Page 59 of A Blaze of Fire
“Are you feeling well rested?” I asked Rook, who barely ever spoke.
He simply nodded.
“Do you have a family?” I asked, trying to start a conversation so our walk back wouldn’t be so quiet and awkward.
He nodded again.
“Are you like … married?” I furrowed my brows at the intrusive question. “Do you have kids?”
Rook sighed. “I do not have kids, but I do have a partner.”
“Oh.” I nodded thoughtfully and then it hit me. “Oh!” I exclaimed.
He smirked.
I hated to fall into stereotypes because they were insensitive and wrong, but I had Rook pegged as a skirt-chaser. He was so big and overbearing like a bear, I imagined he could even scare Kazimir away.
I was still chuckling to myself when we turned the corner to my room. As if my thoughts had summoned him, Kazimir stood outside my door, waiting.
Surprised, I stumbled back against Rook’s chest. He caught me before I fell and I straightened myself to confront the General of the Unseelie Court.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice clear and sounding far more confident than I felt.
Kazimir cleared his throat. “I wanted to talk. In private.” He glanced at Rook pointedly.
Rook moved to stand in front of me protectively, but I stopped him. If Kazimir wanted to hurt me, he would have done so a long time ago.
“It’s okay, Rook,” I said. “Just wait outside my room for a bit. This won’t take long.”
Rook huffed. “Lady Violet …” he argued.
“Please,” I countered.
“I promise not to hurt her,” Kazimir said. “You have my word.”
With a disdainful sniff, Rook narrowed his gaze on him and nodded slowly, taking the Unseelie at his word before stepping aside so I could meet privately with Kazimir.
I closed my bedroom door and watched as Kazimir strolled inside, taking in everything inside the room. He touched the frills of the bed covers, his fingers grazed the top of my vanity, and he stopped in front of the opened doors that led to my balcony. Pale, sheer curtains billowed inside the room on a gentle sea breeze.
“What would you like to discuss?” I asked, wanting to get him out of my room quickly. He made me uncomfortable. I knew he was my biological father, but he was also an incredibly dangerous fae who wouldn’t think twice about killing me or my mother … just like he’d done before to his own family.
“How are you liking your stay here in the Unseelie Court?” he asked softly. A little too softly. I almost didn’t hear him. His back was to me as he stared out at the ocean.
“It’s been … interesting, to say the least,” I answered flatly.
“Do you desire to return to the human realm?”
I kept my distance as I answered. “Well, of course. The human realm is my home.” I wasn’t going to lie. No matter how I tried, I hadn’t been able to adapt to my new surroundings. This place didn’t feel like home and I didn’t think it ever would. Besides, I missed my mother terribly. She was undoubtedly worried about me since I hadn’t reached out to her in months.
“You don’t think you could ever make the Unseelie Court your home?” he asked. I paused, not answering right away. “Think carefully about how you answer the question, Lady Violet,” he warned.
I cleared my throat. “If the King asks me to make this my home, then I would adapt,” I replied cautiously.
Kazimir chuckled. “You halflings can lie so easily,” he murmured enviously.
“I wasn’t ly—”
“Save it,” he cut me off. “I don’t want to be an accomplice to any of your lies.”
