The King's Obsession ✔️

FOURTEEN

Word Count: 1711

~Akara

I gape at him, waiting for him to tell me he's joking.

But it never comes.

"Then I die," I decide. There is no way I can take another life to save my own, not when I put myself in a position for Vaia to plunge me into the river. The onus is on me, and I should never have survived the river in the first place, and if it wasn't for Tai's cure, I wouldn't have anyway.

The decision seems easy. I can't possibly go through with this, no matter what anyone says.

But then there is the small reality in the back of my mind that haunts me. The Snow Demon. No, surely that does not count. I have to hold onto the belief that Tai is wrong, that killing a Tani isn't actually a part of saving my life. I refuse to bring this up to him, in case he kills me himself, thinking I'm going to become a monster right before his eyes.

"Uh ah, I'm not letting that happen." Tai looks shocked, like he can't see why I would even say that. Does he not know me at all anymore?

"Tai, whatever you think is between us, it's gone," I tell him firmly. He can't keep thinking he needs to protect me, or that he has any kind of authority over me. "You lied to me. You spiked my drink, you withheld information and now you expect me to kill someone?"

"I saved your life...Akara, you would be dead if it weren't for the cure," he reminds me. He takes a step back, noticing the way his tone is rising.

"She could have lived..." Nakoa says, although we all know it was unlikely.

"Akara may be special in her own right, but not special enough for the incredibly low percentage chance of becoming a Tani," Tai responds. Nakoa scrunches her nose up, holding herself back from retorting back viciously. "And if you did, you would be turning into who knows what. I'm giving you a choice."

I rest my palm against my forehead. "Choice? There's no good choice."

"Becoming a Summoner wouldn't be so bad. They are human looking, they have powers that are only used when desired..." He says with a shrug.

My eyes narrow automatically. He's told me multiple times that because Marek is a Summoner, he can't be trusted, and that he's dangerous. Now, all of a sudden, Summoner's a good, and I should have no issue becoming one.

"I'm not becoming a Summoner," I growl.

Tai tilts his head, a challenge glimmering in his eyes. "Why? You like Marek so much..."

"Don't pretend like you know anything." I'm angry now. I'm angry that after everything that he has done, he thinks he can tell me what to do. It's not as if I believe he doesn't care about me anymore, because I know he does. But I'm not in the headspace to hear it right now.

"You lied to me too, Akara. You acted as though you weren't in love with Marek, that you weren't convening in private with him," Tai exclaims, motioning wildly toward the door which Marek stands behind. "We are the same."

Inhaling sharply, I refuse to let my expression betray me. Part of me knows he's right, but our lies are hardly comparable.

I cannot let him manipulate me.

"Marek doesn't murder without reason," I remind him. He could, if he wanted to. I've seen first hand his magical abilities. He could kill without anyone tracing it back to him, but I've never known him to be like that. In fact, I've never known him to be irrational, or to act on impulse, especially when it isn't right.

Tai clenches his jaw. "I kill one person and suddenly I'm mud in your eyes."

Zavian grabs my arm, interrupting all the thoughts I was moments away from launching at Tai.