Page 48 of A Blaze of Fire
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “What about it?”
“You went to see Ansel when you knew you weren’t supposed to.”
I adjusted the collar of my dress in the mirror and avoided eye contact. “I needed answers.”
“Did you get them?” he asked softly.
“Yes.”
“Are you mad?”
I turned away from the mirror and faced Alec, who stared at me with a thoughtful expression. “In the moment … hell yeah, I was mad at you! You indirectly lied to me. I hate when people keep secrets from me that have to do with me. If it’s your business, I don’t care, I won’t pry, but if it’s my business, I deserve to know. But …”
“But?” he prodded.
“But then I heard about that stupid prophecy.” I rolled my eyes. “And well, I just couldn’t be mad at you for keeping that from me. The whole thing sounds nuts.”
Alec slowly nodded. “So you don’t believe you’re the dragon reincarnated?”
“Pfft … puh-lease. A dragon? Seriously?” I laughed. “There’s only so much I’m willing to believe.”
“You’re a halfling who carries an orb that lets her control all the elements and you’re currently living in another realm, yet you findthishard to believe?” Alec raised a brow.
“It’s dragons, Alec,” I said dryly, as if that should be answer enough. “I’d believe Superman was real before I’d believe in dragons.”
Alec tilted his head and then started to laugh. Loud. “You’re one weird little halfling.
I smirked. “Weird is in the eye of the beholder.”
Alec stood and walked closer to me. “I guess so.” He reached around me to the dresser and grabbed a gold necklace. Without another word, he placed it around my neck and clasped it. “There. Now you look perfect.”
* * *
We enteredthe throne room where the King and Kazimir impatiently awaited our arrival. I felt the tension in the room the instant we stepped inside, but I wasn’t sure if it was directed toward us or if it resided chiefly between Kazimir and the Unseelie King.
“Ah, you’ve arrived,” the King said. “For a moment there, I thought we would have to send a search party.”
“Our apologies, Your Highness.” Alec bowed once we stopped before his throne. Kazimir stood beside him with a stoic face. “It was a … fashion emergency.” He grinned.
The King chuckled as he looked me up and down in open approval. “Very well … I hear you’ve got the whole castle and village shook up, Lady Violet.” He leaned on the armrest of his throne. “My, my, how fascinating you’ve become.”
“We cannot believe the rumors, Your Highness,” Alec argued smoothly. “And that’s just what they are – rumors.”
Because Alec didn’t believe in the legends, he wasn’t technically lying when he said they were rumors. Oh, how easy it was for these tricky fae to twist the truth.
The King raised a brow. “Is that so?”
“I was there,” Alec confirmed resolutely.
“Three Unseelies have come forth as witnesses. Are you telling me they’re liars?” the King asked, a dangerous glint in his steely eyes.
Alec shook his head. “No, Your Highness; I merely argue that the others were tired from their fight with the wraiths when they saw her expend her energy. She exhausted all her energy to save their lives.” He didn’t deny, nor tell him exactly what he saw. What a way to twist words.
The King hummed thoughtfully. “And what doyouthink, Kazimir? You’ve been vouching for her life all morning. What say you now?”
I couldn’t help the frown that covered my face. He’d been vouching for my life? What did that mean? Was he trying to save me from getting killed by the King? What the hell was going on?
“I was not there to witness the fight with the wraiths, Your Highness,” Kazimir started, “but I know she’s not a strong enough fire elemental to have done what the others claimed.”
