Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set

by Stacey O'Neale

  One of them took a step toward me. “We will take the princess from here.”

  Not a chance.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a chaise lounge. The knights were smart enough to let me gently lay her down on the plump cushions. When she was secure, I turned around to face them. “The way I see it, this is going to go one of two ways.” I slid my sword out of its sheath. “One, you’re going to let me pass. And I’ll let you in on a little secret: this is your best option. Option two is much bloodier.”

  Each of the knights reached for their swords. The one who had stepped forward said, “We choose option two.”

  I crouched down into a fighting position with my blade pointed at the closest knight. “This is going to be fun.”

  A female screamed, and we each shifted toward the sound of her voice. I pushed my way through the knights and saw Ariel kneeling in front of Kalin. She was checking her pulse. “What happened to Princess Kalin?”

  I sheathed my sword. “Kalin’s okay, Ariel. She used too much power and passed out. I planned to carry her to you, but these knights wouldn’t let me pass.”

  I hadn’t planned to take her to Ariel, but if it got me out of this mess, why not?

  Ariel turned to the knights. “Your captain will want to know what happened. I suggest you go find him.” When they didn’t immediately leave, she yelled, “Now.”

  “You heard her.” I waved my hand, shooing them away. “Run along.”

  When I turned back around, Ariel had her hand on Kalin’s forehead. “Her vitals are stable. I don’t think she needs medical attention.”

  “As I said, she’s passed out.”

  Ariel stood up and smacked me on the arm. “What were you thinking?”

  “Ouch,” I rubbed my arm. Ariel’s got a bit of fire in her. I was starting to see why Marcus was so enamored. “What was that for?”

  She pointed at Kalin. “This is your fault. You’re supposed to train her, not endanger her life.”

  Of course, she’d blame me. Never mind that I advised Kalin against using so much power. “You think I did this? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but your princess isn’t big on following directions.”

  Ariel rolled her eyes. “Grab her and follow me.”

  “Sure, no problem.” These air court females were a pain in the ass. I grumbled under my breath as I slid my hands underneath Kalin’s back and knees.

  Ariel led me to Kalin’s room. The moment I laid Kalin down on her bed, Ariel was pushing me out. She smiled as she shut the door in my face. “Oh, you’re welcome. No trouble at all. I’m always happy to help my friends in the air court.”

  A male laughed. “Let me know if that door answers back.”

  I knew who stood there without bothering to turn my head. “Jarrod, arriving just after everything has happened, as usual. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you again.”

  “I was relieved to hear Ariel had come when she did.” He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. “A few minutes later, and I would’ve had to explain your death to the princess.”

  I shifted to face him with a smile on my face. “Oh, there would’ve been a lot of death to explain. And leave no doubt, I would’ve been the one explaining.”

  Jarrod closed the distance between us, narrowing his eyes as he snarled, “There’s going to come a day when I knock that smile right off your face.”

  “I look forward to it.” I twisted past him and sauntered down the hallway. “Ring my secretary, and I’ll pencil you in.”

  “The princess will banish you the moment she wakes up,” he yelled.

  I gave him the middle finger but didn’t look over my shoulder to see his face.

  As I made my way through the castle, I paid attention to all of the eyes watching me. It seemed like every air court elemental wanted me gone, which only made me more suspicious. Jarrod was too stupid to see the betrayal. Someone in this castle was responsible for Taron’s disappearance, and I was determined to figure it out. Ariel was the only one I trusted around Kalin. Her connection to Marcus made her innocent in my eyes. But everyone else, including Jarrod, was a suspect.

  Somehow, someway, I would find King Taron’s traitor.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kalin

  I stood in a darkened room lit by a few candles in silver metal sconces. When I took a step forward, a few round, multi-colored poker chips scattered across the hardwood floor. My foot slipped, and I glanced down. An ace of spades playing card was stuck on the bottom of my shoe. I picked it off, flicking it away. The scent of burnt ash drifted into my nostrils.

