Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2)

by Stacey O'Neale

  I called out her name several more times as I rushed toward the bloodied body. My legs burned as I fought my way through the sand. Rolling her over, I saw what I had feared most. It was her. No! No! No! My chest ached like someone had punched a hole right through it. I knelt in front of her, checking for signs of life. I put my ear to her nose, praying I’d hear something. Relief flooded through me when I heard a tiny breath. She was alive, but she had been stabbed multiple times. The burns around the wounds indicated her assailant had used an iron weapon. She needed something to cleanse her blood.

  Orion.

  Kalin was too far gone. Only he could save her now. I scooped her limp body into my arms. Looking down at her, I could see how pale she was from the loss of blood. Her lips had turned purple. She was running out of time. I stretched my wings to full capacity and took off into the skies. I was flying faster than I had ever flown in my life. The muscles in my back ached from the additional weight, but I refused to slow my pace. When I found the portal, I swooped down. I landed a few feet away and then raced into the pathway. I reached the other side, finding myself inside the woodland forest. Twigs snapped under my boots as I headed full-speed toward Orion’s caves. I prayed he was inside and that I wasn’t too late. “I’m here, Jelly Bean. Don’t you dare die on me.”

  There were two guards in front of the gates. Both took one glance at Kalin’s bloody body and promptly moved out of my way. I headed to their medical area. I remembered its location. Days ago I had brought my best friend here when he was close to death. Now, I was carrying the girl I had fallen in love with. The person I would give my life for. This couldn’t be the end. Not after everything we had been through.

  “Please Kalin, wake-up.” I pleaded.

  There was still no response. My heart was pumping so hard I could feel the pounding in my ears. Woodland faeries gasped in horror when I entered their infirmary. “Don’t just stand there. Go get your king.” I urged. When they didn’t move fast enough, I shouted, “Go!”

  That got their attention. In unison, they all ran out of the room. I delicately placed Kalin onto a gurney, laying her flat on her stomach since the stab wounds were on her back. As she lay there, I saw the blood running down her hand. There was another wound on her left wrist. I ripped off a piece of my t-shirt, tying it around her incision to cut off the flow of blood. I wished I had noticed it before. Although the trip here had been short, I could have saved her from so much blood loss by looking her over before we came.

  I heard multiple voices coming from the hallway. A second later, Orion entered the infirmary. “Oh no! What happened here?” he asked, his eyes widened with alarm.

  “Please help her. She’s been stabbed and she’s lost a lot of blood.”

  Orion came to stand next to me. When he saw Kalin’s face, he gasped. “Is that—?

  “Yes.” I said, nervously running my fingers through my hair.

  “How did this happen?” he asked, voice panicked. “Does Taron know?”

  Kalin didn’t have enough time for me to explain this to him. I grabbed his arm. “I don’t know anything. I found her like this. Please, help her. Whatever you can do.”

  He nodded. “Cut her out of the dress. I need to see her wounds.”

  I released the dagger I kept on my belt, cutting through the clips that held her dress together. The blade screeched across the fabric. The garment split, falling at her sides. Some of the stab wounds went through her corset. It had to be removed as well. I hated doing it, but I had no choice. Next, I reached under her. I managed to pull the rest of the torn garments off. The cut pieces collected into a bloody pile next to her bed. When I was done, she was left in nothing but her panties. Searching the room, I found a white blanket in a large drawer. I flung it over her waist, covering her legs.

  Orion came over to examine her injuries. A second later, he was searching through cabinets. He found a large ceramic bowl and set it on the counter. He continued whipping through the room collecting ingredients while mumbling to himself. Then just as quickly, he grinded the herbs down into a powder. I wasn’t surprised to see his urgency. Orion would do anything in his power to save Taron’s only child. After he blended in two liquids, he inserted the mixture into a syringe. Taking her arm, Orion poked the needle into her vein and pushed the medicine into her bloodstream.

  Wiping the back of his hand over his forehead, Orion said, “What I gave her will rid her blood of the poison, but she’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t know how long it will be before she wakes up…if she wakes up.”

