I turned around and scanned the room. Dad took the time to create something he knew I would love. He wanted everything to be perfect. It was much more than I had in the mortal world, but I didn’t need things. It was the effort he put into it that meant the most to me. This place was how he saw Avalon—how he wanted me to see it. If only things had turned out as he had planned. Pushing down the lump in my throat, I promised myself I would be brave and do whatever it took to find my father.
Chapter Seven
Rowan
We descended several stairwells. Once we reached the bottom platform, Jarrod held the wooden door open for me. A putrid stench coming from within wafted into my nostrils. I covered my nose. If death and despair had a scent, it would come from this place. I took in the surroundings and smirked. I should’ve guessed. He’d taken me to the air court dungeon. “What a lovely prison.”
“You should be right at home,” he replied as he stood in front of a row of prisoner cells.
Each square cell had the same cement floor and iron gate. There wasn’t much inside other than a bed too short for my six-foot frame, a wool blanket, and a bucket for a bathroom. I shook my head. “It’s been a while since I visited the air court. Is this where guests of the royal family stay?”
“We’ve had many guests in our dungeon over the centuries.” A wicked smile grew across his face. “It wasn’t that long ago that we had a queen visit us. Things didn’t work out very well for her. Perhaps you’ll have better luck.”
A jab at my dead mother wasn’t going to hurt me. I had no love in my heart for her. She made sure of that. “If this was meant to be an intimidation tactic, you’re going to have to try a lot harder.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Leave, Rowan. No one wants you here.”
“Your princess made it clear she wants me here.” I gripped the handle of my knife. “And I’m not leaving until King Taron returns.”
“You may have fooled my king, but I see right through you. You’re a nuisance. A poison that needs purging.” Jarrod came to stand in front of me. We were so close I felt his breath on my face. “Even your court rejects you, shadow prince.”
His words stung, but he’d never know. My face remained emotionless as I let out a chuckle. “You seem bothered by my presence, knight. It makes me think you’re hiding something.” I strode into one of the cells to take a better look at my new sleeping quarters. “The circumstances surrounding King Taron’s disappearance are questionable, at best.”
Jarrod’s eyes widened with shock. “Are you suggesting I had something to do with it?”
“Someone from the air court is involved.” Jarrod’s face reddened. His obvious aggravation brought a smile to my face. “Of course, I would never make accusations without proof.”
“None of my knights would betray our king.” His fists clenched at his sides.
I shrugged. “Then, your knights are incompetent.”
He crouched down into a fighting position. “Say that again; I dare you.”
“If that’s the way you want to go, I’m all for it.” I unsheathed my sword. “But there are only two possible outcomes. The first and only plausible outcome is that I kill you. The princess isn’t going to be happy with me if I slay the captain of her guard. The second, most improbable outcome, is that you kill me. Again, your princess won’t be pleased. Either way, your call.”
Through clenched teeth, he replied, “Someday, I’m going to finish what your mother started.”
“I look forward to that day.” I slid my sword back into its sheath. “In the meantime, you can stay out of my way.”
He growled.
I held back a chuckle. “After that scene in the council meeting, Liana will see that no fire court elemental set foot anywhere near the air court. That means I’m the only one who can train your princess. We both know it, so there’s no need for a debate.”
“I won’t allow you to put her in danger.”
“You must’ve had a lapse in memory.” I crossed my arms. “I’m the one who saved her. She’d be dead if I weren’t nearby.”
“That’s right, you were there just in time,” he said, sarcastically. “What an interesting coincidence.”
I wouldn’t tell him that Taron knew I was protecting Kalin. Everything I’d done since the moments after Prisma’s execution had been for the princess. For now, I’d keep that information to myself. I wasn’t sure Jarrod could be trusted. “I don’t owe you an explanation.” I waved my hand dismissively. “Now run along. I’m tired.”
He grumbled something under his breath as he left.
I glanced around my new quarters and sighed. The brown stained mattress had springs sticking out, and something repellant filled my bathroom bucket to the brim. A roach crawled over the folded wool blanket. I didn’t mind the bugs. I was used to sleeping outside, which was where I would go. Based on Jarrod’s reaction, I was safest out in the open. I didn’t trust anyone here.
Even if Jarrod was telling the truth, someone from the air court was involved. This attack required planning. Knights were highly skilled, and Taron was one of the most powerful elementals in Avalon. Whoever did this needed access to the castle, knowledge of Taron’s schedule, and a ton of power. It would take some time to get to the bottom of this. For now, I’d continue to protect Kalin and train her for the power display.
And pray Taron was still alive.
Chapter Eight
Kalin
A ray of sunlight burst through the thin space in between my closed curtains, rousing me awake.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes. As I surveyed my new bedroom, a swell of dread filled my chest. Dad hadn’t dreamwalked. Of course, he didn’t have much of a chance. I tossed and turned most of the night, fearing the worst. I pushed the covers down, slid my legs over the side of the bed, and headed toward the bathroom. While I brushed my teeth, I ran through every possible scenario that would explain his absence. Most of my conclusions were more than I could bear.
