Assassin's Charge: An Echoes of Imara Novel by Frank Claire

Author:Frank, Claire [Frank, Claire]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Mad Wizard Press
Published: 2016-04-09T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-ONE: BOUNTY HUNTER

Rickson grasped Rhis’s hand to help her onto the deck of the Maiden. Asher was already aboard, and Rhis was anxious to set off from Elbian. She reached back to tap the rail with her fingers; it wasn’t a doorway, but it was the best she could do. The ship creaked as gentle waves lapped against the sides and Rhis’s back prickled. Something wasn’t right.

“Asher, wait,” she said, glancing around the deck. Where was the crew?

Her hand darted to her belt and she clasped the hilt of one of her daggers. Rickson called out to his first mate and, from the corner of her eye, she saw him draw his own blade.

“Rhisia Sen,” said a voice she didn’t recognize. “We meet at last.”

A man stepped out from behind the main mast. His dark hair was pulled back, and he wore loose pants and a worn leather vest that left his arms bare. The muscles knotting his thick chest and right arm were considerable, but it was his left arm that made Rhis’s eyes widen and her mouth drop. From shoulder to fingertip, his arm appeared to be made of metal. Shining plates, almost like the scales of a snake, made up his limb. He raised it, bending it at the elbow and flexing the fingers.

“Shit,” Rickson said under his breath and re-sheathed his knife.

Rhis’s eyes darted to Asher, but the man seemed to ignore the boy. “Who are you?” she asked.

“I must apologize,” he said with an incline of his head. “I have heard so much about you, I feel as if we already know each other. I am Athon.”

Rhis flicked her gaze to Rickson. He stood as if frozen, a look of dismay on his face.

“And what can I do for you, Athon?” Rhis asked, edging her dagger out with her fingers.

“That is quite simple,” Athon said, his voice smooth. “You can come with me.”

“A bounty hunter,” Rhis said. It wasn’t a question.

“You’ve never heard of Athon, the man with the steel arm?” Rickson asked from the corner of his mouth.

“No.”

“This is bad, Rhis,” Rickson said.

Asher stood next to her, his gaze darting between Athon and Rhis. “It’s okay, Ash,” she said. “Stay back.”

Athon’s eyes flicked to Asher. “I have no business with the boy, nor the rest of your crew, Captain Rickson. This will be a simple exchange.”

Relief washed over Rhis. He wasn’t here to kill the boy.

“Exchange for what?” Rickson asked.

“I take her,” Athon said, pointing at Rhis with his metal arm. “You keep your ship, and your crew.”

“Not exactly favorable terms,” Rickson said.

“I disagree, Captain,” Athon said. “I’m asking for just one person, and giving you an entire ship and crew.”

Rickson snorted, although Rhis could hear the fear behind his swagger. “Giving me something that’s already mine, aren’t you? Like I said, those terms are a bit suspect.”

“Are you asking me to negotiate for the woman?” Athon asked.

“Well, no. Truth be told, I’m not too interested in giving her up,” Rickson said. “She’s grown on me.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.