Was I jealous?
Impossible. I mean, I couldn’t deny I was attracted to Kalin—especially when she danced around in those cute pajamas—but I didn’t know her, which was a good thing. The more I learned about her, the harder it would be to kill her. I’d rather assume she was a horrible person or dangerous like Prisma claimed. That way, I was doing the right thing by ridding the world of her.
The bell above our heads rang loud enough to wake a coma patient. Students hurried to their classrooms while we stood in place. Marcus looked like he was about to break a sweat, and I understood why. I’d been behaving like an idiot. It was about time I was honest with him. “I’m sorry I made a mistake. I’ve been off since we got here.”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “That’s why we need to get this done and go home. The longer we stay, the harder it will be.”
It will be hard, regardless. I hadn’t taken a life before, but I couldn’t imagine there was an easy way to do it. Not for anyone with a conscience, anyway. “I agree. Let’s track her for the rest of the day and hope for an opportunity.”
We spent the remainder of the morning following her to each of her classes. Mortal courses were mind-numbing. Each teacher taught from a textbook using a monotone voice, which made them sound as bored as the students appeared. Kalin paid attention, unlike some of the other students. She wrote notes diligently in her notebooks, and never spoke to anyone.
Outside of class, it didn’t take long before her friends were all around her. No matter where she went, someone tried to get her attention. In the hallway, someone told her something that made her laugh. I smiled. Taking a glance at Marcus, I saw he had a wide grin across his face. Her laugh was contagious. The sound was genuine, lighting up her whole face. As the day went on, I found myself hoping someone else would make her laugh so I could hear it again.
Slowly, I was figuring her out. When she was around her friends, she was a bubbly, happy teenage girl. It was a mask. No one knew she would be leaving for Avalon once she turned sixteen. She’d have to forget about her life here and start another with her father. I imagined it would be difficult to leave the life she’d made for herself. It would certainly explain the tears from last night. Did she only cry when she thought no one was looking?
It was different for me.
Living a mortal life was never a possibility. I was raised, educated, and trained with other elementals. My issues came solely from my relationship with Prisma, but she wasn’t around for most of the time. It was odd that Taron allowed Kalin to live as a mortal, which made me think there was a reason he kept her away from Avalon. But I didn’t believe she was the akasha.
Marcus nudged my arm, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Kalin asked the teacher for a bathroom pass.”
How did I miss hearing her? Oh, because I’d lost my focus once again. I needed to get my head out of my ass in a big way. “This might be my chance.”
We followed her into the hallway, where two of her guards waited. She held up her hand when they attempted to follow. I pointed down at Marcus’s shoes, trying to tell him to tiptoe without actually saying the words. He nodded. We crept slowly behind her, stopping when she entered the bathroom.
I put my ear to the door. “I don’t hear Kalin speaking to anyone. I’m going in.”
“I’m right behind you.” Marcus rolled up his sleeves, revealing his scarred forearms. They had to be from his months of training—yet another reminder of why this was necessary.
I held up my hand. “No, I’ll do it by myself.”
Marcus tensed.
“She’s an untrained halfling,” I insisted. “I can handle her.” That wasn’t the whole truth. I didn’t want him in there because I was breaking the decrees. If caught, I would take my punishment alone.
I opened the bathroom door an inch at a time. Once I saw that Kalin was in one of the middle stalls, I rushed inside and waited by the row of porcelain sinks. Her toilet flushed. My whole body froze as soon as her stall door opened. She stood less than two yards from me as she washed her hands. It felt strange being this close to her. I’d never been uncomfortable when I hid behind a glamour before, but being here with her now seemed wrong.
Intrusive.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror with a somber expression. This was my moment. I took several steps forward as I slid the sword out of its sheath. I closed the space between us. There was a scent coming off of her that reminded me of strawberries and something else, maybe honey. I inhaled a deep breath. When I realized what I was doing, I wanted to punch myself in the face. What the hell was wrong with me?
