Page 18 of The Time Of Kings (An Afterlife Story #1)

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FINALISING OUR FUTURE

I was surprised I was able to still speak in my mortal tone at that point, as well as keep the purple flame from my eyes when they homed in on the multiple scars that marred her skin.

“Who hurt you?” I asked in what I knew was a dangerous tone, and one so dark and foreboding that it, no doubt, would scare her.

She closed her eyes as if in a pained way before demanding, “Please let me go.”

A large part of my being didn’t want to grant her this request. However, after what she had been through and no doubt by the hands of a man, I decided not to push her. But this would not be the end of it like she hoped. I needed to know the name of my next victim, for if they were not dead already then …

They soon would be.

“I asked you a question, little thief,” I reminded her after she had moved to the other side of the bed. My question giving her cause to now lower her head in her hands in what I perceived as frustration. This was before she shifted from the bed entirely, walking toward the window. A moment that had me taking action before I could stop myself. For I locked the door with my mind, preventing her leaving me once more.

At the sound of the lock clicking into place, she turned towards me, a questioning look of surprise clear on her face.

I rose from the bed, at the ready to capture her should she even think about attempting another escape, because locking the door wasn’t enough to quench my fears.

“The door… it is locked?” she asked fearfully.

“It is,” I stated, gritting my teeth in response, as I knew what would come next.

“But how?”

“It matters not… now stop evading the question I asked,” I demanded, needing to get her to tell me all I wanted to know. I also needed to get her mind far from what a mortal would deem impossible.

“Oh, but it’s okay for you to evade all my questions, is that right?” she threw back and, unfortunately for me, it was a valid argument. One I promptly ignored in my arrogance to get what I wanted.

“It is simply a matter of importance, and in this, my question takes precedence.”

Her beautiful features said otherwise.

“To you perhaps, but I find my being locked in a room with a man I wish to leave as a serious matter.”

Again, this was another blow for me to receive, and I folded my arms so as to prevent myself from acting on impulse. For all I wished to do was to kiss this foolishness away from her mind. But I decided to fight against her words with logic, pointing out the flaw in that statement made.

“And pray tell me, do you kiss everyone you wish to leave with such unbridled passion?”

“Oh, and you wish to truly know that, do you?” she said, as if taunting me with the protentional knowledge of others she may have kissed before me.

It was clear that she must have detected my jealous and possessive nature and was now using this fact against me to win her argument.

“You purposely provoke me to lead the conversation down the path in which you choose, but I am telling you now that it will not work… now tell me who hurt you and therefore who I need to hunt down and punish for committing such a sin,” I demanded firmly, nodding down at the sleeves she was tugging on. As if trying to hide the evidence of such an attack that would forever be burned on my mind’s eye. However, once more, instead of giving me the information I wanted to know, she turned her saddened gaze back to the window before telling me,

“In that case, you can rest easy, as I can assure you that anyone involved was already punished enough.”

I couldn’t help but scoff at that, as I doubt such a punishment worthy of the crime could have been severe enough for the likes of my murderous judgment. Hence why I gave her a good dose of clarity and insight to my dark thoughts.

“Yes, well unless this punishment you speak of was of the torturous kind, one that ended in a long, painful death, then I believe our version of punished enough is a different concept entirely.”

“Different or not, it is of little matter now.”

I was unable to help myself when growling at this, making her shudder at the sound.

“If you think seeing the evidence of you being hurt is ever to be of little matter to me, then it is a lesson better learned now, before you find my sword imbedded in the chest of anyone foolish enough to think they could ever hurt you and live a single day after,” I told her, letting anger coat my words as just the thought had me wishing I already had someone within my grasp to punish.

Once more, she looked back towards the window, to a reality that included a deadly drop and nothing more than a pane of glass between her and the picturesque countryside. One that offered her the freedom I knew she desperately sought in this moment. Yet the weight of her silence became deafening. Which was why I could take only a moment more of it before I released a sigh and approached her from behind.

Then once I was within reach to take what was mine, I turned her face from that freedom and back to face her future. Cupping her cheek, I let my hand caress her soft skin before taking purchase of her chin, using it to commandeer her gaze once more.

“Is it the reason you came to this place, to escape your troubles?” I asked, purposely softening my tone to one of understanding.

“I think you will find I was brought here against my will, My Lord,” she replied just as softly, despite the bitterness that veiled each word.

“You know my meaning well enough, for I do not speak of the castle,” I replied, frowning down at her acrimonious answer.

“My reasons for coming here are my own,” she replied, denying me once more.

“You do not yet trust me.” The statement was what it was. An unfortunate consequence surrounding the circumstances to her being here now. Of course, after two millennia dreaming of when we would first meet, I had to admit that taking her as my prisoner and keeping her against her will had not exactly been in my plans.

