Lorcan & Evette

Chapter Forty-Four

As night fall approached, Evie fed the King the enclosed liquid from the envelope. She didn't know what it was, but she had faith in what it would do. Of course, he knew what it was he'd been fed, though she didn't.

He'd be normal until the late night, at which point he'd fake severe drowsiness. Until then, he wanted to see what he could get out of her.

In what he was adamant was their shared bedroom, he beckoned for her to sit on his lap, which she did without complaint. If he hadn't known something was wrong, that alone would've put him on edge. Since she'd learnt of his lies, she did nothing without complaint, channelling her inner Annaliese. Dutifully, he kept his mouth shut.

"I want to tell you a story," he told her, boxing her in with his arms.

"If you say anything about Snow White, Hansel and Gretel or the Wizard of Oz, I'm gone."

"I don't know what they are."

"Of course you don't." As she said this, she leaned into his front. "Tell me then, what's your story called?"

"It doesn't have a name. It's not your typical story."

"Then-"

"It's one from my past." Tonight was about enthralling her. About getting her to want him back. Or at least realise that she wanted him back. "I'm going to tell you about the first time I heard of you."

She frowned. "You've told me this already. About how your Mum told you about mates and then-"

"Not about mates. I mean the first time I heard about you."

"I don't understand."

"You said it yourself, pet. I've paid an awful lot of attention to a species I don't typically like. I think I must've known all along, somehow, that my mate was going to be you." He gave her waist a soft squeeze. "So, I'll tell you about the first rumour."

She still didn't understand.

"330 or so years ago, you were born- were you not?" She nodded. Another reminder of how vulnerable she was. About how much she needed him. As far as the Other World was concerned, Evie was still young. "I heard my first rumour about you when you were a baby." None of this was making sense. "With someone like you born, people were talking."

"I doubt-"

"Listen to the story, pet." She frowned, closing her mouth. "All the factions were talking about you. People who had waited for mates for thousands of years had hope, through you. Everyone wanted to know about this new Oracle who saw things that shouldn't be seen."

"If you're trying to make me feel guilty..."

She hadn't used her power in a way that was- well, charitable.

Evie had always called herself a mercenary, back in the day. In the same way the demons were paid for risky heists and bounty hunters were paid to make kills, Evie had been paid for her intel. Her foresight didn't come cheap either.

"I'm not," he said, softly. "Ten years later, the rumours started up again. Rumours of a young Queen and a young Oracle taking down a ruthless King." Taken down wasn't the right way to phrase it. That King had died for trying to kill her. There'd been no smart planning to it. Naturally, that wasn't the story that had gotten out. Up until a week ago, Lorcan had believed the lie. That two young girls had been thirsty for power and taken out their King to harbour it for themselves.

"Whilst every faction was whispering about how vicious you were, do you know what I was thinking?"

He hadn't remembered it all till she'd told him about her past. But the prompts brought back memories he'd long since forgotten.