Enough of this stupidity. I gripped the sword with both hands, pulling it back over my shoulder. From this angle, I could decapitate her. There would be no screams for help; she’d be dead in seconds. Sweat pearled in the palms of my hands as my mind raced through the events of the last twenty-four hours. I couldn’t get the images of her laughing, smiling, and dancing in those silly pajamas, out of my head. My stomach twisted in knots. The weapon grew heavy in my hands. That’s when I realized my arms were shaking.
It was as if my mind and body had turned against me.
I lowered the blade to my side and stood motionless as she left the bathroom.
Seconds later, Marcus raced inside. “Are you all right?”
I dropped to my knees, letting the iron sword fall to the floor with a clang. “I can’t do it. If I kill Kalin, I’m no better than Prisma.”
He let out a sigh. “Good.”
My head jerked up, questioning whether I heard him correctly. “How is that good?”
Marcus lowered himself to the floor next to me and leaned against the white tiled wall. “I don’t want you to kill her, even if it means I’ll never be free. How could I be happy knowing someone as innocent as Kalin died for my freedom?”
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
“I was selfish.” He pulled his knees into his chest. “I kept trying to convince myself that this was okay, but it’s not. I was about to bust in and stop you when Kalin walked out. The instant relief I felt when I saw her assured me that this was all wrong.”
We had made up our minds. Neither one of us could justify taking an innocent life. Deep down, I’d known that all along. “We should go back to Avalon.”
“Your mother isn’t going to be happy about this.”
No one refused Prisma.
There would be severe repercussions for my decision. “I would rather accept her worst punishment than kill Kalin.”
Marcus rose up, brushing off the back of his pants. “You won’t do it alone.”
I stood. “Yes, I will. This was my task. I will accept whatever she dishes out, and if you’re my friend, you’ll do as I ask.”
He lowered his head. “How can I—”
I spoke with firmness in my tone. “We both know she will kill you without hesitation just to punish me. The further you stay away from this, the better.”
Whatever Prisma did to me would be brutal, but not deadly. I rejected her command, which she would see as a crime against the court. But, I was her only biological son. If she genuinely planned to abdicate her throne at any time, she wouldn’t kill me. Put on a show? Yes. Make an example out of me? Sure. All things I could survive.
There was no point in sticking around here.
It was time to go home.
Chapter Seven
Hours later, we returned to the fire court castle. The dark obsidian hallways were empty and eerily quiet. We slowed our pace. The only noise we heard was the clicking of our boots against the rock flooring. As we approached the throne room, I still wasn’t sure what I would say to Prisma. In her eyes, nothing would excuse my failure.
I still had concerns about Kalin. I refused to kill her. But that didn’t mean Prisma wouldn’t try again. There was a chance she could convince another royal in one of the other courts to help her. Or she could try herself once Kalin arrived in Avalon. I had to show her Kalin was no threat.
And, based on what I saw, I didn’t believe she was the next akasha. There was too much mortal in her.
I wondered if she had any elemental power, at all.
Once we reached the door to the throne room, I stopped Marcus before he entered. “I don’t want you going in there. We talked about this.”
“All right,” he said with hesitation in his voice.
“I mean it.” My eyes bore into his with a stern fierceness. “No matter what you hear or what you think is happening, you can’t come to my rescue. She will kill you if only to hurt me.”
Marcus let out a long sigh. “I will leave, but you have to promise you will be careful. Now isn’t the time for your sarcasm.”
He knew me too well. “I know.”
A gust of wind blew into my face as the doors opened. I stepped inside. At least a hundred elementals filled the room. The majority were council members and high-ranking elementals, along with their guardians. Prisma sat above them on her lava rock throne, wearing a skintight black gown with a blood-red ruby the size of a golf ball hanging from her neck. My adopted brother and sister, also dressed in luxury, stood on either side of her. All three turned in my direction as soon as the doors shut behind me.
