Page 5 of A Touch of Iron
The King’s most trusted guard grinned. “Just imagine – that could have beenyouif you’d only told me where she was located.”
I frowned. Could the tables have been reversed? Would I be the bad guy if I’d made the deal instead of Ansel? It didn’t matter anyway since I didn’t know where her mother was, but I probably could have located her with some effort.
Kazimir’s eyes glimmered in the darkness. “Tessa’s a lovely woman. I’m sure she’d do anything to keep Violet safe.Anything.”
I narrowed my gaze on him. “You’ve known all along, haven’t you?”
The wizened fae chuckled and straightened from the pillar, tucking his hands into his pockets. “You don’t think I would’ve recognized my own blood?”
The image of chess pieces on a board flickered across my mind. “What game are you playing, Kazimir?”
He shook his head. “One you’re not prepared, much less equipped to play, boy.”
I hated when he called meboy.
“You don’t know anything about me,” I growled.
Kazimir smirked. “I know your dirty little secret, and that little secret is like a ball and chain that tethers you to the King for as long as he wills it. You’ll never be able to get away from him. Not ever.”
My expression tightened as I glared at him, disgusted by the truth in his words. He was the only other person in the room with me and the King on the day of my ceremony when I was blackmailed into joining the Unseelie Court. In exchange for joining the King’s Court, he wouldn’t reveal that Ansel was a bastard, fathered by my father’s brother. And all because the King wrongly assumed I was the lost dragon and he wanted to keep me under his thumb. Little did he know at the time that the honor would be bestowed on Violet, the bastard child of his most trusted guard.
“I’m not enslaved to the King,” I refuted angrily.
“Yes you are. And until you free yourself from your little brother and your family that has long forgotten you, you’ll never be able to help Violet the way that she needs.”
I’d protected Ansel and my mother over two centuries and I didn’t plan to stop now. It didn’t matter if they knew the true reason I defected from the Seelie Court. Even if that meant I couldn’t protect Violet to the best of my ability, my family would always come first.
Kazimir started to laugh, the grating sound snapping me out of my thoughts. “You’re like an open book!” he laughed. “You’ve already made your decision, and it’s not in Violet’s favor. Your family will be your downfall.”
I scowled. “If you want to protect Violet so bad, why don’tyoudo it?” I nearly shouted.
Kazimir’s expression turned stony. “I have my own family to protect.”
I frowned. His own family? His family was dead. Did he remarry? Unfortunately, I didn’t keep up with his life or the gossip at Court, so I didn’t know if he had.
“Violet is part of your family,” I said quietly. “Whether you raised her or not, she’s your daughter.”
“She’s no daughter of mine.”
* * *
After Kazimir stormed off,I stayed in the courtyard and thought about what Kazimir had revealed. I wasn’t sure what my next steps should be. Kazimir had all but disowned Violet, which told me that when he pushed her off the cliff during their training, he’d probably been trying to kill her.
I dropped down to the nearest bench and scrubbed my hands over my face, then through my hair. Everything was a mess.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Sage approached on silent steps. The toes of her boots stopped just before mine.
I peered up at the last person I wanted to see. “Not now,” I groaned.
“I’m assuming things didn’t go well with Ansel and mommy dearest,” she taunted.
I narrowed my gaze. “If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t beat around the bush.”
She dropped onto the bench beside me and sighed. “I better get major points for saying this,” she started. I looked over at her, utterly confused. She peered up at me and smiled. “Here’s your chance, Alec. Go get the girl.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re talking nonsense,” I grumbled and looked away.
“Am I?” she questioned. “Your brother just screwed up big time. She’s ripe for the plucking.”
