King of Me (The King Trilogy #3)(40)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

“Shut up, Callias!” I barked.

The men stood still, and I waited for a moment, wondering if it had really worked. Then Sama looked at the men. “Let him up.”

Callias sprang to his feet. “What have you done, woman?”

“I saved your life. And now Sama, here, and his men are going to put you on a boat and get you far, far from this island. You’ll see the world, you’ll live, and you’ll die when nature or the gods or whatever are goddamned good and ready to take you.”

“This is my home, my people,” he argued.

“Not anymore.” I looked at Sama. “Gather up anything you need, and then get the hell out of here before sunrise.”

Sama dipped his head.

“You can’t take me away from here!” Callias roared. “I must bury my brother.”

“Where your brother is, he won’t mind your missing the funeral.” And I hoped that someday, Callias would thank me.

I watched the six men haul Callias down the beach, toward the palace. “And find a good woman to fall in love with! No more whoring around!”

They faded off into the darkness, and for a split second, I felt good. At peace. I had changed, I hoped, at least one person’s fate. Then I began to wonder if anything had changed in my old life, especially that evil bastard version of King.

Not likely.

If only I could understand what had triggered the change in King to begin with.

Everything fell silent for several soul-chilling moments. No crashing waves. No small crackle of embers from the dying fire. No wind. Everything just…turned black and cold.

The air filled with the scent of mold and a stench of rotting…rotting something. I didn’t know.

I held my breath, wondering what had just happened.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps, like a man running.

“Who’s there?” I screamed.

A clanking of metal keys followed by a scraping sound ricocheted all around me.

Suddenly, a door flew open and light poured in. A tall, dark shadow with broad shoulders stood in the doorway.

I squinted and held my hand up to block the light. I could barely see.

“What the f**k are you doing down here?” said that deep, disapproving, male voice that accelerated my pulse and lit up every nerve ending.

“King?”

“Yes. It is I. Your king.” A burst of red light flooded my vision, radiating directly from his body.

Oh shit. This was not my King. This was not the good King.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Kicking and screaming, King pulled me from the dark room and dragged me up a flight of rough stone stairs into a dimly lit, cavernous hall. He threw me to the hard cold stone floor. “What. Are. You?” he seethed.

Afraid for my life, I slowly lifted my eyes and took in the wickedly powerful, menacing form standing over me. He wore black, odd-looking sandals with leather straps that wound up his insanely muscular calves and thick light gray fabric around his waist, the excess thrown back over one shoulder. His muscular chest and biceps were wrought with the menacing strength of a fierce gladiator.

“Speak, bitch. Or I will rip out your heart.” His dark eyes filled with deadly rage, and the sharp angles of his unshaven masculine face glowed with an otherworldly vibe.

Shit. I need to get out of here. But where are we? Small windows, high up where the walls met the domed ceilings, were the only source of light aside from the low-burning fire in a pit toward the center of the room.

I resisted allowing my mouth to flap. “I don’t know what you mean. It’s me. Mia.”

He dipped his head and stared with dark—Fuck. So, so dark—eyes. Not blue or steely gray, but black. “You…” he growled, “have a death wish, witch.”

Witch? “I-I’m not a witch.”

“You,” he pointed, “cursed me.”

I drew back my head several inches and began scanning for an exit. Right behind him. Crap.

I held up my palms. “King, please calm down.”

He stepped toward me, the red light from within practically drowning out his form. “You, you vile witch, f**king tell me to calm down? Do you have any understanding of the hell I have endured because of your evil magic?” His head shook and his thick black unkempt hair fell in front of his eyes. He looked like a savage beast. Not a man.

“No,” I whispered. “I don’t.”

He leapt forward and slammed me into the cold, hard floor. “I am going to kill you.” His large hand tightened around my neck.

I clawed at his face, fighting for my life. His dark eyes bored into mine, pure hatred raining down. Die, they said. Die…

“Please,” I croaked, my vision blinking out, “I love you…”

He paused for a fraction of a second, perhaps stunned that I would say something like that while he choked the life from me. But whatever, whoever he was, fighting and suffering were what he wanted.

I seized the moment. “I would do anything to save you.”

He snapped back his hand. Horror displaced the rage on his face. “You’re real. You’re really here?”

I don’t know. I don’t know…Regardless, I nodded slowly and tried to hold his hands away in case he decided that strangulation was still a good choice. “It’s me. I’m real.” Tears filled my eyes.

His broad chest pumped with several quick breaths. “I thought you were another ghost come to torment me.” He stood and stepped back.

Trying not to alarm him, I slowly rose to my elbows. “I’m not a dream. And to me, it’s only been a few days since you died. Look at my clothes.” It was the same dress he’d given me. “And would you dream this up?” I pointed to my nose. I knew it was covered with fresh blood from when Sama hit me.

He clenched his fists. “Who hurt you?”

“It doesn’t matter. They paid. It’s over.”

He blew out a long breath and ran his shaking hands through his hair.

Dear God, the man screamed, “Crazy!”

“Can you tell me where I am?” I asked.

He shook his head at his feet. “Too long. It has been too long. I thought I had dreamed you. I thought you never happened. She does not exist. She is not real.” He scratched his head so hard that I thought he might draw blood. “She told me she loved me. Why do this?” he mumbled, flicking his fingertips over his chest. “Why would she hurt me like this? Curse me. A witch. A witch…she is a witch.”

“King,” I said quietly, “I’m not a witch. I’m Mia. I love you. I cursed you because it was the only way to see you again.”