“My son has returned.” Prisma remained seated, tapping her fingers on the armrest. “Have you completed your mission, Rowan?”
The crowd whispered to one another and pointed as I made my way toward the center of the room. Per usual, I ignored them. I came to stand in front of Prisma at the bottom of her throne and bowed. “No, Your Majesty. I did not.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Then why have you returned?”
“I cannot complete the task you’ve given me.” The conversation ceased the moment the words left my lips. They knew what my failure meant. Now they would wait with bated breath to see what happened next. Prisma’s reputation was legendary.
“Are you refusing my order?”
This was my one chance. I had to choose my words carefully. “I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours observing the girl.” I intentionally left out Kalin’s name as I raised my voice loud enough for everyone to hear. If I made it known what I had been asked to do, Prisma might kill me right here and now. “Based on what I’ve witnessed, I do not believe she is a threat to anyone.”
Prisma rose from her seat and made her way down the stairs. Neither of my adopted siblings moved an inch. Selene watched Prisma cautiously, while Valac looked like a child on Christmas morning. His less than subtle response made me curious. What did he know? I had wondered if the coronation, and the order to kill Kalin, was a setup. An excuse to have me executed. Had the rumors about the akasha been a total fabrication?
Only inches away from my face, Prisma spoke low enough that only I could hear. “I did not ask you to spy on Kalin.”
“No, you didn’t ask me to spy,” I whispered. “You asked me to murder a royal family member and commit treason. Thereby violating the decrees. What kind of king would I be if I committed an act that would ignite a war amongst the courts?”
Prisma circled me. “I asked you to prove your loyalty to this court.” Her voice was as loud as a megaphone. “To show me that you are worthy of my crown.”
She was gearing up for a show, but I wasn’t going down without a fight. “I have shown I am worthy by making the right choice regardless of the consequences.”
A satisfied grin appeared on her face as if I had walked into her trap. She placed her palm on the side of my face, and it took everything I had not to swat her hand away. This wasn’t a kind gesture. Not from her, anyway. “Are you prepared to accept my judgment?”
I gripped her wrist, gently removing her hand from my face. “Yes, I am ready.”
Prisma nodded at two of her knights that stood by the door. They went into the hallway. When they returned, they held Marcus in between them. “Bring the prisoner to me,” she ordered.
I tried not to show the panic rippling through me. “What is this? Why is he here?”
“He is your guardian, Rowan. If you couldn’t complete your task, then it was his job to finish for you.” She faced Marcus with a sneer. “He is as guilty as you are.”
I didn’t know what to do. I had nothing to barter, but I wouldn’t stand here and watch him die. “Marcus couldn’t complete my task. He wasn’t there. I left the ball, and he had no idea where I was until today when I returned to the castle.”
“This is certainly good news. I’m glad we only have one traitor to deal with.” She ran her fingers through his curly hair. “Besides, it would be such a shame to kill a young hound with so much potential.”
Relief spilled over my shoulders. “Thank you for showing mercy, Your Majesty.”
She let out a roaring laugh. “I’m not sure mercy is the correct word.”
The temperature of the room rose as she pointed her index finger toward the floor. Marcus let out a wailing scream that echoed throughout the castle. The knights that held his arms released him, and he fell to his knees. I’d seen this before. She was using her power to force him to shape-shift into his hound form. I tried to stop her. “This isn’t necessary. You don’t need to do this.”
“Oh, but I do. It’s been so long since I shifted one of my hounds.” She twisted her wrist. Each time she waved her hand, bones in his body snapped and relocated.
Marcus clenched his teeth, trying to hide the pain. The shift was never comfortable, but when forced upon a hound, the pain was excruciating. I agonized next to him. There was nothing I could do to help. She wouldn’t stop, even if I got on my knees and begged. She hurt him solely to cause me pain.
It was working.
