Page 2 of A Touch of Iron
Alec pursed his lips, but he nodded again and left the room to do my bidding. Once he was gone, I plopped back down on the edge of the bed and slouched, feeling terrible and exhausted by my infantile outburst.
“Wow, you really know how to get what you want when you want it.” Sage prowled around the room and stood in front of me, kicking my toes with the tip of her steel-toed boot to get my attention. “I’ve never seen Alec run for anyone, much less a female.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that.”
“Sure it’s not.” But her tone said she didn’t believe a single thing I said. “So how does it feel to be the messiah of the fae?”
I peered up at her. “Excuse me?”
She raised a brow. “Isn’t that the human savior? Or did I get it wrong?”
I exhaled loudly, tired of her rambling. “Don’t you ever get tired of hearing your own voice?”
She grinned. “Nope. I have a lovely voice. It should be heard by everyone.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, suspicious of her girlfriend act. “Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?”
She sat down beside me and leaned back on her hands. “I don’t know. I sorta had a change of heart.”
I snorted. “Is it because I’m the lost dragon?”
She grinned. “It’s totally because you’re the lost dragon.”
“Great,” I mumbled. “Just what I need. More fake friends.”
“Aw, don’t look at it that way.” She nudged me with her shoulder. “If there’s one person you need as an ally around here, it’s me. Cheer up.” Sage stood to leave, but turned around with her hand on the doorknob, her expression serious. “You can trust Alec. If anyone has the power to protect you from the King, it’s him. And if he says his brother has a plan, well, believe that, too. I know I would.”
With those words, she walked out of my room and left me alone to simmer in my thoughts.
* * *
I waitedanother three hours before my bedroom door opened and Alec walked inside. Alone.
My stomach plummeted. I saw red as I bolted from my bed and charged toward him like a raging bull. “Where is she?”
Alec grabbed my upper arms and stopped me in my tracks. “She’s safe, Violet, relax,” he said, holding me tightly.
“She’s not safe until I see her!” I shouted petulantly.
“She’s with Ansel,” he admitted.
My eyes darted to his. If looks could kill, he would’ve been massacred on the spot. “She’sdefinitelynot safe with Ansel.”
He sighed. “Vi, you know she’s safe with him,” he whispered. “My brother won’t let anything happen to her. I can promise you that.”
“You can’t promise me anything.” I ripped my arm out of his grip.
Alec snatched my wrist before I whirled away and hauled me toward him. “You should know by now that I don’t break promises.”
I narrowed my gaze and changed the subject, not sure what to make of the simmering tension between us. “What are we going to do about Kazimir? He’s going to recognize my mother.”
Alec frowned as he stared at me. “I’ve been thinking about that. This is the first time I’ve seen your mother, and you look a lot alike. Like, scarily so. There’s no way he didn’t recognize you when you first met, Vi.”
My brows shot up. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying I’m pretty sure Kazimir already knows who you are.”
I furrowed my brows. “No. There’s no way! He would have said something … wouldn’t he?”
