This show of animosity must have something to do with Rowan, no longer being a prince. Forcing my way in between, I pushed them apart. “This needs to stop. Arguing is not going to help us find my father. We need to get to the castle and see if we can find any witnesses.”
There was an uncomfortable silence for some time. Rowan was the first to calm down. “You’re right. Can you take—?”
“Princess, he is not a member of our court.” Jarrod interrupted with urgency in his tone. “We do not need his assistance.”
Rowan squared his shoulders, glaring at him. “I have no intention of leaving until King Taron is found and safely returned.”
Jarrod reached for his sword. “Kalin is the princess of the air court. Her protection is my responsibility.”
Before Rowan could respond, I locked eyes with Jarrod. “I order you to stand down. Rowan will remain in the castle as my guest.” He opened his mouth to speak, and I put my hand on his shoulder. “My decision is final.”
“Very well, Princess.” Jarrod narrowed his eyes at Rowan.
Rowan had a smirk on his face as he motioned toward the door. “Follow me.”
When he opened the door, I was expecting to see the forest. Instead, he had used the door to create another portal. I shuddered. “Oh, not again.”
Chapter Five
Kalin
It was a good thing I wasn’t afraid of heights.
The air court castle rests atop the highest mountain in Avalon. The colorless crystal bricks of the medieval-style palace sparkled against the moonlight. Beyond the castle walls, a hazy fog hid a very long drop to the ground. A brief ping of pain radiated from my shoulder blades. For a moment, it felt as if something was trying to push from beneath my skin. Now that I was so close to the source of our power, would I sprout wings? I hoped it was true, but the sensation quickly faded.
We trudged toward the arched passageway leading into the grassy courtyard. A massive stone fountain sat directly in the center of the quad. As we approached, thin lines of water shot into the sky in what looked like a professionally choreographed show. I spun around, counting the balconies protruding from each level. During a dreamwalk, I stood on one of those balconies next to Dad. Together, we had watched the air court elementals practice weather magic.
A mix of worry and fear settled in the pit of my stomach.
While lost in thought, a group of air elementals arrived to greet us. Embarrassed by not noticing them, I gave them a weak smile. They bowed in response, which only made me more uncomfortable. No way would I ever get used to that.
Air elementals tend to marry within our court, keeping their unique characteristics intact. Each was stunningly beautiful with white-blond hair, pale blue eyes, and creamy yellow, feathered wings. I could only imagine the scandal that took place when Dad brought Mom here. Unfortunately, neither of them ever wanted to talk about it.
Of all the courts, we were the most conservative. The men wore yellow loose-fitting tops and matching drawstring pants. The women were a bit more stylish with yellow silk fabrics draped over them in layers. Some were strapless while others exposed only one shoulder or covered both completely. They didn’t care much for make-up or jewelry.
A surge of energy jolted me out of my thoughts. It raced through my veins, filling my body with a warm vibration. It was stronger than what I had felt when I first arrived in Avalon. This feeling was intense, powerful. The skies erupted in a lightning storm. Thunder crashed loud enough to make some of the elementals duck. A bright white light flashed. A split second later the ground rippled with an electronic surge. A rush of heat snapped at my temple. I lost my balance and fell.
Jarrod came to my side, grabbed my arm, and helped me up. “Are you all right?”
I held one hand to my forehead, trying to suppress the forming migraine. “What happened?”
“You called on the power of our element,” a female elemental replied as she approached. “This will help,” she said as she rubbed a peach-colored cream on my temple. I closed my eyes, a hint of white shimmer flickered. When I opened them, the pain faded away completely. She backed up a few steps and bowed. When she rose, her bright smile made it impossible to look anywhere else.
I glanced around at the crowd watching us. They looked as surprised as I was. “It couldn’t have been me. I don’t know how to do that.”
“I thought only King Taron could summon lightning. But since you are his only daughter, it makes sense that the power passed to you.” She looked into the skies as the lightning continued to flash. “Without the king, it will take some time for us to calm the skies.”
The elements tied to our emotions. Something I’d felt triggered the storms, but I had no idea how to replicate it—a swell of frustration built inside of me. If I’d been allowed to train, I could’ve calmed the skies. Unfortunately, Dad insisted that he would teach me when I came to live with him. I was useless right now. “I think now would be a good time to go inside.”
“You can follow me,” she said, sliding the bag off my shoulder and onto hers. “I’m Ariel, by the way.”
Air court banners hung from every archway in the great room. I glanced up, admiring the stained glass cathedral ceilings. The lightning storm I’d somehow created flashed intermittently. Pale yellow candles in large golden sconces illuminated the foyer. Cream-colored stones covered the walls with white marble flooring. A few scattered wooden pews lined the walkways, but beyond that, the decorations were sparse.
Our footsteps echoed through the hall as we made our way along the stone floors.
I cleared my throat, and Jarrod turned around. “I want a team of knights surrounding my mother’s home. They should stay nearby, but not close enough for her to notice.” She was mortal with no way of defending herself if an elemental attacked. If something happened to her because of me, I don’t know how I could forgive myself. I’d begged her more times than I could count to come with me to Avalon, but she refused.
