Deadly Wands (19 page)

"An elite English unit ambushed your father
coming out of Global Bank in Frankfurt. Cousin Lloyd gave him up
for ten lousy kilos. Before dying under torture, which we recorded
for you, we learned that Lloyd has no idea who you are or he’d have
sold you out for a thousand times as much to the Mongols. Doctors
and healers are doing what they can, but his wounds are
severe."

"The queen ordered this?" the twelve-year old
needed to know. He couldn’t believe it. They just celebrated his
birthday a few weeks ago at his mother’s grave.

"They tricked Prince Richard into returning
to England, then jailed him in his own castle. Only the queen could
authorize that."

"Why kill my father?" Billy demanded.

Tommy shrugged. "To flush you in the open to
remove a rival for the thrown?”

“But I wouldn’t take the crown even if they
tried to give it to me.”

Tommy looked so sad. “But did you ever tell
them that? You could have renounced your claim years ago.”

Billy never thought of that. “My dad’s gonna
die because I didn’t renounce the throne? Seriously?”

“Prince John would have killed you anyways,”
Tommy lied with as much sincerity as he could fake.

They arrived a few hours later at the
hospital. A dozen grieving English quads guarded his room. Billy
found his dad slipping in and out of consciousness.

Billy could not put his grief into words.
They had talked about this for years, unsure who’d be watching who
die, but Billy still didn't feel prepared. His father had been
teaching him government, politics, and economics. The more he
learned, the more he learned how much he still didn’t know.

When his father woke, Billy could tell he
knew he was dying. "Billy, you’re the last of my line. Promise me
that you’ll procreate soon so our line doesn’t die out. Given the
life you chose, you must assume you’ll die young.”

“I promise.”

William coughed as a broken rib scratched a
lung. “You’re the Baron now, so take credit for what I’ve done so
they’ll continue to think the Baron is middle aged."

Billy needed to know something. “How many in
that cemetery actually died fighting Mongols?”

William gasped, then chuckled. He beamed
proudly at his son. “I could never fool you.”

“Well, some of the gravestones are older than
Genghis.”

“We ruled the kingdom of Bohemia until we
accepted semi-autonomous rule under the Holy Roman Empire, which
was really fifteen hundred kingdoms barely governed by the Kaiser.
An ancestor named Hildred wanted to become independent by breeding
her own air force. She, her siblings, and dozens of cousins mated
with powerful quads. But, by the time the children became parents
themselves, she instead fought the Khan. There’s no video, but
family lore says she died attacking Genghis Khan himself.”

“One more reason to make him suffer.”

“That’s the spirit!” dad said smiling, so
pleased with his son, before looking miserable again. “But it was a
total disaster. Rachel Richthofen could blast with her boot wands
like you and Genghis, but rather than keep that secret, the family
bragged that it finally had someone who could out-duel the
Khan.

“Genghis had Subodei wipe out the whole area.
Everyone. Almost a million innocents died because of us, so keep
that guilt in mind the next time you wonder if you’ve gone too far.
Rachel only survived because she had flown off to see this prodigy
who got her pregnant. Genghis wanted to send a message, so they
made the men watch the Mongols rape their mothers, sisters, and
daughters before torturing the males to death. It took them months
to rape thousands of women and girls. Not just our family, or even
just quads, but those they knew were innocent. At least we don’t
let our troops rape or torture.”

“We screwed with Genghis a lot, though,”
Billy admitted.

William laughed so hard it hurt, which
reminded him that he didn’t have much time. "I died the day I lost
your mother. It has been so hard to live without her. Only your
company kept me going. I still can’t believe how well you’ve turned
out. Your mother says you made up in quality what was denied her in
quantity.

“Don’t be like me. Don’t ever fall in love.
Love is not just a choice, but a decision. At some level, you
decide who you fall in love with. So close your heart because
people you care for will die before you, and probably because of
you. Find someone worthy as your primary mate, but assume you will
lose her as I lost mine.

“You chose your life, so embrace it
completely. You are among the few who live life on your own terms.
Most people are cattle who never rise above their petty appetites
and circumstances, while you’re the solution to the greatest
problem humanity has ever faced: never-ending world war. I want you
to do what needs to be done to end this madness.”