  That wasn’t a good enough answer. “Is that the best you can do?”

  Orion put his hand on my shoulder, staring at me with a comforting expression. “It’s up to her, Rowan. We’ve done all we can do. It’s her fight now.”

  I sat in a metal chair next to her bed, my elbows perched on my knees. “It shouldn’t be her fight. All she’s done since she got here is fight.”

  Orion leaned against the closet wall, crossing his arms. “Fighting is all any of us can do. Surely, you understand.”

  I did understand. My entire life had been one battle after another. I didn’t wish my path on anyone, certainly not her. “I’d give anything to switch places with her right now.”

  He chuckled.

  I stood, fists clenched at my sides. “Are you laughing? There’s nothing funny about any of this.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “Now I understand why you avoided her engagement party. You love her.”

  Orion had always been kind to me. At times, he acted as a father figure. I had no desire to share my true feelings, but it was impossible for me to lie to him. “It’s complicated.”

  He shrugged. “When is love ever not complicated?”

  “I wouldn’t know.” I wasn’t even sure I knew what it felt like to be in love. I certainly couldn’t explain it to anyone else.

  After a long silence, he said, “You missed an excellent party. One of the best I’ve ever thrown. Well, except for the ending.”

  My eyebrow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Orion started to clean up, putting the unused medicine back into the cabinets. “Brita rushed out, taking all of her elementals with her.” Moving to the sink, he washed out the mixing bowl. “She said she had a vision, but wouldn’t say what she saw. I’ve been trying to reach her since with no luck.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, something shimmered. I glanced behind me and my mouth dropped open. Kalin was glowing. I rushed to her bedside, reaching her in a second. Luminous marks appeared all over her body. They were the symbols of each of the four courts. They moved slowly over her body. As they traveled, the blood and grime on her skin disappeared. Her normal olive coloring returned while her lips reddened. It was as if they were healing her from the inside out. I had never seen anything like it in my life, but I knew what it meant.

  Orion appeared beside me, his hand over his mouth. He stared at her with total astonishment. “Taron was right. She is an akasha.”

  Her eyes opened and I let out a sigh of relief. I could tell by Kalin’s confused expression that she was trying to figure out where she was. As she began to turn over, I pulled the blanket higher, leaving her exposure to a minimum. “Where am I?” she croaked, her voice raw.

  Orion called for someone to bring her something to drink.

  I pulled her into my arms, holding her tighter than I probably should have. “You’re in Orion’s castle in the caves. You’re all right.”

  Her voice stammered. “I thought I was dying.”

  Clasping her cheeks in my hands, I softly pressed my lips against hers. “You were, but Orion healed you. Well, maybe healed you.”

  Kalin raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, maybe?”

  I held her arm, running my hand over her soft skin. “Symbols appeared all over you. They…healed you.”

  Kalin sat there for a moment, not saying a word. I fully expected her to freak out. Instead, she relaxed as if she was relieved in some way. “The symb
ols? Were they of the four courts?” she asked.

  Now I was the one confused. “Yes. How did you know that?”

  “Dad told me about them. They were there when I was born.” Kalin opened her mouth to say something else, then froze. Her eyes widened as she put her hands over her mouth. “Dad,” she shouted. “We have to save him.”

  Orion raced over to Kalin. “What are you talking about? Save him from what?”

  “Sebastian,” she said, eyes wild and filled with fear. “He tried to kill me and now he’s going to kill my father. We have to stop him!”

  White-hot rage surged through my body. “Oh, I’m going to stop him,” I said, unsheathing my sword. “I’m going to end him.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kalin

  My heart beat was like a drummer on speed.

  Every inch of my body ached, but there was no time for recovery. I had no idea how long ago Sebastian had left me to die. Rowan was lucky to have caught Orion before he left for my wedding. Otherwise, I would likely be dead. I had to get back to my father to warn him—if I wasn’t already too late. A lump swelled in my throat. As much as it hurt to imagine my parents in danger, I had to push those feelings aside. I had to be strong. Once I explained the extent of Sebastian’s plan, Orion gathered two dozen knights and we all headed toward the portal for the air court.

