Mortal Enchantment

by Stacey O'Neale

I smiled. “It’s gorgeous.”

  She kept her eyes on the material as one of the seamstresses carried it over. “I know, right?”

  Two creatures appeared in front of each of us. They measured, poked, and prodded while Ariel stood quietly humming to herself. I tried not to stare, although I desperately wanted to run my hand over their skin. They were a different breed of elemental. Something I’d never seen in the books or during my dream visits with Dad.

  The questions I had about their surface texture were answered as their fingers grazed against my bare skin—definitely tree bark. They had to be fae from the woodland court. Each time they nicked me, tiny bloody scratches appeared. I winced. My subtle complaints did not seem to matter since they continued to work without any acknowledgment. The one taking my measurements called out to the others in a language I didn’t understand. Whatever she said sent them over to the spool of material. They started cutting.

  "What are they?” I whispered to Ariel.

  She glanced at the seamstresses then smiled at me. "I'm so sorry, Kalin. Sometimes I forget you're still new to Avalon. We call their species of fae, brownies. They're the best dressmakers in all of Avalon.”

  The one standing closest to me smiled proudly. For a brief moment our gazes locked and I admired her bright moss colored eyes. "Do you understand their language?”

  Ariel adjusted the top of her dress material so less cleavage showed. "No, only the faerie king and queen of the woodland court can translate. They never speak our language, but I have no doubt they could if they wanted to.”

  I watched to see if anyone would respond, but none did. It was clear they weren’t revealing anything to us today.

  After hours of standing silently, I could barely keep my eyes open. My mostly sleepless night had caught up with me. All I could think about was passing out. I actually fell asleep a few times. Startled by the sharp pain of a sewing needle in my ribs was not cool. These brownies were ruthless.

  When I finally looked down to check out their progress, I nearly went into shock.

  The spool of fabric I had admired only a few short hours ago had been cut and sewn into a full-length yellow silk gown. I swayed from one side to the other, still not believing what I was seeing. To be sure, I ran my fingers down the asymmetrical one shoulder strap, then across the glittering diamond star-burst accentuating my bust. The gown was amazing. The most beautiful I had ever seen.

  "I would guess by the look on your face that you're pleased,” Ariel said.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off my new hotness. "This dress is insane. I can't believe how quickly they put this together.”

  I glanced over at Ariel as she admired her own strapless gown with matching shawl. It was exactly as she’d requested. "I told you. They are the best in all of Avalon.” She winked at the brownie, who smiled back, proudly.

  I yawned. “I’m sorry. I’m just so exhausted.”

  "I know what you need.” Ariel clapped her hands. One of the guards stepped inside the room. "Please bring the princess a glass of sunrise wine.”

  "Is that like a Red Bull?”

  “Sunrise wine is infused with herbs which will give you a natural pick-me-up. I drink it when I need a boost. You'll feel much better in a matter of minutes.”

  The guard returned carrying two wine glasses on a gold tray. The liquid was amber, similar to the other wine I drank at the dinner with the council, except this was much darker. He brought the first glass to me. I took a sip. It tasted like sparkling honey. “This tastes amazing. Thank you.”

  I continued sipping my drink while the woodland faeries moved around the room. Although they never spoke, they worked in harmony as if each one knew what the other was doing at all times. It reminded me of a dance. Ariel was talking about the details of the Ball, but I wasn’t listening. Instead, I watched the woodland faeries as their pace slowly sped up. They moved quickly around the room. Their sewing increased to a rapid speed. The needles moved up and down faster than a sewing machine. I tried to keep up, but they were too fast. My eyes blurred. I was suddenly dizzy. The room spun. Ariel was still talking, but the words came out as if I’d pressed the fast forward button on a TV remote control.

  "Stop it! I can't understand you,” I screamed at her, closing my eyes and squeezing my fingers into tight fists. My fingernails dug into my palms. Something shattered and shouting echoed in my head. I couldn’t make out the individual voices. Too much spinning. I tasted metal on my tongue. My stomach churned. Sweat dripped down my back. My knees wobbled. I couldn’t balance myself.

