Valac came toward me, and before I could register what was happening, he punched me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me. When I bowed forward, I took a kick to the face and fell to the ground. Blood spattered onto the floor, and my vision went spotty.
Jarrod pulled him backward by the arm. “Kalin’s mine.”
Valac wore a satisfied grin. He moved toward me, wanting to inflict more damage. “I’m not done with her.”
“I must be the one to kill her.” Jarrod put his hand on Valac’s shoulder. “Taron killed your mother, and I will kill his daughter. Her death is my retribution.”
“You shall have your vengeance, Father.” Valac backed away. “She’s all yours.”
Jarrod growled as he slid my blade out of his wound. The knife clanked when it hit the floor. “You’re going to pay for that, little bitch.”
As he resumed his attack on me, my muscles seized up. I tried to ignore what was going on and ignite my power, but the pain made it impossible to concentrate. Jarrod kicked the sides of my body over and over again. I curled into a ball, turning away from him, trying to block his assault. My breaths were short, possibly from broken ribs. I tried to protect myself, but it only made his attack more vicious. Now he was stomping on my back and shoulder blades. Wheezing and writhing, my strength lessened by the second.
Jarrod stopped, apparently worn out and in need of a break. He said something to Valac, but I couldn’t hear over my choking and spitting up blood.
In between heavy breaths, Jarrod asked, “Do you hear that sound?” He looked around as if he was searching for something. “It’s the sound of your impending death.”
Jarrod turned his back to me to gloat some more. My eyes caught a flicker of light. It was the shimmer coming off of the metal blade. When he pulled out the blade, my knife slid only a few feet from where I was. I concentrated all of my remaining strength on my wind magic, pulling the weapon to me. The knife wiggled, and I closed my eyes.
I thought of my mother and father. Rowan and Ariel. They had each done so much for me, and they needed me now. I had to keep fighting for them and my court. I channeled my love for them and called to my power once more. The weapon slid across the floor and into my hand. With all the strength I could muster, I leaped to my feet. Before Jarrod had a chance to react, I plunged the blade into his ribcage. I twisted the knife to make sure I had pierced his lung, then pulled it back out.
Jarrod fell to his knees.
I whispered in his ear, “I guess it wasn’t my death you heard, asshole.”
I pushed him, and he landed on his face. Winds swirled around his body at a rapid pace. His skin turned to powder and floated into the skies.
“No,” Selene screamed.
Her voice elevated by the second, creating an agonizing shriek that echoed through the room. Each one of us fell to our knees with our hands over our ears. Selene was a siren. A rare elemental who could both seduce and kill with a song. The hound shocked us all when he broke through the firewall, unfazed by her wailing. Selene tried to push him away, but he was too strong. His jaws clamped around her neck, putting an end to her vocal attack.
Valac was the first to stand. “I’m going to kill every last one of you!”
We circled one another like two boxers sizing up an opponent. I didn’t have enough strength to fight him, so I had to get creative. I remembered what Rowan had taught me about fireballs, and I wondered if I could remove the oxygen from anything. I grabbed him as he prepared a fireball in his hand. Putting my palm over his mouth, I used my power to suck the oxygen out of his lungs. He leaned forward, gasping for air, and I pushed him onto the floor next to Selene.
My adrenaline kicked in, and I couldn’t feel the pain of my injuries.
Ariel was still fighting some of Valac’s guards. A few lay on the ground as they slowly burned to ash. Damn, she had some serious skills with a sword. The power inside me was so strong that my fingertips burned. Ariel caught a glimpse of me and leaped out of the way. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the remaining guards. Holding my hands out in front of me, I imagined I was pushing the power out from my shoulders through my hands.
A thrust of energy released, knocking me off my feet.
I opened my eyes.
Black blood ran down the farthest wall. On the ground below, some of Valac’s guards appeared to be unconscious while others struggled to stand.
Holy shit! I had smashed them all into the wall.