I really needed a distraction before I drove myself crazy.
Outside my window, I heard a curious noise. It sounded like someone was sharpening kitchen knives. I strode over. When I poked my head out, a cool breeze brushed against my face. The air smelled crisp and clean. White-capped mountains and puffy clouds surrounded the crystal castle in every direction. Below my window, knights filled a flat grassy space of land. Some had broken off into partners, but most stood within a large circle. In the center of the action, I saw Rowan.
I relaxed my forearms on the windowsill and watched. A knight motioned toward Rowan, and he waved him over. They both raised their swords. As they circled one another, Rowan waited for his opponent to make the first move. The knight tried to rush him, but he was too fast. A bright light flashed with each slice of their blades. With every twist and shift of his body, Rowan reminded me just how dangerous he was. A few moments later, the knight was on the ground with a blade to his throat.
Once he defeated a knight, another stepped forward. They seemed eager to test their skills against Rowan, and he appeared happy to oblige. The whole thing was strange. Rowan was the heir to the fire court, but he didn’t behave like a royal. Dad always said royal families were distinguished and refined. Rowan was a warrior through and through. He was also cocky, impatient, and downright infuriating. I startled when he glanced up at me. Then he winked, and my body reacted with something that felt like overactive butterflies.
Nope, I refused to be attracted to him.
When there were no challengers left, Rowan pressed the blade of his sword into the ground. “Enjoying the view?” he asked, with an overly confident grin.
I stood, pretending to check out the scenery. “Not much to see.”
Raising an eyebrow, he knew I was full of crap. I waited for him to call me on it, but he went right back into his workout. This time, he practiced alone. I took one quick last glance at his lean, defined arms, then curled around until my back was pressed up against the wall. This thing I felt for hi
m needed to stop. I had to refocus. Rowan was here to train me, and to help find my father. Now wasn’t the right time for a crush.
After breakfast, I opened my closet doors and sighed as I sifted through the collection of clothes my father had bought me. None of this was going to work. If I wanted my court to accept me as their future queen, I needed to dress the part. My eyes widened when I saw something bright yellow hidden in the back. I pushed the mortal clothes to the other end of the railing to get a better look. There was an entire section of air elemental clothing.
I ran my fingers over the material. It was soft like silk. I took my bedtime clothes off, then removed a yellow dress from the hanger and slipped the fabric over my head. Perfect fit. I made my way over to the mirror and stared. It was an off-the-shoulder, floor-length gown. Something I would’ve never chosen for myself, but perfect for air court. When I moved my hips, the bottom swooshed. For a gown that fit me like a glove, I had a lot of room to stretch.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.
I headed outside with a bit of confidence.
The first knight I saw bowed, and I froze. What was the protocol? I responded with a tight-lipped smile and a weird handwave that I saw once when I watched Prince Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding. Ariel was right. I did need a crash course in princess training. I sifted through a collection of knights as I searched. After a half dozen more cringe-worthy hand waves, I arrived at the courtyard. That was where I found Rowan, bent over the side of a circular stone fountain. Shirtless, he leaned into a cascade of water. He kept his eyes closed while the liquid ran over his face and neck.
I sensed I should look away. It seemed a bit stalkery to stand there watching. I was about to turn away when I noticed something glistening on Rowan’s back. I got closer to take a better look, and my mouth fell open. Thick white lines covered his back. Haphazardly sliced, the marks cut across his shoulder blades and down toward his hips. They resembled claw marks. While faint in appearance, it was unusual to see an elemental with any scarring.
What happened to him?
He collected water inside his cupped hands. “You’re making a habit of this,” he said, curling around. Sitting on the rim of the fountain, he ran his fingers through his wet hair. “Should I pose, or do you prefer watching me in action?”
I rolled my eyes, but who was I kidding? He was the definition of swoon. The worst part was that he knew that I knew it too. “Over-confident, much?”
He smirked.
Desperately needing a distraction, I turned my attention to three female air elementals sitting on the opposite side of the fountain. They could have been triplets with their identical Botticelli faces, white-blond hair and ivory skin. They scooted closer together, averting their eyes. I stepped nearer and realized they were all staring at Rowan with a very distinct expression on their faces: fear.
I tilted my head to the side while glancing back at Rowan. He was busy tugging on a hunter green t-shirt, seemingly oblivious. “I’m ready,” I announced.
I tried to hide my fidgeting hands as his eyes roamed my body. “Nice to see you blending in, Princess.”
I glanced down at my dress. “I’m a work in progress.”
“That you are.” He slid a leather sheath over his shoulder, then inserted his sword. “Let’s start your training.”
I took another glance at the triplets. They were still staring at Rowan, whispering to one another. Was it the scars? Were they as curious as I was, or were they afraid of him? My list of questions seemed to grow by the hour. “Okay, where do we go?”
With a bent elbow, he offers me his arm like some gentlemen in a black and white movie. I froze. “What are you doing?”
His eyebrows knit together. “Treating you like a princess.”
I couldn’t tell if he was serious or teasing. “I don’t want to be treated like a princess.”