  “What’s happening?” Ariel shrieked.

  There was a burning sensation coming from my mid-section. It was as if someone had thrown boiling water on me. The pain increased with each passing second. “My skin is on fire. Get this dress off of me.”

  The brownies raced over to help. We pulled and tugged at the fabric until the dress was off. I gasped. Rashes covered my entire body. The brownies were panicked, speaking to one another in their language.

  The seamstresses took the dress away. They stood in a circle checking out the fabric spool while I stood in my underwear and high heels with my arms over my exposed chest. Ariel quickly put a silk robe on me. The cloth did very little to comfort me. “What would cause me to break out in these rashes?” I asked, shaking. “What is that fabric made of?”

  “It is hypo-allergenic,” Ariel insisted.

  One of the brownies let out a pained scream. The yellow spool she was holding fell to the floor. The palm of her hand had been burned. Ice ran down my spine. “Could the fabric have been poisoned?”

  A few of the brownies nodded, agreeing.

  “Guards!” Ariel called. “Take this fabric to Jarrod. He’ll want to lead the investigation. Tell him we need to know who had access to this material.”

  The guard wrapped a coat around the fabric so he didn’t touch it. As he walked out the door, I realized my hand was bleeding. In all the craziness, I’d shattered my wine glass. My palm was covered in cuts filled with shards of glass and blood. My dizziness return, and I sat on the ground. “Can someone help me?”

  “Oh no!” Ariel said, covering her mouth. “Do we have a medical kit in here?”

  Two of the brownies rushed over carrying a bag made of twigs. Inside, they had containers of different liquids and creams. They used their sewing needles to remove the glass from my hand. Without any kind of pain reliever, I could feel every scrape. It made me want to vomit. While they bandaged me up, Dad’s warning rang in my head. Someone I trusted would betray me.

  I glared at Ariel as an echo thrummed in my ears. "You're trying to sabotage me.”

  The floor around me was covered with sharp pieces of glass and droplets of wine. A few woodland faeries cleaned up around us while Ariel stood in front of me with a stunned look. "What are you saying?” she asked, eyes welling with tears.

  "You’re the one Dad told me about. The one who would betray me. You insisted on this dress fitting. You picked out the fabric.”

  "Kalin, please. The poison is still in your system. We need to get you to the—”

  I put my hand up, stopping her mid-sentence. "I don’t have any proof, but I will find some. And when I do, there will be no mercy for you.”

  Ariel backed up, her eyes as wide as tennis balls.

  I couldn’t trust any of these elementals to help me find Dad. He was right. I had to find him. Avalon was an island, not a country. There were only so many places he could be, right? I shook my head, trying to think clearly. He was in the fire court. I was sure of it. I would find him without any of their help, and when I brought him back, I would make sure they were all punished for their actions.

  I stood, taking a few wobbled steps before I was able to balance.

  Ariel reached out. "Princess Kalin, please let us help you.”

  "No! I don't need your help—any of you.” I pulled my injured hand from the woodland seamstresses’ grip. "I'll find him myself.”

  Her shoulders sunk
. "What are you saying?”

  I squinted at Ariel. "I'm out of here…and don't even think about following me, traitor.” I headed out the door, slamming my shoulder into the wall as I rounded the hallway corner. She continued to shout my name, but I kept going until her voice was little more than a whisper.

  I'm coming, Dad!

  Chapter Fourteen

  I was going in circles as I tried to get to the artillery room. Every hallway appeared identical to the next. The poison blurred my vision. I rubbed my eyes, but when I stared at the walls, the painted murals remained distorted. All the colors seemed to blend together. I finally gave up, deciding to search for another alternative. The winding cement staircase a few feet in front of me offered a new option. I took it. After at least ten minutes of trudging down what seemed like hundreds of steps, my legs burned from exhaustion. Thanks to my unexpected exercise session, the effects of the poison had nearly diminished. The musty air filled my nostrils as I stumbled all the way to the lowest level of the air court castle.