Jarrod pointed toward two knights who nodded back, quickly disappearing down a back corridor. “Consider it done, Princess.” We eventually stopped in front of a long wooden staircase. “You must be exhausted.” He glanced at Ariel. “Please escort the princess to her room. I will get Rowan settled into one of our guest rooms.”
Ariel motioned for me to come with her, but I raised my hand instead. “Wait a second. I can’t just go to bed now. I need to know the plan. What are we doing to find my father?”
“Knights are searching every inch of our territory,” Jarrod replied. “If he’s here, they’ll find him.”
“What about the other territories?” I questioned.
Jarrod crossed his arms. “The council members are as concerned for your father as we are. They’ve dispatched knights from their courts to search for him.”
My gut told me something wasn’t right. After what I saw at the council meeting, they didn’t seem all that concerned with finding my father. They were more interested in who to blame. Unfortunately, I couldn’t question their intentions. Not now, at least. I needed to create alliances. “If he doesn’t return by morning, I’ll be going out with the next search party.”
Jarrod shook his head. “That’s impossible, Princess. You must prepare for Midwinter’s Ball. It’s only five days away. With your father missing, there’s much left to do.”
The elementals celebrated the seasonal power shift with a formal ball. Under the circumstances, I couldn’t imagine my father would have wanted me to focus on the celebration. “Can’t we postpone this until Dad returns?”
“If that were an option, I would’ve done it the moment we discovered he was missing.” Jarrod rubbed his beard stubble. “We have no choice. We can’t risk the elements shifting out of balance. The ball must happen as scheduled, even if the king doesn’t return in time.”
I’d forgotten about the power display. During the seasonal shift, the royal family ascending to power must prove they have full control of their element. A challenge occurred d
uring the ceremony by another elemental court. If they win the challenge, their elemental court will reign for the next three-month period. My neck muscles tightened as if two boulders had implanted in between my shoulder blades. “You know I’m untrained.”
“There is no one else, Princess,” Jarrod replied.
My eyes shifted between them. “The fire court is currently in power, which means they will be the challenger. Do we know what they have planned?”
“Queen Liana will perform the ceremony,” Rowan replied. “She will create a large fireball, which you must extinguish using only your air magic.”
Oh, you mean the magic I don’t know how to use? Perfect. My palms began to sweat. “That’s not even possible.” I turned to face Jarrod. “I know the rules, but under the circumstances, can’t you do it?”
“I cannot,” Jarrod insisted. “It must be done by a member of House Paralda. Otherwise, you forfeit your titles.”
Then this was all up to me. If Dad remained missing, I would either perform the power display or lose control of the air court. My hands trembled. Before anyone noticed, I shoved them in my pockets. “What if I can’t?”
“You have to,” Rowan replied in a stern tone. “It must be done.”
I laughed nervously. “No pressure there.”
Rowan came to stand directly in front of me. “I’ll teach you.”
“That’s not necessary,” Jarrod objected. “The princess will be taught by a member of our court.”
He shifted to face Jarrod. “I could list the multiple reasons why I’m the only person who can help her with this task, but I think you already know, so let’s not waste each other’s time. I’m ready to move past this pointless discussion, aren’t you?”
Of course. Rowan was the fire court prince. If anyone could show me how to extinguish a fireball, it would be a member of the fire court. But why was Jarrod insistent that Rowan not help? What was with all the hostility between them? I sensed there was a lot more going on than anyone wanted to let on.
Jarrod narrowed his eyes at him, and Rowan stared back with a satisfied grin. “Fine, you can start training in the morning.”
He bowed and strode away.
Rowan winked at me before catching up to him.
As I watched them head down the side corridor, an overwhelming sense of panic settled into the center of my chest. How was I going to get through this? Dad was missing, I still didn’t know who attacked me, and now I had to master a power I didn’t know how to control in only five days. This whole situation was beyond insane.
Then I remembered something that could change everything: my dreams. No one knew Dad had the power to dreamwalk. If he were in trouble, he might be able to tell me where he was. Hope bloomed in my chest. A dreamwalk could be my one chance at finding him before something terrible happened. I had to get to my room and fall asleep.
Ariel tapped me on the shoulder, reminding me she was still here. “I imagine this is all overwhelming.”
Biggest understatement ever! “Yeah, you could say that.”
She smiled. “I’m happy to help you get adjusted.”
I scratched the back of my head. “You mean you want to assist with the power training too?” The upside seemed to be that everyone was willing to jump in and help. Either that or like me, they knew this situation was a disaster in the making.
She giggled with excitement. “Oh, there’s much more to being a princess than power.”
Chapter Six
Kalin
I followed Ariel up too many stairs to count.
The only sounds were our footsteps and the occasional popping in my ears from the high elevation. The muscles in my legs burned. When I started to believe our journey had no end, she finally stopped on a landing. She led us down a long dim hallway, lit by small candles in golden wall sconces. A few had no flame. The reduction of light gave the walkway a Gothic hue.
“What did you mean when you said there was more to being a princess than power?” I asked, breaking the silence.
