“I will take care of everything.” She shrieked. “I’m so excited. I’ve always wanted to plan a wedding.”
“You did hear the part where I said this was a fake, right?”
“It doesn’t matter.” She pulled me into a bear hug. “I still get to plan it.”
“Okay, then.” I shrugged. “I’ll focus on the journals, while you plan my big fake wedding.”
Chapter Thirteen
Rowan
Xavier had done his job. The throne room was filled with fire elementals. I went to my quarters to change into my red ceremonial robes. I had to look the part, show them I was dedicated to our court. Wearing mortal clothes would do the opposite. Beneath my robes, I slipped my sheath and sword over my shoulder. It wasn’t customary to bring weapons to this type of meeting, but I had to be cautious. There was a good chance some of my audience would be spies for Valac. The invitation went out to all members of our court.
If Valac had any balls, he’d come and challenge me. But he knows he’d never beat me one-on-one. Hiding behind an army suited him much better.
As I made my way down the hallway, my leather boots clicked against the obsidian flooring. I could hear their conversations from within the throne room. Most of them were talking about me. There was also some shouting. Typical for a fire court gathering. Although we were one court, some types of elementals didn’t mix. It was well-known that goblins and ogres had been feuding for centuries. The goblins were smart, yet sneaky little monsters. They enjoyed toying with the much larger, less intelligent ogres. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the goblins tried to take out one of the big guys. It wouldn’t be the first time goblin blood was spread across the flooring.
Guardians usually stood at the door in front of the throne room. But the guards were Gabriel Hounds, so the doors were unwatched. I took a deep breath. I had prepared for this. I placed my hands on the metal door, pushing my way inside. The group silenced the moment I came into view. They followed me with their eyes as I moved through the crowd. Some snarled, others whispered. I didn’t want to appear nervous. Instead, I tipped my chin up, heading toward the throne. My mother’s throne.
Instead of walking up the lava rock steps to the chair, I turned and faced the horde. “I am Rowan, the last remaining member of the House Djin. I have called you here today to ask for your allegiance. Since Liana’s death, I have spent the last week in the mortal world. I have witnessed fire elemental attacks on the air and woodland courts. The battles between our courts have shifted the elements out of balance. We are responsible for the fires, volcanic blasts, and other natural disasters, causing massive panic and death all over the world. The only way to fix all of this is to end the hostility between our courts.”
“They attacked us first.” A male voice shouted from the back of the crowd. “They came into our territory and killed members of our court. Are we expected to forget the loss of our friends and families?”
Most of the fire elementals were unaware of the charges against Liana. They did not know the air and woodland courts attacked because they thought King Taron was being held in this castle. Due to the circumstances, the fire elementals had little time to prepare and many were killed. “The other courts cannot be held accountable for our losses. When Valac kidnapped King Taron, he ignited the war. But we can end it together.”
Yelling broke out making it hard to hear any one voice. The most common phrases I could understand were, “Why should we trust you?” and “You abandoned the court.”
It was nothing I hadn’t expected. Most of my life was spent in the mortal world. Very few of these elementals knew much about me. They had only heard the rumors or what had been told to them by Liana and Valac. “I never abandoned you. Every decision I made, I had the best interest of the court in mind. My loyalties are to this court.”
Arguments continued to break out in the crowd. Some were still very distrustful, others wanted to hear my plans for the future. Fists were flying in a couple of small clusters. A few times flames shot out. It was getting out of control. This would have been a good time for Marcus to return. A roar from a Gabriel Hound would be enough to shake the room, drawing their attention back to me. Too bad he was nowhere to be found. I had to come up with another solution before someone got killed.
A high pitched scream soared over the noise from the hostile crowd. Everyone covered their ears, though it did little to block the sound. Pain seared through my eardrums like they were about to explode. I fell to my knees, lowering my head to the ground with my eyes squeezed shut. There was only one kind of elemental who made that sound: a banshee. Judging by the volume of her scream, I would guess she was a powerful one. Too bad I couldn’t move to see who she was. My whole body tensed. It was as if I were frozen.
Abruptly the noise stopped.
When I glanced around, every elemental in the room was lying on the ground. Many had blood dripping from their ears. Pained moans came from several elementals. My head still vibrated. I had no doubt I would have a serious migraine before the end of the day. I rose before anyone else, searching the room for the banshee. I hadn’t noticed that a dark-skinned female stood by the door. Her black hair hung low down her back, her tight snow-white dress showed off her curvy figure. A wicked grin curled the corners of her cherry red lips.
She had to be the elemental responsible.
I managed to get to my feet, fire bursting from my palms. I tore my robes off. The burned shards of fabric fell to the ground. I reached over my shoulder, releasing the sword from its sheath. Pointing my weapon at her, I said, “That’s quite an entrance you made.”
“I wanted to hear what you had to say.” She shrugged. “The crowd wasn’t cooperating.”
“I have a feeling you came for more than my speech.” I stepped over elementals as I made my way through the crowd. “Did you come to swear your allegiance or are you here as a spy for Valac?”
