“This is what I warned him about,” Rowan growled. “I begged Taron to tell you the truth, but he refused. He should’ve allowed you to train like the rest of us, and prepared you for what you were walking into.”
“What do you mean?” My eyebrows knit together. “You begged my father to tell me the truth about what?”
“Kalin, I can’t. I—”
“No,” I refused to hear one more excuse. “I can’t take any more of this. You either answer my questions right now, or you walk out that door and never show your face in my court ever again. Do you understand?”
“Kalin, I promised your father—”
I put my palm up to silence him. “Why were you in the forest the night we met? We both know you weren’t there by accident. I want you to tell me the whole truth.”
He stared at me like he was surprised by my question.
“Tell me or leave,” I repeated.
Silent seconds passed like hours. On the outside, he appeared furious, but there was something else in his eyes. It was almost painful to watch. It was as if he was breaking right in front of me. “If I tell you the truth, it will change everything.”
“I don’t care!”
“Prisma sent me to kill you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Six months before you were supposed to come to Avalon, my mother made me an offer. She said that if I killed you, she would make me king of the fire court.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. You rejected your crown.”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“I’m all ears.”
“You have to understand, Prisma was the worst. She believed that the fire elementals only followed her because they lived in fear, so she made their lives unbearable. But she treated the gabriel hounds the worst.”
“The shapeshifters.”
“Yes, she forced them to be guardians to the high ranking members of our court. Marcus was one of them. Servitude was their only other option.” Rowan shook his head. “She made Marcus my guardian. My best friend. She did it just to hurt me.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Now you get it. That’s why I agreed to Prisma’s terms. I thought it was the only way to save my court. Take one life to save thousands.”
“You didn’t do it,” I assumed. “I mean, I’m here now. Alive.”
“I couldn’t kill you. I knew it was wrong from the beginning. No life is worthless, no matter the circumstances.”
“I can’t imagine she took that well.”
“No, she didn’t. When I returned to the fire court and told Prisma that I refused to kill you, she punished me for my disobedience.” He took off his shirt and turned around. A glamour faded away, and I saw his back for the first time. His red and brownish scars looked a bit like claw marks, and something more.
When I realized what I was seeing, my mouth fell open. “Your wings…they’re gone.”
“Torn off.” In the two spots where wings would normally protrude, the skin was lumpy and lined with suture marks. He had been cut deep and sewn back together. It seemed like it would be impossible for someone to survive such injuries. “Prisma used her power to force Marcus into his hound form. He tried to fight her control, but it was useless. He ripped my wings off with his teeth, and my mother left me for dead.”
That’s why he never talked about Marcus. That must’ve been horrific for both of them. My eyes welled with tears. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“Marcus carried me to the air court,” Rowan continued. “Taron saved my life.”
The debt. Rowan had said that my father healed him and offered asylum in the air court, but I didn’t make the connection until just now. Now I understood why he vowed to help find my father. “That’s how your mother died. The high council ordered her death after what she did to you.”
“After Taron healed me, he demanded to know what happened to me. I told him everything. He spared my life because I admitted what I’d done; because I was the one who provided the evidence against my mother. And when my siblings tried to help her escape,” Rowan faced me, his defeated expression broke me. “I killed her. I drove my sword right through her.”
Tears fell down my cheeks.
“Both of my siblings were sent to the mortal world.” He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Without the protection of the mist, they died. My whole family. Gone, just like that, because of me.”
He wasn’t hiding secrets; he was ashamed. He felt responsible for the deaths of his entire family. The cocky exterior was a cover-up for a broken, lonely soul. I tried to get closer. I wanted to comfort him, but he moved farther away with each step I took.
I held my hand out. "Please, Rowan, let me―”
His face reddened with built-up anger. "Let you what? Pity me?”
"No, that’s not what I―”
"I don’t need your sympathy. I don’t need anyone or anything.”
A lump swelled in my throat. "Rowan, please. That’s not―”
I jolted when my bedroom door slammed shut.
Rowan was gone.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kalin
Two knights stood guard outside my bedroom door.
I wasn’t sure how much good they would do, but with my power exhausted, they were my only protection. Assuming I still had their loyalty. I had no way to know if the knights would choose their captain over me. Would they kill me if Jarrod gave them the order? That remained unknown. What I did know was I had to come up with a plan. There was a good chance I wasn’t safe in this castle. The attempts on my life had been near misses.
And the one warrior who I was now sure I could trust had left.
I was such a fool ever to question Rowen’s intentions. If only my father had been honest with me from the beginning, we wouldn’t be in this terrible position. My mind flashed to the scars on his back. I could only imagine the brutal pain he had endured, and all because he refused to end my life. He had saved my life so many times. He may think that he owes my father a debt, but he was wrong. I owed him a debt I may never be able to pay.
I hoped I lived long enough to make things right between us.
There was a knock at my door. “You may enter.”
