Ruth and the King of the Giants: A Seven Kingdoms Tale 5 (The Seven Kingdoms) Read online

  The boar emitted a high-pitched screech as it charged him. Koorgan jumped to the side, swinging his sword at the same time. The well-honed tip of his sword connected with the end of the boar’s tusk, lopping it off.

  Koorgan swiveled when the beast turned in a rage and attacked once more. He swung his sword again, but didn’t have enough room between himself and the beast to land a solid blow. The boar slammed into his legs and knocked him backwards. His heel caught on a dead tree half buried in the ferns and he fell backwards.

  The sword flew out of his hand and landed in the base of a tree. He turned his head to follow the trajectory, then flipped over the log he had tripped on and lifted it to intercept the charging boar. The beast was now between his position and his only weapon.

  He threw the log at the boar and took off at a run, darting between the narrow trunks of two trees as the boar noisily crashed after him. He glanced over his shoulder, then released a loud curse when the ground suddenly collapsed under his feet and he felt himself go weightless for a moment before he hit the bottom of a deep pit.

  He fell backward, staring up at the glimpses of blue sky through the distant canopy of trees. The Razor boar’s head appeared over the edge, and the boar squealed in rage. Koorgan pushed off the ground and stood up. The boar, realizing that there was no way to get to him without joining him in the pit, turned and scraped grass and dirt down into the hole with his back legs.

  “Hey! You miserable beast! I’m the one in the hole, not you,” Koorgan growled to the animal.

  Koorgan listened as the boar grunted and slowly moved away. Examining the pit he’d fallen into, he quickly realized that it wasn’t a trap for an animal, but an old well that had been abandoned, probably hundreds of years ago given how well it had been hidden by fallen trees and debris. Eventually, enough soil had collected over it to make it look like the forest floor.

  He ran his hands along the smooth bricks that had been carefully placed to seal the sides. He was lucky there was only a small trickle of water in the well, not enough to pool. The floor beneath the debris that had fallen in with him, was solid rock. Whoever had dug the well had probably gone as far as the rock layer before realizing that the well would never produce.

  Koorgan slid his hand along the wall, trying to find a place where he could get a grip. None of the cracks were large enough for his fingers, much less his feet. He looked up at the top of the well. It was at least fifteen feet up.

  If he had been anywhere else but on the Isle of the Giants, the distance wouldn’t have been much of a problem – well, except for the diameter. While his kind had the ability to grow to enormous sizes, the enchantment did not function on their home Isle unless they were under attack by another race – a safeguard to protect the Isle from their own hot tempers, he suspected.

  He spent the next two hours trying to figure a way out. When that failed, he whistled for Genisus. The only response he received was a chorus of imitations by the Coppabirds. Tired, he sank down onto the smooth granite floor of the well, drew up his legs to rest his arms on his knees, and leaned his head back.

  “Gant will realize I’m gone and come looking for me,” he murmured.

  A wry smile curved his lips. He had wanted some time alone and it looked like he was going to get it. It might take Gant days to find him. Koorgan picked up a branch and broke it into little pieces.

  His mind swirled with thoughts and he rolled his shoulders to ease some of the tension. Stretching out his legs, he leaned back and relaxed. A small grimace crossed his face when his stomach growled.

  “I should have eaten before I left. This will teach me to listen to Gant.” Koorgan groaned, and shook his head. “He is so going to enjoy giving me a hard time about this,” he muttered with a rueful sigh.

  He’d seldom had time alone since becoming the King of the Giants…a long, long time ago. Taking over the responsibilities of the King at such a young age had been unexpected. His parents had been in the prime of their lives before they mysteriously vanished.

  Koorgan suspected the Sea Witch was responsible for whatever had happened to them. They had been out negotiating trade deals with the other Kingdoms – and he suspected scouting out a possible future bride for him – and never returned. Their disappearance had coincided with the attack on the Isle of the Dragon. Since that day, he had done the best he could to protect his people as the Sea Witch waged war on the Kingdoms.

  Koorgan had sensed the darkness in his kingdom when Magna the Sea Witch had been here. Fearful that it would affect the already hot tempers of the giants, he had restricted all travel and trade with the other Kingdoms to a limited number of merchants.

  The Isle of the Giants had been comparatively protected from the Sea Witch’s dark magic, and they had become more self-reliant. Out of necessity, they now manufactured or produced nearly all of their products and food, much to the disgust of Ashure. However, their economy was struggling, and they were making do with fewer products they had once taken for granted.

  A shudder went through Koorgan. He hated that part of ruling a Kingdom. He could settle the disputes, command their army, but when it came to dealing with trade and economics, he felt like just strangling the idiots who demanded he give more for less. He didn’t trust many to do the job either, not after some of the stunts Ashure had pulled.

  No one was even an adequate candidate for the appointment, as he had found out after he stubbornly tried to put giant after giant in the position, and they had all been too impatient, impulsive, and too easily manipulated by one emotion or another. Even his parents’ closest friend, Agatha, that dainty, wrinkled beauty with her single gorgeous eye and sharp tongue, hadn’t been much help. Dealing with the diplomats from the other Kingdoms was just – irritating.

