“I don’t know—”
A light knock on the door startled us. We met each other’s worried gaze, thinking the same thing: it could be Chrome or one of the other two.
I shoved my phone back in my pocket and held up a hand, signaling her to stay put as I rushed to the door. Yanking it open, the last person I expected to see stood on the other side with a sharp, knowing grin. Her deep violet hair hung in loose and full curls down to her waist. Her nearly revealing dress cinched her curves and accented the black and white patterned stilettos she wore.
“Ah, Nephew! Just the person I was looking for!” she greeted with a shark’s smile.
Thrown off-guard, I stuttered, “Hi…hi.”
Amethyst quirked an amused brow at my discomfort.
I worked quickly to recover the fumble. Straightening my spine, I met her feline-shaped, blue eyes that reminded me so much of Chrome. “I mean, hi, Aunt Amethyst. How can I help you today?”
“Expecting someone else?” she pushed, ignoring my amendment.
I shook my head. “No, not at all. It’s just unusual to have your company, which pleasantly surprised me, is all.” The lie was a half-truth, so it fell from my lips with ease.
“As much as I’d love to chat with my sister about her fashion choices, I’m here to see you today,” she said. Her sweet demeanor didn’t fool me, her eyes holding a secret viciousness within them that used to terrify me as a child. I always tried to avoid her if possible.
“Oh!” I said, planting a joyful expression while my stomach’s contents churned. “Well, of course. How can I help you?”
“Would you mind accompanying me to my office? We’ll be much more comfortable in there, I believe.” Her saccharine grin oozed with poison. In that moment, I could see how other men and women would fall for her seductive energy.
“Sure, let me tell—” I said, angling my body to sneak a quick word with Hazel before I left.
“Oh, no need, Slate. I’ve already texted your father and let him know,” she assured me. Her biting stare severed through my defenses, but I worked to maintain a stoic mask. Any sign of weakness to her was a signal to go in for the kill.
“I’ll be back soon, Hazel,” I said over my shoulder, hoping she got the insinuation that if I wasn’t, then something went horribly wrong.
I crossed the threshold, following my aunt to her office that shared my family suite’s floor. Amethyst wielded the stifling silence during our walk together, a tactic used to make me squirm. I resisted the urge to let my mind wander and go to the worst-case scenario. I even shoved the photo I’d received from Chrome out of my mind, locking everything into a vault to combat whatever Amethyst had up her sleeve.
I trailed behind her, down the hallway of the twenty-eighth floor of the King’s Palace. She entered, holding the door open for me to follow behind her.
“Have a seat, Nephew.” She gestured with an arm as she rounded the desk, her hips swaying with each eloquent step.
I eased myself into the plush chair opposite her, sinking into the black leather, feeling small. I had no doubt she did this by design.
The office was pristine in its crisp, minimalistic style, lacking any warmth. In fact, it exuded a cold energy, creating a hopelessness that burrowed deep. There was a large wall-to-floor window behind her, but thick black-and-white drapes blacked out any natural light that could stream through. Instead, lighting came from lamps throughout the space; not too bright and not too dim, but still slightly depressing.
Aunt Amethyst typed on her computer for several minutes, leaving me to sit in silence, fighting my brain to remain calm. Eight minutes passed, according to the massive, sleek grandfather clock on the wall to the right.
At last, she cleared her throat. “Sorry about that. I had some business to wrap up.” She reclined rigidly in her wingback chair. “Don’t want any distractions during our chat.”
Could’ve wrapped it up before you came and got me, but where’s the fun in that, right?
“Oh, it’s no concern at all, Aunt Amethyst,” I said, giving her the warmest smile I could muster. “I presume there are much more important matters for you to contend with.” Growing up, I watched my father communicate with the king and Amethyst. And with the expectation to take over my father’s position one day, I was taught the communication and body language skills needed when dealing with people of power.
Leaning forward to reach for a glass of water on her desk, she waved a hand. “Oh, nonsense! Nothing is more important than family.” She pressed the lip of the glass to her mouth, her eyes meeting mine over the top of it as she took a slow sip. “Right?”
“Of course,” I said smoothly. I made sure to hold my posture straight, while appearing at ease. “Nothing is more important than family.”
This was her attempt to make me feel comfortable before she slammed me with the assault she wielded in her arsenal. I just prayed to the gods I’d be able to defend against it without giving everything away. One wrong move in the viper pit and it would be game over.
With a pinched smile, she pushed onward. “How is the princess’s progress coming along?”
My heart lurched, but I held the line. “She’s progressing great. She’ll be surpassing her peers soon enough.”
Amethyst’s perfectly manicured eyebrows nearly lifted to her hairline. “Oh, really? I wouldn’t have expected that type of update.”