  An urgency buzzed through my limbs that I couldn’t explain. I had the sense that something I desperately wanted was close.

  "Is anyone here?” I yelled.

  There was no response. Nothing about this place looked familiar. My nerves shifted into overdrive. I was about to turn around and go the other way when I heard a tiny whimper. I took a few steps forward, noticing something large crouched beneath a sliver of light. My adrenaline pumped as I went to my knees. Whoever it was had their face covered by a dirty wool blanket, their body curled into a ball. I reached my hand down. "I won’t hurt you.”

  "Kalin?” he winced.

  The cover pulled back. My father’s pale blue eyes met mine. Dirt covered his face with dried blood stained across his cheek. "Dad? What happened?” I attempted to pull him up, but he only groaned. "We’ve got to get you out of here.”

  "There’s no time. We only have moments.” He reached for my arm. His frightened expression nearly brought me to tears. "Do not trust him,” he choked out. "He’s in league with them.”

  My mind raced along with my accelerated heartbeat. "Who, Dad? Please tell me.” The room started to change shape around us. Everything turned gray. The walls melted. I looked down at Dad, who was fading away. I tightened my grip on his arm. "What’s going on?”

  "They found me.”

  I opened my eyes, screaming, "Dad!”

  "It’s me.” Ariel stood beside my bed, patting a wet cloth over my brow. "You passed out while you were training. Rowan brought you here.”

  "You don’t understand.” I sat up, still shaking from what I’d just seen. "I saw my father. He was weak and a prisoner somewhere.”

  "Kalin, it had to be a nightmare.” Ariel rubbed the side of my arm. "You were drained of all your power. There’s no way he came to you. If he had, it would’ve killed you.”

  Why didn’t Ariel believe me? Panting and covered in sweat, I shifted my gaze around the room. Sweet florals replaced the scent of ash. I was in my bedroom inside the air court castle. The skies outside my window were dark. Had I slept through the day? The vision seemed to only last a few seconds.

  "No, it was real,” I insisted, putting my bare feet on the cool floor. When I tried to stand, I couldn’t hold my weight, landing back on the bed. "I have to find my father. He’s in danger.”

  Ariel sat down next to me. "You can’t go looking for him like this. Now is the time to rest. The council sent out more knights to search for our king.” She put an arm around my shoulders. "I have faith they will find him.”

  The vision was real. Dad was in trouble, risking everything to warn me. He said he was in league with them, and that I couldn’t trust him. Three elementals were working together, and at least one of them was from the air court. Unfortunately, I had no idea who they were. It could be anyone. Ariel smiled, trying to lift my spirits. I wished I could believe so blindly, but the council had done nothing to make me feel they could help. I was going to rescue my father alone. First, I needed to check out the area where he had been before he disappeared. There had to be clues that they missed somewhere.

  "You’re right, Ariel. I should get some sleep.” I hated lying to her, but there was no other way to get her to leave.

  "Of course.” She collected the wet rag and water basin. "I’ll be back in the morning.” Her eyes brightened. "Tomorrow, we’ll get fitted for our ballgowns.”

&nbs
p; I tried to muster a smile. "Can’t wait.”

  My faux excitement didn't fool her. "I promise I’ll make it as quick and painless as possible.”

  "That’s more like it.”

  She playfully rolled her eyes, closing the door behind her.

  The moment the door creaked shut, I stood. The dizziness wasn’t as bad as before. Maybe I just needed some fresh air. I got dressed in a pair of dark jeans, slipping a black t-shirt over my head. I glanced around the room. "What’s a girl gotta do to get a weapon around here?”

  By some miracle, I managed to slip out of the castle without being seen. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as lucky in the artillery department. Two palace guards secured the room. There was no question that one of them would have followed me or reported me to Jarrod since he commanded the knights. I didn’t want him involved in any way. Who knows? Any of his knights could’ve been one that betrayed my father.

