The Fighter

by Elin Peer

  “A wild boar chased you?”

  Leo chuckled. “Only because we were stupid boys who threw rocks at it to provoke it.”

  “Ahh, I think I’m on the wild boar’s side then.”

  “Me too.” I squeezed her tighter. “We were jerks and I learned my lesson. That’s why I got a tattoo as a reminder. What about you? When did you get your tattoo?”

  “The summer I turned eighteen. Do you like it?”

  “Uh-huh. Who made it?”

  “A tattoo artist in the Motherlands. I was going to have it done up here in the Northlands, but the tattoo artist I spoke to got so nervous from the thought of touching me in that place that his hands were shaking.”

  “Yeah, I can imagine.” I let one of my fingers trail down her body to her hipbone where a nice thumb-sized P was tattooed.

  “Why a P?”

  “It stands for pioneer.”

  “Oh, I see. I thought it was short for pestilence.”

  “Ha-ha, very funny.” She pinched the skin on my arm.

  “Ouch.” I retaliated by playfully biting her shoulder. “And why on your hipbone?”

  “Because the hip is a place of movement. Pioneers move forward. Do you get it?”

  “Yes, it makes sense – and talking about firsts, you’re definitely the best lover I ever had.”

  She gave me a blinding smile. “Thank you. Knowing that sex is this amazing makes me feel a bit better about what Dina must have gone through after her marriage.”

  “Good.” I stretched and yawned. “If Henry felt like I do right now, he would have made love to Dina morning, noon, and evening.”

  “You think?”

  “I guarantee it. And you know what else he would be doing?” I averted my eyes when I said it.

  “What?”

  “He would have been coming inside her.”

  My heart beat fast waiting for her response. The fact that Raven was taking a chance with me knowing that she could get pregnant blew my mind. Yes, chances were slim, but it was possible, and she had to know that.

  “You can’t know that.”

  “Henry would be trying to impregnate Dina.”

  Raven groaned. “Yeah, well, we can skip that part.”

  “You sure?” I gave her my most charming grin and bit her earlobe. “Because I wouldn’t mind coming inside you if you need to really feel what Dina felt.”

  “Are you crazy? I could get pregnant.”

  “So?”

  She raised her eyebrows and spoke in a tone of disbelief. “Do you want everyone to find out what we’ve done?”

  “Is that another trick question?”

  “No, seriously, Leo. We said this would be our secret.”

  I spoke the truth, “You want it to be a secret. Not me.”

  Turning her body around, she stared at me. “Promise you won’t tell anyone.”

  This was the part where the panther got up to run away again and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. “Okay, on one condition.”

  “What?”

  “You have to promise me that you won’t sleep with anyone other than me.”

  Pushing herself up, Raven got out of bed and walked into the living room to get her clothes.

  I followed. “Raven, promise me.”

  “I can’t promise you that. A few years ago I would have sworn I’d never marry, but I might.”

  With my hands on her upper arms, I pulled her around to face me. “If you marry someone, it will be me.”

  Raven jerked out of my hold. “Don’t make things awkward between us. We had a good time. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  My face was drawn tight with suppressed emotions as I squeezed my fist and reminded myself, you knew it might be a one-time thing only.

  Raven tried to ease the tension. “I would be okay with doing this again with you, but not if you make it weird.”

  Like her, I dressed, and when she walked to my front door, I didn’t try to hold her back. “When, Raven?”

  She turned. “When what?”

  “When do you want to do this again?” I had my shoulders squared, eyebrows drawn close together, and my eyes on her collarbone. I was holding my breath.

  Reaching up on her toes, Raven hugged me, and I responded by closing my arms around her.

  “Stay with me tonight.” My voice was low, but my tight squeeze screamed how badly I wanted it.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t. I think you’re falling in love with me, Leo.”

  She was right, but I didn’t deny or confirm it. “I want you to stay, Raven.”

