Page 30 of Taken By the Devilish King

I've seen him first hand use his power to influence and sway people. To conceal his true nature. To put me to sleep. How can I know that's not part of his plan too? Me falling—me feeling so much for him?

Triannis takes me behind the partition where I find not just any kind of dresses, but ones by my favorite designer, Vera Wang.

Agh, Ayla. How can you still think he's tricking you?

Look at all he's done for me. All he's given me. Granted I wouldn't need all these things if he hadn't abducted me, but that's the way Vyperians express their love. And all the other ways Lofy has used. Like the food, the massages, the touching, tail-fucking.

If he was manipulating me, wouldn't I have witnessed it? He had been so exhausted after the first day of shooting on Earth. Surely, if he'd been using me I would have seen that exhausted side of him eventually. He could have been influencing me all this time, but he'd given me time, he'd given me gifts, he'd taken me back when he didn't need to.

"I hope my brother has done enough to acquire an affirmative response from you, Ms. Kyle," Cilo says, taking me out of my self-induced torment.

"Are you reading my mind, Cilo?" I peek at him from behind the partition as if it can protect me from his empathic reach.

"It's impossible not to."

"Well, I haven't decided yet."

He nods.

"Your little trip has put him in a very precarious position. I would hate to see what would happen if you rejected his proposal."

I sigh and hide behind the partition again.

"I thought no one had found out."

"Nothing stays secret in Vyperion and King Atraxius has his spies everywhere. Breaking your isolation and taking you back to Earth has caused quite the stir in both countries. No one has done that in centuries, millennia I dare say."

I close my eyes and rest my head on the partition behind me.

I knew what he'd done would put him in a difficult position but upon our return he had reassured me no one had found out. Why would he lie to me if he could influence my mind? Why would he care?

That's because he does. He admitted his feelings from day one. He hasn't lied to me once. He hasn't held the truth from me no matter what.

"How bad is it?" I ask Cilo and decide to step out of the partition just as naked as I was when I stepped behind it.

I walked toward the little prince.

"Well, Atraxius wants his head. His country wants him to abdicate so their king can rule us better and the people of Leviathar aren't sure of his commitment to their safety. How does that sound?"

I offer my hand to him and squeeze it tight.

"That sounds terrible."

He gestures toward the door and I follow him out of the room. I step out of my own accord for the first time since Lofy put me to sleep to sneak me out last time and am immediately overwhelmed by the sight.

We are standing at the end of a long bridge with big arches in intervals. The view outside the arches and up above where there is no ceiling, is majestic. Birds that look like tiny dragons fly ahead, and pink clouds decorate the light purple sky. Several miles below is a glistening river, orbs of lights swimming underneath toward the purple ocean far ahead. The air is chilly but I'm not cold.

"This is Vyperion, your Highness." Cilo extends his arm and waits until I hook mine around his before we move down the bridge.

"It's beautiful," I tell him.

"Will you choose to make it your home? That is the question of the day."

I bite the inside of my cheek.

"Leaving my own planet and life behind is a big decision, Cilo."

He nods.

---