The Shadow Prince

by Stacey O'Neale

  King Taron held out his arms and gave me a hug. “Rowan, you've grown up quite a bit since I last saw you.” Squeezing my bicep, he said, “I'm impressed.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” I bowed. “It’s been almost ten years since I last saw you. How are things in the skies?”

  “Always changing.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Speaking of change, congratulations on your upcoming coronation. I have to admit, Prisma’s announcement was unexpected. I didn't think she planned to abdicate her throne.”

  So she never talked to the council about her decision? I wondered if anyone knew about it, or if this was something she decided recently. “It came as a surprise to me as well.”

  “I've thought about stepping down myself. My daughter will be joining me here in another year. Once Kalin is fully trained, I may abdicate.”

  His daughter was a mystery to most elementals. All I knew was that she was a halfling, living with her mortal Mother. “You must have a lot of faith in her.”

  “She's a very special girl.”

  Orion, king of the woodland court, patted Taron on the shoulder. The two elementals embraced. They had been close friends for centuries. “We all look forward to getting to know Kalin.” He said.

  “Thank you for coming, King Orion.” I bowed. Although the woodland faeries were known to be playfully carefree, they made the best weapons and were widely considered masters of war. But, since the decrees—the laws we lived by—were accepted centuries ago, there has been no major conflict between the courts.

  “We're all happy to be here for such a special occasion.” Orion waved over one of the male faeries from his court. “Speaking of special, I had this made for you by our greatest blacksmith.” The faerie held out a sheathed sword attached to a leather shoulder strap. “I heard you've become quite the accomplished sword fighter,” he said, handing me the gift. “This is a weapon made for a king.”

  I gripped the handle, releasing the blade from its sheath. Taking a closer look, I realized the curved sword was made of iron—the only metal all elementals were allergic to. Many of the weaker ones couldn't be in its presence without feeling an immense, burning pain. However, the stronger elementals used them as weapons. I stepped backwards a few paces to swing it a few times without endangering anyone. It felt light in my hand. “This is an incredible gift. Thank you very much.”

  Orion put the sword back in the sheath, then slid the leather strap over my shoulder. “Let's hope you never have to put it to good use.”

  After introductions to a few other woodland faeries, I excused myself so I could greet the members of the water court. Although they had never given me a reason, I always approached them with caution. Most were still seated at their table, taking in the room. They were likely speaking to each other telepathically, which made me nervous. I'd been told the water queen, Britta, could read the thoughts of other elementals. I didn't want her poking into my head, so I cleared my mind as I approached. Britta was hard to miss. Her wings were made of scales rather than feathers. I especially liked the white henna-styled tattoos on the sides of her face.

  I opened my mouth to speak and Britta jolted. The color of her blue eyes faded until there was nothing more than white showing. I’d seen this once before as a child. She was having a vision.

  “Thank you for coming, Queen Britta.” I said, not sure if she could hear me.

  From inside my head, I heard, “I see trouble for you, young prince. Two possible paths lay at your feet. At the end of both paths, your hands are covered in blood.”

  “What do you mean covered in blood? Are you saying someone will die?” My eyebrows furrowed. “You have to tell me more.”

  “I cannot. The future is always changing. Outcomes are never certain.”

  “Can you see who the blood belongs to?”

  “No.”

  My head swirled from all the possibilities of her words. Was I about to hurt or kill someone? Was I going to find someone hurt or killed? Was it my blood? I couldn't think straight. And at some point, I had unknowingly walked away from her. I stood alone in the corner of the room with no idea of how long I'd been there.

  After my disturbing conversation with Queen Britta, I returned to my mother's table. She sat in the same place, talking amongst some of the high-ranking air court members. When she didn't acknowledge my presence once again, I reached my breaking point. I was done waiting for answers. “Excuse your council, we need to talk.”

  “What about?” she questioned, coyly.

  I wasn't in the mood to play games. “You know exactly what this is about.”

  She made eye contact with her council members. One by one, they got up and left the area. I saw her say something to the final person, but the music was so loud I couldn't hear what she said. No point in asking either.

  “Why are you abdicating your throne?” I asked boldly.

  She stood, eyes widened as if she wasn't expecting the inquiry. “Why are you questioning my decision? Most children would be thrilled in your position.”

  “For the last sixteen years I've barely seen you. Then, out of nowhere, you send Marcus to tell me you plan to pass your throne on to me. Wouldn't that sound suspicious to you?”

  She put her hand on her chest as if she was shocked. Always the drama queen. “Are you saying you don't want to be king?”

  I leaned toward her, resting my fists on the table. “I'm asking, what's in it for you?”

  She didn't budge. Nothing or no one would intimidate her. “It's not for me, dear. It's for the court.”

  I crossed my arms. “What is it?”

  “Before you can take the throne of fire, you must first prove your loyalty to this court.”

  And, here comes the truth. “How?”

  “By killing the halfling daughter of the air court king.”

  “Kalin?”

  Chapter Four

  I sat for a long moment, dumbfounded. “You can't be serious.”