  I stood on the final landing, glancing down at my bandage. Blood seeped through the white bandage. It would have been smarter to let them finish before running out.

  I thought about Ariel and covered my hands over my face.

  Once again, I had managed to embarrass myself. Why had I yelled at Ariel? How could I blame her for the poisoned dress? Even worse, how could I have accused her of having anything to do with Dad's disappearance? I had no proof that she had betrayed me. She looked terrified, flinching as my hateful words spewed out. It was the reaction of someone who had no idea what was going on. My stomach twisted in knots as her voice calling my name echoed in my mind.

  Somehow, I had to find a way to earn her forgiveness.

  A worn, unmarked wooden door stood in front of me. Senses intact, there was no way to rationalize storming into fire court territory to search for Dad. The war it would cause was too risky without solid proof. Running away from Ariel was the most stupid thing I could have done. I had to go back.

  I stared blankly at the basement entryway. Guilt and regret reeled wildly in my mind. I could comprehend two facts; I was an idiot and I had no idea how to get back to where Ariel was. With nothing to lose, I twisted the rusted bronze handle, pulling until the door opened with a screech. I headed inside.

  The windowless walkway echoed the clink of my heels against the cobblestone floor. Dimmed candles in rusted sconces barely kept the area lit. A cold draft pushed against me, I shivered as goosebumps rose from my forearms. If Dad had a dungeon, I was sure this was it. I fully expected to find jail cells with prisoners inside.

  I sprinted forward, hoping to find a staircase. All I could think about was getting back upstairs and apologizing to Ariel and the woodland faeries. They had worked so hard on my dress and I had ruined everything. Not to mention, they had also cleaned and bandaged my hand. Yeah, calling myself a jerk doesn’t even begin to describe how badly I had behaved. After my latest ginormous failure, my thoughts lingered back to Dad.

  I needed help.

  I had to trust someone.

  Rowan felt strongly that I could trust the council. It was time I called for an emergency meeting to discuss the dream vision. Regardless of my personal feeling, we need to work together if we were going to find Dad. I wasn't sure how to arrange a meeting, so for that, I needed Jarrod—my only ally on the council.

  Near the end of the pathway a bright light shone through the bottom of a sealed door. Shadows beneath flickered from movement inside. Why would anyone want to be down here in such a dank space? Were there really prisoners in the castle? Excluding the snobby council members, the air elementals were so peaceful and kind. This repugnant area didn't fit anything I knew about them.

  Curiosity got the best of me, I quietly approached until I stood directly in front of it. Deep toned male voices came from inside. There were at least two from what I could tell. I touched the metal door and the skin on the tip of my finger seared—it was made of iron. There could only be two reasons an elemental would be in there; imprisonment, or someone who went to great lengths to stay hidden.

  Something deep in my core screamed foul.

  I needed to know who was inside of there, but they couldn’t discover me. Putting my ear against the door would cause serious pain. Scrambling to my knees, then down onto my stomach, the cobblestone floor cooled my cheek as I tried to peer under the door.

  Through the small opening, I could only peek with one eye. Inside was a tattered cream colored sofa with rips in the seams and a cushioned brown chair on the opposite side of the room. A thin layer of dirt covered the rock flooring, which gave me the impression that this place wasn't used very often. As far as the elementals were concerned, I couldn't make out anything above their waists. One had a pair of expensive looking leather dress shoes that matched an equally expensive black suit pants. The other wore suede sandals and yellow pants. One of them was part of the air court. But who was the other swanky dressed elemental?

  They spoke in hushed whispers. A least that was all I could hear thanks to the thick iron door. I repositioned until my ear was closest to the opening.

  "We can't afford any mistakes. Everything must go exactly as we planned.” The man with expensive shoes paced, so I guessed he was the one talking. A ping of fear slithered down my spine when I realized one of the elementals sounded like Rowan. Could it really be him? The voices were too muffled to be positive. If it was him, why would he be down here discussing council issues? I answered my own question when I decided it was because he was doing something he didn't want them to know about.

