Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 53433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“It must have been something disturbing,” King said casually, like he was already bored with this conversation. Probably because he was. “Unfortunately, Jeni, I was ripped from the arms of my wife—a wife you killed. So if you do not intend to find Draco nor do you plan to mother him, I see no reason for you to remain—”
“Yes. I get it, King. You don’t think I deserve to live.”
King shrugged dispassionately.
Ansin chimed in, “I believe you must’ve had your reasons, Jeni. But you are killing me. Literally. And while King could not care less, I do. So if you’ve made up your mind to let Draco go, you must close the door on finding him. And you must accept that I will not seek him out, either. Perhaps once you do not see me as a threat, you will cease sucking the life from me.”
“Or you could simply kill her,” King said to Ansin.
Ansin looked away, finding something nonexistent to stare at on the wall, not bothering to answer.
“There, you see, Jeni. Ansin has thought about it, too.” King smirked.
Great. Now they both want me dead. “If I have the power to suck the life from you, I have the power to defend myself, too.”
“Then do it.” King got to his feet, marched up, and grabbed me by the waist, cinching me close. “Defend yourself. Because I for one would enjoy battling one last Seer before I go.”
Ansin jumped in and pried King off me, wedging between us.
“Stay away from her,” Ansin said, facing King down.
King chuckled in his face. “Would you two fuck already? And do it quickly, Ansin. Your clock is ticking.”
“You think this is funny?” I pushed Ansin out of the way and faced King myself.
“What is funny,” King said, “is watching you behave like a lost little fawn in a big dark forest, when you created this nightmare. You act helpless. You believe you are without options. You have convinced yourself that you are weak. Yet…” He held out his arms. “You have managed to subdue two of the most powerful men ever to walk the earth. In short, my dear Seer, you hold all the cards except one: I do not agree to your plan. I want to know where my son is and that he is, in fact, safe.”
“You are not going after him,” Ansin said. “If you locate him, who’s to say you won’t tell someone? Or even kill him yourself?”
“Why the fuck would I do that?” King snarled.
“You’re King. Ergo, you’re evil. Maybe you’re the reason Jeni put Draco into hiding in the first place?”
“Why would I kill my own son?” King asked.
“Because he’s a male Seer. Born with power. You, on the other hand, had to lie, cheat, and steal to get your power. You don’t like the idea of someone else in this world being better than you,” Ansin argued.
“I was dead,” King pointed out. “I felt no threats from anyone.”
And I agreed. Why was Ansin trying to point to King as the threat?
“And funny how this all worked out for you, King,” Ansin said. “Just when I’m so close to finally having her.”
King laughed at Ansin. “Having her? You will never be good enough for such a powerful Seer.”
“Were you good enough for Mia?” Ansin threw back.
King’s laughter deflated. “No. But I have never pretended otherwise.” He paused for a long moment. “I have wasted too much time here. Do what you please with the Seer, Ansin, but I must go now.” He turned for the door.
He was going? And he wasn’t going to kill me?
“Wait.” I went after him and grabbed his arm. “You’re not still going to look for Draco, are you?”
“After six months of being frozen, I am going to return to my wife and Arch.” King drew a long breath and stared down at me. “Goodbye, Jeni.”
Six months? He’d been frozen for six months and technically “alive” this entire time? Then who tried to get inside Niko Spiros? Something wasn’t sitting right.
“What changed your mind about letting me live?” I asked.
“In these few short hours, I have come to see you are already in hell. Why ruin the perfect punishment?” King smiled acerbically.
I’d be lying if I didn’t feel something deep inside. Guilt, regret, sadness. This would be the last time I’d see him, and I hated that he still thought I hurt his family. “Tell Mia that whatever happened, I’m sorry for what she went through, what she lost.”
King dipped his head of thick dark hair, his pale gray eyes locked on mine. “Goodbye, Seer.”
I watched him leave the suite, feeling an odd sort of closure. At the same time, knowing he was about to jump off a bridge or blow his beautiful brains out made me sad. A man like him needed a big, glorious death worthy of the life he’d led.