King of Tides (The Immortal Iron Brothers #3)

Chapter 19

Be Prepared

I enter the old run-down building and the first thing I note is the subzero temperature. This place feels like an ice box. I know, without a doubt, I’m in the right place.

It isn’t often you come across an ice titan. However, they can be valuable when you do. I personally had a hand in creating this one. First, my lord filled his wife’s mind with sadness and self-doubt.

When she became with child, I took over whispering words of despair as she would come to my confessional. We knew her suicide would break the titan, but the loss of his wife and unborn children was just what we needed to send him spiraling like a madman.

A few favors called in from some sirens who are on the outside of the brothers’ good graces and our plan ran smooth as silk. He still has no idea I am the cause of his wife taking her own life.

She hadn’t told him about the children before she carried it through. That was by design. It had a greater impact when the time came. I’ve been playing him since.

“Why are you back here? You have not given me what you promised. Don’t you know I plan to kill you for your failure?” the titan says as I find him in one of the upper rooms.

“You must learn the art of patience. Your nephews are young. It is not as easy as you think to break their hearts. As long as they remain water titans, we will not have access to them. It is once they become like you, I will be able to hand them over to you,” I say drily, not fazed by his threat.

He may be powerful, but I’ve regained enough of my powers over time to take him where he stands without breaking a sweat. Ice titan or not, he’s no match for me. I believe he knows this as well.

He rumbles with laughter. “You assume I care for my life. I have lost everything. I have nothing else to live for. You may best me, but I will take you with me. Leave, I have nothing else to say to you.”

“I am a man of my word. I promised you you would not walk alone. I will bring you your family. It will be done.”

“There’s something I never asked you,” he says as he pins me with his cold blue gaze.

It’s almost as cold as mine. His eyes have become vacant. There is a chance I could be losing my window to use him for the purpose I have in mind.

I tilt my head to the side and study him. “What is that?”

“What do you want in return? You came to me in my time of grief. You convinced me taking my brother’s children from him would make things right.

“My mind wasn’t right. I believed you. Why shouldn’t I kill you where you stand and what the fuck do you want from me in the first place?”

“I believe I have another way to get you what you want. I intend to find our mutual enemy, and when I do, you can take what belongs to you. No tricks, no tiptoeing around,” I say.

He scoffs then throws his head back and laughs. I stand glaring at him as I try to hold my temper in. If I didn’t need him for this plan, I’d dispose of him now.

Suddenly, his laughter ceases and he’s across the room in a flash. I shouldn’t have let my guard down around him. He has me by the throat with my back against the wall as he holds a blade of ice against my neck.

“He is my enemy because of you. What makes you think you can take any of them? Let alone Ardan, the king of water and ice. He will show neither of us mercy.

“I have been hiding in shadows, in places I once loathed. My honor is gone. I’m left to take jobs from scum. No, I want nothing more to do with you.

“Leave the boys alone. They are better off without me. I can be no father to them,” he seethes in my face.

“Release him and I won’t run you through,” Ben says from behind him.

I grin at the ice titan. He couldn’t have thought I’d come here alone. I am never without one of my hunters.

Bardo pulls his blade away from my neck. I reach to touch the place where he held the blade. When I pull my fingers away, they are covered in blood.

I frown. He will pay for this when all is said and done. Twin ice titans who I have raised from their youth will benefit me more than this one will anyway.

Bardo sighs heavily. “If we are to be slaughtered, I would rather fight and go down like a man. Leave my nephews alone and I will follow you as you wish.”

“Good decision. I will be in touch. Be prepared for my call,” I say with a grin and turn to leave.

I have no intention of leaving his nephews alone, but he doesn’t need to know that. It looks as if by the time I need to put him in play he won’t know the difference anyway. He’s already losing his mind.

Soon he will be a mindless weapon. He won’t know or care who those boys are. They were always the end goal.