“Is that really a question? Coming from the man who even now keeps me as his prisoner behind a locked door?” she said as if reading my thoughts and using them against me. Then as if making her point, she looked to her only means of escape and I couldn’t help but release a frustrated sigh. As she was not wrong in her argument. For how could I ever expect her to trust me, her captor and someone she would deem as nothing more than the one stripping away her freedom? But it wasn’t just her freedom, was it? No, it was… taking away her choice to leave me.

A bitterness washed over my entire being at this, causing me to react as such.

“And if I did not, what then? For I think we already tested what would happen should I give you such freedom to leave,” I told her, which even to my own ears was a weak response born from selfish need and fear.

“Then I see we are at an impasse, for I do not trust you enough with tales of my past, just as you do not trust me with my intentions to leave.” Well, she had me there, for it was like she said, we were certainly at an impasse, and one I knew I would have to work hard on breaking down.

“And if you had the choice, what would you do?” I asked, testing my theory, and her face said it all… she would run from me at the first chance presented to her.

“And right there in your beautiful eyes, I have my answer.”

“So that’s it? Just like that, I become your captive?”

I had to confess, the possessive bastard in me couldn’t help but grin at the thought of keeping her as my prisoner. This despite the guilt that somewhat muddied the fantasy. And therefore, I knew exactly what hand of cards I would play next… that of the King.

“I think you are forgetting, little thief, that I am still Lord of these lands…”

“Not likely to forget,” she muttered, and with just a look she backed down and let me continue.

“…And with that comes the responsibility to punish those that commit crimes.”

The moment her delightful (and it had to be noted, talented little mouth) dropped in shock, I had to mask my grin. Especially when she started to argue.

“But I didn’t do any…!”

At this I got closer to her face and made the rest of my point.

“You broke into another’s home, treated it like your own, and when my men came to retrieve you so as you may be questioned, you tried to evade capture by having whoever you travelled with lead my men away.”

At hearing this, anger overtook her features and even then, in height of her outrage, she looked glorious.

“And what about the goons who dragged me here in their place!?” she snapped, and I swear she was seconds away from stomping her foot like a petulant child. I nearly laughed but thankfully my wits remained in good strength, and enough to keep me from voicing my humour.

“Goons?” I questioned, focusing less on my amusement and back on what she had called the men that took her, for I had never heard the word before.

“Vagabonds, ruffians, vagrants, louts…I don’t know, whatever you want to call the arseholes that took me!” she shouted, and I couldn’t help but laugh this time in my shock, as upon my word, she was very forthright in her manner. Which was why I couldn’t help myself when commenting on such.

“Upon my word, you do have a colourful vocabulary.”

“Ha! Yes, well, I had an even more colourful one for them when they were manhandling me and tossing me over a damn horse!”

At this I lost my humour instantly.

“Yes, well those ‘goons’ in which you call them, will be dealt with soon enough, for I didn’t give anyone leave to touch you in such a manner.” Just the thought of it made me grit my teeth and clench my fists.

“And this coming from someone who is also convinced I am a criminal? Tell me, Lord Draven, do you handle all your prisoners with such care?” she pushed, and it was enough for me to give in to my desires, as I quickly grabbed her to me and decided to add action to my words. First by threading my fingers through her beautiful hair before tightening it possessively. Still taking care not to pull too tightly and hurt her.

“Only delectable, unruly, little blonde thieves I wish to imprison in my bedchamber,” I replied with a heated growl of words, and this was when she astonished me. For instead of acting outraged at such brutish behaviour displayed, she decided to take this moment to tease me further and therefore goading me to do more.

“Deal with many of those in these parts, do you?”

The grin she received was only the first part of my answer.

“Only one that I wish to tie to my bed and interrogate for hours,” I admitted, and instantly I heard her heartrate increase its beat. I could scent the maddening proof that my words had taken the desired effect I had hoped for. However, just before I was able to prove such with my kiss, there was a knock on the door.

“My Lord?”

“I told you that I do not wish to be disturbed!” I barked like some wild beast in fear of having my prey taken from me.

“I know, My Lord, but I merely wished to inform you that your guests have started to arrive for tonight’s ball.” The ball… damn! But I had almost forgotten it entirely as well as all the guests that would be calling this castle home for the eve.

“Very well, I will be there shortly, for I have something far more important to do here first,” I replied without taking my eyes off my mouthwatering prisoner.

“Of course, My Lord.”

“Oh, and, Jacobs …”

“Yes, My Lord?” my steward replied, awaiting my next order, one I gave him at the same time as I teased the frill of material at her deliciously low neckline through my fingers.

“Have one of the maids bring a selection of my sister’s dresses to my room.”

“Miss Sophia’s dresses, My Lord?”

I watched as my Chosen One’s eyes widened.

“Yes, for tonight…” I paused and held her gaze, doing so by force with my thumb at her chin. This so as I could see her reaction for myself when I made my declaration to another about what the future held for her.

For this was the beginning of our Eternity.

One she would have no choice but to accept when I said…

“…I have my new betrothed to announce to the world.”