I tried to get up, but I was too weak. I’d used too much power. As the adrenaline melted away, I felt the stinging pain from the beating I’d received from Jarrod and Valac.
“Ariel, open the gateway now,” I shouted out with as much energy as I could muster.
The hound appeared at Ariel’s side. She held onto Dad’s hand as if trying to channel his power to help her. A swirling gust of wind appeared; she’d done it. Surprisingly, Dad stood up. She put his arm over her shoulders and guided him through the portal.
I got to my feet, but the throbbing pain made it hard for me to walk. I couldn’t stop, no matter what. Dad and Rowan both needed immediate medical attention. I staggered over to Rowan. The hound sat next to him as if he was preparing to be mounted. There was no time to check to see if he was still breathing. I drug Rowan by his arms until he laid across the hound’s back. The hound carried him toward the portal.
Tears of pain streamed down my cheeks as I followed closely behind them. I was in agony, but I willed myself to keep going. “Rowan, please stay with me.”
He didn’t move.
Once inside the portal, a cool breeze rustled my hair. I trudged forward with every ounce of strength I had left.
When we reached the other side, I was ready to collapse. The portal brought us to some infirmary, much like the one we had at school. Instead of medical supplies, the cabinets contained glass canisters filled with green and brown herbs. White candles resting on large marble pillars lit the room. They had a vanilla scent. I struggled to get Rowan off of the hound and onto one of the hospital beds.
Rowan was unmoving, but he was breathing. Within moments, blood and dirt stained the crisp white sheets. Every part of my body hurt like I was getting pulled in every direction all at once. A curtain opened, and Ariel appeared out of the side, holding a red-stained cloth. Both of her hands had serious burns. She must have sustained the injuries when she removed the iron from my father’s neck.
“How is my father?” I asked, trying to hide the panic in my tone.
“King Taron is stable and resting,” Ariel said, as she slid her hands into latex gloves. “I’m more concerned about Rowan right now.”
Nerves filled my stomach as I watched his chest rise and fall in short breaths. “Can you help him? He hasn’t responded at all.”
Ariel came over and opened one of his closed eyelids. “He’s been poisoned by iron.” She made her way across the room, opening the top drawer of a white cabinet. When she came back, she had a syringe and a clear bottle of liquid. She tightened a tourniquet around Rowan’s arm, and a vein popped up.
“Isn’t there anything else we can do for him?”
“Normally, yes, but Taron isn’t ready to use the amount of power it would take to heal him, and neither are you.” In one quick movement, she punctured the rubber cap of the liquid bottle with the tip of the needle. She inserted the medication inside the syringe and then injected the needle into his arm. “This will go through his bloodstream and prevent the poison from killing him.”
My hands were shaking. “What do we do now?”
Ariel retrieved a glass jar from a cabinet, then sat on the bottom corner of his bed. “We treat those injuries of yours.”
“No.” I glared down at Rowan. “He needs you more than I do.”
Ariel’s eyes widened as she looked me over. “Kalin, you’re hurt. Let me help you.”
Rowan’s eyes were still closed, and his expression was solemn. I put my head on the pillow, so his face was only inches from mine. His hai
r was sweaty and dirty, yet still felt soft between my fingers. Underneath the putrid smell of burned flesh, I took in the faint cinnamon scent of his skin. “I don’t want to move.”
“You’ll help him more by helping yourself.”
I sat up, and she began applying some salve. It smelled like butterscotch, but it burned as she coated each wound. I winced as she applied it to my face and ribs. I couldn’t stop thinking about Rowan. “I wish I had been able to get there sooner. Maybe if I would’ve told him about the vision, I could have―”
Ariel squeezed my wrist. “Hey, you did what you thought was best. No one can fault you for that. And, by the way, you were amazing back there.”
After she finished patching me up, I went over to my father’s bedside. A silver bowl sat on a nearby table, filled with red liquid. Ariel must’ve cleaned his wounds before we got here. His eyes were still closed, but the coloring had returned to his face.
