With his hands balled into fists at his sides, he said, “Fine, whatever. Walk right into danger if you insist, but don't say I didn't warn you.”
He pressed his palms into the air and the blackness rippled like ocean waves. We must have been standing close to the glamour protecting the pathway. Elementals used glamour magic to change the appearance of an object or hide something from view.
A howl cried out strong enough to shake the ground, we fought to stay on our feet.
“What the hell is that?” I shrieked.
“Gabriel Hounds, which means we’re officially out of time.” In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around me and hurtled us into the dark current.
Chapter Two
We plunged through the glamour, hitting the ground with a thump. Rowan landed on his back with me on top of him, our bodies completely entwined. I gazed up briefly and he was smirking. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I hurried to get to my feet and dusted the dirt off. A second later he stood, brushing the muck off the back of his jeans.
Less than a few feet away, a large oak tree had been split right down the middle and spread open wide enough for a doorway. Cloud-colored wind spun rapidly inside like a tornado. It must have been the pathway the air elementals had planned to use.
I tensed when his hot breath blew against my ear. “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.
Oh yeah, sure.
Something tugged at my feet. The magnetic force of the hole was dragging us closer. Even though Dad had told me about the portals, I couldn’t settle the cold shiver racing down my spine. Only a pure elemental could navigate through the portal. Rowan reached out for my hand as if he sensed my hesitation. The tension reduced in my shoulders and I was ready to step inside.
This was it. There was no turning back. I slid my hand inside his. The connection sent a warm sizzle up my arm as we entered the abyss.
Dad compared the experience to being sucked into a vacuum bag—he was spot on. There was nothing above, below, or on either side of us. Icy air circulated like a wind tunnel, but without any noise. We walked on a hard surface, but I had no idea what it was made of. My teeth rattled from the bitter cold. “I hope you know where you’re going.”
“Doubting me already?”
Of course I doubted him. I didn't feel confident about anything. I was attacked without knowing why, and then saved by someone who seemed to wish it had never happened. On top of that, air elementals are dead, and now I was traveling through a dark, freezing hole with no idea of where I was going. Who wouldn't be freaked out? “When will we get out of here?”
“It will be over any minute now,” he said calmly.
A camera-like white flash snapped in front of us, and I covered my eyes with my forearm. I took a few more steps and quickly realized the cold was gone. Luke-warm air surrounded me and I let my arm fall to my side. My vision was hazy but cleared within seconds.
The moonlight illuminated the emerald green forest surrounding us in every direction. My eyes followed the primeval twisted tree trunks all the way into the sky. Dark hostile clouds hung and intermittent bolts of lightning flashed. Dampness clung to my legs as I glanced back at the ground. A faint gray mist filled the forest floor in rolling waves. Crickets chirped over the cicadas’ calm song. I stood there with my hands over my mouth, unable to speak. It was breathtaking.
The pathway brought us to the edge of the woodland court forests. The Earth's natural terrain—every speck of dirt to the immense rainforest—was kept in balance by the faeries. Of all the courts, the woodland fae seemed the most interested in the mortals, especially the arts. Painting, dancing, and music were some of their favorites. Dad said they were known to dress in high-end mortal clothes and jewelry. Compared to the air court, they were quite lavish.
A warm energy surged through me, pulling me out of my thoughts. My skin hummed as it made its way through my body. I felt stronger—alert and aware of everything around me as if I had just drank several shots of espresso. Dad told me my power would surge as soon as I entered Avalon. Within the mist surrounding the isle, I would be my most powerful. But what I was feeling now was much more than I had imagined.
During our dream visits, I would beg Dad to allow me to come to Avalon. He always rejected the idea, reminding me of his promise to Mom. They wanted me to have a ‘normal mortal childhood’. Not sure how he figured I could ever be normal, but Mom did her best. As I got older, she feared my power would fully awaken, but she never tried to hide me from the mortals. There was no need―I had become an expert at blending in.
