King of Me (The King Trilogy #3)(52)
Author: Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

I looked up at Stefanos. “Ready?”

He nodded.

Here goes. I swung hard, and the rock shattered into a million tiny pieces. When I looked up, Stefanos had pulled the knife from King’s neck. We exchanged glances—him looking at the clean knife that hadn’t left any wounds, me looking at the shattered stone—both wondering why nothing happened.

“Give it a second.” I held up my hand to silence him and closed my eyes. Please come back to me. Please. I channeled every ounce of love I had for King—my King—thinking of every instance when I’d been offered a glimpse of the sinfully seductive, infinitely powerful man whose fearlessness and loyalty knew no bounds. He was the man who didn’t shy away from the hard choices—killing, being killed—or acting ruthless when circumstances required. And despite his situation, he never asked for anyone’s pity. Instead, he used his pain and sorrow to his advantage and took control. I not only loved King, but I admired him.

King’s aura burst from his chest and swirled around him. Purple at first, then quickly separating to red and blue before evaporating like steam.

“What’s happening?” Stefanos asked.

“I think it’s working.”

King’s light transitioned to a vivid apple green. “He’s coming back.”

But as soon as I said that, the light darkened.

“Oh shit.” I didn’t know what to say. “I choose you! I choose you to come back.” His light faded. “No! No! Goddammit, King. You can’t do this to me.” Panicked, I jumped up and grabbed the sides of his face. “King. Can you hear me?” I looked at Stefanos. “What’s wrong? What am I doing wrong?” We couldn’t come this far and fail. We couldn’t. “King, you sonofabitch. You arrogant, stubborn bastard.” I shook him by the shoulders as his color continued to fade. “I’m choosing you! Take back your life.”

He lay there, the color in his bronzed face fading to a pale, pale taupe. “No…” I sobbed. Why didn’t it work? “You can’t leave. I love you.”

I kissed his cool lips and dropped my forehead onto his bare chest. “Please,” I sobbed, knowing this was my punishment for what I’d done to him. That’s when I realized that no matter what, I would have chosen King. It was the horrible, selfish truth. I could survive anything except losing him again.

“Are you just saying that to be nice? Because I assure you, Miss Turner, your compliments will not buy you forgiveness.”

I looked up. “King?”

He cracked open one big blue eye.

“Ohmygod!” I screamed, feeling a happiness I’d never dreamed possible. I leaned forward and squeezed his face. I attacked his plump delicious lips with kisses. “Ohmygod. Ohmygod,” was all I could say. I kissed him again and again.

He smiled brightly and slowly pushed me back. “I can’t breathe.”

I drank him in and sighed with joy. “Your eyes are blue. So damned blue.” And his skin had returned to a healthy olive brown. “You’re so beautiful.”

He flashed that wicked little smile, but didn’t speak. Instead, he simply beamed.

“How do you feel?” asked Stefanos.

King glanced up at him. “Alive and…hungry. I’m really, really hungry.”

“You’re…hungry?” I asked.

He looked at me. “Yes. And not just for food.”

My heart accelerated and my core fluttered. Every inch of my body screamed with joy. Then let’s get that man something to eat. He’ll need his strength!

King chuckled quietly, clearly weak.

“You can still read my thoughts?” I asked.

He nodded. “Apparently so.”

Then you should know that I’m so, so sorry for everything.

His smile didn’t diminish. “We have much to discuss. But later. We will speak later.”

Right. He was hungry, and it was time to enjoy this moment.

I stood up. “I’ll go tell Ypirétria. What do you want to eat?”

As I waited for King to answer, his light suddenly flickered to blue—sorrow. I froze and his expression turned to horror.

I was about to ask him what was the matter, but then I felt something warm and wet all over my chest. I looked down and noticed I was covered in blood. The blood poured from my neck, and the pain was like nothing I’d ever experienced.

“Mia!” King jumped from the bed and caught me before I hit the floor. Everything was such a blur, but from the corner of my eye, I caught Stefanos. He dropped a small, bloody knife on the floor to my side.

King frantically tried to stop the blood from flowing. “No. No. God dammit, no.” I felt the life draining from my body, my fingertips and toes going numb.

“Why the f**k did you do that? I will kill you!” King raged.

“The curse is lifted. You found peace. And I needed to be sure this Seer bitch would never ruin another life.”

In the back of my mind, I tried to make sense of what he said. King had found peace. That was my requirement for the Spiros being set free. I never said what sort of peace or that it had to be lasting.

“I will hunt and kill every last one of you!”

“No. You will only kill me and my brother. And we are prepared to die. A small price to pay for justice for my entire family.”

I made a tiny gurgle and looked up at King, unable to speak with my mouth. It’s okay, King. It’s my karma. Just…promise me you’ll look after my parents.

His hands covered in my blood, he brushed the hair from my face. “You cannot leave me now. You cannot.”

I don’t have a choice. Can’t curse myself.

“I love you, Mia. I will find a way to bring you back. I promise.”

No, please. No more. Just…live the life I gave you back.

And just like that, my life faded away to nothing. This time, there was no sense of peace or acceptance, only sorrow. Sorrow and then blackness.

~~~

My heart cannot begin to comprehend what I see before me. It is a vision of both the utmost horror and of the purest untainted joy a man can experience. Because before me I see Mia. The blood flows from a deep gash in her neck into a crimson pool. Yet, in her eyes I see what a man like me has forever dreamed of: redemption.

There is nothing but love to be seen in those shimmering depths of blue as she looks at me. The sensation is humbling. I do not deserve her love. But I have it. And in me she does not see my past or my crimes. She does not see the actions that will forever haunt me. She simply sees me. A man.