Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2)

by Stacey O'Neale

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  FRAGILE REIGN

  by

  Stacey O'Neale

  This book is dedicated to my father, Russell Howell.

  Rather than cautiously tip-toe into the water, you encouraged me to dive straight in with freeing abandon.

  Thank you for teaching me to be fearless.

  Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

  Henry IV, Part 2, Act III, Scene i

  Chapter One

  Rowan

  By the time we reached the brush fire, the blaze had spread over more than a thousand acres. The dry heat and wind kept it growing stronger by the hour. Mortal emergency trucks lined the perimeter while sirens rang out to alert residents to the evacuation. I gazed into the skies when I heard a rumble. A plane flew over, dropping gallons of water over the burning forests.

  “Do you have enough left to put it out?” Marcus asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

  I wasn’t sure. This last week had been a strain on my power. Thanks to the unbalanced elements, we’d been traveling the globe fighting one natural disaster after another. The younger elementals living in the mortal world couldn’t keep it up on their own. I had no choice. I had to do what I could. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

  “That doesn’t sound very reassuring,” he replied.

  Hidden behind a glamour, we made our way past the firefighters and emergency workers. My nostrils filled with the scent of ash and smoke. Heat radiated over my face as we got closer to the flames, but the temperature never bothered us. Fire elementals ran hot most of the time. Unfortunately, my clothes did suffer from the exposure. My jeans were spattered with soot and my leather jacket was burned at both sleeves. It was really a shame. That jacket was one of my favorites.

  “What do you suppose caused this?” I asked. “Can you pick up on anything?” In addition to his strength, Marcus had an incredible sense of smell. He could recognize the scents of each of the four kinds of elementals. If one of us caused this fire, he’d know it. I feared one of my kind had ignited the forest as retribution for the woodland court’s involvement in the attack on the fire court.

  After Liana was killed by Orion and his army, rogue fire elementals waged war with the air and woodland elementals. Their forest and mountain territories within the mortal world had been attacked. Some have taken on air and woodland elementals directly. Losses have been suffered on every side. I’ve done everything to try to end the war, even being forced to take down members of my own court who refused to stand down. The natural disasters and attacks have kept me away from Avalon—away from Kalin.

  “I can’t tell in this form,” Marcus said, unbuttoning his shirt.

  He began to shape-shift into a Gabriel Hound. Since I wasn’t into seeing my best friend’s junk, I looked away while he undressed. Bones popped, repositioning themselves beneath his growing muscles. He tried to hide the pain, but I heard him wincing a few times. No matter how many times he transformed, it was excruciating. I wished I could help ease his suffering. Marcus snarled and I turned back around. Standing on all fours, he was about the size of a panther on steroids. Coarse black fur now covered his caramel skin. I collected his clothes from the ground, stuffing them into my canvas knapsack.

  “We need to find the source of the fire.” I said, tipping my chin. “Follow me.”

  I stretched my hands out on both sides. Using my power, I thrust my energy away from us. A pathway formed, splitting the fire into two. We headed straight through the flames. After about two miles, Marcus stopped. His head arched as he sniffed the air. Then he took off. He had likely picked up a scent. I chased him until he circled around something. He couldn’t speak in his hound form, but when his eyes met mine, I knew he’d found what we had feared.

  Within the blaze, Marcus discovered an area of forest that had not been damaged. It was an oasis filled with lush green trees and flowering bushes. As I approached, I saw what he had already uncovered. It was the bodies of three faeries from the woodland court. Their skin was charred and blistered, but their remains had not dissolved. Woodland faery corpses did not burn like fire elementals. Their remains melted into the ground, becoming one with the lands they protect. Based on the marks on their skin, it was likely because they had been attacked by an elemental in my court. I bent down next to one of the bodies, setting the knapsack on the ground. The woodland elemental was very young. I would guess she wasn’t even a teenager. I ran my hand over her face, closing her eyes. A moment later, she began to liquefy into the earth. Anger burned in my chest. I couldn’t understand why fire elementals would kill without reason. These fae were children, most likely unaware of the events in Avalon. I stood, vowing to give the slain creatures justice. I swore I would put an end to this violence.

  Since there was nothing more I could do for the victims, I turned back to the blaze. I had to save as much of the forest as possible. I closed my eyes, summoning all energy I could from my core. The power surged deep in my chest. I let it extend into my arms and hands. From my center, a ball of energy formed. I focused all of my power into the orb, urging its growth. Every inch of the expansion weakened me. I could barely stand, sensing my knees were about to buckle. When the sphere equaled the size of the forest, I encased the woodland within the energy dome. I spread my fingers then tightened them into a fist. As I pulled my arms into my body, the ball sucked the oxygen out of the fire. No oxygen, no fire. Sweat poured down my neck and I fought to hold on. Little by little, the blaze grew smaller. My arms got heavier, as if someone was adding weights on top of them. My body swayed. I was so close, just a few more seconds. It was too much.

