Bartholomew Nelson and the World of Zathya: The Prince and The Heir

Chapter 25

Bart didn't know what to make of the Chaos Prince. His smile was unsettling to say the least but it was his eyes that bothered Bart the most. It was as if he knew he was a step ahead of Bart and everyone else and that there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"I didn't think you would actually be dumb enough to come here," the Prince began. "Yet I must give it to Mafortian. You clearly didn't want your little girlfriend here to die." Bart wanted to respond with 'She's not my girlfriend' but he just kept quiet. "Now I would like to formally introduce myself," the Prince continued. "My name is Tyreekin Shapric, but many know me as the Chaos Prince."

"I know who you are," Bart yelled. The Prince laughed which prompted the three brothers and all the soldiers behind Bart to start laughing as well. He hadn't realized that they were surrounded until the laughter had started. How were they supposed to get out of this situation? He'd seen Victoria fight and she was good, but he wasn't sure if she and her brother could take the three Bloodworthy brothers. Now they had to deal with Tyreekin also? Not a good plan.

"I'm glad," he said still laughing. "I didn't want to go through an entire flashy introduction anyway."

"Enough of your games, Tyreekin," said Jester. With the smile still stretched across his face the Prince's eyes turned to Jester.

"I wasn't talking to you, Jester," he said. "I was talking to my cousin." Bart wasn't sure if he had heard Tyreekin correctly but it sounded like he had called Bart his cousin. Charlotte looked to Bart, and Bart knew she was thinking what he was thinking.

"Liar!" Bart shouted out. He tried to rush forward but Victoria stopped him. Bart was half happy she did because he had no idea what he was thinking. The Prince looked at him, but the sly maniacal look on his face didn't change.

"Ah, so they haven't told you?" he said, sounding surprised. "Figures they wouldn't. I will let you discuss that later then. However, for me to let any of you leave here alive, I am going to need your help, cousin." Bart's anger was rising. Whether Tyreekin was telling the truth or not, Bart didn't care. All Bart cared about was shutting him up.

"Why would I ever help you?" Bart asked angrily.

"Don't talk to him or listen to him, Bart," Victoria said.

"That hurts coming from you Victoria," Tyreekin said casually. "I thought we were all friends here. Your brothers clearly have taken a liking to me." He gestured to Mafortian and his brothers when he said this. Bart was stymied. There was no way that was true. Why was Tyreekin saying these things? Was Victoria really Mafortian's sister? And if he was telling the truth, why had all this been kept from him? He thought the secret keeping was long past. Tyreekin looked at Bart and could clearly see the confusion and frustration on his face. "Wow," he said laughing again. "They clearly haven't shared that much information with the boy, have they," he said looking at Mafortian who just smiled. "Let me ask you something Bartholomew. How can you trust anything they have to say? If they have lied to you about so much, how do you know what they are keeping from you or what else they are lying about?" Bart didn't want to listen to him, but from what it was sounding like, he was right. Tyreekin was spilling all these secrets that he knew nothing about and no one was denying them.

"What is it that you want from Bart?" Charlotte yelled out, snapping Bart out of it.

"It's simple, really," Tyreekin responded. "Give me what your father gave to you to hide, and you can all go safely. Refuse, and well as you can see, you are vastly outnumbered. Refusal wouldn't be the wisest of options." Jester turned and looked at Bart but Victoria kept her eyes on their enemies. Bart had no idea what item the Prince was talking about and Jester clearly saw that on his face.