The King's Obsession ✔️

SIXTEEN

Word Count: 1319

~Akara

A hand on my shoulder jostles me, pulling me out of blissful unconsciousness.

"Akara. Wake up." It's Tai's voice.

For a moment, I'm transported back, to when him and I shared a bed, when I loved him with everything in me, and there was nothing in our relationship to hide from each other. And then cold, painful reality seeps back into me, and my eyes flutter open, seeing his emerald ones looking down at me.

"What's going on?" I growl, sitting up. Marek is no longer lying asleep behind me, although it's can't be too late in the morning, watery sunlight only just starting to peek through the curtains.

"I brought you something," Tai murmurs.

He steps back, revealing a person standing in the middle of the living room, looking stunned and mortified. The have dark hair and eyes, and can't be very far into their adult years. Whoever they are, it's clear Tai either manipulated them into being here, or is threatening them.

"Who is this?" I ask warily.

"Not sure, but they are a Summoner." He approaches the man, who flinches away, obviously terrified of him. Tai did something terrible, I just know it.

"What?" I seethe.

He doesn't exactly look like Marek, no silvery marking in sight, but I have to remember that Marek isn't like all Summoner's. He's more akin to Elan, who was killed by Evolet what feels like forever ago.

"Please don't-"

The man's plea's are cut off, as Tai slams something into the back of his head, and he falls to the ground.

Yelping, I lurch back, just as the front door opens, and Marek walks in, a bag in his hand. He takes in the sight of the body slumped on the ground, my horrified expression, and the bottle in Tai's hand.

"Tai...What's going on?" he questions calmly, dropping his bag near the door, stalking in.

"I knocked him unconscious, obviously," Tai mutters, nudging the man to ensure that his hit was strong enough. My heart is pounding in my chest. I've never seen Tai use such violence like that before, with such ease. Whether he is trying to save me or not, he's dragged an innocent into this with no care at all.

"Why do you have an unconscious Summoner?" Marek demands, bending down to check the pulse of the poor man.

"Summoners are not in abundance around here, so he wasn't easy to track down," Tai grumbles, falling down onto the couch casually. He makes it sound like we should be thanking him for going out of his way to find one.

Marek grits his teeth. "That doesn't answer my question."

"He works around here, at the local bar...Lucky I caught him," Tai exclaims. He must have truly lost his mind, because this is not like him. This conflict between him and Vaia must be what has tipped over into the edge of insanity, making him act on what he once lied to cover up.

"Tai!" I reprimand.

"I brought him here for you to kill, of course," Tai explains, approaching me. I step back, afraid of what he will do if he gets much closer, afraid that he may try to force me more than what he is already doing. "It will save your life."

"No...No, I said I wasn't going to kill anyone," I remind him frantically. I've already killed a Tani, but even had I not, I would not chose to kill anyone willing. I can't possibly put my life above someone else's like that, when I should have died in that river.