Page 11 of A Blaze of Fire
I laughed and brushed aside her comment as if it was a joke. She frowned. “You really think you have it all figured out, don’t you? Good luck with that.” I grinned and stepped closer to her. “But if you’re wrong …” I sucked in my teeth. “Man, I don’t know how the King will take that.” I shook my head in mock disappointment and shrugged, patting her on the shoulder. “But like I said, good luck with that.”
She jerked away as if my hand was made of lava. “We’ll see who’ll be laughing in the end when Kazimir puts your head on a spike!” she growled menacingly.
My stomach soured. Suddenly, all the delectable treats I’d just scarfed down settled like a bag of rocks. I was a firm believer infake it ‘til you make it, but this was my life on the line. She obviously had some pretty serious leverage over me.
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting now, Sage?” Alec approached us with a jaunty strut. I wanted to sigh in relief, but held it in. I didn’t want to give this hellcat a reason to think I needed to be rescued.
“Only speaking facts.” She grinned and crossed her arms over her chest, further enhancing the breasts that were already essentially spilling out of her tight black dress. “And if you were smart, Alec, you would choose the winning side.”
Alec laughed, though it lacked humor. “Let me guess, that’s yours?”
She practically purred. “Ialwayswin. You should know that by now.” She slid a red lacquered fingernail down his chest, sliding all the way down to the waist of his pants, and gave it a tug.
He watched her for a moment before slapping her hand away. Her eyes widened in shock.
“You don’t always win, Sage. I think we concluded that during our last game,” he smirked. “Besides that, I suggest you don’t threaten the King’s guest out in the open like this. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving.”
She narrowed her cat-like eyes at him and spun on her heels, whipping her sleek blonde ponytail around so fast, it almost slapped Alec in the face. He didn’t even flinch. She stormed away in an indignant rage without bothering to look back.
“I’m sorry, Alec, I tried,” Rosemary apologized as she bowed her head.
“Don’t worry, Rose.” Alec patted her on the shoulder. “I know how difficult Sage can be.”
I looked over at Rook and glared at him. “And why didn’tyoudo anything, Big Guy?”
He glanced at me like I was the most boring person known to man. “I’m only here to protect your life, not to defend you from verbal spats.”
I rolled my eyes. “Great. Glad I can count on you.”
Alec sized me up and down as if seeing me for the first time, his eyes lighting with praise. I looked away shyly. I’d never worn such a fancy dress before.
“You look very … fae,” he said.
I deflated, my ego bruised. I’d expected him to say I looked pretty or beautiful, or perhaps bewitching. But fae? Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that one.
“Thanks,” I grumbled. “So, all of this; is it really necessary?” I motioned to all the acrobats.
Alec sighed. “The King likes to make grand gestures.”
I looked around the room at the wide variety of fae who made the guest list. Approximately half looked fairly human like Alec, while the other half looked slightly unusual, like Rosemary and even Rook. Yet for all their eccentricities, they were all watching me like I was some animal in a zoo.
Alec clasped my hand. “We should go greet the King,” he suggested.
Leaving Rosemary and Rook behind, we weaved and swerved through the boisterous crowd of Unseelie partygoers until we reached the King where he sat in his ornate, gothically attired throne. Kazimir stood dutifully by his side, his dark eyes coolly assessing the room.
“Ah, wonderful!” the King declared. “I do hope you’re enjoying yourself.”
I smiled tightly. “Yes, I am. The food is amazing.” I didn’t have to lie about that part.
“Oh, I bet.” The King chuckled. “I’ve heard human food can be quite dreadful.”
I wanted to defend the humans, but Alec tightened his hold on my hand as if he knew I was about to say something, silently challenging me to keep quiet. So, I took a hint and kept my big trap shut. To be fair, I couldn’t be so sensitive to get my feelings hurt over a polite discourse about food. That was just pitiful.
Alec gave a slight bow. “We came to extend our thanks, Your Highness, for this wonderful affair.” He motioned for me to bow as well and placed a hand on my bare back, then pushed me forward. His fingers made me shiver as I lowered myself before the King. I fervently hoped Alec didn’t see the reaction I had to his touch.
When we both straightened, the King wore a smug expression and looked very pleased with himself. He dismissed us with a regal flourish and entreated us to continue enjoying the party. Alec grabbed my hand again and escorted me through the crowd until we were a good distance away. We stopped on the dance floor and his hand crept up to my waist, his other gripping my hand as he twirled me around to the beat of the music. We were pressed tightly against one another, jostled by the press of bodies around us.
“Well done there, Vi,” he murmured against my ear.