  She grinned proudly. “I am.”

  I searched my mind for any reasonable explanation for her request, but came up with nothing. “What did Kalin ever do to you?”

  She sat in her chair, tapping her fingers against the arm rest. “These are my terms, Rowan. If you want the crown, you will kill her.”

  My mother has never been rational. Actually, she was crazy most of the time. But this was a stretch, even for her. “What you're asking is far beyond murder; it's treason.” It would mean breaking every rule in the decrees. Just considering this warranted my execution. “If you want me to do this, I need to know why.”

  She leaned back in her chair with a disgusted look. No one questioned her orders. After a minute of contemplation, she said, “I believe Kalin is the next akasha.”

  An akasha was an elemental capable of controlling all four elements of nature. There had been many over the centuries, but there hasn't been a new akasha since the last one died over one hundred years ago. Many thought they were extinct. “That's impossible. The akasha has always been a pureblood elemental. Last time I checked, Kalin was a halfling.”

  Leaning forward, she scowled at me. “No one knows why an akasha is born. There are no rules to say it must be a purebred.”

  I crossed my arms. “Why do you believe she's one of them?”

  “Taron has kept her in the mortal world, guarded by his knights since her birth—”

  “She's the daughter of a king. I don't think it's unreasonable that he would want her protected.” Having no concept of real love, it wasn't a surprise that she couldn't understand why a parent would safeguard their child.

  “That's not my only reason,” she said, visibility aggravated that I interrupted her. “My spies tell me she's never been trained to control her air element. And, she's never once visited Avalon where her power would be strongest.”

  The decrees prohibit spying on other courts. Of course, my mother wasn't big on following the rules. Although, I had to admit, what she was saying was unusual behavior for an
elemental. We each learned to control our element as children. No exceptions. Taron did seem to be hiding her, but was she really the next akasha? “Okay, let's assume you're right. How does this harm you? Their sole purpose of existence is to keep the four elements in balance.”

  She rose. “Taron plans to put her on the throne. If Kalin is the akasha and the air court queen, it gives their court too much power.”

  “I get it now. It doesn't bother you that she might be the akasha. You're upset because she's part of another court.”

  She held up her hand, done listening to me. “I have sufficiently answered your questions. You will kill the Princess or you will not ever sit on my throne. Think it through, Rowan, because this will be your only opportunity.”

  The magnitude of her request finally started to settle in. “You do realize the coronation is only days away, right? Even if I agreed, there's not enough—”

  “Then I suggest you leave immediately,” she said, leaving the room before I had time to finish my response.

  The voices and loud music ringing out all around me had ceased. All I heard was the rapid beating of my own heart.

  After this latest demand, there was no question my mother needed to be removed from power. It should have happened a long time ago. As king, I could erase all the fear felt by the members of our court. I could release the Gabriel Hounds from their positions of servitude. Not to mention, my best friend could be free to be with the girl he was falling for.

  But could I kill a potentially innocent halfling to make it happen? Could saving thousands justify the death of one who deserved to live? A person who could be the salvation of our entire species? Then I thought of Taron. The ruler who had been the kindest to me. He was thrilled about his daughter coming to live with him. How could I hurt him in such an unforgiving way?

  An ache settled in the center of my chest. There was no right way to handle this situation. Regardless of the path I chose, someone would be unnecessarily hurt by my actions. And, if this was the vision Britta had seen, there would be blood on my hands either way.

  I'd reached my decision. Mother had left me no choice. No matter how sick it made me, Kalin had to die. It was the only way I could rid them of my mother. With the leaders of the courts here, it was probably best I handle this right away.

  “Hey, man. You look like you're about to puke. Are you okay?” Marcus asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

  The room felt as if it was closing in on me. At some point I’d started panting. “I have to get out of here.”

  “Wait, why? What's going on?” Marcus asked, concern written all over his face.

  I glanced around at all the eyes watching us. “Trust me, you don't want to know.” I pushed my way through the crowd, heading toward the exit.

  “I'm coming with you,” he said, keeping pace.

  I increased my speed, hoping he'd take the hint. It was best that he wasn't involved. If I was caught, I would be executed. But if Marcus suffered the same fate, I'd never forgive myself. “You can't follow me.”

  “That's too bad because I'm coming anyway.”

  We headed through the exit doors, past the guards, and down the hallway. Once I was sure we were alone, I said, “I get that you're trying to be my friend, but you have to understand, I'm doing the same thing. Please, go back to the ball and have fun.”

  “Rowan, you're freaking me out right now. I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on.”

  We reached my bedroom. While turning the knob, I said, “Fine, I can see you're not backing down, so I'll tell you.” Once inside, I took a look around to make sure no one was there. Someone had left a tray of assorted appetizers along with a large jug of wine on the end table. “Remember how I told you Mother would want something in return?”

  He was already cringing. “Yeah…”

  “I was right. She wants something. Something terrible. Something so bad it will require me to break every rule we have set in the decrees.” I poured myself a glass of wine, drinking it in one gulp. “And, if I'm caught, I'll be killed.”

