Page 60 of A Touch of Iron
With as much force as I could muster, I stomped on the ground with my right foot, raising my hands in the air in my fervent attempt to shake the ground. Small fissures and pebbles emerged, but that was all I’d managed to conjure.
“Come on, Vi, I know you can do better than that.”
I wiped sweat off my forehead and tried again. Over and over I tried to move the ground beneath me with little result. But no matter what, I refused to give up. I vowed to learn this earth element by tomorrow.
“What are you guys doing?” Ansel appeared along the walkway. He glanced at the ground and back at me. “Are you trying to use your earth elemental powers?” he asked incredulously.
I looked to Alec for help, but all he did was shrug.Asshole. I turned back to Ansel and nodded. “Yeah. Since the Unseelie King hasn’t helped me train since Calypso, I’ve taken it upon myself to learn,” I lied.
“You could have asked me,” he said as he approached. “Compared to the other elements, earth is fairly easy.”
“Really?” I tilted my head. “Because I’ve been straining for hours and all I’ve managed to accomplish is shaking a few pebbles loose.” I kicked at the rocks on the ground, frustrated.
Ansel smiled. “That’s because you don’t know how to bring out your elemental power. Here.” He knelt before me and placed his palm flat on the ground. “Feel the earth. Its warmth. Its coolness. Its roughness. Feel it all.”
Hesitantly, I knelt beside him and placed my palm flat on the ground. At first, the land was cool to the touch and rough against my palm, but the longer I held on, the warmer it felt.
“Be in tune with the earth. It’s similar to training with air. Your breathing pattern is important. With earth, you must feel everything around you.” Ansel stood and urged me to try again.
I stood and closed my eyes, then focused on my breathing and tried to feel the ground beneath me. Once I felt the connection, I stomped hard, making the earth tremble. Deep cracks lined the ground, extending to where Ansel stood.
“See?” He grinned. “Not so hard.”
24
VIOLET
If I wasn’t nervous as shit, I’d actually be able to soak in the beauty of the Winter Solstice celebration. The castle was decorated in a Winter wonderland of frosted blue and silvery white. Since the break of dawn, gentle music trilled in a soothing melody played by an invisible symphony. The feast in the dining hall was unlike anything I’d ever seen. I could only imagine what the village looked like.
The parade featuring the Unseelie King and the Seelie Queen would begin soon. Alec and I were preparing for our part in the festivities now, trying to make sure we covered all our bases.
“Did you speak with Rook?” I asked. “Is my mother safe?”
Alec nodded. “Rook is ready for any retaliation.”
“Okay.” I blew out a breath. “Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”
“It won’t,” he said. “Jon’s detailed plan leaves no room for error.”
He was right. There were more rebels against than supporters of the King and Queen. With those numbers, loyalists would easily be subdued. Even so, they wouldn’t go down without a fight. I had to be ready for anything.
“We meet at the rendezvous point in fifteen minutes. Are you ready?” Alec asked, his hand on the door handle of his room.
I checked my attire, which consisted of a red and orange tunic. While everyone else was expected to wear shades of blue and white to celebrate the Winter Solstice, my colors were a stark contrast and a beacon, proclaiming myself as the dragon.
“Let’s do this.”
* * *
We arrivedwith minutes to spare and readied ourselves for the signal. Any minute now, the King and Queen would arrive at the village center. I scanned the area and watched as Unseelie rebels pretended to do mundane things like freshening the produce in food stands, sweeping the cobbled streets, and playing music as they anxiously awaited their arrival. I only noticed they were rebels because of their suspicious looks as they scanned the area and looked at one another, their faces grim instead of lit by the promise of a joyous spectacle.
Dread filled my stomach as I remembered Creed’s goal – the Unseelie King’s death. The rebels wanted the same thing. With the seconds ticking down, I was jolted by a question I should have asked in the beginning … Who would take up the leadership position after the royals were gone?
I watched as Ansel and the Queen’s Seelie security detail led the processional down the street, guarding the Seelie Queen where she walked beside the Unseelie King, her face lovely and golden in the morning sun. The King’s security detail contained fewer guards, but Kazimir marched rigidly by his side, which probably bolstered the King’s confidence that nothing could happen to him.
Every step they took toward the target point increased the churning nausea that threatened to release my hurried breakfast. It was imperative that Ansel and the Seelie guards were taken out first for the rest of the plan to flow smoothly, and it was up to me to do it without hurting them. But I was worried I couldn’t secure the safety of the entertainers who strolled along the parade route beside them—innocents who played instruments and sang as they celebrated the Winter Solstice.
I watched as the rebel fae who hungrily roamed the streets started closing in on them like a wolf after sheep.
