The Dark Prince (The Dark Light Series)(84)
Stavros blinks rapidly, his gaze heating with rage. I can literally feel the inferno brewing under his impassive guise. I’ve hit a nerve. Just as I think he is about to unleash his darkness on all of downtown Colorado Springs, he smiles. “Gabriella, you slay me,” he remarks, obviously amused. “Judging by your most recent show of devotion, I’d say he has most certainly earned your trust.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
The Dark King reaches towards my right hand and I quickly pull it back, refusing to let him touch me. He smirks and cuts his eyes at me. “I won’t hurt you, Gabriella. I don’t like repeating myself. I was referring to your tattoo. You let him mark you.”
Reflexively, I rub the tiny blue anchor and hold it close to my chest. “Yeah, so what?”
Again, Stavros flashes his dazzling, heart-stopping smile. “Maybe I’ve underestimated my son. Maybe he is living up to his potential.” He makes a bemused face at the notion and shakes his head. “Moving on. I’ve come to inform you that I have lifted the order. Dorian is no longer obligated to kill you.”
What?! “You have?”
Stavros nods. “Yes. I want your allegiance more than anything I have ever wanted to acquire, I must admit. But I want it sincerely. You will be free to choose.”
“Seriously?” I shriek, failing to mute the sheer elation in my voice. “And you won’t kill Dorian for failing to assassinate me?”
“No. I don’t relish the idea of murdering my own son, Gabriella,” he replies with an edge to his voice. Remorse flashes in his eyes. Maybe the Dark King isn’t as monstrous as I initially thought.
I take a deep breath and ask the question that has been gnawing at me since we sat. “And if I choose the Light? Then what?” I whisper.
Stavros shrugs nonchalantly as if he is bored with the notion. “Then I suppose that we will belong to opposing forces. You must know what that will mean for you and Dorian. How that will affect your relationship. Especially now that you are marked.”
I digest his words but refuse to give anything away. “Thank you, Stavros. I really do mean that.”
“It is my pleasure, Gabriella. Also, I am aware that there is murderer on the loose. I can assure that I have nothing to do with it and would like to provide a bit more protection for you. My son is efficient enough but I don’t want to be careless with your life while you are still so vulnerable.”
“Is that right?” I ask unconvinced. “And what’s in it for you?”
“Nothing at all,” Stavros replies. “I only want to keep you safe. Being that you are half Dark and I am king, it is my duty to ensure that my people are taken care of. Now shall we head back?” he says, suddenly standing, again extending the crook of his arm. “I know my son will be anxious to see you.”
I stand and exhale with relief, appeasing the Dark King by linking my arm through his, careful to avoid contact with his skin. “Yes, please.”
“Ah, Gabriella. You are quite a gem. Your essence is simply hypnotic. How does my son resist you?”
I let myself smile genuinely for a beat. “He doesn’t. I let him…breathe me… sometimes.”
“Oh? Interesting,” he remarks as we make our way down the shopping district.
“Can I ask you a question?” I say, finally deciding to bite the bullet. When Stavros nods, I continue. “You came and helped Tammy. You reversed the petrification. Why?”
The king cocks his head to one side, just like his son does when he is lost in deliberations. “Because it needed to be done. She needed help.”
“But…why? Considering what you are? Why risk it for a human? There’s got to be something in it for you.”
“We are not demons, Gabriella. I see the Light influence has already poisoned your mind. They, too, could have intervened and done the very same thing. Yet, where were they? Where have they been the last twenty years?”
He stops walking and turns to me, regarding me intensely. It is the first unguarded show of emotion he’s allowed me to witness. “We’ve been there, Gabriella. The entire time. Through every fight, every disappointment, every night you stumbled home in a drunken stupor, we were there. We’ve protected you when the Light chose to abandon you, and we protect you now. They see you as an abomination. We see you as the goddess that you were meant to be.”
His earnest admission stops me up short. His words seem so sincere; have I been wrong about the Dark all along? Are the Light truly as self-righteous as Dorian believes?
“Then why did you want to kill me?” I whisper. I clear my throat, hoping to appear more aloof. “And why would they ignore me all these years if they are hoping I would help them?”