Most of my physical traits were mortal, but I had never seen anyone with bright green eyes like mine. I always thought they looked like two limes, especially since they were slightly bigger than most mortals. My hair was an odd shade of burnt red, but anyone could use hair coloring to match it.
Rowan startled me. “We need to get into the woods, it's not safe here in the open.”
Before I had time to ask why, he headed in the direction of the woodland and I followed. We delved deeper into the inner sanctum of the forest. Sandy paths I could barely see through the foggy mist went in every direction. Rowan led cautiously while we passed beautiful fruit trees. My mouth watered as their strange aromas traveled on an invisible wind straight into my nostrils: vanilla and chocolate. One particular grape vine caught my eye. It appeared ordinary except the fruit was a shimmery gold. I picked a single grape off the vine and pinched the fruit between my fingers. These fruits were used to make the wine they drank during celebrations.
About a quarter of a mile away, a luminous watery haze rose from a tiny stream. The bright liquid materialized into the form of a young woman surrounded by a glowing aura. Her inkblot-black hair hung past her waistline. As we got closer, I saw she had white henna styled markings on the edges of her pale blue eyes and cheekbones. Scaled fish fins poked out from behind her like wings. Her facial features were tiny—almost childlike—when she smiled.
A water elemental.
They controlled all the waterways of Earth and were known to be peaceful and intuitive. The fact that they only communicated with each other telepathically added to their mystery. Their real voices were like a siren's song. They could put any mortal in a trance if they wanted. Because I was a halfling, I had to be careful not to get caught up in their spells. I considered them the most dangerous of the four courts.
Her eyes bore into mine. Inside my head, I heard a woman humming a beautiful song that sounded oddly familiar. Of all the courts, I knew the least about them. Curiosity got the best of me, and before I realized it, I was heading in her direction. The angelic creature held up a wine glass as if she was offering it to me. The drink looked delicious. My mouth tasted like sandpaper. I wanted some of her refreshment.
“You cannot accept a drink from her. That water elemental is a siren.” Rowan blurted, almost as if he was scolding me. “The elixir she’s holding is likely enchanted. Drinking that would be like chugging ten shots of vodka, and that’s if you react well.”
He redirected us onto an adjacent path leading us farther from the siren. She shrugged. The light surrounding her dimmed like a sunset until there was nothing but darkness.
Once she was gone, the music silenced and so did the dehydration. I didn’t want to admit Rowan was right, but he was. I stared down at my bandaged arm. “I get it. I should've been more cautious.”
When I glanced up, he was staring intently at my injured hand. He must not have noticed it before. In less than a second, he stopped walking and reached for my arm. He unfastened my make-shift bandage and examined the cut. His touch made the baby hairs on the back of my neck stand.
“You should be able to mend this,” he said. “It's part of your lineage.”
Dad told me the healing gift was unique to our bloodline. Similar to mortals, any other elemental had to use potions and elixirs to mend themselves. I cleared my throat. “I don’t know how.”
“I don't have the ingredients to mix together a
salve, so we're going to have to try to ignite your healing power.” He cupped my free hand over my forearm, then placed his hands on top of mine. A cool breeze circled us, tickling my face. His hands were warm with hard calluses on his palms. “Close your eyes and visualize the cut mending.”
“What are you going to do?” I asked.
The corner of his mouth curled into a half smile, and my legs felt like Jello. “I’m going to try to transfer some of my energy to you. That should be enough to increase your natural healing velocity.”
Huh?
He closed his eyes and I closed mine. The wound sparked like tiny little prickles. I fought hard not to pull my hand back. A rush of pressure filled the incision as if water was running through it. Seconds later, I felt a tug and was sure the skin around the edges of the wound had closed back together. I opened my eyes. White light crept through the cracks of our overlapping hands. Rowan opened his eyes and the light faded. As he backed away, I peered down at my forearm. The cut had disappeared. All that was left was a fine pink line.