"Yes, father," Billy said between tears.

"You’re the best damn son I could ever have
asked for. I can't imagine a better life than the one you and your
mother gave me." He paused to sip some water. "You must help your
grandfather become king. Your mother would have wanted that."

"I will, father."

“I sent our latest super wands to our bank
branch in Dublin. That’s how that traitor found me. Our next
marathon division should arrive soon. Use them wisely. If you lose
too many to battle or disease, then no one else will ever follow
you.”

“I understand.”

“Do the hard things that no one else can do.
People will either call you a hero or a murderer, but you’re just a
soldier, and a soldier’s job is to kill the few to save the many.
It’s what you’re good at. It’s what you were born for. Make no
excuses, but don’t pretend you’re something you’re not. Don’t let
anyone make you weak. Especially a woman. Stay strong and finish
the job of returning Mongols to their historical irrelevance. Now
take ownership of my Millennial Wands. My parents would have been
so proud that I developed a twenty-five meter wingspan. I could
probably beat Genghis Khan himself. When I had him trapped in that
steel box of his, I almost did.”

“Why didn’t you, papa?”

“It’d have been too merciful. That mass
murderer had not suffered enough. I want him to see his family die,
his people die, and his empire die. I want everything he cherishes
taken from him. I want you to break him like a sucked wand. Come to
my grave and tell me when you have finished that ruthless monster.
Every Mongol you kill saves a dozen innocents. Every Mongol is
complicit in a crime against humanity, so destroy them as you would
a cancer. Do to them what they’ve done to half the world, and wish
to do to the other half.”

"I’ll make them pay, dad.”

Something bothered William. “I was born in
Prussia, but I never thought I’d die in Prussia.”

“So you were finally wrong about
something!”

William smiled so hard that Billy could tell
a laugh was trying to escape. He closed his eyes like that, still
smiling, his hand on his son’s shoulder until it went limp. William
sunk into unconsciousness, then stopped breathing. Billy sensed his
soul leave the room like a wand losing its owner. It literally felt
colder. Or maybe it was just Billy who grew colder inside.

Billy buried his father next to his mother in
their ancestral home. He looked at the thousands of ancestors who
died fighting the same damn war, looked at his own open grave, then
swore he’d finish it. He promised his mama he’d help her dad, then
told his father, “I’m gonna kill the bitch who murdered you.”

CHAPTER 21

Billy infiltrated at night and waited in the
bushes until morning for his targets to begin their routine. He
listened to his great-grandmother and great-uncle argue over money
while he looked for guards.

He did not expect to like them, but was still
surprised by just how much their abrasive personalities disgusted
him. Genghis may not mind killing millions, but even enemies
regarded him as a brave, charismatic visionary -- not arrogant pigs
like these two. Whatever his faults, Genghis Khan inspired intense
loyalty among those who knew him best. Whereas Billy couldn't
decide which relative he disliked more.

"Grandma," he said as he extended his blades
twenty meters away. They both turned to receive steel in their
bellies. "My mother, Lady Elizabeth and my father, Baron von
Richthofen, send their regards."

John thrashed about in tears, but strangely
did not draw a wand. Queen Margaret coughed up blood.

Hey, I got a lung, Billy noted.

"Your men ambushed my father in the street.
The best man I have ever known, cut down in his prime."

"It was him," the queen insisted, pointing at
her son, as if this would save her.

"Yet you obviously did not stop him."

"It took them long enough," John sneered.
"The idiots missed him last month in Budapest by just an hour."

Billy seethed. "Thank you for making me feel
better."

"Oh, your turn will come soon, boy. Aidian is
now twice as powerful as when your mother surprised him."

"You mean when a girl humiliated your son in
front of his warriors? You messed with the wrong boy. I’m gonna
exterminate your family," he said, projecting flame to roast them
like pigs.

Their screams brought guards, so Billy flew
away, easily out-racing his pursuers.