  “Holy shit. I think I need some of this,” he said, taking the bottle out of my hand, drinking until there was nothing left. “Okay, now tell me. What does she want?”

  Part of me wondered if this was all a hoax. Maybe she wanted me to get caught and die so she'd have no more heirs. In that case, she'd have a much better chance of passing her crown on to my adopted siblings. “She wants me to kill Kalin, King Taron's halfling daughter.”

  “Why?” he asked, eyes widened.

  I sat on my bed, face buried in my palms. “Because she thinks Kalin is the next akasha. She wants me to kill her before she returns to Avalon and gains her power.”

  “Even if she was an akasha, she's no threat.”

  Along with keeping the four elements in balance, an akasha would recognize abnormalities within the courts. I sensed my mother was hiding something. It would explain why she insisted Kalin die without knowing for sure if she was the next akasha. “I know this.”

  “Are you going to do it?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

  I glanced at him, wishing for any other way. I would have sacrificed myself if it were best for the fire elementals. “I have to. If I refuse, she'll never offer me the throne again.”

  Both of us were silent for several minutes. There was no doubt that Marcus was uncomfortable with the whole idea. Any other hound would've encouraged me. Actually, most of them would have offered to do it themselves. But he wasn't like them. He'd never shared the rage they seemed to be born with. The desire to cause pain wasn't in him.

  “I don't think this is right, but I understand why you're doing it,” he said, settling down next to me on the edge of the bed. “That's why I'm going to help you.”

  This was exactly why I didn't want him to follow me. There would be no talking him out of it now. “It's too dangerous.”

  Marcus raised an eyebrow. “Do you really expect me to let you go off on your own? You're my best friend, man. I won't do it.” Then, he smiled. “Besides, I'm your guardian now, remember?”

  I shook my head. “Being my guardian doesn't mean putting yourself at risk. Maybe even getting killed.”

  “I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it means,” he said, letting out a short chuckle. “Now, what's your plan?”

  I let out an exaggerated breath. “I know Kalin's kept under constant surveillance. We'll need to search the area around her house. Find a place where we can watch her without the knights knowing we're there.”

  “Then what?”

  I stood, facing Marcus.

  “I'll kill any guard that gets in my way,” I said, pulling the sword Orion had given me out of its sheath. The candlelight made the iron weapon shimmer in the light. “Then I will kill her.”

  Chapter Five

  Marcus was able to find the spies who’d been watching Kalin. Apparently, this had been going on for quite a while. We learned the halfling was living in Baltimore, Maryland, with her mother. She attended a private high school in the city, recently turned fifteen, and was in tenth grade. There was nothing elemental about her life except she had knights with her at all times. They stayed hidden behind a glamour, even following her into each class.

  I’d have no choice but to kill her guards in order to get to her which only added to the disgust I already felt.

  After we’d packed weapons and supplies, we left the castle without anyone noticing. The ball was still well under way, keeping everyone busy. Marcus had remained silent since we left the castle. An overwhelming sadness lingered between us. There was no question what we planned to do was wrong. Yet, there was no other option. I hoped I could get this over with quickly. But, regardless, I’d always live with guilt. It had already begun to eat away at me. In its place an empty hole which would never be filled.

  There was a portal less than two miles from Kalin’s house in the middle of a thick forest. A floating ball of fire illuminated our way as we trucked through the dead,
matted leaves covering the winter woodland. The scent of pine filled my nostrils. Each breath made puffy white clouds. The temperature was frigid, but I was always warm. A fire elemental could never be cold.

  It was well after midnight by the time we reached Kalin’s home. I had expected a house in the city, but she lived on the outskirts of town in a simple brick rancher with a large, wooden back porch. The house was enclosed by forest with no visible neighbors in the surrounding areas. There was only one light on inside.

  As expected, an air court knight stood in the backyard. We settled behind a line of tall shrubbery. The knight circled the house several times, but didn’t seem to notice us. He had no reason to expect an attack. Ever since the decrees were set in place, the courts had been at peace.

  “Are you going to kill him?” Marcus whispered, handing me a pair of binoculars from his bag of supplies.

  “No. I want to wait and see what we’re up against first.” We needed to find out how many guards she had. There would likely be more than one of them inside the house. My goal was to attack when she was surrounded by the least amount of knights. I had skills with a sword and my element, but I didn’t want to go in over-confident. These knights were trained, deadly opponents. Although Marcus was only a halfling, he had all the strength and fighting skills of a purebred hound. Knowing he always had my back put the odds in my favor, but I preferred to play it safe.

  Marcus sat his bags down. The weapons clinked when they hit the ground. Luckily, the guard was on the other side of the house when it happened. “What’s the plan?” he asked.

  Break the decrees. Potentially start a war between the courts. Murder. Treason. “We’ll stay here tonight and assess the situation.”

  He scratched the back of his head. “What about tomorrow?”

  “I’d like to follow her during the day. There might be a chance we can catch her alone. If we don’t get an opportunity, I’ll make my move at sundown.”