Page 68 of Ocean of Silver

He smiled. “That I do. As do I with your skills yielding a blade. I will let Tennebris rule for a while. Let them think that they won. Together our Kingdoms will unite our forces so that we can finally claim Earth. It is time we accept our fate on this planet and make our presence known. Then, once things have settled and we claim Earth and rule over the pathetic mortals, we will take Tennebris back. We will rule over everything. I won’t only be the King of Lux, but the King of this planet. The Kingdom of all the species. Once Tennebris is weakened after battling the mortals, that is when you will attack with your army.”

“I won’t help you. I won’t bring my army to attack innocents.”

He looked me in the eye, a smugness to his glare, as he said, “I’m afraid, son, that you don’t have a choice. This is an order.”

The King smirked as he sauntered out of the council room, leaving me to dwell on everything that he had revealed. This was a fucking disaster. I figured out his plans a while ago. I had a hunch that he wanted to take over the humans, but to hear him speak them out loud, to have him confirm them. I swallowed. Everything was banking on Sie being dead or imprisoned. They needed him off the throne in order to have the power from both Kingdoms to attack the mortals, and I planned to keep him on it.

I just prayed that he wouldn’t act with his cock and could see through what was about to unfold… I would be forced to publicly seduce Scottie one way or another, and Sie would be forced to watch.

TWENTY-SIX

SCOTLIND

Tezya came backto the gym just as I finished my run. It was becoming easier. I could run faster and for longer. I started to enjoy the pounding in my ears and the racing of my heart with each step I took.

“What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk,” he swallowed hard, and I watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat.

“Okay,” I said as I descended the stairs towards him.

“It’s about the upcoming meeting with Tennebris.” He looked at me, and I didn’t know what to say as I held my breath, waiting for him to finish. “Do you remember when I told you the King wanted to use you to get Sie off the throne?” I nodded. “Well, I just found out how. He gave us orders for the meeting. He gave usrolesto play.”

“He wants me to be with Sie?”

Tezya paused for a long moment that I wasn’t sure if he was going to answer. “No,” he finally said. “He wants you to be withme. He wants me to seduce you in front of Sie. He wants us to make him jealous.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. That was so much worse than I thought. Tezya’s thick brows furrowed as he assessed me.

“I’m sorry, Rumor,” he said, his voice softer. “The King threatened to put you back in the dungeons if you disobeyed.”

The word seduce kept ringing through my ears. I didn’t know what that meant for us, what we’d have to do…

“We don’t have a choice,” Tezya added, sensing my unease. “If we don’t willingly agree, Athler, the King’s second, will force us onto each other, and it will be so much worse.”

I tried to slow my breathing. I knew things were too good to be true. I knew it was only a matter of time before the King tried something. “Force us how?”

“Do you remember reading about your father’s ability?” I nodded. “Well, Athler has the same power. He can alter our hormones, making it impossible for us to keep our hands off each other. Knowing him, it would probably be equivalent to us fucking in public.”

“He would really do that? For what purpose?”

“They want Sie to commit treason and they think he will if he sees you with me. They’re hoping he will get jealous or pissed off and act upon those feelings.”

“That’s stupid. I told you it wasn’t like that between us.” My voice was soft, not confident. I wasn’t sure if I even believed what I was saying.

“Let’s pray you’re right. Do not be alone with him, Scotlind. It’s the first time you two are seeing each other since he sent you away. He probably will want to speak with you, especially once he sees us together, but you can’t let him. This meeting is only a test. They want to gauge if he still has feelings for you. It’s important that you don’t give anyone any ideas that you two still care for each other.”

“We don’t,” I interrupted. “Sie’s engaged to someone else. He doesn’t have feelings for me anymore.”

“Rumor. Sie still has feelings for you, trust me. And you and I won’t have a choice with how they want us to act, but maybe if Sie doesn’t show interest in you, this idea will blow over.”

“And if he does?”

He blew out a breath. “If he does, whatever we are forced to do at this meeting will be nothing compared to what they’ll make us do during his coronation.”

“When does he come?” I asked.

“By the end of the week.”

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