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“If it does, Phantom won’t mind. Will you son?” The king dares me with his eyes, even while he speaks to the man I love.
“Whatever my king wants,” Phantom says, his response almost robotic.
It takes everything in me not to punch the Shadow King right in the face. “Why exactly do you want to marry me?” My question drips with anger.
He smirks. “You know why. The prophecy of course.” And then he takes another sip of his gross wine-stuff. “After the final battle, before I enslave your world and your men, we will wed, and all will be as prophesied by the shadows.”
“You’re going to bring me to the battle?” And I hate that even I hear the hope in my voice. Because that’s what I’m focusing on, getting free and getting somewhere I can help my men, not the whole end of my world and the people I love thing.
He laughs. “So, you can use your powers against me? No. But after everything is set into place and your powers can only be used to help me? Yes.”
Looking at Phantom, I hate that he seems to lack all response. All awareness that everything the king seems to be planning relies on Phantom being dead.
How is it that Phantom can’t see it?The king clearly has no intention of sharing power with anyone and that means Phantom isn’t safe.Could that shard in his heart really stop him from even seeing the most basic truth, that the king is using him for something and will throw him away when he’s with him done?
“Well,” the king clears his throat, pushing back from the table. “We shall talk more. Another time.”
I can’t let this happen. I have to do something.
Suddenly, I spring to my feet. “Actually, I can show you my powers, if you like.”
The king slowly lowers back into his chair and gestures for me to go, and I hate that he seems pleased with himself. Like some cat licking its milk.
But I’m going to wipe that look right off of his smug, asshole face.
I smile, then hold out my hands, calling the goddess’s power. My hands begin to glow brighter and brighter, and then as light begins to radiate from them, I point them at the king. He begins to brighten like lava, to turn to ash, just as he had before. It’s so fucking satisfying to watch him dying in front of me, to know this is all about to end, that I’m swelling with happiness.
And then, I’m slammed to the ground.
I try to gasp in a breath, but the heavy body on top of me makes it impossible. Looking up, I see Phantom above me and his face is cold. “Try hurting my king again, and I’ll remove your hands.”
No, Phantom, I’m helping us! I’m saving you!I silently beg him as the need for air builds.
The king speaks. “Release her, son.”
Phantom climbs off of me then offers me his hand as I’m sucking in breaths. I don’t take it, so he grabs my hand and yanks me to my feet far too roughly. Before I even know what’s happening, I’m shoved back into my chair.
“Bastard,” I manage to gasp.
The king laughs, his face slowly returning back to normal until there’s no evidence of my attack. “You, Ann, are powerful but stupid. Doing exactly what I expect of you at all times. It must have been pure luck that it took me this long to capture you at all.”
He pushes back from the table and leaves as if he’s dismissing us. His monkeys follow him in a rush, racing ahead of him to open the doors before he reaches them.
What the fuck just happened?
“You’ll never defeat him, Ann. Save yourself some time and stop trying.”
I look at my Phantom and my heart breaks. “Never.”I’m never giving up on you, no matter how hard it is to see how little of you is left.
“Eventually, you’ll learn,” he says, then stares at the wall, his eyes vacant. “Are you finished eating?”
“Yes.” I push the plate away and watch him for a second, remembering how it was before. Desperately wanting to see something in this man that reminds me of the person I loved so much. “I wonder how Onyx and Dusk are doing.” He’s never asked about them, but it occurs to me that maybe even if I’m not able to bring back the old Phantom, mentioning them might remind him of who he is.Maybe.“Don’t you miss him?”
He shakes his head, shrugs like the time before he came here doesn’t matter. “No.” To Him the answer is simple. To me, it’s heart breaking. “Onyx and Dusk no longer hold value to me. I don’t need their protection. All I desire now is their service.”
I want him to be the man I knew so badly. And my hope is dying. “What about me? Do you still have feelings for me?”
There’s a second of hope when he doesn’t answer automatically, when he tilts his head and studies me. And then he dashes it with, “No.” Followed by another shrug like the words don’t matter. “But I want to see what happens with the prophecy. And I want to see how you might be able to help my king.”
