to my front door, he kissed me one more time—slowly. Then, touching my lips with his fingertips, he told me that was our last kiss.
I agreed and watched him disappear down the stairwell.
Life sure was complicated.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
There was a knock just after seven the next morning. Leif wasn’t due until ten, but, excited to see him, I raced to let him in.
The smile slid from my face the moment I opened the door. It wasn’t Leif, it was his father. The mighty King of Telophy loomed above me—powerful, majestic and terrifying. Ice spiked through my veins, freezing me in place.
‘Marla,’ he said, without a trace of warmth.
The sound of his voice dragged me back to the last time I’d seen him and my mind became a cacophony of terrible memories—his rage, the threats, the wildness in his dark eyes and, oh, that kiss! I was overcome with a strange fogginess and had to concentrate hard to stop myself from sinking to my knees.
He smiled then—or sneered, it was hard to tell—before striding right past me.
I followed him into the living room, my heart crashing against my ribs. My father looked up from his newspaper and quickly stood when he saw the king. ‘Who are you?’ Dad demanded, eyebrows furrowed.
King Telophy glanced in his direction before turning back to me. ‘If there is anything you need, Marla, get it now.’
Dad took a step closer to the king. ‘Now wait just a minute,’ he said. In that same instant Ashleigh appeared in the hallway—all drowsy eyes and bed hair. She stopped, her eyes flicking between us. I had a moment to be grateful that Mum liked to sleep in on the weekends.
‘This is Leif’s father,’ I managed to choke out, ‘King Telophy.’ I attempted to pull my dad away from him.
‘What do you want?’ Dad asked, shooting daggers at the king and staying right where he was. Fear for my father took hold of me. For my whole life—even in his weakest moments—I’d thought of him as tall and strong. But at sixty-two he appeared a fragile old man next to the fearsome king.
Thankfully, King Telophy ignored both Dad and my gawking sister. ‘Make yourself ready immediately, Marla, unless you wish me to pick you up and take you as you are.’
Dad pulled me behind him. ‘You can’t speak to my daughter like that!’
The look King Telophy shot my father pierced my soul with terror. I wriggled from behind my father, moved between the two men and caught the king’s eyes. ‘Please, don’t hurt my dad,’ I whispered.
‘I have no interest in this human,’ he replied scornfully then told me yet again to make haste.
Dad moved to stand in front of me again. ‘You’re not taking my daughter anywhere!’
King Telophy captured my father’s eyes. Immediately Dad turned a deathly shade of pale before collapsing to the floor.
I cried out and dropped to his side, shaking him, crying for him to wake up. Ashleigh was right there with me. ‘What have you done to him?’ she shrieked at the king.
‘I am losing my patience, Marla,’ he said, ignoring her.
‘I don’t need anything! Just make him wake up! Please! ’ The sight of my father crumpled on the floor, pale and still, twisted my heart. I crawled to the king’s feet, folding my hands together as I turned my face up to him. ‘Please, Majesty,’ I begged. From my knees, he looked a million miles away. He watched me for amoment then turned his eyes to my father. Instantly, the colour began to return to his face.
When she saw Dad recovering, Ashleigh turned on the king. Using every four-letter word in her vocabulary, she told him exactly what she thought of him. He silenced her with a cold stare and probably some of his power. I crawled to where my father lay and put my arm across his chest. ‘Dad, I have to go. Please don’t get up till I’m gone.’
But my father was already struggling to rise, turning to King Telophy, his expression furious. Before he could even utter a sound he was falling again. The king picked me
I agreed and watched him disappear down the stairwell.
Life sure was complicated.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
There was a knock just after seven the next morning. Leif wasn’t due until ten, but, excited to see him, I raced to let him in.
The smile slid from my face the moment I opened the door. It wasn’t Leif, it was his father. The mighty King of Telophy loomed above me—powerful, majestic and terrifying. Ice spiked through my veins, freezing me in place.
‘Marla,’ he said, without a trace of warmth.
The sound of his voice dragged me back to the last time I’d seen him and my mind became a cacophony of terrible memories—his rage, the threats, the wildness in his dark eyes and, oh, that kiss! I was overcome with a strange fogginess and had to concentrate hard to stop myself from sinking to my knees.
He smiled then—or sneered, it was hard to tell—before striding right past me.
I followed him into the living room, my heart crashing against my ribs. My father looked up from his newspaper and quickly stood when he saw the king. ‘Who are you?’ Dad demanded, eyebrows furrowed.
King Telophy glanced in his direction before turning back to me. ‘If there is anything you need, Marla, get it now.’
Dad took a step closer to the king. ‘Now wait just a minute,’ he said. In that same instant Ashleigh appeared in the hallway—all drowsy eyes and bed hair. She stopped, her eyes flicking between us. I had a moment to be grateful that Mum liked to sleep in on the weekends.
‘This is Leif’s father,’ I managed to choke out, ‘King Telophy.’ I attempted to pull my dad away from him.
‘What do you want?’ Dad asked, shooting daggers at the king and staying right where he was. Fear for my father took hold of me. For my whole life—even in his weakest moments—I’d thought of him as tall and strong. But at sixty-two he appeared a fragile old man next to the fearsome king.
Thankfully, King Telophy ignored both Dad and my gawking sister. ‘Make yourself ready immediately, Marla, unless you wish me to pick you up and take you as you are.’
Dad pulled me behind him. ‘You can’t speak to my daughter like that!’
The look King Telophy shot my father pierced my soul with terror. I wriggled from behind my father, moved between the two men and caught the king’s eyes. ‘Please, don’t hurt my dad,’ I whispered.
‘I have no interest in this human,’ he replied scornfully then told me yet again to make haste.
Dad moved to stand in front of me again. ‘You’re not taking my daughter anywhere!’
King Telophy captured my father’s eyes. Immediately Dad turned a deathly shade of pale before collapsing to the floor.
I cried out and dropped to his side, shaking him, crying for him to wake up. Ashleigh was right there with me. ‘What have you done to him?’ she shrieked at the king.
‘I am losing my patience, Marla,’ he said, ignoring her.
‘I don’t need anything! Just make him wake up! Please! ’ The sight of my father crumpled on the floor, pale and still, twisted my heart. I crawled to the king’s feet, folding my hands together as I turned my face up to him. ‘Please, Majesty,’ I begged. From my knees, he looked a million miles away. He watched me for amoment then turned his eyes to my father. Instantly, the colour began to return to his face.
When she saw Dad recovering, Ashleigh turned on the king. Using every four-letter word in her vocabulary, she told him exactly what she thought of him. He silenced her with a cold stare and probably some of his power. I crawled to where my father lay and put my arm across his chest. ‘Dad, I have to go. Please don’t get up till I’m gone.’
But my father was already struggling to rise, turning to King Telophy, his expression furious. Before he could even utter a sound he was falling again. The king picked me
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