  I had nothing left.

  I collapsed.

  When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t on the ground. Marcus was carrying me on his back with my knapsack swinging from his mouth. As he raced through the burning forest, leaves and twigs crumpled under his massive paws. The ground shook with each step he took. Additional planes flew over with water. Some of the liquid landed on us which felt pretty good. The mortals managed to contain what was left of the fire. It was a relief, a small victory. Now we could rest and prepare for the next challenge.

  I woke up next to a large stream in a thick, wooded area. Oak trees that seemed to stretch into the skies surrounded us. A sweet scent permeated the area coming from nearby berry bushes. None of the foliage had any fire damage. I didn’t see a single burnt leaf or blade of grass. Marcus must’ve carried me for quite a while. My entire body ached, as if I were covered in bruises. It would be several hours before I would return to full power.

  He sat on a log, chomping down on what was most likely the last of our food. Each time he shifted, he used a tremendous amount of energy. He needed to eat to regain his strength. I could’ve filled a semi with the amount of food he had eate
n this week.

  “How long have I been out?” I asked, checking the knapsack to see if there was any food left. I found a sandwich and took a bite.

  Marcus stared into the distance. “A few hours.” Before I could say a word, he said, “Don’t complain. You needed the rest.”

  Although we were close in age, he acted as my protector. Had my mother still been in power, he would be my slave. My guardian, expected to give his life for mine if necessary. But I would never accept that. Marcus was the reason I survived my childhood. He was family. My brother. Our friendship had been tested when he was forced to remove my wings, but since he returned to my side we’ve been closer than ever.

  “You look so serious. What are you thinking about?” I had a pretty good guess, but I wanted to be sure.

  “Do you think her parents will ever accept me?” he asked, shoulders sunk as if he already knew the answer.

  Before we left Avalon, Ariel had gone to her parents and demanded to be let out of her engagement with Aiden. Holding Marcus’s hand, she explained she was in love with him. Her parents wanted nothing to do with it. Marcus wasn’t an air elemental. Making matters worse, he was still considered a slave in the fire court. Ariel’s parents were too obsessed with their own social standings to see how happy their daughter was. They threatened to banish her from the air court. Of course, Kalin would never let that happen.

  My chest tightened each time I thought of Kalin. I hadn’t seen her in over a week. Each day I worried about her father’s recovery. Until he could resume his position as king, she was expected to fill in. This meant she would have to attend air court council meetings in his place. She was the one who went to them to reveal Jarrod was the traitor. Since her father is still recovering, she would have to choose someone to replace him. It’s an incredible amount of responsibility for someone so new to the elemental world. Much more than she was expecting, I’m sure.

  I sat next to Marcus on top of a log. “Listen, Ariel’s parents don’t need to accept you. If you love each other, that’s all that matters.”

  He threw a few stones into the stream. “Not to Ariel. She feels responsible for her younger siblings. She thinks she has to marry into a high ranking family so that her brothers can become knights.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “If that’s the case, there’s nothing to worry about.” Marcus turned to face me. “Kalin is her best friend and the future ruler of the air court. She would knight all of her siblings if it meant Ariel could be with who she wants.”

  Marcus shook his head, letting out an exaggerated breath. “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

  My eyebrows furrowed. “Why not?”

  “Ariel said there are powerful council members who don’t want to see a halfling ruler.”

  I let out a low growl. I couldn’t believe after everything Kalin had done—everything she had sacrificed—to save her court, there were still elementals who would stand against her. I wished I were there. I would love to set them straight…with my fists. “What a bunch of idiots.”

  Marcus turned his head sharply. “Do you hear that?”

  I listened closely. “Nothing.”

  He stood, pointing to the left. “It’s coming from that direction.”

  A scream rang out. “I heard that.” I unsheathed my sword.

  I ran in the direction of the noise. Pained wails got louder the farther we went. I could tell by the sound, it was definitely an elemental in danger—most likely a woodland fae. When the ground shook, I glanced to the side. Marcus had changed into his hound form. He must have been expecting a battle. I hoped whatever rest I had gotten was enough. My power wasn’t at full capacity, but I could swing my sword. As long as there weren’t too many, we would be all right.

  Then we saw the source of the pained cries. Two nasty looking goblins in armor were attacking a tiny tree elf. The elf used his sand magic to shift away their fireballs, but he wouldn’t last long. Marcus let out a howl, knocking all of them off their feet. The elf used our distraction to leap into a nearby pathway. The two goblins tried to run, but they were no match for Marcus. Hounds were the fastest elementals in our court. By the time I reached them, he had both under his paws.

  “Since you seem to enjoy picking on small creatures, I thought I’d let my ginormous friend play with you for a while.” I smirked, patting Marcus on the head. “I do have to warn you, he gets a bit rough.”

  Marcus bent his head, growling.