  "I have no doubt it will. The council is exactly where I want them. They suspect nothing,” said the air elemental.

  The one who sounded like Rowan stopped pacing. "And the princess?”

  Anger burned in my chest. They were discussing me. I was sure of it. The air elemental plopped lazily into the cushioned chair. "She isn't a concern.”

  Not a concern? My teeth clenched.

  What was he planning and why was Rowan alone with this air elemental? In my gut, I knew this was tied to Dad. I tried to move closer to the door. A tinge of pain surged the tip of my ear. I winced.

  In a split second, the stranger moved to stand directly in front of the male who might be Rowan. "Do not underestimate her.” His tone was intense and guttural.

  "Relax,” he replied, letting out an uneasy chuckle. "By the time we reach the Ball, all will be in place and you'll get everything you want.”

  "Not what I want,” Rowan said. “It’s getting back what belongs to me and my family.”

  I wanted to blast through the door and begin my own line of questioning. Of course, if it was Rowan, I would strangle him first for his betrayal. These two had to be the ones Dad warned me about. Rage bloomed in my belly as tears welled in my eyes. It all made sense in an instant. Of course it was him. This mystery air elemental made sure Dad was alone, he probably had the advantage of surprise. He would have known how to take Dad down, and he could’ve gotten someone out of the castle easily. No one would have suspected someone from the inside, but who was he? His voice was too low for me to identify.

  I second-guessed myself almost immediately.

  I could not be sure. The voice sounded like Rowan, but I had spent the bulk of my time with him. If he was responsible for all of this, why would he have taken the time to train me? We were secluded on a beach for hours at a time. He could have killed me a dozen times if he wanted to. Really, the voice I heard could have been any male I decided. And the only basis for my theory was a muffled voice. I wished there was a way to know for sure. At this stage, I couldn’t accuse anyone without proof. I sank down again, moving as close as I could to the door.

  The moment I heard movement coming my way I broke out of my thoughts. I had to get out of there before I was caught. I was afraid to check to see if I could open any of the doors. Any noise would’ve alerted them. I wanted to kill them both, but I had to be smart. I was alone with
no weapons. The power I had couldn’t be fully controlled. If it really was Rowan, he could easily make me disappear. I leaped to my feet, scurrying back down the hallway as fast as I could.

  After more endless roaming, I found a guard who led me to my room. The evening skies outside my window appeared to be made of purple cotton candy. My body was weak, my empty stomach growled. Before I could find food, I needed to clean up. I slipped off the robe and then unpeeled the bandage on my hand. The injury was fully healed. Whatever those creams were, they must have contained something magical.

  Next up is a much needed bath. Afterwards, I’ll have to figure out what I can wear to the Ball since my other dress was totally shredded.

  Soaking within warm bubbles, I closed my eyes and let the heat warm my aching muscles. My world had been clearer under the poison’s influence. Now, I wondered if Rowan was the traitor. If I was correct, who was his accomplice? He didn’t seem to have any friends here, especially from his own court. But if it wasn’t him, I was sure I’d heard that voice before. His tone was aloof, but terrifying, as if he had no emotion within him. I guessed he was someone with great power.

  I had to find out the truth. My next move had to be the right one. For starters, I would attend the council meetings. Based on the conversation I heard, I suspected the traitor would be there. Whether or not it was Rowan remained to be seen. Training with him suddenly seemed more important than ever.

  Something told me I would soon be fighting for not only my father's life, but my own.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I got up late the next day. It was difficult to fall asleep with the voices I heard behind the door still ringing in my ears. Who were they? One of them had to be part of the air court. It was the only way someone could’ve gotten close to my father. Someone he trusted. Was it a member of the council? A knight? The possibilities were endless. I rubbed my hands over my face, then I noticed something new sitting at the bottom of my bed.