  He issued a low grunt of resignation and turned to lie down, raising his arm to use it as a pillow against the hard surface. Staring up at the growing darkness, he sighed and studied the stars through the trees.

  He wondered if the alien creature within Magna had been the only one to come to their world. It was hard to imagine something so evil coming from something so beautiful. These were the types of questions he would like to discuss with the woman who would become his wife.

  He pondered what it would be like to have a wife like Magika, the Queen of the Isle of Magic. He had met King Oray and Queen Magika on several occasions and been impressed with the Queen’s elegance and intellect. She had fought hard to save her husband and stood by her people, even against the horrors and destruction created by Magna and the alien creature.

  The kind of wife he wanted… would be someone who he could talk to, even argue with, who wouldn’t give in to him all the time. She would be interesting – and independent, but not too independent. The last thing he wanted was a woman who whimpered and whined that she needed his constant attention.

  “Like that will ever happen,” he muttered in disgust as he thought of all the women he had met so far. “Yes, your majesty. No, your majesty. Whatever you say, your majesty. I swear if I hear that one more time, I’ll ban every female from the palace walls. I want a woman who is smart, feisty, and doesn’t just lay like a lump of porridge in my bed.”

  Closing his eyes, a smile curved his lips as he imagined the perfect woman. She would be tall with long black hair that flowed down her back, and full hips that he could grasp in his hands as he…. He released another low grunt, and relaxed, drifting off to sleep, the perfect woman dancing in his dreams.

  Chapter Two

  Present Day:

  Yachats, Oregon

  Ruth opened the door to Mike’s house and froze in surprise. A woman was standing on the front porch with her arm raised, about to knock on the door. They stared at each other for a fraction of a second in shock before the woman smiled and held her hand out.

  “Hi, are you Ruth Hallbrook?” the woman politely asked.

  “Yes,” Ruth cautiously answered.

  “My name is Tonya Maitland. I’m an investigator r
eviewing the disappearance of your brother, Detective Mike Hallbrook, as well as the two other women from this area,” Tonya explained.

  “Finally! Why did you guys take so long to realize that things aren’t what they seemed ? You’d think the FBI would be just a little concerned when three people suddenly disappear because they’ve found some stranger they think they are in love with, never to be heard from again. I mean, even the CIA wanted to know more about Mike’s disappearance than the FBI. How messed up is that?” Ruth demanded.

  “I… Yes, well, you know how the government can be. I can see that you were about to head out. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” Tonya responded.

  “No… No, come in. I was just going to go hang more flyers…,” Ruth invited, stepping back from the door and waving her hand toward the living room. “Hopefully, you’ll be able to answer a few questions, too,” she added under her breath.

  Tonya gave her a smile and stepped into the house. Ruth walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Tonya sat across from her in a matching chair.

  “So, what do you know?” Ruth asked.

  Tonya gave her an apologetic smile. “Probably nothing more than you do. I was hoping you could share what you know, see if there is anything new to go on. I’ve just taken over the case and I like to start from scratch,” she quickly added.

  “New… Yeah, okay. I know that my brother was investigating the disappearance of Carly Tate and Jenny Ackerly, two local women. Not long after that, he disappeared, only to return and give me some outrageously bullshit message about meeting an incredible woman from another world. He said he was going to live with her and told me to have a nice life. He even left me a letter outlining what I should do with all of his stuff. I’ll warn you now, you may be dealing with a homicide when I get my hands on my little brother,” she snapped before she sank back against the cushions and ran her hand through her shoulder-length hair. “I don’t mean that. I just want to find Mike. He’s the only family I’ve got left and we swore that we would never forget that. We’ve always been close – even as kids.”

  Tonya gave her a sympathetic smile. “I kinda figured that when I drove through town and saw all of the Missing Person flyers,” she said.

  “Yeah, I think I’ve decimated a forest or two in the printing of those,” Ruth grudgingly admitted.

  “Did your brother mention the name of the woman or the country she was from?” Tonya asked.

  Ruth shook her head. “No name, and like I said – another world – not a country. That was what was so strange about his message. I didn’t get all of the message either. My mailbox was full and didn’t record it all,” she replied.

  “Well, I’m not going to give up looking for your brother – or Carly Tate and Jenny Ackerly. My job is to find out what happened and report it, and I’ve never failed, Ms. Hallbrook. If you learn anything that you think might help, will you call me?” Tonya requested, pulling a card out of her pocket as she stood.

  Ruth nodded, rose to her feet, and took the card. She barely glanced at it before shoving it into her back pocket. She walked to the door, following Tonya. The other woman turned and looked at her with a curious expression.

  “How did you know about Cochran embezzling all that money?” Tonya asked.

  Ruth released a short chuckle. “I’m a hound dog when it comes to my job. Greed and stupidity are always there in the numbers – if I dig enough, I’ll find it, no matter how deep someone tries to bury it under bullshit receipts or illicit Limited Liability Corporations,” she answered.

  “Good job,” Tonya said with a grin. “I’m the same when it comes to finding out what happened to people.”

  “I really hope you are,” Ruth quietly responded.