  Beads of sweat trickled down their faces. “Don’t kill us.” One begged. “We were only following orders.”

  “Do you know who I am, creature?” I pressed my boot into one of their wrists, forcing the goblin to release his sword. I wasn’t going to take the chance that he might get brave and slice into Marcus.

  “Rowan, the deserter.” The other goblin said, swallowing hard.

  “If you know who I am, then you know what I do to little goblins that don’t answer my questions truthfully.” They both nodded, appearing too scared to lie. But who would command them to kill members of the woodland court? The fire court currently had no leader. Liana was dead. I needed to know more. I bent, resting my hands on my knees. “I want to know who ordered you to attack the elf.”

  In unison, they said, “Our future king, Valac.”

  Chapter Two

  Kalin

  After hours of debate, I was ready to scream.

  An emergency council meeting had been called every day this week to discuss the unbalanced elements. Every conversation was the same as the day before. Each member of the council expressed their concerns and demanded an immediate resolution. Of course I had no solution to offer. I was only attending the meetings at my father’s request. He asked me to listen to what they had to say and assure them of our concerns, but to tell them nothing of our plans or his condition.

  I slumped in my father’s chair, pulling at a loose string on the sleeve of my yellow council robes. Mountain air rushed all around, whipping my hair into my face. The weather had been completely unpredictable. One minute it was sunny, and the next, lightning filled the skies. Air elementals had been spread thin all over the mortal world. Their power stretched to capacity. We did what we could to control our element. Unfortunately, nothing settled the intermitted storms.

  “We need to see King Taron,” Jaya insisted, fists clutched at her sides. She had been a member of the council longer than any other.

  Tired of listening to the same requests, I stood to make my point. “As I’ve said, he is resting.”

  Jaya paced the balcony. From this height, the castle appeared to be surrounded by clouds rather than part of an island. “Our children are being attacked in the mortal world,” she said, as if I was hearing it for the first time. “The fire elementals must be stopped. Our king should lead his army against them before we are wiped out.”

  Dad barely had enough energy to lead himself to the bathroom. He was in no condition to wage war on anyone. But the council couldn’t know that. Not now anyway. I had to keep up appearances for his sake. They had to believe their king would return to full power. I needed to believe it too. Dad had been bedridden since we rescued him.

  During his capture, he was kept hidden in Las Vegas. Without the protection of Avalon’s veil, he aged rapidly. The man I remember from my dreams appeared to be in his mid-twenties. Now he resembled a mortal in his fifties. To make matters worse, Valac had kept him shackled in iron chains. Poison had slowly seeped into his bloodstream. Our healers removed much of it, but some was likely permanent. Worst of all, his powers had been dormant since his return. I fear they may be gone forever.

  I saw the desperation in Jaya’s eyes. She had not heard from her youngest daughter in days. I couldn’t say I fully understood her pain, but I remembered how I felt when Dad was missing. I had to set aside my agitation and be the leader they needed. The leader Dad always thought I could be. I just never imagined that day would come when I was only sixteen.

  Facing the council, I made sur
e I looked in each of their eyes as I spoke. “My father will return to us soon. Every day, I see improvement. But right now, we need to act on his behalf.” I made my way over to Jaya. “The fire court has no leader at the moment, which means these attacks are coming from rogue members. I don’t believe my father would charge into their court and punish many for the actions of a few.”

  “But our children—”

  I put my hand on top of hers. “We will send more knights into the mortal world. We will do what we can to protect them.”

  “How do we know the fire court has no leader? Do you have information you’re not sharing with this council?” The voice I heard had to be Samson. Of all the council members, he had been the most difficult to deal with. I had heard rumors he has been pushing for a no confidence vote to remove me from power. His disgust was clear each time he refused to make eye contact with me.

  I turned to face him. “I know the fire court has no leader because their element is out of control. Their situation is even worse than our own. If we truly want to resolve these issues, we should be aligning with them.”

  “Align with them as you have with their disgraced prince?” he snickered. “His court is in turmoil, yet he hasn’t bothered to claim the throne. Perhaps he’s enjoying the destruction of his own kind.”

  My blood boiled. He knew nothing of Rowan. Of all the fire elementals, he had suffered the greatest loss. Abandoned and mutilated by his own mother, then ostracized by his court. Yet, he returned to try to make things right. Not to mention, he had saved my life more than once. The last thing Rowan would do was watch his court suffer. “Rowan is in the mortal world now, doing what he can to contain all the natural disasters.”

  “How convenient,” Samson replied, under his breath. He sat back in his chair with a proud grin. It took everything I had to not punch that smug look off his face.

  There was no point in continuing this conversation. I could ramble on for hours and they would still never see Rowan for the hero he is. The best I could hope for was for him to claim the fire throne and find a way to settle his element. Brita, the water queen, told me she had foreseen just that in his future. I had to believe she was right. But the future can always change.