She turned around and smiled. “Your father knew that your transition from the mortal world would be difficult. Navigating the court can be daunting. He arranged for you to have etiquette lessons to help you adjust.”
“Etiquette lessons?”
“There will be plenty in our court who will be watching.” I raised an eyebrow, and she continued. “Appearances are everything.”
These lessons all tied in with the reaction the council gave me when I arrived. They rejected halflings. Father knew how they felt about me and said nothing. He must’ve thought he could change their perception once I went through some princess training. The whole thing made my stomach churn. I wondered if he felt the same. Is this why he never wanted me to visit? Was I an embarrassment to him?
As much as that hurt to think about, I had to brush those feelings aside. I had too many other problems. It sounded like I would have to win over the council if I wanted their help. I was already sick of all the bureaucratic snobbery. The thought of kissing their asses made me want to roll my eyes. Ariel must have noticed. “I know you’ll pick up on it very quickly,” she said confidently. “And after that’s over, we’ll get to the really fun stuff.”
My tone soured. “Like what?”
“For starters, you can’t go to a ball without a gown. We’ll meet with the seamstresses soon. They’ll create your dress from scratch. You’ll be so beautiful,” she gushed.
Ariel continued talking, but my mind was on the events of the day. I wasn’t sure what my next move should be or who I should trust. One thing was for sure: the life I imagined with Dad was nothing close to reality. I prayed there were no more surprises. Otherwise, my head might explode. “How did you get stuck as my tour guide, anyway?”
“I volunteered. It’s a great honor to assist the royal family,” she answered. Her tone sounded genuine. “My family was thrilled. But no one more than me, Princess.”
“I get this whole princess thing and your desire to be proper, but I’d appreciate it if you called me Kalin.” It would be nice to make a friend. In my old life, I couldn’t tell anyone I was a half-mortal, half-elemental princess destined to rule the air court of Avalon. Not knowing this huge part of my life made me feel like the friendships I made weren’t real. I felt alone most of the time. I always wished I could’ve met other elemental children. I guess I now know why that never happened.
“I cannot, Princess.” Ariel shook her head.
“Of course you can. I’m asking you to.” There had to be a way around this. I just needed to be creative. “Think of it as a royal command or whatever.”
She bowed. “If that’s what you prefer, Prin—”
“Kalin.”
She nodded. “As you command, Kalin.”
Now that we had the formalities out of the way, we continued down the hallway until we came to a stop in front of a large wooden door. Someone had etched intricate bouquets into the wood. The craftsmanship was incredible. Ariel turned the golden knob and opened the door.
I gasped.
Every wall had hanging vines with blooming flowers in a cascade of colors. A king-size bed sat in the center of the room with a wooden headboard that matched the door. Fluffy lace-covered pillows sat on top of a canary yellow comforter. When I stepped inside, I saw a large limestone fountain in the corner. I ran my fingers through the tepid water stream. Next to the fountain, I noticed a wooden tray with a bowl of mixed tropical fruit, a glass pitcher of orange liquid, and a single glass cup.
My stomach rumbled. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. I reached for an apple and happily bit down. I’d never tasted fruit so ripe. The sweetness tingled in my mouth. It must have just been picked off the tree and brought directly here. While I ate, Ariel watched with her hands clasped together. It was weird. I offered her a piece, and she politely declined. After I finished my second fruit, I left both cores on the tray.
Ariel strolled across the room and opened another door to an adjacen
t bathroom. White marble covered the walls and floors. She stepped inside and ran the water in the Jacuzzi bathtub. Her message was pretty clear. I glanced down at my bloodstained clothes. A deep soak was exactly what I needed. She poured a purple liquid inside the tub along with a handful of white rose petals. The water turned into a mountain of bubbly goodness. I inhaled the sweet lavender aroma.
Ariel reached for the bottom of my shirt, and I put my hand on top of hers. It was a nice gesture, but there was no way I was letting anyone undress me. “I’ve got it from here, thanks.”
She bowed and walked out. When the door shut behind her, I shimmied the rest of my clothes off, and then lowered myself into the heavenly fizz. While the scented steam wafted around me, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to forget about my problems for just a few precious moments.
Sometime later, I wrapped a cotton towel around myself and opened the bathroom door. I jumped when I realized Ariel had returned. “There’s one last thing I wanted to show you.”
I followed her over to a huge bi-fold door. When she opened it, my mouth fell open. The entire closet was the size of my old bedroom and filled with clothes for all occasions, everything from gowns to yoga pants. Racks of shoes in every style imaginable lined the walls. “Where did all of this come from?”
“Our king had everything brought here for you.”
I rummaged through the hanging clothes. Each item I picked up had a designer-cut twenty-eight, which translated to a size six. That’s my size. He had a wardrobe designed just for me. I wasn’t sure what to think. This closet didn’t fit with the typical air court themes. They were all about simplicity and moderation. “He didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
“Your father wanted you to be comfortable. These are all the best mortal fashions,” she pointed to the tags. “Each piece was made by a top designer. Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Calvin Klein, and even Versace. He’s been planning for your arrival for months.”
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 11
