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)
“I’m not her…” I murmured.
“You think you can forget so much—our dead children, your past, your pain. But it’s inconceivable that you’d forget another life? And ask yourself why the child was so evil? Look at the mother. She sucks the life from everything around her. She has for thousands of years, and I would know.”
“King, just let her be,” Ansin said.
King glared at Ansin. “Stay the fuck out of this.”
Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of ice-cold bricks. King truly never cared for me. Even now, all he wanted was to watch me suffer. He had no sympathy.
“Ansin was right, King. We were never meant to be. Because the truth is you’re the evil one.”
“You want to remember or not?” King asked. “Because I intend to dig hard this time. I intend to show you everything, even what you did to Mia and Arch.”
I looked at Ansin. “Tell me what to do.”
“I think you are a strong woman and an even stronger Seer. I think you can handle the truth.”
“Then why did you do all this?” I asked.
“Because you begged me to.” There was nothing but love in his voice. “But you will only find the deepest heartache on the other side of your memories, Jeni. Is that what you truly want?”
Could I trust Ansin, the man who’d manipulated and deceived me more times than I could count? Ansin claimed he’d done everything as a favor, but was it true? And what about King? He wanted me to suffer and saw me as his enemy. Could I trust a word he said?
Then there was Draco. If he’d truly harmed me, my father, and his twin sister, did I want to remember that? Or did I want to remember the sweet little child from my fake memories?
I wanted the truth. I needed it. But if Ansin was right, then the pain had been too much for me to bear—grieving the loss of babies, not to mention King, the man I thought I loved.
I didn’t know what to do.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ansin
I stepped outside Jeni’s front door, with King behind me.
“Do not look so glum, Ansin. You did the correct thing back there,” King said.
“Sooner or later, she’ll find out the truth, King.”
He nodded. “Perhaps, but I do not see another option.”
Neither did I. If what Jeni had told me all those months ago was true, that she’d “seen” Draco grow up to lead a new era of Ten Club, more dangerous, depraved, and psychotic than the last, with a new generation of Seers at his side, then King was right. I’d had no choice.
“When and if she learns the truth, she will understand. Ultimately, it was her choice,” King added.
“I know.” Jeni had been adamant that no matter what—if my plan failed or if she ultimately couldn’t let go of her search for Draco—she could never know he was alive. “Do what you have to, Ansin, but if making me believe he’s somewhere safe and happy doesn’t work out, then make sure I think he’s dead. Understand? I can’t ever know he’s alive,” she’d said. “I can’t know where he is or with whom. Because I will try to find him, and then we both know what happens.” That was the other part of the dark, disturbing truth. When Jeni had had her vision about Draco, she was one of the Seers by his side, leading the others. With her powers and his, the world wouldn’t stand a chance.
“You will keep an eye on her, then?” King asked.
“Don’t pretend like you fucking care, King.” King still believed Jeni was Hagne, reborn to help resurrect the Seers.
Maybe she was, but I didn’t care. I saw the woman she’d become through all she’d endured in this lifetime. Her past was irrelevant.
King stared coldly before flashing a snide smile. “You really do love her, don’t you?”
Yes. I did. Which was why I’d chosen this path. It was the only hope I had to fend off something dark and evil coming into the world. Because despite my history and callous ways, my people, the Bastuli, were good. They were true healers, unlike these crazy bitches from Minoa. “Fuck off. It’s none of your business.”
“Says the man who bought a home three doors down to be near her.”
I glowered. He had no business delving into this subject. Not when he’d nearly fucked up my painstakingly orchestrated plan with his fucking ego. Not everything needs to be found, you stupid, egotistical SOB. He was never even supposed to come back again. The entire thing with Niko had been a hoax to trick Jeni into believing we’d exhausted even the most drastic options. But thanks to that greedy fucker at the hospital, King had risen once again. For the last fucking time. No more mistakes.
“You want to get this over with or not?” I asked.