Page 7 of A Touch of Iron
Walking side-by-side,Alec and I entered the throne room. To my great disappointment, it was relatively empty, which meant there would be fewer witnesses to what would be threatened. Besides me and Alec, only the King and Kazimir were in attendance. Hopes of seeing my mother were dashed.
We walked up the aisle and stood before the King. Alec bowed respectfully, but I stood with my back rigidly straight. I’d lost all respect for the man who called himself a king. He wouldn’t get an ounce of regard from me.
The Unseelie King narrowed his gaze and the muscle in his jaw ticked angrily, but he held his tongue.
“Your Highness,” Alec greeted, straightening. “You summoned us?”
The steely eyed King looked between us before his eyes landed back on me. “Yes, I did,” he said. “Tessa is now a guest of the Unseelie Court, befitting the honor of being the lost dragon’s mother.” He smiled evilly. “Yet still, she has not disclosed who your father is.”
My eyes slowly crept over to Kazimir who looked straight ahead, ignoring me completely. I returned my attention to the King. “Is that so?”
“Yes,” he replied, his tone terse. “And since that’s the case, it means you do not belong to a fae family.” His grin widened, though I didn’t understand the implications of what he was saying. “Which means I cannot release her.”
“I’m not following, Your Highness.” It was Alec who spoke. Apparently neither of us were following the King’s train of thought.
The King sighed, as if burdened by having to explain his words. “To belong in either court, you must claim a name, which you cannot do since you don’t know who your father is.” He sat back in his throne with a smug smile.
Alec stumbled forward, his mouth agape. “Your Highness!” he exclaimed. “That law is antiquated. We haven’t gone by family names in centuries! I don’t even remember my own family name!”
“But it is still the law,” the King challenged. “And we must abide by the law.”
I snorted, then lowered my head and looked down at my feet.
“What do you find so funny, Lady Violet?” the King snapped.
I looked up, wearing the biggest smile, and glanced between Kazimir and the King. This time, Kazimir was looking directly at me as if concerned I was going to rat him out.
“Thisis your play?” I asked with a chuckle. “Because I don’t have a fae family name to cling to?”
The King furrowed his brows, but he didn’t answer.
I shook my head and laughed some more. “I don’t need to belong to some fae family. I’ll make my own.”
He sputtered, “You can’t do that!”
I snorted. “Why not? I’m the lost dragon, and I’m also the only fae who can wield all the elements. I’m one of a kind, which means I can do anything I want. I’m stronger than all of you.”
A glimmer of a smile crossed Kazimir’s face, but he hid it well as he stood rigidly beside his king.
“You’re not strongyet, Lady Violet,” the King countered.
My jaw locked and tightened as I entered an epic stare-off with the King. I knew I wasn’t stronger than him or any of them. Not yet. But I would be.
He saw my confidence falter and pounced. “You can barely control fire, and you’re just now learning air. Do you really think because you’re the lost dragon that you’re somehow above the rest of us?” he asked with a raised brow.
He was baiting me and it was working. Ididthink I was above them. They’d been puffing my head up and making me believe I was something extraordinary. But now they were changing the story since I was no longer just a host for the orb, but the lost dragon as well. Which came with a whole host of troubles on its own.
“I know fire, air, and now earth,” I lied, remembering how I used earth at the party against Ansel in a fit of rage. “I’m stronger than you think. I wouldn’t sit so comfortably up there if I were you,” I threatened.
“Violet!” Alec shouted in reprimand. His eyes widened in shock.
I inwardly cringed, well aware I was digging myself a hole. Hopefully I could get out of it later.
The King clenched his hands into fists and gripped the arm rest of his throne, seeming one step away from throttling me. When we locked eyes, I knew I’d pushed him too far. He was angry before, but now he was positively livid. I’d openly threatened his position and legacy, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. He was holding my mother hostage. I’d take everything from him if I had to.
“Easy, Lady Violet,” Kazimir finally spoke. “You’re a guest in the Unseelie Court, but that could easily change.”
I’d like to see you try, I thought, but I wisely held my tongue. Each person assembled in the throne room knew they couldn’t hold me prisoner. Now that the Unseelie knew who I was, they would be very upset if they learned anything unpleasant had happened to me. I might not be overly clever, but I wasn’t stupid. The way they all spoke so reverently about the lost dragon, the fire elementals would revolt if something were to happen to it, ergo me.