Ariel stepped inside with the knights right behind her. "What’s going on,” she asked, staring curiously at my guards. "Did something happen?”
“She can stay,” I told them. “Please return to your station.”
Once they were gone, Ariel met me in the middle of the room. “What’s going on?”
I wasn’t sure how much I should’ve said to her. Would she believe me if I told her Jarrod drugged me? I had no proof. I considered telling her that Rowan completed my power display, but I doubted he wanted me to trust anyone with that information. And I was sure Rowan wouldn’t want me to tell her that he had been sent to kill me by his mother. I had doubts the high council even knew. "I wasn’t feeling well, so Rowan escorted me back.”
“When I saw him carry you out, I figured you were weak from the power shift.” She took my arm and led us to the bed. She sat down next to me with a worried expression on her face. “Is there anything I can do for you? I could get you more sunrise wine to boost your energy.”
After what I went through at the ball, I was afraid to order any food or drink without seeing which ingredients they used. "Have you seen Rowan since the ball?”
"No, not at all,” she shook her head. “Do you want me to have the guards locate him?”
Rowan was upset when he left. If he comes back at all, it should be on his terms. "No, I’ll wait for him to return.”
She watched me with an eyebrow raised. "You look disappointed.”
“We didn’t part on good terms.”
“Rowan’s been through a lot.” She rested her hand on top of mine. “Give him time, and I’m sure he’ll return.”
Now it was my turn to look at her curiously. "Are you two friends?”
Her eyes widened for a split second like she had said something she wasn’t supposed to. “I don’t know Rowan very well, but I’ve heard a lot about him from a reliable source.”
“Who?”
Ariel’s cheeks reddened. “His name is Marcus. The two of them are as close as brothers.”
I sat back, shocked by her admission. Ariel was in love with Rowan’s best friend. Unbelievable. “Marcus is the one that saved his life, right? He brought Rowan to my father after his injury.”
“He told you?”
Marcus must’ve told Ariel everything. “Rowan told me about what happened to his family and the truth behind his scars.” Although I was sure there was more to the story.
A hard knock on the door startled us both.
"Princess Kalin.” A guard I didn’t recognize stepped inside wearing a traditional yellow robe. " Your presence has been requested. The council has called an emergency meeting.”
I stood. "What is the purpose of this meeting?”
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” he replied nervously. “I was given no details when I was told to escort you to the meeting.”
The fact that they seemed hesitant to answer made me wonder if Liana had told them about the botched power display. I had to be cautious. I had no idea what might be waiting for me. “You are relieved of your duty,” I informed him. “My knights will escort me to the meeting.” I turned back to Ariel. "We’ll finish our talk later, I promise.”
She nodded. "I’ll wait here until you return.”
The ache in the pit of my stomach felt like a warning. Whatever I was about to walk into wasn’t going to be good.
We approached the same portal I had used when I first arrived in Avalon. My knights held the vines open. I pushed my fear aside, took a deep breath, and I stepped inside. The sound of rushing water going over the waterfall surrounded me. The high council meeting was packed. Elementals from every court spoke in clusters. I didn’t waste any time making conversation. I held my head high as I strode over the wooden planks.
As I approached the middle, I saw the council members deep in conversation. Liana’s arms flailed as she spoke. When our eyes met, she froze. Each of the other council members seemed to realize I was there because they stopped mid-sentence simultaneously. The crowd parted down the middle. There was now a clear path to my father’s chair.
The King’s chair.
Uneasiness crept over me as I made my way through the open walkway. The last time I came to a meeting, they pretended I wasn’t even there. Now they were all paying attention, which made me suspicious. Before any of them had a chance to speak, I said, “I’m assuming you asked me here because you have news about my father. I can’t imagine any other reason to summon me to an emergency meeting.”
Liana narrowed her eyes with disgust all over her face. "You were brought here to confess your crimes against the fire court.”
Her words seared into my chest like a hot iron. They brought me here to stand trial. This situation was going as I feared.
I was about to say something when Jarrod intervened. "Queen Liana, you have no proof on which to base such claims.”
Just as Rowan had suspected, Jarrod sided with me. In public, at least. I decided to play along. If he thought I was unsuspecting, this might play out in my favor. “Thank you, Jarrod, but I can speak for myself.” I stared at Liana with my hands clasped together. It was the only way I could hide the shaking. “As the captain of my guard has stated, I have committed no crimes against the fire court.”
Liana turned to face the other council members. "You saw what took place at the ceremony. Kalin conspired with the deserter instead of completing the power display. She broke one of our sacred laws. Punishment is necessary.”
"There should be an exception in this case,” a familiar voice called out. The crowd turned as Rowan made his way toward the council. Relief spilled over my shoulders, knowing I had him by my side. I smiled at him, but he never made eye contact. Instead, he focused on Liana. "King Taron is missing, and she had only days to master her power.”
"Ah, yes, King Taron.” A wicked grin grew across Liana’s face. "A powerful king goes missing and can’t find his way home.”
