Lord King (The King)

“So she was a Seer?”

“No. Once upon a time, there were many groups of people who had powers similar to the Seers. And like my people, most were wiped out as empires sought to conquer new territories. Our bloodline was extinguished by the Romans. You may have heard of them?”

He’d clearly made it out alive. “How old are you exactly?”

“Old enough to know my age is a number I shouldn’t share.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Tends to frighten most.”

I wasn’t most. “If your people were so skilled, why didn’t they know the Romans were going to attack?”

“They caught us off guard. They claimed to be passing through our village in pursuit of some unruly types who’d attacked them. Our elder made the mistake of warning one of the soldiers about his health. He was unwell and would fall ill that night. Little did we know they’d take the kindness as a threat. They thought we were pagans. True by their standards, I guess. In either case, they left. Weeks went by, and then they returned one night, killing everyone except me and my mother, who was injured during our escape. She died the next day.”

How sad. I knew what it was like to lose a parent. “Okay, so, what do you want from me?”

“Before my mother passed, she placed a sort of…curse. On me specifically. I became the insurance policy for our people. I would live on, carrying our knowledge, our skills, and our entire history. I want to finally fulfill her wishes.” He dipped his head. “With you.”

I frowned, my mind attempting to sew the threads of his story together. “Wait. You’re not—”

“I wish to marry you. Impregnate you. Merge our bloodlines. You are the only living Seer. I am the only living person of my people. It makes sense.”

Joke is on him because I’m already preg—wait. Oh no. My pulse accelerated with panic. I didn’t trust this man. He was crazy enough to show up in the middle of the night and basically ask to knock me up. If I said no, what would he do? If he found out I already had a baby inside me, would he hurt it?

I buckled down and buried my feelings. I didn’t know this guy, but from the little I’d seen, he wasn’t without powers. I didn’t want him getting inside my head or sensing I had something to protect.

“I’m sorry,” I flashed a smile through the glass, “but while that is one mighty fine offer, I’m not interested. I also don’t see what this has to do with King.” He’d gotten me to listen by telling me King was in danger—not likely.

“A man such as myself doesn’t get this age without knowing how the game’s played, Jeni.”

“What game?” I frowned.

“You have something I want. And I always get what I want.”

“Sorry to disappoint you but—”

“I am the danger to King. Agree to my terms, and I’ll spare his life. It’s that simple.” He added, “Or I kill him and lock you up until you change your mind. Which you will.”

I stepped back. “How can you be so sure—”

He tapped the side of his head. “In my clan, males and females carry the gene. I see you, Jeni, with a swollen stomach. I see you giving birth.”

He might have the gift of sight, but he was seeing me carrying King’s baby. Not his. “You need to leave now.” I closed the curtains, my heart racing all over the place.

“King’s about to confront a woman named Sage. She’s very powerful, but he’ll probably manage to execute her anyway. Then he’ll begin tracking the final Ten Club member. When he comes for me, Jeni, I’ll kill him. Unless you agree to my terms.”

Ansin was the third Ten Club member? But King’d said the man was old and…

Oh. I guess King was right. King probably wasn’t aware that the guy’d had a makeover. Ansin didn’t look a day over thirty, not that I’d actually seen his face yet. Just shadows and shapes.

As for King dying, it was what he wanted. The sooner the better. He had no interest in serving as Lord King to my people, even if it was the only way to undo the damage he’d left behind by forming Ten Club.

The problem for me was that I didn’t want to lose King. I wasn’t ready. Yet, because of my love for him, I also wanted his suffering to end. I was caught in an impossible situation.

“I’ll leave my business card on the table out here. I’ll expect your answer in two days’ time. And, Jeni? I foresee you saying yes to my terms. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come and made the offer. You will agree to be my wife. You will be happy. And you Seers will get to keep your King and put him under your thumb like you’ve always wanted. That’s what I see, and I’ve never been wrong. Not in two thousand years.”