“Look around you,” he urged.
I scanned the area. Groups of elementals watched our every move, not even attempting to hide their stares. All of the attention made me want to shrink behind Rowan. I wasn’t a coward. It was the silent judgment that unnerved me. “What’s your point?”
“You’re a halfling. If you want your kin to see you as the future queen of air, then you have to behave like you already are.” He slipped my arm into his and patted the back of my hand. “There you go. Was that so hard?”
My skin hummed where our arms touched. I tried to play it cool, hoping he didn’t notice the goosebumps peppered across my forearm. “You smell like an armpit.”
He placed his free hand over his chest, pretending to be offended. “Such language. Very unladylike.”
I narrowed my eyes as he led us toward the castle gates. “Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere that we won’t be interrupted.”
He loved vague answers.
As we strolled through a collection of elementals, they bowed in unison. A few of them practiced weather magic. With their arms extended toward the skies, they opened and closed their fisted hands. The skies rumbled in response. During breakfast, Ariel told me it took more than fifty air elementals to calm last night’s lightning display. The storm damaged at least a dozen homes.
Although the elementals seemed focused, every pair of pale blue eyes followed us as we passed. The only elementals who hadn’t been afraid of Rowan were the trained knights. I tried to shrug it off, but then I glanced in the opposite direction. I saw several other male elementals sitting in a tight corner whispering; fingers pointed directly at Rowan. Either he hadn’t noticed or didn’t care. I, on the other hand, was curious. “Are you that oblivious?”
He met my gaze with a wolfish grin. “I’ve gotten used to it.”
“I don’t think that’s why they’re staring.”
He took a quick look for himself, then turned to face forward. “You sound like you have a theory. By all means, let’s hear it.”
Oh, I had plenty of theories. “Those elementals by the fountain weren’t staring at me.”
“Now, when you say staring, are you including yourself in this assessment? I recall you taking in the view on several different occasions.”
“For the last time, I was not staring at you.” I was a terrible liar. “I’d like to finish asking my questions.”
He let go of my arm, moving toward a white oak tree. Leaning against the trunk, he crossed his arms. “You’ve got my undivided attention, Princess.”
I was beginning to hate the word princess altogether. “What I was saying was that the elementals by the fountain looked like they were afraid of you. I want to know why.” I put my hand up. “And no more elusive answers. I want the truth.”
He picked at a piece of the bark. “I don’t think you can handle the truth.”
I was ready to strangle him. “You have no idea what I can handle.”
Glancing up, he pursed his lips. “Oh, do tell.”
I shot him a death stare, and he held up his palms. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you what, if you admit that you were watching me, then I’ll answer your question.”
“This is ridiculous. You are such a pain in the ass.” He leaned his head back against the tree trunk and started humming. My arms flailed in the air. “Yes, okay? I was watching you, but it doesn’t mean anything.”
“I’m sure it doesn’t.” He chuckled under his breath, and I wanted to jump on his back and attack him like a little spider monkey. “The truth is, I can’t answer your question,” he shrugged. “They could be uncomfortable because they know I’m not part of your court. Most of us stick with our kin.”
That couldn’t be the reason. There was something more. And whatever it was had to be big, considering all the effort he was putting out. I moved closer. “No, it was more than that, and you know it.”
“Kalin,” he said in a serious tone. “I’m trying to help you, but you have to trust me.”
My eyes widened. “How can you ask me to trust you when you refuse to answer any of my questions
?”
I blinked. Rowan was peering down at me, his face only inches from mine. My heart pounded like a drummer on speed. “You ask too many questions.”
“Only because you avoid answering most of them.” I held my ground. No way was I letting him think he could intimidate me. I mean, he did intimidate me, but he didn’t need to know that.
He pressed his lips together, then turned and walked away.
A portal materialized a few feet in front of him. Instead of a wind tunnel, it was a swirling ring of fire. “You said you were no longer part of the fire court.”
“I did.”
My eyebrows knit together. “Then how did you open the portal? Only a fire elemental can conjure this type of portal.” When he didn’t answer, my tone sharpened. “I won’t take another step until you explain yourself.”
Rowan sighed. “When I gave up my crown, I chose to become a solitary elemental. But I still have royal blood, which is why I can open their portals. Are we done here?” He waved his arm toward the portal as if he was inviting me to enter.
I couldn’t help wondering why Rowan had given up his crown. It had to be something big. I’d read the histories of the royal families many times, and I was sure no prince had ever willingly given up his title. Whatever the cause, someone had removed the information from the archives. “If you’re solitary, why are you helping me?”
Rowan squared his shoulders. “I owe your father a debt. If he’s alive, I will do whatever I can to find him. That’s why I’m helping you.”
A debt? I had to admit it burned a bit to hear those words, and maybe I was stupid for feeling that way, but I did. Deep down, I’d hoped he cared for my father or me in some small way. Instead, we were a liability; a burden he wished to unload. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I had no time to dwell on it. I had to push those feelings aside. I was lucky he was helping me. It was time to move on and refocus.
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 12