  Before we left, one of his fae gave me a green silk dress to wear. The slinky garment barely covered my bottom, making me overly conscious of the wind as we made our way through the forest. This dress screamed stripper pole to me, but my previous outfit was in bloody shreds on the infirmary floor, so I happily accepted it. Each time I got close to Rowan, he sang the chorus of ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ by Def Leppard. I playfully pushed him away. At first I was annoyed, but I ended up appreciating the break from all of the tension.

  The end of the pathway opened up at the edge of the forest. In the distance, I could see the archway that led to the air castle’s main courtyard. The skies were dark, but the castle was lit up for my wedding. Candles burned on every window sill and balcony. I imagined the inside was filled with guests. Elementals from each court were invited, yet I heard no noise. The silence graduated my fully alert nerves to level DEFCON one. The original plan was for us to go in quietly, but my patience had gone bye-bye.

  Without any warning, I ran toward the castle at full speed. There were some voices yelling and I even heard Rowan cussing, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. My family was in danger. The people I love, who had cared for me my whole life, needed me. There was nothing anyone could have said that would have made me slow down. I passed under the archway and straight through the grassy courtyard. Within moments, I stood in the main foyer of the castle. There wasn’t a single elemental anywhere. Not even a guard. My eyes roamed the massive room as I tried to catch my breath.

  At some point, my companions had caught up with me. “Where is everyone?” Orion said, asking the question we were all thinking.

  “I don’t know,” I answered, scratching the back of my head. “The wedding was supposed to be in the ballroom. Should we check there?”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rowan heading up a set of stairs. “I’ll check Taron’s quarters.”

  “Not without me.” I said, sprinting to catch up with him.

  Orion and his knights followed us up each staircase, iron weapons drawn. Made total sense for them to be prepared. Something had to account for the absence of the air elementals. And if I’d learned anything from my time in Avalon, it was that anything was possible. As we made our way up the levels, the only noise I could hear was the clicking of our shoes against the stone steps. The farther we went, the more my chest tightened.

  Rowan led the group, gripping his sword so tight his knuckles were white. I thought back to our conversation on the beach. He had warned me to be cautious when it came to Sebastian. I had completely blown him off when Rowan questioned his motives. I even accused him of acting like a jealous boyfriend. There was a chance all of this could have been avoided if I had taken him seriously. If I had guarded my secrets instead of handing Sebastian all the ammunition he needed to hold my family hostage.

  And now, they could be dead because of my mistakes.

  When we reached the top of the final stairwell, Rowan froze. I pushed in front of him to see what was going on. He tried to grab my hand, but I managed to wiggle away. Then I saw what he tried to prevent me from seeing. Everything around me started to move in slow motion. The lifeless bodies of two knights were crumpled over in front of Dad’s bedroom door. Their skin was dry as they slowly decomposed. Soon, they would be part of the first wind. All the noise around me silenced except for my own pounding heart. Out of respect, I should have stopped there and given them their last blessing—the elemental version of last rites.

  But I didn’t.

  I turned the knob on the door and climbed over them. Panting, I searched the room. I may have called out to Dad. I wasn’t sure. But what I saw in front of me buckled my knees and I collapsed. So many emotions whipped through me all at once. A set of arms wrapped around my shoulders. In an instant, I knew it was Rowan. He whispered something in my ear, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. All I could do was stare. Dad was lying on his back with my Mom sobbing over the top of him.

  My father was dead.

  Mom stared at me, her eyes red and swollen. “Sebastian said he wanted to have a toast before the wedding. We drank from a special wine he brought.” She wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her shirt. “Taron realized it was poison right before we both collapsed. Sebastian left, assuming we were both dead. That’s when Taron used all of his magic to cure me. He sacrificed himself so I could live.”

