Page 95 of King of Knights

“Silence,” he barks at me. “You were given a prophecy. You were offered something unnatural in return for something unnatural. I want to know who gave you this erroneous prophecy,” he snarls.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Let me be a little more clear,” he growls, grabbing my hair and tugging my head back.

He looks down at me with those cold blue eyes as one of the hooded guys holds the blade against my skin, sending a chill down my spine as the cool blade bites at my flesh. This bishop is insane. He’s the one who’s unnatural. His face has clouded over and looks dark and eerie.

“A woman came to you and told you that you could keep your bond with those abominations. It was a lie,” he snarls in my face, spit flying and landing on my lip. Fucking gross.

He then continues while scowling down at me. “There will be a child born but not to aid you. I want that child and its mother.

“She has alluded my hunters and time is running out. Where is she? Where are your daughters?”

“I don’t know. I came to you because I don’t know,” I say.

“But you do know who helped you create those atrocities. Tell me who she was,” he snarls.

I think this over. I didn’t get to know my other girls, but I raised Ray. I’m not going to throw her to the wolves.

If I give him any information about her mother or the woman who led me to her, I could be placing all four of my girls in danger. I make the decision to act as if I know nothing. This guy is going to kill me anyway, and if he doesn’t, those genies who sent me here will.

The bishop laughs maniacally. “Oh, you think I need you to speak to get answers?”

With that, he palms my entire face in his hand. My eyes roll back and my face warms from his touch. I feel him reaching into my thoughts.

I fight to keep him out, but the battle is short and fleeting. It feels like I’m being rammed into by a truck. I go limp and black out.

* * *

Bishop

I step rightinto the time I’m looking for. Before me stands one of those fucking sirens. I thought I killed them all. This one should have died in the tomb I burned her in.

She leads Ricci into an apartment. I growl as another siren steps from one of the rooms. The idiot is salivating to get his hands on her.

I remember when we burned the village she was hiding in. Shape-shifting bitches. There’s a reason Tanri keeps them as pets. They do his bidding in any form they are needed in.

This one has dark brown, silky, smooth-looking skin that looks as if she has bathed in gold every morning since her creation. Her dark locks are brushed back away from her face and fixed in a braid that falls down her back.

Her perky breasts and thick, childbearing hips would entice any fool into her bed. Ricci didn’t stand a chance. Even if they didn’t promise him a way to continue to hold those abominations in service to him, he would have fallen into her bed.

Moving forward in time, I find Ricci watching as the siren gives birth. My eyes widen and anger fills me as I count three babies crying as the siren pushes forth another.

“Remember, give them masculine names. You must prevent anyone from turning attention to what you have done,” the other siren warns.

“My mother’s name was Ann. Will Ray Ann, Charlie Ann, Taylor Ann, and Billy Ann work?” Ricci says as he smiles down at the child in his arms.

“Yes, but you will call them Ray, Charlie, Taylor, and Billy. That is a must.”

“And Candido?”

“Yes?” He looks up from the baby to the siren, looking like a lost puppy.

“You cannot raise them all together. Pick one. We will find a home for the others.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“You cannot raise them together. They cannot know about each other. Not yet.”

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