  She watched Tonya descend the steps and hurry to her car. It was strange to see an FBI agent wearing jeans and a plaid button up shirt. Maybe it was a new look to help them fit more readily into their surroundings. A business suit would have stood out like a sore thumb in this tiny rural town.

  She lifted her hand when Tonya waved as she pulled away and drove down the driveway. Deciding that standing in the doorway wasn’t going to get those flyers hung, she stepped out on the porch, locked the door, and headed for her own car. The remainder of her stack of posters was in the trunk. She’d start at Yachats State Park again before the weather turned crappy. That was where Mike’s truck had been found.

  “Fingers crossed today will bring some answers,” she murmured as she pulled open the driver’s door and slid onto the seat.

  Several hours later, Ruth pursed her lips and silently issued dire threats to the weather. She had spent the better part of the morning walking the different beach access paths. She’d only retreated when the rain showers became more frequent and the sky grew darker.

  Now she hurried through the misty rain over to the information board at the entrance to Yachats State Park. In one hand, she carried several laminated Missing Person notices. In the other hand, she held a professional grade staple gun.

  She had graduated from a standard office stapler to a heavy duty staple gun three weeks after she’d found out Mike had disappeared when the jerks here and in town kept removing her posters. She was going to make it as difficult for them to pull out the staples as she could.

  Placing a poster against the wooden board, she pulled the lever on the staple gun. The loud pop no longer caused her to wince. Irritation and a major dose of desperation had been two of the emotions that had kept her going over the last several months. Even the hopeful feeling from Tonya’s visit this morning had worn off after she replayed their conversation for the hundredth time in her mind.

  “If the frigging FBI won’t take finding Mike seriously, I’ll just have to take matters into my own hands. Mike was a police officer for crying out loud! You would’ve thought the strange disappearance of one would have made front page news, but nooooo! The newspaper relegated the article back to page three below the current fishing report!” she growled under her breath.

  Sure, there had been a massive search a little over six months ago, but after a few weeks, it had stopped. All because Mike had called and left an ambiguous message telling her that he was alright.

  Stepping back, she gazed at the laminated picture of Mike. Tears of frustration burned her eyes before she blinked them away. She was not the type to let emotion get in her way. No, she was more the type to kick someone’s ass.

  Okay, most of the time I kick ass with my forensic skill and a calculator, but still, I’ve brought down some pretty major criminals, she thought as she added another flyer to the board for good measure.

  Sure, she might be just an accountant, but she was a damn good one! She could find a missing penny in a dragon’s lair and tell you where it was minted. More than one high priced lawyer had paled when she’d walked into a courtroom after an audit, and immediately talked their client into a plea deal.

  Turning back around, she headed for her car. She needed to stop by the hardware store for more staples. She would post some new signs in the window while she was there and grab some lunch.

  Ruth hurried back to her car, unlocked it, and slipped in. She looked up at the sky and scowled when sunlight broke through. All a person had to do in Oregon was wait and you could get all the four seasons in a matter of minutes. This was why she lived in California – gorgeous weather most of the year if you discounted the earthquakes, fires, drought, and pollution.

  She pulled out of the parking lot and waved to the ranger as she exited the park. He would see her again tomorrow – and the day after and the day after that. She had more stones to turn over. There were bound to be a few she had missed the last hundred times she had been here.

  Turning on her blinker, she pulled out onto the highway. The beautiful scenery should have been enough to relax her, but all she could think about was returning to Mike’s house. She always stayed there when she came, hoping against hope that he would walk through the door.

  “How can he
just disappear like this? None of his accounts have been touched. The only thing missing from his house are a few personal things – nothing of value! Hell, he didn’t even clean out the refrigerator,” she said.

  There was a certain comfort in mulling over everything out loud. She hoped that by hearing what she was saying, something would click. Ruth was certain there was something she and the authorities were missing.

  “When I find the bitch that lured him away, I’m going to rip her hair out one strand at a time until she tells me what she did with him. I’m going to show her what a crazy-ass accountant can do with a letter opener,” she growled, her knuckles turning white with anger, fear, and grief.

  She sniffed and muttered a curse. Taking a deep, calming breath, she slowed as she entered the town. A short ways down the road, she saw the sign for the local hardware store. Turning on her blinker, she pulled into an empty spot in front of it.

  She shifted into park and pressed the ignition button. Reaching over, she grabbed her purse, a handful of flyers, a roll of tape, and the empty box showing her which type of staples she would need. She pushed open the door and slid out.

  Out of habit, she locked the door to her car and scanned the area. She’d lived, worked, and traveled to enough places around the world to have a very healthy dose of caution. Hell, if her brother could disappear in a small, picturesque town like Yachats, anything could happen!

  She paused as an older couple walked past her before crossing the sidewalk. A faded picture of Mike, the tape coming off of one side, was in the window. She pushed open the door to the hardware store.

  Her attention was drawn to a dark-haired young woman standing near the window admiring a small statue of a mermaid. One thing that Ruth had noticed since Mike’s disappearance was that she seemed to be more conscious of the smallest details. She had always been good before, but now she was hyper aware.