  She sighed. “All right, but just for tonight.”

  As soon as the words left her lips, I picked her up and carried her back into my bed.

  CHAPTER 18

  Sparring with the Ruler

  Raven

  I had told Leo to keep our night together a secret. But the next day at work it felt like he was shouting to the whole station that we’d slept together. Four times he smiled at me across the room and each time colleagues frowned at the unexpected change in his behavior.

  “You have to be grumpier,” I whispered in a warning when I passed him in the hallway.

  “Why?”

  “Because they’ll know something is different if you aren’t your usual grumpy self.”

  Leo just grinned and walked away with a whistle. Later I saw him in a meeting with the top boss at Station Seven. The old captain looked like he was chronically annoyed, so I’d always stayed as far away from him as I could. Rumor had it that he was friends with the demon headmaster from the police academy who had made my life miserable for an entire year. That alone made me avoid him. I didn’t need more powerful enemies in my life when I was already struggling with how to approach the most powerful man in the country.

  It was Leo who had suggested that I find a way to interview Khan. Of course, he had said it this morning after we had woken up early to enjoy a fourth round of sex, and so we had both been lightheaded and full of endorphins when I agreed that it was a great idea.

  Now it seemed like a dangerous plan. Not only was Khan the ruler of the country but he was an exceptionally sharp individual with a gift of getting people to tell him things that were secret. What if he didn’t know that he wasn’t Marcus’ son and I accidentally told him?

  I wanted information from Khan, but I didn’t want to give him any information from the case yet.

  The whole day, I thought about the best way to approach Khan and get him to squeeze me into his busy schedule. He was a good friend of my father and I’d known him since I was a child, but I needed more than a friendly conversation with him. When I made it back to the Gray Manor, I was determined to at least give it a try; and to pump myself up, I did fifty push-ups before I went to Khan’s office that afternoon. My plan was quickly crushed when his assistant stopped me and informed me that the Ruler was in a meeting.

  Changing my strategy, I got up extra early the next day and was in the dining room at ten to six when Pearl and Khan came in for breakfast.

  “Good morning dear.” Pearl kissed me on my forehead and Khan gave me a nod as he steered to the breakfast buffet and asked:

  “What has you up so early?”

  Already sitting at the dining table with a plate of food and a glass of juice in front of me, I smiled. “I’m waiting for Magni.”

  “Magni – why?” Khan reached for an apple and threw it from one hand to the other.

  “One of the guys at the station told me my high kick needs work. I’m not sure if he was just messing with me, so I thought that I’d ask Magni if he has time to spar with me today. He’s such a great fighter.”

  “Honey, didn’t Magni leave already?” Pearl walked to stand next to Khan at the small buffet.

  Khan nodded. “Yes, he’s off to plan Mila’s tournament. His first meeting was at six.”

  I knew that but let my face fall. “That sucks. Who has meetings at six in the morning?”

  “People with busy calendars, Raven
.” Khan squared his chest. “But you know that Magni isn’t the only great fighter here, right?”

  It was hard not to smile since my whole strategy was based on Khan’s vanity. With a shrug, I looked up at him. “Yes, but I haven’t seen Solo around lately.”

  Khan went over to sit at the table with his cup of coffee and some fruit and bacon. “I was talking about me.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that obviously, I would never disturb you about it. Not that I wouldn’t love to spar with a fighter as experienced as you.”

  Pearl laughed and sat down with a plate of bread and fruit from the small buffet. “Flattery will get you far, Raven.”

  “Please! It’s not flattery! Raven is just acknowledging that I’m a great fighter. What’s wrong about that?”

  “Nothing.” Pearl looked amused.

  Khan turned his attention back to me. “I was supposed to spar with Magni at seven but since he’s not here, you can take his place and I can correct your high kick if needed.”

  I lit up. “Really?”

  Khan nodded. “Meet me in the gym at seven, and you’d better fuel up because I won’t go easy on you.”