  I didn’t want to believe it. Even as I pulled away from Rowan and crawled to her, some part of me hoped Dad would wake up. I held Mom in my arms, cradling her. She wrapped her arms over the top of mine, somehow pulling me even closer as she broke down once more. I reached out to touch Dad’s face. His skin was cold, empty eyes stared at the ceiling. Air around his body began to swirl. Slowly, pieces of his skin dried and joined with the growing wind. I closed my eyes, unable to watch as my father’s body withered away into nothing.

  Something broke inside me. It was as if part of me had left with him. In its place, an ache welled in the center of my chest. My father was dead. My mother had lost the love of her life. It was all my fault. I had caused my father’s death. I should have died on the beach. That was what I deserved. I couldn’t be here. I scooted away from Mom. Away from everyone. Rowan tried to approach me, but I held up my hand. I wasn’t worthy of his comfort. Had I listened to him, my father would still be alive.

  I stood, backing myself into the corner of the room.

  “Kalin,” Rowan said, in the softest tone I had ever heard him speak.

  I put up my hand as he took a step toward me. “Stop it.”

  “It’s going to be all right.” He said.

  It wasn’t all right. We weren’t even in the vicinity of all right. This was me walking into my greatest nightmare. This was as bad as it got. I had failed. I had lost someone I loved. Someone who meant everything to me. “Don’t you see? This is my fault. He’s dead because of me.”

  “This isn’t your fault. You can’t hold yourself responsible for this.”

  I shook my head, refusing to accept what he was saying. “You knew Sebastian would do this. I could have saved my father if I had listened to you.”

  “I had my doubts about Sebastian,” Rowan said, glancing at the space where Dad’s body had been. “But I never would have predicted he could do this.” He grabbed me by the biceps, unmoving as I tried to force myself out of his hold. “None of this had anything to do with you.”

  “Let me go.” I said, sternly.

  He pulled me into a hug, refusing to release me even as I fought to free myself. “No,” he said, firmly.

  “Let me go, dammit!” I punched and kicked him with every bit of energy
I had. He still held on to me.

  “No,” he repeated.

  A lump swelled in my throat. “Please, just let me go.” I said, still struggling to break away from him.

  “I’ll never let you go.” Rowan whispered in my ear.

  I fought until I had no fight left. My body numbed from ache and overwhelming sadness. As I collapsed, he went with me. We were both on our knees when I burst into tears. They flowed endlessly down my cheeks as I let my head rest on his shoulder. He rocked me back and forth like a baby in a cradle. In that moment, I felt like he was the only thing holding me together. Like I would shatter into a million pieces the second he let go. “He’s gone, Rowan. He’s gone.” I said, barely audible through my wailing cries.

  “I know,” he said, calmly rubbing the back of my head. “I’m so sorry.”

  Mom came over, wrapping her arms around both of us and the rest of the world went away. I focused on the feel of their warmth all around me. The deafening silence of the room. I had no idea how long we stayed huddled together. Music rang out, startling all three of us. I was the first to make my way to the window. Hundreds of elementals walked solemnly toward the castle. They made their way through the stone arches carrying flowers, while others played instruments. The song they performed was vaguely familiar. It appeared to be a funeral procession. The all-consuming pain I felt shifted into rage when I saw the last person step through the archway.

  It was Sebastian, holding my father’s crown.

  Now it all made sense. The elementals hadn’t abandoned the castle. They left to attend some kind of ceremony. Sebastian must have told them we were all dead. An easy claim to make since a body wasn’t required. Carrying the crown meant they were probably heading toward his coronation. Sebastian hadn’t wasted any time, not even allowing the other air elementals time to grieve for the only king they had ever known. He probably used his charms to convince the council that our court would be vulnerable without a king on the throne.

  Blind fury consumed me.

  Turning to the side, I noticed Rowan next to me. I pulled his sword from its sheath. Without saying a word to anyone, I headed toward the door. One thought lodged in my head: kill Sebastian. I didn’t plan to end him quickly. His death needed to be slow and painful. My mind raced with ways I might torture him. Make him understand the agony I felt, what he had done to my parents. They waited so long to be together, only to be ripped apart once more. Sebastian would feel their hurt as well. Before I was done, he would know a level of misery he hadn’t imagined possible.