Ariel said, “It will take some time, but I expect him to recover.” She ran the cloth over his cheeks. “Unfortunately, I can do nothing about the aging, although I think he looks quite distinguished.”
I ran my hand across his cheek and kissed his forehead. Knowing he was safe and alive filled some of the emptiness inside of me. Each of his breaths came out slow, but steady. It was comforting to watch. It somehow made the world feel peaceful.
I turned around to say something when I noticed the hound sitting next to Ariel. She whispered something in his ear. I was glad she sent Marcus a note before we left for Vegas. Had she not insisted on a secondary plan, we’d all be dead. “We’re lucky he found us in time.”
Ariel smiled at him. “He’s my hero.”
Marcus nuzzled his head against her arm, then left the room. When he returned, he was a caramel-skinned, curly-haired, green-eyed fire elemental. Gorgeous, but all warrior. Wearing only a pair of black drawstring pants, I saw that this guy was muscle on top of muscle. He was huge next to pint-sized Ariel. If he stood in front of her, no one would know she was behind him. I thought they looked adorable together.
I held out my hand. “Thanks for saving our lives back there.”
“You’re welcome,” he shook my hand. “I’m Marcus.”
“I figured that one out all on my own,” I replied. I couldn’t help noticing the collection of cuts and burns across Marcus’s chest. One of his wounds was seeping blood. It must’ve been painful. “It looks like you need to get cleaned up.”
“I’m on it,” Ariel appeared with some liquid antiseptic. As she cleaned each one, he flinched. “Don’t be a baby,” she teased.
Giving them some privacy, I returned to Rowan. He appeared as if he hadn’t moved a muscle. I curled up next to him, careful not to touch his body. I bit my lip when all I wanted to do was scream and cry.
Ariel, as if reading my mind, said, “No matter how bad you think this looks, you saved all of us. They would both be dead by now if it weren’t for you, Kalin.”
Then it hit me. All this time, I had been burying my feelings because I had to be strong. Those emotions bubbled into my throat, and I could barely breathe. I sat up and tried to pull my knees into my chest. I winced in pain. I had broken ribs. Burying my face in my folded arms, I released the tears I’d been holding back. Ariel sat next to me, placing her arm around my shoulders.
Marcus sat in a chair next to Rowan’s bed. He squeezed his hand and said, “I shouldn’t have left you, Brother. I’m sorry I wasn’t there, but I’m here now. I’ll never leave you again.”
Seconds went by like hours without any response from Rowan. The only sounds in the room were the heart monitor, and the intermittent drops coming from a leaky sink. A cold chill filled the room, and I rubbed the pimpled bumps on my arms. Each time I blinked, my eyes felt swollen and burned from the tears. Ariel gave me a one-armed hug. “I’m going to get more bandages. I’ll be right back.”
She had only been gone for a few minutes or so when I heard a strained whimper. I rushed to Rowan’s side. Marcus released his hand and went searching for Ariel. My heart beat a thousand times a minute as I waited for something to happen. Relief spilled over my shoulders when Rowan finally opened his eyes. I pushed a few sweaty strands of hair out of his face. He reached up for my hand, and our fingers entwined.
With a lopsided grin, he said, “Can’t keep your hands off of me, can you?”
I chuckled. “You’re incorrigible.”
Rowan scanned around the room as if he were getting his bearings. “How did I end up here?”
“I carried you,” Marcus replied, standing next to Ariel beneath the door frame.
The grin on Rowan’s face quickly faded. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Rowan
I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming.
Marcus stood in the doorway with Ariel by his side. I didn’t know what I should say. The last time we saw each other was arguably the worst moment of our lives. Then Marcus wrote me a goodbye letter and I hadn’t seen or heard from him since. I tried to sit up on my own, but I was still too weak. It would be a while before I fully healed. Ariel helped me maneuver into a sitting position, while Kalin poured water into a glass, and then put the drink in my hand. My throat was as dry as sandpaper.
