Page 32 of Fated to the Wicked King

I pushed the door open before I could stop myself. “What did you—? You just—” The words burst out of me, my voice shaking as I stepped into the room. “How could you do that?” My eyes dropped to the body on the floor before snapping back to him. “He was begging for his life.”

“What of it?”

My jaw dropped. “What of it?” I echoed mockingly. “How many people have you already sent to their deaths since I have been here? Most of them have done nothing to you. You really will kill all the innocent people around you until there is no one left, won’t you?”

“Innocent?” he scoffed. “That man was not innocent.”

This powerful, menacing man standing before me—the ruthless calm in his voice, the grisly heaps of flesh at his feet—clashed violently with every memory I still carried. Clashed with the vivid recollection of what had so very recently happened between us. Clashed with the tiniest spark of hope in my soul.

My stomach turned again. The king wasn’t under some spell. He had willingly chosen violence at every turn. He was incredibly in control of all his faculties.

And I was an idiot.

I almost choked on the words. “You really are a monster.”

His grin was all too self-assured. “I’m entirely confused as to how you thought otherwise. I’m an assassin. I know nothing else. And it is not up to you to decide how criminals are punished in my kingdom. I am the king.”

That statement stabbed my chest.

“But I thought you were…”

His eyebrow rose. “You thought what?”

I bit my lip before I blurted out my foolish thoughts. Heaving, I couldn’t help asking, “What about last night?”

My stomach turned at the tilt of amusement on his lips.

Shifting on his feet, he offered a sickeningly arrogant smile. “I only thought you needed a bit of release. I suspected that you hadn’t been touched since I left you. Or was my assumption incorrect?”

I clenched my jaw. “Your assumption is irrelevant.”

He waved a hand carelessly. “Your aura was getting weaker by the day. I could tell you hadn’t been sleeping or eating. What use would you be to me if you were not in proper health?”

The notion stole my breath.

The Wicked King had manipulated me into eating and sleeping. I supposed I would have been truly useless as a tool if I were exhausted and starving.

My cheeks flamed. I had let myself be completely fooled. How could I have even thought that there might be redemption for the Wicked King? Had my presence here not even made any impact whatsoever?

My expression soured. “Have you still been sending the prisoners to their deaths?”

He folded his arms across his chest. “That is none of your business.”

“None of my business?” I cried out. “It would have been none of my business if you hadn’t summoned me and forced me to interrogate prisoners for days. I would have been perfectly happy to stay out of it.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my fingers. “I-I’m not doing this anymore. I want to leave.”

His eyes narrowed. “You agreed to our bargain.”

I threw up my hands. “Well, I think I have held up my end well enough. I’m not going to help you turn even more innocent people into dead bodies while I wait for my recompense. I no longer care about getting anything from you. I’m leaving. Right now.”

“You cannot.”

With burning indignation, I turned to meet his gaze, emphasizing my words. “You don’t own me.” I couldn’t stand there for another second. I turned sharply and ran.

“Allie, stop.”

My boots struck the stone floor hard, echoing down the corridor as I fled the chamber. I didn’t look back. I didn’t want to see his face again—didn’t want to see the cold indifference that had replaced the man I knew.

My heart pounded violently in my chest as I rushed through the dark hallways.