“How did you do that? Did my father teach you that?” Without answering, he started down another path. I sped up until my pace matched his and we walked side by side. “Yeah, sure. No need to answer my question.”
“Why didn't Taron allow you to visit Avalon?” he blurted, changing the subject. “I mean, it's not like he could come to you.”
No, he couldn't. Elementals were not immortal. The magical veil prevented aging as long as they remained in Avalon. The moment they left, time would gradually catch-up and they would age as they were supposed to. And since Dad was one of the oldest elementals, he surpassed his natural aging by a few centuries. Travelling into the mortal world would have killed him within weeks. “It was an arrangement he made with my mother. They wanted me to have a mortal childhood. But, he did visit with me in my dreams.”
“Clever,” he replied, but I wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or me. “What did he teach you about our world?”
Rowan certainly had a lot of questions for someone who didn't like answering them. “Surprisingly, nothing about you. Care to fill in the blanks?”
He cleared his throat. “Another time.”
The leaves rustled in a nearby shrub. Rowan put his hand out, blocking my mid-section. We stood still, watching the bush. “It's probably just a rabbit or a squirrel,” I said. Another twig snapped, tension built in my shoulders. Then I heard tiny voices. “Or, maybe not.”
He reached behind his back and a leather sheath appeared with a sword inside. I stared at him curiously. Being part of a royal family meant I could usually see through an elemental glamour. If he could hide his sword from me, he came from a strong lineage. I wondered what else he was concealing under a glamour.
“Show yourself,” he ordered, unleashing his weapon. He swung it once as if it was meant to be a warning.
Two little elves—walking garden ornaments was more like it—stepped into view. They didn’t wear pointy hats, but they did have chubby faces and little pot bellies. I covered my grin, fighting the urge to pick them up and kiss their cute faces.
I was sure the empty expression across Rowan's face meant he was not amused. He pointed his sword at them. “Why are you following us?”
One elf waved his hand. “We mean no harm. No harm here. We saw you travel the pathway. You don't look familiar.”
The other crossed his arms with his eyes squinted. “These forests belong to the woodland court after all.”
Rowan took another step toward them. “We don't owe you any―”
I placed my hand on his shoulder. He stopped mid-sentence which took me by surprise. I smiled to put the elves at ease. “I'm Kalin, daughter of King Taron. I'm looking for him. He's in a council meeting somewhere in this forest.”
Both elves nodded with delight. “Yes, yes! We know where to find the council meeting.” They pointed farther into the distance. “Stay along this pathway and you'll―”
“I know the way.” Rowan rudely announced.
The elves didn't say another word. I watched them as they disappeared into the trees.
I rolled my eyes at Rowan. “Your manners are impeccable. You must have tons of friends.”
His jaw clenched. “They were wasting our time.”
What a douchebag. “They were only trying to help.”
He slid his sword back into its sheath, and then arched an eyebrow. “I don't remember asking for it.”
Rowan was cocky, impatient, and downright infuriating. He winked and my stomach felt like a hundred dragonflies were doing summersaults. Nope, I refused to be attracted to him.
We moved quickly as we made our way through the vast forest until we came to a stop in front of a wall of hanging green vines splayed across a large boulder.
Rowan pushed the strands out of the way to reveal another glamoured entrance. He stood there motionless for a few awkward moments. Both his hands were tightly fisted. He seemed reluctant to go in there, which only put my own nerves even more on edge.
“The council meeting should've already started,” he said, in a monotone voice. “I guess it's time to make our grand entrance.”
My whole body tensed. I was about to meet my father. I glanced at my clothes and cringed. Covered in dirt and blood, I attempted to brush off the grime. I failed. I tried one last time to run my shaking fingers through my knotted hair. There was no fixing this disaster—I was a hot mess. I’d run out of options. Nothing left to do now but suck it up and follow him. After taking a few short, panicked breaths, I stepped inside.
I can’t believe I'm walking in here like this.