"Get to your point before I accuse you of treason,” Jarrod said, his fists balled at his sides.
I wanted to take a sword from one of my knights and drive it through his heart, but I smiled instead. “I would like to hear your point as well, Liana.”
Liana’s face held no emotion. Threats of treason meant nothing to her. "The halfling arrived mere hours after Taron went missing, claiming a member of the fire court attacked her.” She pointed her accusing finger at Rowan. "Coincidentally, saved by the shadow prince.”
Rowan reached over his shoulder, releasing his sheathed sword. The crowd moved back several feet. "Kalin was attacked by a member of the fire court. I watched her attacker burn to ashes minutes after I slit her throat. Only a member of the fire court would ignite into flames after death.”
"What evidence do you have besides the fake necklace you presented to the council?” Liana crossed her arms. “No one on this council will take you on your word.”
“Do not make assumptions on my behalf,” King Orion spoke. “I take Rowan’s accusations seriously. I have no reason to doubt him or his word.”
Rowan bowed at him.
Jarrod headed toward Liana. As he approached, two of her gabriel hounds moved in front of her, growling in their animal form. The wooden planks beneath our feet rumbled. "For the last time, Queen Liana, why did you call for an emergency meeting?”
This time, she addressed the crowd directly. "I believe the halfling intends to start a war against my court.” The room erupted with gasps and whispers. "The false claims were meant to break the peace treaty amongst our courts. I doubt Taron is missing. For all we know, the halfling killed her father to take his throne.”
Rowan took several steps toward her. The hounds didn’t move, but they did stop snarling. Did they still recognize him as their prince? "I suggest you take those words back before you break the treaty with your accusations.”
Anger rippled through me in waves. Power surged through my fingertips like an electric shock. "I would never hurt my father!” The clouds turned dark; thunder rumbled in the sky. "You, Liana, are a different story.”
Liana faced Rowan with a look of total revulsion on her face. "All of these questionable events point to one conclusion: the halfling killed Taron to start a war against the fire court. Once I am dead, the shadow prince will claim the fire court throne for himself.”
Shouts erupted, as court members argued with one another. King Orion seemed to align himself with Jarrod as they argued with the fire court council. His woodland court council joined him. To keep up appearances, I remained close to Jarrod. Britta, the water queen, remained with elementals from her court. They glanced at one another but didn’t speak a word or show any obvious reaction. I assumed they were speaking to each other telepathically while watching passively as the incident played out.
That left Rowan and Liana alone.
"You’re a fool, Liana. I don’t need the help of anyone from any court.” Rowan stood tall and firm. "As Prisma’s only biological child, the crown is my birthright if I so choose.”
“Your chance to rule has long passed.” Fireballs swirled over the tops of Liana’s open palms. "As long as I live, you will never wear my crown.”
Rowan crouched down into a fighting position. "There’s no time like the present.”
Liana threw a swirling ball of fire at Rowan’s head. He grabbed it out of the air, extinguishing it in his palm. A moment later, he ran toward her at full-speed with his sword raised above his head.
Then it all went to hell.
Jarrod used his wind power to get through the gabriel hounds, but he took a fireball to the chest before he could reach Liana. Fighting broke out all around me. I lost sight of Rowan as I tried to take cover. Everywhere I turned, members of the fire court wer
e fighting against woodland and air court elementals. Gusts of wind knocked me to the floor while fireballs flew all around. I tried to use my power once more, but I couldn’t concentrate.
Knights from each of the three courts drew their iron weapons. It didn’t take long for them to join the battle. Screams of pain rang out, blood sprayed across the wooden planks. The water elementals extinguished any fireball that landed on the wooden planks. As a group of fire elementals approached, a massive wave thrust them into the waterfall, and they disappeared into the cascading flow of water.
Two hounds noticed me and bolted in my direction. I got to my feet a second before a thrust of energy blasted from my fingertips. Both enormous animals went flying, crashing against two of the council chairs. Neither moved once they hit the ground. I stared at my hands, having no idea how I’d produced that blast. Unfortunately, the surge of power left me weak, and I struggled to stay on my feet.
Rowan burst through the crowd. "We have to get out of here.” He put my arm over his shoulders, towing me toward the exit. Two fire elementals got in our way, and he sliced through them like they were as soft as marshmallows.
I didn’t want to distract him, but I had to know. "What happened to Liana?”
"She escaped.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kalin
Rowan took one step out of the portal and collapsed.
I fell onto my hip beside him while he landed on his back. I needed a moment to catch my breath. When I finally scanned the grassy area, I realized he had taken us back to the courtyard of the air court castle. I curled around to see if he was okay, but he faced away from me. Blood circled an incision on his shoulder blade as steam rose from the wound. Someone stabbed him with an iron blade.
Fear raced through my veins.
"Rowan, we need to get you help.” I wish I could’ve used my power to heal him, but I didn’t know how to do it by myself. “I’m scared you might be iron poisoned.”
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 21
