Lord King (The King)

I walked over and sat with an impatient grumble. I wasn’t here to shoot the shit about a hypothetical girl about to die. I am a real girl about to die.

Circe looked around the table at the many faces. “Jeni is correct. The girl must allow fate to play its hand. She must accept the outcome. In this case, the girl stays calm. She understands her life is out of her hands now. Her mindset allows her to live four days without water. And then the rains come. The girl believes it is a miracle meant to save her from thirst, until the ravine begins to flood. Once again, the girl believes she is doomed, but finds the strength to accept her fate. And at the moment she accepts, the water rises and lifts her up from the ravine. She is able to climb to safety.” The old woman looked straight at me. “That is your answer, Jeni.”

So this story was being told just for me? “No offense, everyone, but I’m trapped in a car with the man who murdered my mother. I saw what he plans to do to me. Are you saying I shouldn’t fight? Are you saying I should let him torture me and just hope I live?”

“I am saying no such thing, girl,” said Circe.

“Then?” I didn’t get it.

“She’s saying that accepting your fate is your only choice. It might change the game. If it doesn’t, then it’s your time to go.”

I turned my head toward the young blonde standing in the doorway where I just came from. She had the most stunning large brown eyes that caught the light and shimmered and a mouth I often saw in my dreams. King’s mouth. She was his daughter.

“Ariadna.” I’d met her here and in my dreams several times.

She greeted me with a nod. “Jeni, nice to see you again. I understand my father is making good on his promises for once.”

“He’s trying. But I’m not sure how I can help him find redemption if I’m busy getting crushed like a grape in Victor Escorcia’s limo.”

“Do you believe your destiny is to die by Victor’s hand?” Ariadna asked.

“No,” I replied.

“If it is your fate, is there anything you can do about it?”

“Not without breaking some major rules.” Like King had done by circumventing death for so long. “But I don’t agree with the ‘just chill’ and let-some-dick-murder-me solution either.”

“Understandable.” Ariadna folded her arms over her chest. “It is not in our nature to sit idly by and allow another to harm us. But, Jeni, you must know we chose you for a reason. My father needs you. Your sisters need you. Our story does not end here, and yours will not end in the back of that man’s car. If you had stayed calm,” she said condescendingly, “and used your gifts to see, truly see, you would know this already. You were born with a powerful gift. Learn to use it.”

“How?” There were no manuals for this, and the Seers weren’t giving me much help.

“Trust yourself.”

“Easier said than done.” My entire life I’d thought the road looked a certain way. Now everything felt upended and chaotic. Nothing in this dark new world was what it seemed.

“You need to try,” said Ariadna. “Your role in all this is very important to us. You do understand your purpose, yes?” More condescension.

What was her problem with me?

“Yes,” I replied. “I know.” I explained that the goal was for our people to return to the land of the living and to be ruled by our “lord,” Lord King, as it was meant to be three thousand years ago.

But here was the part I didn’t get: The bits and pieces of stories they’d told me in cryptic conversations like these were that he’d been destined to marry a powerful Seer from his time and rule the Minoans until his death. They were meant to have many children, who would help the world as it grew. So if the goal was to set things “right” again, then how did they plan a do-over for King? He would never love anyone but Mia.

“King’s betrothed was Hagne,” said Circe. “And, yes, King’s union to her would have united his bloodline with ours three thousand years ago, creating something powerful enough to withstand the threats our kind faced in the future.”

Hagne. Her name was Hagne. “So is that part of the new plan, too?” I hated the thought of King marrying some Seer woman. He loved Mia with everything that he was, and I loved him for it. There was no room for a third woman.

“No. Hagne is paying for her own misdeeds,” Ariadna said. “But that is not your concern, Jeni. You must have faith in your role. Your life will end when it is meant to, and then you will join us at this table for good. In the meantime, be cautious of the man you are about to meet. He is not what you think. He will do everything in his power to pull you away from us.”