Page 6 of A Touch of Iron
I shook my head. “Sage, Violet isn’t some grand prize to be won. She’s a person. A halfling. And she deserves more than me and my brother fighting dirty for her affections.”
Sage shrugged, unburdened by my humanistic scruples. “Suit yourself. Don’t say I didn’t tell you. You’re missing out on an amazing opportunity, though.”
“Maybe so, but I won’t jump on it when she’s vulnerable,” I whispered. I didn’t know why I was admitting anything to her. I didn’t need to explain myself to anyone.
“Fine. But when Ansel wins her back, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She stood and turned to leave. “When it comes to love, sometimes you have to play dirty, Alec. Learn the rules of the game. You’re just as ruthless as Ansel, and maybe even more so. Don’t let love soften you.”
With those parting words burned into the air, she left.
4
VIOLET
The next morning, I was awakened by Rosemary when she carried a breakfast tray into my room. Normally she would escort me to the dining hall, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out why I was being sequestered. With the spectacle that happened yesterday, it was probably wise to steer clear of the others.
“Rise and shine, Lady Violet!” Rosemary chirped as she opened the curtains to the balcony, the sunlight chasing away the gloom. “I’ll prepare your bath while you eat breakfast.”
“Thank you,” I mumbled, wincing from the sudden brightness and dragging myself out of bed.
I sat down heavily on the sofa and picked at my food, but my appetite was nonexistent. I couldn’t stop thinking about my mom being held captive in the Unseelie realm, all because of Ansel’s betrayal. I barely slept a wink because of it. I tossed and turned, replaying the moment his true nature was revealed in a continuous loop. I didn’t have to look in a mirror to know there were dark shadows around my eyes.
Once Rosemary was done prepping the bath, she helped me undress, leaving the untouched breakfast dishes behind. I slid inside the bathtub with a sigh, closing my eyes and letting the warmth cocoon me in a fragrant lavender cloud. Rosemary gave me some privacy, intuiting by my mood that I wasn’t interested in our normal morning banter.
I wasn’t aware of drifting off, but when I opened my eyes, I found Alec sitting on top of the bathroom counter, watching me with a calculating gleam. I pushed the bubbles around to cover my top half and sank lower into the water.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice rough from sleep.
“I’m here for you. Why else would I be here?” he replied casually.
I narrowed my gaze on him. “You could have waited for meoutsidethe bathroom.”
He smirked. “I could have. But that wouldn’t have been as fun.”
“I’m not in the mood for your mind games, Alec—”
“I know.” He cut me off and slid off the bathroom counter. He strolled toward me and knelt beside the tub. “Just know that when it comes to you and your life, I don’t play games, Violet.” He reached out and brushed a wet strand of hair away from my face.
“You’re invading my privacy,” I whispered, feeling nervous and exposed and decidedly naked.
“Is that so …?” he mumbled.
I nodded.
Alec chuckled and leaned back. “Well then, I guess I should let you finish your bath. By the way, we’ve been summoned. So I’d hurry if I were you.”
My eyes widened. “Summoned by whom?”
Alec stood and grinned as if the answer should be obvious. “Who else? The King.”
I sat up quickly, water splashing everywhere. Alec’s eyes went straight to my chest, and I swiftly folded my arms. “Why does he want to see us?” Keeping one arm clasped tightly to my chest to cover my nakedness, I reached for a towel that was infuriatingly out of reach.
Alec grabbed the towel and helped me out of the tub, wrapping the soft white cloth around me. With his arms around me, he whispered in my ear, “He probably wants to tighten your leash now that he has your mother. We must be careful.”
Heady warmth swam through my languid limbs as Alec’s arms snugly secured the towel between my breasts. Without thinking, I leaned against him and he tightened his hold on me. For that split second, I felt safe and secure, like nothing that occurred outside his arms could touch me. But that was a lie. Chaos reigned outside this bubble. I couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever.
I pulled away and looked up at him. “Let’s go see what he wants.”
* * *