She reached for a blade leaning against a wall, examining its sharp edge. “The rightful ruler of the fire court has my allegiance.”
I gripped my sword tighter. “And who is the rightful ruler?”
She ran toward me, sword pointed at my chest. “That’s what I came here to decide.”
Our weapons collided with a loud clank. We pushed against one another, fighting for control. Each time I blocked her, our swords scraped together. It sounded like fingernails screeching down a chalkboard. She moved quickly. Her level of training was obvious but I was up for the challenge. Matter of fact, I enjoyed it. I was itching for some action. Elementals around us crawled out of the way, others cheered with delight. Fire elementals always enjoyed a good battle. “You fight well, but you won’t beat me.”
“Oh? And why is that?” She asked, with arrogance in her tone.
She hesitated for only a split second and that was all I needed. I used all of the strength I had, knocking the blade out of her hand. The force of the blow made her fall to the ground. She opened her mouth, but before she could scream, I held the edge of my blade against her neck. “Because I am the true king of the fire court.”
Her eyebrows furrowed. “But you gave up your throne to Liana. You should’ve lost your power when you became a solitary.”
I held out my hand to help her up. “I’ve learned a few tricks along the way.”
She rose on her own. “I can see that.”
“What’s your name, banshee?” I asked.
“Mikala.”
I slipped my weapon back into its sheath. “Have I earned your allegiance, Mikala?”
She dropped to her knees, holding her blade horizontally over her head. “You have my allegiance and my sword.”
There was movement behind me. It was slow and quiet. My palms ignited. I turned my body, catching my would-be assassin by the neck. “Clever, traitor.” I squeezed his throat, making him wheeze. “Thought you’d attack me from behind, did you?”
“Seemed like a solid plan,” Mikala said.
My instincts took over. I re
ached for the knife I kept in my back pocket, and as I turned my head to face her, I slit her throat. Blood shot out in every direction as she slumped to the ground. “It’s a shame, you know. I could have used someone like you on my team.”
Mikala clutched her neck, her body curled into a ball. Her eyes bore into mine until they became lifeless. Flames coated her skin as she slowly reduced to ash. I refocused on her friend. “If you don’t want to end up like your partner, you will answer my questions.”
He pressed his lips together.
Apparently, he wasn’t in the talking mood. He needed some encouragement. I reached for my sword, exposing him to the iron. The skin on his arms and face caught fire. His mouth opened as he tried to scream. He tried to wiggle free. That wasn’t going to happen. I dug my fingers farther into his throat, breaking skin. “Are you ready to be friends now?”
Still without air, he mouthed one word: Never.
“Fine, have it your way.” Needing to make an example out of him, I pulled out his Adam’s apple. Blood squirted all over my face and clothes. I held him in place until he reduced to ash.
My audience stood by silently, not moving a muscle.
It seemed they got the message, but just to be certain, I said, “Is there anyone else who would like to challenge me?”
One-by-one, each elemental dropped to their knees with heads lowered to the ground as if they were praying.
I tore off my blood-stained shirt, using it to wipe my face. “Stand up!” I shouted. When everyone was on their feet, I continued, “Remember what you saw here. This is what will happen to any fire elemental that chooses to stand with Valac.”
Chapter Fourteen
Kalin
The wedding preparations had begun. I sent a message to Dad that I wanted to speak with him. I understood why he approved the date of the wedding. He knew it would buy me more time to figure out the akasha journals without actually following through with the marriage. But Dad should have spoken to me about it before an announcement was sent out. Really, he was as much at fault as Bash. But I had other issues to deal with. At the moment, elementals took up every inch of space in my room. Seamstresses asking about wedding gown details, chefs asking about cake flavors, and musicians auditioning for slots in the reception orchestra. I tried several times to sneak away, but Ariel caught me every time.
That girl was like a ninja.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mom burst into my room. She nearly ripped the door right off its hinges. Her green eyes were wild, like a feral cat. “You’re getting married? What the hell are you thinking?” I tried to open my mouth several times to answer her questions, but she kept going without pause. “You’re only sixteen. And who is this Sebastian I keep hearing about?”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one Dad forgot to speak with. I glanced around the room. Everyone silently stared at me. The tension in the room was as thick as butter. “Everyone please leave us.” I said. Once they had all gone, I attempted to clarify the situation before her head exploded. “Mom, I can—”
“You promised me no more secrets, Kalin.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I know I did. Have you spoken to Dad this morning?”
“I was on my way to see him when I heard the announcement.”
Forget about the healing. I may kill Dad myself. “If you would just take it down a few notches, I can explain everything to you.”
She huffed as she sat on the edge of my bed. “Fire away then.”
“The engagement isn’t real. It’s just a cover to give me more time.”
“A cover for what?”
I sat down next to her. “The council wants to remove Dad from power. They don’t think he will recover from the iron poisoning and it’s making our court appear vulnerable.”
“That’s ridiculous.” Mom said, waving her hand as if dismissing their accusations. “I’ve never met another elemental as powerful as Taron. He will recover.”