  Once I reached the stone archway, the mountaintop winds whipped all around. The cool nighttime air made me shiver. Jarrod hadn’t been specific when he spoke about Dad’s last known location. He did say he was meditating on the side of the mountain. The mountain peak was mostly snow-capped except the southern side where I’d gone after my first practice with Rowan.

  I dug my hands into my pockets, heading toward the grassy slope. Gusts of air blew my hair in every direction. I pulled it up into a ponytail to keep it out of my face. The distance to the hillside was short, but all I had for light was the incandescent moon. With most of the landscape in shadow, why had I not thought about bringing something to illuminate my way? I rolled my eyes at myself as I kept trudging forward.

  The terrain descended the farther I went. The dizziness I had felt earlier gave me the illusion I was falling. I was running on pure adrenaline, with only the worry for Dad pushing me forward. Dark clouds surrounded the mountain; I could barely see the thick elm tree a few yards in front of me. I made my way in that direction. Every other tree on the mountain was part of the forest and at least a mile away. I guessed that the single tree existing in the middle of a barren field would be a good place to meditate.

  Once I reached the tree, I leaned against it. The sturdiness helped me regain my balance. I closed my eyes, exhaling deeply. A warm sensation came up behind me.

  I jolted.

  "What are you doing out here?” a stern voice asked.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kalin

  Rowan stood behind me with a swirling ball of hazy blue fire floating above his open palm. The flickering light bounced off the tight muscles of his bare chest. A pair of drawstring black cotton pants hung loosely around his hips. He ran his other hand through his scruffy hair giving him a just-rolled-out-of-bed look. If it weren’t for the pissed-off expression on his face, I might just admit how ridiculously sexy he was.

  I narrowed my eyes. "How did you know I was out here?”

  He clenched his fist, diminishing the fireball into smoke. "Sometimes, I wonder if you have a death wish.”

  Naturally, he didn’t answer my question. Big surprise. "I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Chilled air whipped between us. I wrapped my arms around my mid-section. I couldn’t help noticing the lack of goosebumps on his skin. I guessed fire court princes never got cold.

  Rowan let out a growl, pressing his fists into the tree on either side of me. He locked me into an immovable position. There was no squeezing out of this one. With my arms pressing against my sides, he leaned in. Our faces were so close; his breath tickled my cheek. "Have you forgotten I’ve saved you once already? There are dangerous creatures out there. What was so important that you came here alone and in the middle of the night?”

  Suddenly, the stupidly of what I’d done registered in my head. The dreamwalk had scared me to the point that I was reckless with my life. My cheeks burned. Luckily, the shadows hid my reaction. He was right, of course. "I can handle myself, or have you forgotten you have been training me?”

  Rowan stared at me like he was searching for the right words. Somehow, in the silence, I sensed there was something he was trying to hide. It wasn’t until he pulled away, I realized I’d stopped breathing.

  "You still haven’t answered my question,” he said.

  "Neither have you.”

  "You’re infuriating.”

  "Me? I’m infuriating?” I threw my hands up in the air. "You’re the king of avoidance.”

  After several awkward moments without a response, he relaxed his shoulders. "I couldn’t sleep. I was lying in the grass nearby when I heard a noise. When I realized it was you, I followed to see where you were going.” He raised his pierced eyebrow. "Happy now?”

  Not really. I was too shocked that he answered one of my questions to enjoy the small victory. "I came out here looking for clues that the knights might’ve missed.” I rubbed my hand across the bark, swallowing hard. "This is where I believe he disappeared.”

  "Oh, I get it.” He leaned against the tree trunk. "Still, come get me the next time you decide to play investigator.”

  Smartass. "Whatever.”

  "It’s pretty spectacular up here,” he announced, totally out of nowhere. Then, he sat down and crossed his legs in front of him as he leaned back on his hands. "I can see why Taron likes it so much.”

  Was Rowan initiating a casual conversation? After my initial shock settled in, I took the cue and sat beside him. "He spent a lot of time out here. I guess he liked being alone.”