  I almost jumped in my seat with glee and it made Khan and Pearl laugh.

  The Gray Manor had a gym in the basement with a boxing ring. At seven I was ready and had all my questions lined up in my head. The hard part was knowing when to ask them. We sparred a few rounds with Khan correcting my kicks and teaching me a few new moves.

  “Wow!” I burst out. “It’s funny because I’ve seen Magni fight plenty of times, but not you. I’d heard you were good from my dad, but it’s still surprising how fast and dangerous you are.”

  Khan loved the praise. “Ha, you should have seen me when I was your age.” He jabbed in front of him.

  “Speaking of that, I was wondering about something… that week when Dina got married did your dad act funny in any way?”

  Khan lowered his hands. “There was nothing funny about my dad, Raven.”

  “No, I meant did you notice any strange behavior?”

  “How would I remember that? It’s so long ago and I was just a teenager.”

  “Okay.” I shrugged like it was no big deal but in reality, I was disappointed and wanted to pressure him with more questions.

  We circled each other and he made an attack that I blocked before asking, “What do you think happened to Dina? Do you think she killed herself?”

  “Not a chance. Magni and I always knew that there was no way Dina would have fallen out of a window; she wasn’t stupid or reckless, and it seemed weird that she was in an attic to begin with.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Magni thinks it was her husband who killed her, but I disagree.”

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  Khan narrowed his eyes. “There’s something you need to understand about us Nmen, Raven. It’s obvious that my father didn’t think Henry killed Dina. If he thought so, my father would have executed him in public.”

  “So, how do you explain Henry dying so close to Dina? How can you know your father wasn’t responsible for his death?”

  “You misunderstand. I’m sure my dad was responsible for Henry’s death, but there’s a difference between having someone killed and killing them yourself. Henry died because of what he failed to do, not because of what he did.”

  I tilted my head. “You mean he failed to protect Dina.”

  “Yes.” Khan raised an eyebrow. “Henry failed to protect my sister and for that alone, my father would have him killed.”

  “But if Henry didn’t kill Dina, then who did?”

  Khan stood still and lowered his hands as he told me, “I blame my dad for Dina’s death. He might not have killed her with his bare hands, but I know he was being blackmailed, and I believe it was the blackmailers who killed Dina in an attempt to get my dad to comply with their demands.”

  “How do you know this?”

  Khan huffed out air. “Some days before she died, I overheard a heated argument between my father and his best friend Zobel. It was unusual for them to fight. Mr. Zobel was one of the few who knew how to handle my father’s violent temper, and they had been best friends since childhood. What was even more unusual was that Zobel was accusing my dad of being weak.”

  “Do you know why?”

  “The details weren’t clear to me, but Mr. Zobel wanted my dad to kill someone.”

  “Kill Dina?”

  Khan shook his head and frowned. “No, of course not. It wasn’t about her. Someone was trying to blackmail my father and Mr. Zobel wanted him to slam his fist down and kill the bastard right away.” Khan scratched his shoulder. “If he hadn’t been weak, Dina might still be alive.”

  “You think she was killed by the blackmailer?”

  “Yes, who else? That’s why I never go easy on threats. I think Dina became an innocent victim in a game of politics. Someone wanted power over my dad and when he didn’t yield, they killed Dina to make him comply.”

  My eyes were wide open. This opened up a whole new level of potential villains in my case. “And do you think Marcus complied with their demands after that?”

  “No way! If my father taught me anything it’s that a ruler can never show weakness. I’m sure Dina’s death was a harsh reminder to him and that he killed whoever was responsible.” Khan shrugged and looked down. “I just wish he had done it sooner.”

  “Do you happen to know the identity of the blackmailer?”

  “No.”

  “Do you think Mr. Zobel had anything to do with Dina’s death?”

  “He was very loyal to my father.” Khan shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “It was Zobel who helped my dad to power and he was awarded for it many times over. There’s no way he would have hurt Dina.”