The council room was a massive landing of wooden planks. Perched on top of a waterfall, the will-o'-the-wisps circled our heads like floating tea lights. Rushing water flowed beneath, and a spectacular mountain range sat in the distance. It was as if we’d stumbled into a landscape painting.
Elementals in scattered groups took up most of the space. Almost all of them had turned when we entered. They immediately ducked their heads, whispering to each other, but no one came to greet us. An uncomfortable feeling swept over me. There were so many people staring at me at one time.
My unease must have been obvious because Rowan leaned down and whispered, “Don't worry, I promise they're not staring at you.”
I shook my head with total perplexity. “How do you know that?”
He didn't respond…again.
I stood on my tippy-toes to see over the crowd. At the far side of the enormous balcony, four marble chairs were strategically placed in a half moon formation. The top of each bore an etched circular symbol of the different courts: three blue circles for water, three entwined yellow twisting balls for air, burning red flames for fire, and a green tree with roots for the woodland court. I had read all about the council meetings. The elementals sitting in those chairs were the elders.
My eyebrows knit together when I didn’t see Dad among them. I did make eye contact with Jarrod―his lead knight―who was sitting in the air court seat. He had been sent many times to bring me books, birthday presents, and other assorted gifts. But, why was he in Dad’s place? Jarrod smiled when he noticed me. A second later, he nearly jolted out of the chair when he saw Rowan. His reaction seemed really odd. Then I watched each of the council member’s eyes shifting from me to Rowan.
A united gasp from the council caused every elemental who wasn't already staring at us to turn around. The noise was sucked out of the room as if everyone stopped breathing. All I could manage was an awkward smile and a weird wave of my hand. Imagining how stupid I must look made my cheeks burn with embarrassment.
A woman rose from the fire court chair. Her blond hair hung loose down her back. She wore the ceremonial council robes I recognized from one of my books. I had no doubt she was the fire queen, Liana. She glared at three body-builder looking elementals in black suits standing on the adjacent side of the room. They nodded, heading toward her. Once they were by her side, she pointed her finger at Row
an. Her entire hand ignited in flame. “Escort the deserter out of these proceedings immediately!”
That was what the assassin called him. But, what did it mean?
He reached behind his head, releasing his blade from the leather sheath. As the crowd backed up, smoke rose from the skin on their forearms. The room filled with screams. One elemental caught fire. Many ran for the exit. Dad told me the weaker elementals couldn’t withstand the presence of iron, but I had no idea they would actually burn.
Rowan pointed the curved blade at the fire queen. “You will answer for your crimes before this court.”
The three muscular fire court elementals surrounding Liana bent down on all fours. They howled, and the wooden planks shook. My heart pounded like a drum. They were the same unmistakable cries as the ones we’d heard in the forest right before we entered the pathway.
Gabriel Hounds.
The rips from their clothing filled the air, tearing right off their backs. Black fur covered their skin while muscles bubbled from their backs and shoulders. Each one doubled in size. Thick, black claws replaced their fingers. I clasped my hand over my mouth as their faces morphed into something close to a panther. Fire burned in their ruby colored eyes. When the transformations were complete, they glared at Rowan.
My stomach twisted like a pretzel. Rowan shifted closer; his body now directly in front of mine. With his free hand, he waved them on as if welcoming the challenge.
Rowan was either the bravest person I had ever met or the most stupid.
Jarrod positioned himself between us and them. With his hands extended on each side, he said, “Enough of this!” He glanced up at the fire queen. “Call them off, Liana.”
Liana smiled, eyes wild with excitement. Clearly, she was hoping for a bloody battle. Jarrod extended his arm toward the skies with his fingers spread, summoning the air element. Gusts of air whipped all around us. My hair flew into my face. Lightning sizzled in the skies while a swirling wind the size of a basketball appeared above his palm. A second later, the hounds backed up behind Liana. Rowan waited for Jarrod to calm the storm before he pointed his blade toward the ground.
Mortal Enchantment Page 2
