Page 161 of Death Game: Supernatural Battle

Dierdre wasn’t getting any of this back.

“The first time we met,” Julius broke the silence, “I asked you why you returned to my son’s tower. You saidto win the game.”

…Yeah.

“My arrogance allowed you to get so far. That was a good lesson for me.” He regarded me through those predator’s blue eyes, but there was a glimmer I wasn’t used to seeing. “You played your hand well.”

I wasn’t even sure I liked this guy and the praise still felt good. Guess not growing up with parents would do that to a gal.

“I have two questions,” he said.

… Were they rhetorical?

The king crossed an ankle over his knee, glancing at his pants in annoyance. I’d only seen him wear a sarong in the confines of his own home. Guess he liked the freedom.

Which was a pretty gross thought, really.

He watched me closely. “When you gave up my family to Mikael in exchange for your friend’s life, did you intend to give us all your Bluff City assets?”

Nope. “At that point, I still intended to win the game.”

The answer drew a smile to his lips out of all things. “What changed your mind?”

A lot. “I didn’t wish to spend my life that way.” I wanted to spend it with Kyros, pursuing the things I found important before the crazy explosion of my life.

The king studied my face as I took another mouthful of cheese pizza.Holy shitballs, this was so fucking amazing. Though maybe I shouldn’t eat too much. I’d have to put in some serious training to regain my ability to eat a full pizza.

“If you were older than twenty-five, I’d call that wisdom,” he said.

King Julius could call it whatever he wanted. I wasn’t a normal twenty-two-year-old because I wasn’t a normal nine-year-old. I wasn’t raised in an everyday world.

“Then again,” he said, voice softening. “Grief does that to us.”

It was eerie how well he could read people—it couldn’t just be me.

“Another question,” he declared, making me jump.

My stomach churned.Ugh,too much pizza.

Dammit.

“You bought my son from me,” the king said, his eyes narrowing. “Why?”

“To be clear, I don’t see what I did as owning him,” I answered. “I see it as ensuring his freedom.”

“You own my son.” He lifted a shoulder. “In my day, we sold people all the time.”

That… really hadn’t changed in Vissimo culture from what I could tell.

But crap.

His question required an answer that could offend him. This was the obstacle that prevented any real relationship forming between us.

“I don’t like the way you treat Kyros like dirt,” I said, opting for the truth.

He grinned, and I ground my teeth.

“Put your claws away,” the king said. “Your past actions warrant that I offer you an explanation.”

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