  I cleared my throat.

  “But isn’t Mr. Zobel the man who was executed for treason years ago?”

  “Yes.”

  “Didn’t he conspire to have you killed?”

  Khan narrowed his eyes. “That’s different.” He paused. “If Zobel was responsible, my dad would have killed him back then.”

  Remembering the unanswered calls from Khan that Dina had mentioned in the sound files I’d heard, I had to ask. “Did you talk to Dina after her wedding?”

  “No.”

  “Did you call her?”

  “No.” Khan pulled off his gloves. “I’m sorry that I can’t be of more help in the case, but I’ve always found a sense of peace in the fact that my father avenged Dina. I’m sure he crushed whoever did it.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “There was a major shift in my dad after Dina died. I have no doubt that he regretted his weakness because he became twice as hard and ruthless as he’d been before her death. Sometimes when I think back to how cruel he could be, I try to remember that he was a man battling demons and that it would have haunted any father to know that it was his own weakness that caused his daughter’s death.”

  “Did you ever ask Zobel if he knew who the blackmailer was?”

  “Yes, but he didn’t know. He said that my father just informed him that the matter was taken care of.” Khan exhaled noisily. “But it’s all history now, and I never felt the need to dig up that sad part of my life. As a ruler there are always urgent matters that need my attention.”

  “I get that.” I stayed in the ring while Khan moved to the door. “Thank you for teaching me today.”

  Khan turned and gave me a smile. “You’re a great fighter, Raven. Your father taught you well, and I’ll make sure to tell Boulder when I see him later today.”

  It was rare for Khan to praise anyone. I could feel myself grow an inch and I was still smiling when the door closed behind him.

  Khan had given me more information than he realized. From the sound clips I had of Dina, I already knew that she’d gone from begging Marcus to pay her husband to threatening him to reveal that Marcus and Khan weren’t father and son. It had to be Dina who
was the blackmailer that Marcus and Mr. Zobel had fought about. That would explain why Marcus refused to kill the person blackmailing him.

  I bit my lower lip. If only I knew if Mr. Zobel did it for him.

  As I sat down on the edge of the boxing ring, another thought popped into my head. “Why has Khan denied calling Dina that week? It was possible that he simply didn’t remember calling her, but what if…” I gave a small gasp from the thought alone, and then I called up Leo and told him what I’d learned.

  “What if Khan overheard more than he told me? What if Mr. Zobel and Marcus discussed the threats and Khan learned that he’s not Marcus’ son? Do you think it’s possible that Khan might have killed Dina?”

  “Geez, Raven. Khan was fourteen.”

  “Yes, and destined to take over for his father one day. It would have been a threat to his future. Don’t you see? Maybe he tried to call Dina to ask her to keep silent or to figure out how to best get to her if he planned to kill her”

  “Or maybe he tried to warn her, Raven. That’s more likely isn’t it? I mean, if he heard Mr. Zobel encouraging Lord Marcus to have his sister killed, wouldn’t he try to warn her?”

  I bit my lip. “He said he didn’t know the identity of the blackmailer.”

  “Do you think he was lying to you?”

  Closing my eyes, I rubbed the bridge of my nose and tried to remember how Khan had looked while telling me what he knew. “No, I don’t know.”

  “Some people lie because they don’t remember. They suppress what happened to them, and those lies are hard to spot because they feel real to the person who tells them.”

  “You think Khan suppressed something from back then?”

  Leo sighed. “If he did it’s going to be hard to find out. We can’t exactly ask our ruler to do a session with a hypnotist to unlock memories.”

  “Right. No. I’m sure he wouldn’t go for that. It’s weird how he seems content and doesn’t want to dig around to find out exactly what happened.”

  “You have to remember that this case is new to you but for Dina’s family it’s a scar that’s more than thirty years old. They had to find peace with what happened somehow.”