  "Do you miss your mother?” he asked abruptly. “Sorry, you don’t have to tell me.”

  I pulled my knees up into my chest. "I miss Mom a lot, but it’s complicated.” I was sad to leave my friends and the life I’d built in the mortal world, but I missed Mom most of all. But with everything going on, I was glad she wasn’t here. Avalon was not the peaceful place I had imagined it to be. And since she was mortal, she was safer where she was. "What about you? Where are your parents?”

  He picked up a rock, casually throwing it into the cloudy abyss. "Dead.”

  Great call, Kalin. He’s sure to go running any minute now. I was about to put my hand on his shoulder, but I pulled it back at the last second. "I’m sorry.”

  Instead of making eye contact, he continued tossing rocks. "It’s fine. I made peace with it a long time ago.”

  I had to keep going while he was opening up. "What were they like? Your parents.”

  "I don’t know anything about my father. He died around the time I was born.”

  Rowan’s jaw clenched and unclenched before he answered each question. He was uncomfortable, but this could be my only opportunity to get to know him. I had to keep pushing. "What about your mom?”

  He looked at me, surprised. "You don’t know, do you?”

  My lack of knowledge seemed boundless at this point. "I only know what you told me. My father never talked much about the fire court.”

  "Prisma hated me most of the time, but she was a better parent to them.” He took a long pause. "It’s not something I like to talk about.”

  "You have siblings?”

  “Two adopted siblings.” The corner of his mouth twitched. "Both are dead.”

  Okay, he had some serious family drama. It certainly explained why he was solitary, but not why he refused the fire court crown. What was his deal? "How did they die?”

  He turned to face me, smirking. "It’s complicated.”

  I couldn’t rebut after I had said the same thing. "Aren’t all families?”

  He let out a long sigh. "Some more than others.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Kalin

  The skies were dark when I climbed out of bed—another sleepless night. I leaned against the windowsill with my bed comforter wrapped around my shoulders. At this altitude, the sunrise was truly something to behold. My body ached from head to toe. It must’ve been the power surge. It seemed I’d be paying for that mistake for several days. It could also be the stress of knowing my father was injured and in real danger. An icy chill set
tled in my chest, and I tightened my grip on the blanket.

  His warning echoed in my head. At least one of the kidnappers had to be in the air court. There was no way someone from the outside could get to him without help from inside; someone who pretended to be my ally. As much as I didn’t want to consider it, Rowan could’ve been one of them. He had access to my father. And, he was a member of the fire court. He said he was solitary, but how would I know if that were true? He retained the power of his royal family.

  No, it couldn’t be Rowan.

  He was the one who saved me when I got attacked in the forest. I would’ve never gotten to Avalon safely without him. He offered to train me, to help me find my father, and to protect me. I’d probably be dead without him. But why was he so guarded, and who gave him the scars on his back? Why did he refuse to say why he renounced his crown? Too many questions were left unanswered. The guy was a total enigma, and it hurt my brain to try to figure him out.

  A hard knock shook me from my thoughts. I twisted around just as Ariel entered my room, carrying a glass of orange juice and an assortment of pastries on a silver tray. Smiling, she sat the goodies on my nightstand. Today she wore a canary yellow halter dress with rope trim at the neck. Someone had weaved intricate braids into her white-blond hair that twisted down her back into a low ponytail. The whole look had a Greek goddess kind of vibe.

  She gave me the once-over, then her smile dropped. "What happened? You look like death. Not that death is a person, but if it were, it would be you, right now.”

  I wanted to tell her the truth, but what could I say? She didn’t believe my vision was real. And, as much as I hated to admit it, she was also a suspect. Dad said someone who appeared to be my ally couldn’t be trusted. I trusted Ariel. She’d been the most helpful and kind elemental I’d met. But I would be a fool if I didn’t at least consider the possibility. “Nothing happened. I didn’t sleep last night.”