Consumed » Kai Parker

Four

"Forgetting someone?"

"We're not taking you back with us," I snap, rushing to Liv where she's currently laying on the ground, groaning in pain.

I hold out my hand to her, pulling her to her feet. She looks at me, then at Kai, a glare immediately settling on her face when she looks at him.

"You know," He sighs, shaking his head while taking deliberately slow steps closer to the two of us. "I'm feeling really betrayed right now. I come out here, abandoning my pancakes, to make sure you're okay and not about to, like, dig your own grave in the forest or something." I scoff at this, scowling. "And instead, I find you guys trying to leave me behind again. Is that what a guy gets for trying to be nice?"

Incredulity crosses my face as I stare at him. "Nice? You're just about the biggest asshole I've ever met. And that says a lot."

A low chuckle leaves his lips. "Guess I deserve that. Listen, why waste time talking about what an asshole I am? Clock's ticking. I say we all discuss this over a nice cup of coffee back in..." He pauses, calculating. "2012, is it?"

Liv steps forward, blue eyes flashing menacingly. "Not a chance."

"We had a deal," Kai says quietly, his eyes narrowing into slits. "Either you take me with you, or I kill you both."

"Go ahead," Liv tilts her head defiantly. "Kill us. You'd just be killing your only shot at getting home."

He begins to laugh, really laugh, crouching over the ground with one hand clutching his stomach. Liv and I exchange a confused, irritated glance.

Composing himself, he straightens up and smiles at the two of us, wiping a tear from the side of his eye.

"Oh, God," He shakes his head. "Oh, that's comical. I think you're forgetting that it isn't necessarily you I need."

He pauses, advancing towards Liv and suddenly snatches her wrist in his firm grip, the same hand that was holding the Ascendant.

Liv's lips part in a pained cry, her eyes squeezed shut. Her fingers loosen, the Ascendant falling to the ground. I run toward them, shoving Kai backward in an unsuccessful attempt to get him off of her.

"All I actually need is the Ascendant," He grins, looking between the two of us. "And since I'm currently siphoning your magic, I'm one step closer to being able to do the spell on my own."

"Let go of her, Kai!" I shout, pushing him again. "You're going to kill her!"

"See, that's kind of the point," He winks at me, fueling my anger.

I hesitate for a moment, but Liv's pained expression pushes me to say it.

"Fine!" I exclaim, releasing a frustrated breath. "We'll take you back with us, okay? Just leave her alone."

Kai raises an eyebrow at me, before finally freeing her wrist. She gasps, her fingers closing over the place where his hand had just been and she gives me an incredulous look.

"Charlotte," She hisses. "Are you insane? There's no way I'm taking him back to our world. I have no doubts that the first thing he'll do is kill my coven."

"Well, duh," Kai chuckles. "You guys left me in solitary confinement for eighteen years. I mean, you didn't think I'd just let that go, did you?"

"You aren't going to touch the Gemini Coven," I say sternly. "Liv and I taking you back to the real world makes you even with them. If you try anything, we will kill you."