Marcus had moved to the bottom of my bed but didn’t speak again. I imagined he must’ve been feeling the same as I was. There was a distance between us now. It was hard to wrap my head around that strange feeling. We’d been inseparable for most of our lives; brothers in every way that mattered. Maybe I was naïve, but I expected we’d start up right where we left off. I could already tell it wasn’t going to be that simple. It would take some effort to get back there, and it had to come from me.
My eyes darted between Kalin and Ariel. “I’d like to have a few minutes alone with Marcus.”
“That’s a great idea,” Ariel nudged Marcus. “We’ll go check on King Taron. Take as long as you need.”
Kalin left with Ariel, but I could tell she wanted to stay. She only knew a small piece of my history with Marcus. Unfortunately, I spoke mostly about the events that led to him ripping my wings off with his teeth. I drank the entire glass of water. When all of this was over, I’d make sure she had time to get to know him. Well, assuming he was going to stick around, which wasn’t a guarantee. “Do you want to fill me in on all the parts I missed,” I asked, attempting to open the dialogue.
There was hesitation. “Where do you want me to begin?”
If we were going to get through this, I needed to lighten the mood. “I wouldn’t mind starting around the time you decided to write me a break-up letter.”
Marcus didn’t exactly smile, but there was some movement in the corner of his mouth. “A break-up letter. Really?”
“’Things got too serious, and I think we need some space. It’s not you; it’s me.’” I didn’t remember his exact wording, but the essence of the letter was still intact.
He burst out laughing. “You’re such an idiot.”
“Come on, Big Guy.” I held my arms open. “It’s time.”
“We’re not going to hug it out.”
I placed my hand over my heart as if I were wounded. “You would deny the last wish of a dying man.”
In a monotone voice, he replied. “You’re not dying.”
“You don’t know,” I shrugged. “This could be it. Any minute now, it could be lights out.”
Marcus’s face turned serious as he moved to my bedside. “You’ve certainly had some close calls.”
“We’ve had our share of bumps and bruises, but we made it.” I reached out and clasped my hand on his forearm. “Because we had each other. I wouldn’t have survived Prisma without you.”
He lowered his stare to the floor. “How can you say that after—”
“Please stop blaming yourself,” I insisted. “You saved my life.”
“Rowan, I nearly killed you.” He cringed as if he were replaying that night in his head. “If it hadn’t been f
or King Taron, you’d be dead.”
“What Prisma did to me that day would’ve happened with or without you. There were plenty of other gabriel hounds in the room. Anyone of them would’ve torn me apart and left me for dead.” He kneeled, and I put my hand on his shoulder. “You know I’m right. You are the reason I’ve survived this long. You’ve saved my ass at least a half dozen times.”
Marcus wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “Half a dozen times doesn’t even scratch the surface. It’s more like thirty or forty times.”
“Are we cool now?” I asked.
“Yeah, we’re cool.”
“Aww,” Ariel gushed, bursting into the room. Kalin slinked inside right behind her. “That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I want to hug everyone. Group hug, right now.”
“Have you been listening this whole time?” Marcus asked.
“Of course we have,” Ariel replied. “I’ve been waiting for months for this moment. I knew there would be a happy ending.”
Kalin sat in a chair next to my bed. She looked like she had a lot on her mind. I understood, after everything she’d suffered. “I was going to leave you alone, but Ariel insisted.”
Ariel held her head high and replied, “Yes, I did.”
Marcus stood and pulled her into a bear hug. “You’re such a little sneak.”
I glanced at Kalin while she watched Ariel and Marcus. The smile on her face let me know she was happy for them. I was glad to see she was open-minded, unlike many of the other air court elementals. A romantic relationship between our courts was always tricky, but the fact that he was a gabriel hound made them unique. And unique wasn’t a term elementals liked. They had an uphill battle ahead of them if they wanted this long-term. Lucky for them, they had friends that had their back.
“How are you feeling?” Kalin asked, jolting me out of my thoughts.
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 27