An ache bloomed in my chest. It was time I admitted the truth. “You didn’t see what happened to him, Mom. He was kept in iron shackles. The poison flowed through him while he was trapped in the mortal world. Had he been there another few days—”
She placed her hands over her mouth. “Don’t say it.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “He’s lucky to be alive.”
There was silence for several minutes. I could never forget seeing Dad that way. The iron had burned into his wrists. Blood and seared skin lined the metal shackles. The scars had yet to fade away. I had been burned by iron during my training with Rowan. The pain was excruciating, but it was only on the tips of my fingers. I shuddered just thinking about the constant anguish he must have been in all those days.
Mom ran her fingers through her hair. “But what does any of this have to do with you getting married?”
I let out an exaggerated breath. “The air court has never been ruled by a half mortal. The council believes I need to be married to a full-blooded air elemental to secure my position. Sebastian was chosen by Dad right after I was born. He had anticipated the council’s reaction.”
Her face reddened. “It looks like I need to have a serious conversation with your father.”
She looked like she was about to chew Dad a new one. I couldn’t let that happen. I was irritated that he approved the announcement without me, but I didn’t blame him for all that had happened. “It’s not his fault. Everything changed after he was kidnapped. He never expected me to come here and rule at sixteen. I doubt he ever expected me to actually go through with the marriage either. He probably figured by the time I was ready for the throne, I’d already be married to another elemental.”
Mom put her hand on my knee. “Kalin, do you think you are ready to take his place?”
I wasn’t sure. I spent most of my life preparing for the crown, learning the rules, trying to understand my position at court. But sometimes, I just wanted to be a normal teenager. I wanted to think about dates and prom dresses, not war and politics. It was selfish, but it was how I felt nonetheless. “I don’t think I have a choice.”
Mom rolled her eyes. “This whole thing is complete bullshit.”
I had to laugh when she said a cuss word. I could count on one hand how many times I had heard her utter a bad word over the last sixteen years. “I know. That’s why Bash offered to pretend to be my fiancé. It gets the council off my back while I try to find a solution to this mess.”
Lowering her voice, she said, “Taron told me about the akasha journals. He said you’re close to translating them.”
With all this wedding stuff, I hadn’t had a chance to try again. But since she brought it up, maybe she could answer some of my questions. “Why did you believe I was an akasha when I was born?”
Her eyes bore into mine. It was like she was staring into my soul. “I don’t believe you are an akasha. I know you are.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “How could you know that, Mom? Right now I can’t even read the journals. There’s a good chance I never will.”
Mom put her arm around my shoulders. “When you were born, your skin was covered in symbols. They glowed with a bright light and they moved. Taron told me they were the symbols of each of the four courts.”
I stared down at my freckle filled arms. “What happened to the symbols?”
“When I took you out of Avalon, they faded away. Your father was afraid they might return and your life would be in danger. To keep you safe, he kept you out of Avalon.”
Finally, the truth. “So that’s the real reason you never let me visit Dad.”
The tension in her shoulders released. “Yes.”
All the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. “Is that why you never visited Dad?”
She looked away, staring solemnly into the distance, as if she was replaying the events in her mind. “How could I come here without you?”
But with Dad unable to leave Avalon, keeping me away meant she could never see him. “You sacrificed your
relationship with Dad…for me?”
“I would have sacrificed my life to keep you safe.” Mom cupped my face in her hands. “If you ever have children, you’ll come to understand that. There is no greater love than a mother’s love for her child.”
A few hours later, Bash showed up at my door. He offered to get me away from the castle so I could attempt to read the journals. Two knights followed us as we made our way into the forest outside of the castle. The skies were full of clouds while the temperatures stayed at a comfortable seventy-five degrees. Inside the woodland, the air was a bit cooler. I was happy I brought one of my hoodies with me. I sat by the river’s edge. In the distance, I noticed the canal led to a massive waterfall. I ran my hands through the tepid water.
“Why don’t you join me?” I asked, waving my hand.
Bash shook his head. “No thanks. I’m good back here.”
“What’s the matter? Afraid of a little water?” I teased, cocking my head to the side.
“Afraid of drowning as I plummeted to the bottom of that waterfall is more like it.” His eyes widened as he watched the rapidly moving water. Oh, his fear was real. Just talking about it made his skin pale.
I decided to get up and sit next to him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
He smiled, showing off his perfectly straight, porcelain-white teeth. “You need to stop apologizing. How would you have known I had a fear of drowning?”
Why was I always apologizing? It seemed like it was a recurring thing when he was around. It was like I wasn’t myself in his presence. I was nervous. Although he had been nothing but kind to me, he made me feel inadequate. I seriously needed to pull it together. “You’re right. That’s the last time I’m going to apologize. Well, unless I really need to, but you know what I’m saying.”
He chuckled. “Yes, I do.”
I had to figure out why he made me so uncomfortable. Maybe it was because I knew so little about him, yet he seemed to know everything about me. “Would you mind if I asked you a question?”
Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2) Page 10
