Page 62 of A Touch of Iron
“Can’t I?” Kazimir quirked a brow. “You made me kill my family. All for the sake of loyalty.”
“Your family was a hinderance!” the King shouted in response. “Who knows what that boy of yours would have ended up becoming?” he seethed.
Kazimir tensed and froze, his gaze darkening at the mention of his dead son.
“Ican tell you,” a male voice called out from behind us.
Alec, Ansel, and I spun around to see Creed stalking our way.
“Creed?” My eyes widened as he approached, my brain struggling to put together the pieces.
He ignored me and continued past us to Kazimir. “Father,” he greeted.
I couldn’t hide my startled gasp.
No. This can’t be. He’s supposed to be …
“Son,” Kazimir said in return. “I told you I would handle it. Why are you here?”
“Forthis.” Lightning fast, he quickly spun and grabbed Alec’s neck, then yanked down his shirt and ripped the necklace off him.
“No!” Alec tried to stop him, but it was too late. The necklace was in Creed’s hands.
Creed elbowed Alec in the face and knocked him down. Ansel attempted to come to his brother’s defense, but Creed blasted him with a torrent of fire. With both brothers down for the count, I stood still and watched as Creed approached.
“Son, what are you doing?” Kazimir asked hesitantly.
“What should have been done from the very beginning.” Creed grabbed me by the hair before I could turn to run and clasped the necklace around my neck.
“No!” I shouted, but the instant the metal clicked, my body went slack and I became a mindless thrall with no control of my body.
“Kill. Him,” Creed ordered, flinging me to the ground and pointing to the Unseelie King. “Now.”
My legs moved woodenly as I stood, the muscles directed by an external entity, and shuffled toward the King.
“Violet, stop!” Kazimir shouted, standing in my way.
I aimed my pointer and middle fingers toward him and cut off his oxygen flow, watching detachedly as he gasped for air. Once he was on the brink of passing out, I shoved him away with strength I didn’t know I possessed. With my father out of my way, I turned my deadened glare toward the Unseelie King.
The King’s face went white and he started to retreat. “What are you doing? You’re not in your right mind. You can stop this!” he pleaded, but nothing could stop me. Only Creed had the power now, and he didn’t have any intention of doing so.
“Violet!” Alec called out, but wisely didn’t approach. He knelt on the ground beside Ansel, who was still unconscious from Creed’s fiery assault. “Violet, stop!”
My muscles clenched and jerked, straining to break Creed’s hold, but the power of the necklace was too strong.
“Finish him!” Creed commanded.
I sucked in a deep breath and unleashed a raging torrent of fire from my mouth. The flames licked along the King’s back as he turned and attempted to flee. His screams could be heard miles away as he flapped around, trying to extinguish the conflagration.
The smell of charred flesh engulfed my senses and I almost threw up right there on the spot. Once his body had been consumed, I closed my mouth and the flames stopped. Suddenly, a bout of lightheadedness forced me to my knees. Before I could collapse, Kazimir caught me in his arms and I slowly drifted off into darkness as ash rained down upon my face.
25
VIOLET
Atwisted vision that showed me setting the Unseelie King ablaze made me shoot up from bed, drenched in sweat. My hair was plastered to my skin and I still smelled burning meat. It seemed soreal.
“You’re awake.” A voice came from beside me and I turned to find Creed sitting on a chair beside my bed. “You’ve been out for the past twenty-four hours.”
