Page 41 of A Touch of Iron
I nodded, not wanting to speak for fear my voice would crack.
“Come on, let’s go get a drink.” He waved me toward the other side of the castle grounds.
“What?” I choked out.
Kazimir stared at me for a moment. “Do youreallywant to stand here and possibly run into Ansel again, or worse, Alec?”
I furrowed my brows. “Why would I be afraid to run into Alec?”
Kazimir raised a brow and then laughed. “Don’t make me say it.”
“Fair enough,” I mumbled, docilely following him from the castle grounds. “Just so you know, I’ve already been attacked in the village tonight. I’m not really in the mood for round two.”
Kazimir snorted. “Don’t worry. No one would dare attack you with me by your side. That would be a suicidal move on their part.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, isn’tsomeoneconfident.”
“Very,” he said simply.
We walked the rest of the way into the village in relative silence. The road was dark and empty, but with Kazimir by my side, I wasn’t afraid. He led us into a small pub on the outskirts of the village that seemed oddly devoid of people. I was just starting to wonder why I’d naïvely followed him without questioning why we were going to such a desolate area. Then again, I was sort of over tonight and didn’t care at this point if he decided to off me.
We found a table in the far back corner of the pub and sat down. Without asking what I wanted, Kazimir ordered two drinks that seemed to arrive at the table like magic. I sniffed my glass for a moment before taking a sip. When it didn’t make me lightheaded, I decided to take another drink.
“Relax,” Kazimir chided. “It shouldn’t have any otherworldly effect on you. You’re safe.”
I scoffed. “So you say until you push me over a cliff to my death.”
He sighed heavily. “For fae’s sake, are youstillnot over that?” I shook my head. “I knew you’d be able to save yourself, Violet. I wasn’t trying to kill you. If your powers wouldn’t have kicked in, I would have saved you.”
“Sure you would’ve,” I grumbled.
“Fine. Would it make you feel better if I let you toss me over a cliff?” he asked with a raised brow.
I fidgeted with my glass, keeping my eyes glued on the table. “Pfft, like you’d let me.”
“I would.”
I peered up at him to see the deadly serious look on his face. “Whatever,” I mumbled. “I’m not pushing you off a cliff. I’m notthatpetty. Anyway, why did you want to grab a drink? I’m sure you have an ulterior motive.”
He narrowed his gaze and then looked away. “I’m sure you’ve guessed as much, but I thought we should have a conversation… about your mother.”
I froze. “What about my mother?”
He rolled his eyes. “Come now, Violet. Are we going to play stupid or are we going to state the obvious?” he said dryly. “I know who your mother is. I’ve known who you were since the first moment I saw you in the human realm. The secret you think you’ve been keeping is one I’ve known all along.”
My eyes slowly widened with each word he spoke. “You … you knew?”
He nodded.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I choked out. “Why—”
He waved off the barrage of questions I was about to unleash. “There’s probably a lot of why’s, but all you need to know is that I kept quiet not just to protect myself, but you as well,” he said coldly. “I’m sure you’ve heard from reliable sources about the tragic tale of my family at the hands of the Unseelie King.”
I grimaced. “I heard … Do you think the King would order you to kill me, too?”
“Possibly. Honestly, I don’t know. He is unpredictable. His decisions depend on his mood,” Kazimir said, lifting his glass and taking a long drink. “I believe the King wants to ensure I don’t have any weaknesses so I’m a reliable asset for him. And having a family is a weakness.”
I frowned. “Having a family is a strength.” I watched him with new eyes. “They’re the only ones who will always have your back.”