As he stood on all fours, clothing ripped from his growing torso until there was nothing left but shreds of fabric around his feet. Within a matter of minutes, Marcus had tripled in size. Coarse black hair grew over his caramel skin. His screams deepened to a growl as his face morphed into something resembling a panther. Hands became paws, and eyes burned like fire until I could see nothing mortal in him.
She stood back to admire her work. “There, now isn’t that better?”
Marcus let out a howl that shook the room. I lost my balance for a moment, almost falling. He couldn’t communicate with me while in his animal form, but when we made eye contact, I could see his fear. I put my hand on top of his head. “I’m sorry. I will get you out of this; I swear it.”
Two guardians in mortal form appeared at my sides. Each gripped one of my arms, forcing me to stand still. I tried to fight my way free, but breaking their hold was like trying to force your way out of iron chains. I wasn’t going anywhere. “What is this, Your Majesty? Am I one of your prisoners now?”
She addressed the crowd. “Let this be a lesson to all of you. I will not tolerate disobedience in my court. If you refuse me, you will suffer the consequences.”
I glanced at Marcus. Whimpering, he stepped toward me, then moved back. When I turned my head to look at Prisma, her hands and fingers moved like she was trying to control a puppet. The audience cheered. They enjoyed watching the tug-of-war as Marcus fought for control of his own body. Whatever she wanted him to do, it was clear he did not want to do it.
That sent a shiver down my spine.
I tried pushing my body weight into one of the guardians, hoping he would loosen his grip. Nothing happened. Tears welled in Marcus’s eyes, and my chest ached. I could only imagine what she was doing to him. I needed to end his suffering. “Stop fighting her, man. Let her do what she wants. You promised me, remember?”
“I will take my retribution!” she shouted over the roaring horde.
Marcus lowered his head as he made his way behind me. My eyebrows knit together. I had no idea what Prisma had planned for me, but it wasn’t going to be pleasant. The guardians tugged me out of my thoughts when they pulled my sheathed sword over my head. They used the blade to cut through my leather jacket and shirt. I was bare-chested. My wings protruded out of my back, expanding across my shoulders. “What the hell are you doing
?”
I had my answer as soon as I felt Marcus’s teeth sinking into one of my wings. I screamed out as I tried to fight my way free. Was this really happening? Searing pain ran down my back each time his claws tore through my flesh. As his jaws clamped down, I heard bones popping and snapping like twigs. With each crack, stabbing pain jolted my shoulders and back. As he shook his head back and forth, the skin and cartilage connecting my wings to my spine separated. Bloodied feathers fell to the ground in clumps.
With a thud and applause from the crowd, my wing landed at my feet.
My knees buckled from the injuries and blood loss. The guardians held me in place as Marcus repeated the same process on my other wing. At some point, I went into shock. The world around me silenced, and I wished for death. My eyes were half-lidded with starbursts in the corners of my vision, yet I managed to lift my head high enough to see Valac smiling. Selene refused to watch; her face turned in the opposite direction. Neither of my siblings moved or attempted to help me.
When the guardians finally released me, I flopped on the ground and landed on my face with a loud snap. Coppery blood dripped from my nose into my mouth, making me gag.
My nose.
My wings.
Broken.
What a fool I’d been. All these elementals I had hoped to rescue celebrated my mutilation. Not a single one of them tried to stop what was happening or begged for mercy on my behalf. This court wasn’t worth saving. They were just as ruthless as Prisma.
Except for Marcus.
As I lay on the ground near death, my heart broke for him. If I lived my scars would heal, but he would have this memory for the rest of his life. And if I died, he was the one who killed me. I turned my face to the side, resting my cheek on the cold floor. Blood had dripped into my eyes, and I couldn’t see. I didn’t know where Marcus was. I hoped he was close enough to hear me when I whispered, “It’s okay.”
“Get him out of my sight,” Prisma ordered.
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 5