He landed in Windsor Castle by the Thames
River so suddenly that he scared the hell out of the guards when he
flashed his mega-flames. But, instead of drawing wands, they stood
at attention, and Billy thanked his foresight in stealing the suit
of a commander.

"Who’s in charge here?" Billy demanded while
trying to deepen his voice.

One soldier smacked another, who ran into the
castle and came back out with a smug prig. John must have put him
in charge, but left Richard’s men here, Billy realized.

"Take me to Prince Richard," the boy
barked.

"And who the hell are you?" the prig
demanded.

Billy used his wand to throw him higher into
the air than anyone watching could possibly believe. Instead of
drawing wand to fly, the fool bounced against the ground like a
dead cat.

“I assumed he was a quad,” Billy explained in
the stunned silence. Well, it didn’t look like anyone missed him.
"Queen Margaret and Prince John are dead. Prince Richard is king.
Long live the king!” Surprising Billy, the news electrified the
men, who cheered enthusiastically. “Take me to him, then assemble
for his inspection," he ordered the guy who smacked the soldier who
got the prig.

Soldiers poured out, scared silly. They
looked desperate to please rather than eager to attack. Billy, used
to powerful quads, could not see a threat among them, so he
followed the guard to the dungeon. When they finally reached his
grandfather, Billy ordered the soldier out.

The prince looked tired and hungry in his
cell, but not scared. He got off his thin cot and put his hands on
his hips.

"So today's the day? John swore he’d do this
himself. Is my brother too busy pulling strings?"

Billy didn't know what the hell he was
talking about. "Where’s George?"

Richard blinked. "My brother or his son?"

"A son? He's not gay?"

"The son, no. My brother is, definitely. But,
apparently, not permanently."

"Where is he?"

Which confused Richard. "In France, you
idiot! Now stop making me wait!"

Billy usually saw things so clearly. "Oh,
right," he said, blasting the lock since he forgot to ask for the
keys. The door rocketed back and almost smashed into Richard, who
at least had the wits to jump back.

"You're not here to kill me?" Richard asked,
hope infecting his voice.

"No, grandpa. I'm here to make you king.
Sorry I waited so long. I’ve been busy destroying Mongol
armadas.”

Richard was not sure how seriously to take
the boy. "Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry," Billy answered, taking off his
helmet.

The prince stared at him. "I'm gonna need
more than that. You got a name?"

"I've a few of them. You can’t tell anyone,
but in China I was the Boy Wonder, sometimes I was the Baron, but
your daughter Elizabeth named me Billy."

"You're alive!" Richard yelled and embraced
the boy in a great hug. "Someone at the bank said your father hired
ten thousand Americans to depose the queen, so John sent a special
unit after him. I was so sorry to hear about what happened to your
mother.”

"My father is dead, too. John's men ambushed
him in the street."

Richard pulled back to look at him. "Those
bastards."

Billy hit his forehead with his palm. “So
that’s why they killed him! But my father never intended to use the
Americans in England. He was sending them to the Pyrenees.”

That really confused Richard. “How could your
father send American marathoners anywhere?”

“Mom never told you? Dad was the Baron.”

Grandpa still didn’t get it. “The baron of
what?”

“The baron who sacked half of Mongolia. The
baron who repeatedly defeated Genghis Khan in battle. The baron who
took a million tons of wealth from the Mongol Empire. The baron who
saved France. The baron that everyone in the world is talking
about.”

The new king needed to sit down. “Oh, that
baron. And I worried Liz was marrying down. Wait! My idiot brother
murdered the Baron? I’ll kill the imbecile!”

"I already killed Queen Margaret and Prince
John. Mother wanted me to make you king because you didn’t have the
balls to kill your own mother. Now I'm going to Edinburgh to slay
John’s family."

"That bitch is finally dead?" Richard said of
his own mother. "But his family will kill you!”

Billy showed him the layers of scars on his
arms while igniting his forty meter wingspan. “I’ve killed a
million Mongols. I think I can handle Aidian. Oh, mama asked me to
give your grandfather’s wands back to you, with her thanks. She was
also sorry for the suffering her actions caused you. She killed a
few thousand enemies in battle, so they’re finally decent now.”