen to me.” I gave him a hard shake. “I said, I will be there when I can.” Then I shoved him so hard he tripped backward.
I turned back to the horse and tied the reins to the post. “Come here, baby.”
She came forward and looked at the horse warily.
“Don’t worry. I’ll ride with you.” I grabbed a step stool and put it beside the horse so she had a leg up. I grabbed her hand and helped her up. Then I gripped her so she could swing her leg over and mount the horse.
I removed the stool and untied the reins before I led the horse out of the stable, pulling him away from the building so I could mount him in the open and take off.
“Talon.”
I stilled when I heard my father’s voice, the defeat in his tone.
I turned to look at him, the horse releasing an impatient breath at my arm.
He looked at Vivian on the horse then back at me, his eyes glazed in hurt. “You would give up so easily…”
“I will fight with you, Father. But I must prepare for the worst.”
His eyes stayed on me, the disappointment evident.
“I’m going to take Vivian to the harbor. She’ll leave for the east on a manned ship. Mother and Rosella can join her if they hurry.”
“Your mother and sister would never abandon their home,” he said. “And we need that ship and those men for battle. War is about the many, not the few.”
“I don’t care.”
My father gave me a sheathed look of anger. It was dull to others, but it was a forest fire to me. “Enough of this. You’re wasting valuable time when we should be deciding our next course of action?—”
“Begin your preparations in my absence. I’m unavailable until my wife and child are safe.”
“You would put them before your kingdom?—”
“Damn fucking right.” I placed my foot in the stirrup and climbed into the saddle behind the horn, Vivian behind me. “I’ll be back in an hour. I pledge my life and my sword to this kingdom—and I will deliver.”
I ordered the captain to commandeer the galleon, the fastest ship with the black sails, and placed her belongings in one of the private chambers. The sailors got to work preparing the ship for departure, dropping the sails and throwing the supplies on board for a hasty exit.
Vivian was scared. I could see it on her face. She sat on the bed, her hand on her stomach, her breathing labored.
“Listen to me.” I moved to my knee in front of her and opened the sack. There was a dagger inside. “You remember what I showed you?” I gripped it by the hilt, the blade pointing down.
She nodded.
“Right here.” I pointed at the spot on my neck, right where the artery was. “One hit and they’re done. Keep this on you at all times. Under your pillow at night. Under your dress during the day.”
“Okay.”
“I’ve ordered the soldiers I trust the most to man this ship. Their only job is to protect you. I’ve rewarded them with more gold than they could ever spend as payment.”
She started to cry.
I opened the bag and removed the cloth that was bound around a stone. When it was gone, it revealed the brilliance of a diamond, a diamond so big that it filled my entire hand. It was flawless, shining even in the darkness in the cabin. “I know you must travel light. Keep this hidden, and when you get to your destination, it will buy you a home and food for the rest of your life.” I wrapped it in the cloth again and tucked it back inside the sack. I had been in such a rush to get her down here and to safety that I didn’t think about what came after that.
The goodbye.