She nodded, and I followed her down the hallway. Unlike the rest of the castle, this area was plain. The ceilings, walls, and flooring were all white. My boots clicked against the rock surface as we walked swiftly. We came to stand in front of a glass door. When I looked through, I saw Marcus inside. He had just slipped a white t-shirt over his shoulders.
I pushed the door open, getting his attention. “You scared the shit out of me, man. Are you all right?”
“I’m sore but otherwise pretty good.” The corner of his mouth curled.
“Do you remember what happened?”
He sat down on the small bed. “The last thing I remember was clamping down on my father’s throat. Then I woke up here, surrounded by these little faeries.” He said, pointing to two dwarfs in the corner of the room reading from a clipboard. “How I got here, I haven’t a clue.”
There was no easy way to say this, so I decided just to let it out. “Your father is dead, Marcus. You defeated him.” Hearing the words made him jolt as if a stun gun had zapped him. “I found you passed out next to him. For a minute, I thought you were dead.”
“I can’t believe he’s … dead.” Marcus shook his head. “I can’t believe I killed him.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself. You tried to reason with him.”
Marcus was silent for several minutes. I didn’t say a word as he mulled it over. I had gone through the same thing when I killed Prisma. Her death was necessary, but I still wished I wasn’t the one who had done it.
“How did I get here?” Marcus asked, breaking me from my thoughts.
“I threw you over my shoulder and carried you here.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You carried me?”
I shrugged. “The pathway shortened the distance, but yeah, I carried you.”
“Wow, that’s impressive,” he said, acting as if he were totally surprised.
I punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Don’t sound so shocked. I’m a brick house.”
“You wish,” he said, laughing.
As Marcus slipped his boots back on, I asked, “Where are you in such a hurry to get to?”
He let out an exaggerated breath. “I’m sure Ariel has already heard what happened. I need her to see that I’m okay.”
My eyes widened. “Were you planning on telling me before you left?”
“I thought about leaving you a note.” I grimaced, and he let out a chuckle. “Just kidding. I figured you were around here somewhere. I was going to look for you.”
If he were going to see Ariel, he would run into Taron. Since his return, she had been taking care of him. “Would you mind checking in on Taron? I’d like to know how he’s doing.”
“No problem.”
After Marcus left, the lack of sleep and overuse of my power had finally caught up to me. My lids were heavy, making it hard to keep my eyes open. I laid down on the nearest bed, sinking into the softness of the vanilla scented pillows. I could rest here until tomorrow, and then meet Kalin on the beach at sundown. As I closed my eyes, I imagined her in that sexy sundress with the ocean breeze wafting through her red curls. My lips tingled, remembering the raspberry taste of her kisses. With all this craziness going on, she was the one thing that made sense—the only person who could make me forget about everything for a little while.
Kalin was the one I wanted. The only one I needed. I shook my head. What was wrong with me? It was too soon to be thinking about this stuff. It had only been a few weeks. And what did I know about real feelings, anyway? Had it not been for Marcus, I would never even know what it felt like to care for someone. Love was never part of my life. Prisma thought love was a weakness. A worthless emotion compared to power and control.
But that still didn’t explain how I was feeling. Why did everything seem better when Kalin was around? Or why my fingers ached to touch her. Why her pain shattered me to the core, and all I could think about was finding a way to make it all go away. I rubbed my eyes. Maybe the lack of sleep was making me delusional. With a smirk, I gave in to the darkness that was overwhelming me and fell asleep.
Chapter Ten
Kalin
Betrothal sucked. Having powers I couldn’t control sucked. Not being able to help my ailing father sucked. Pretty much everything about my life right now sucked on an epic level of suckage. I forced a smile as I stood beneath the stone archway next to the council members, pretending to be excited to meet Sebastian. The same way I pretended not to notice that someone else was making decisions on my behalf. Like everything in my life wasn’t already out of control and falling to pieces right in front of me.
The mountain wind caught hold of the bottom trim of my yellow full-length gown. I pushed the fabric back down with my gloved hands. The council insisted that our first meeting had to be a formal affair, so I dressed like I was going to a prom. Ariel, of course, tried to make the best of it. She thought a princess makeover might improve my mood. Unfortunately, all of her efforts—combined with the way-too-tight bodice on this gown—just added to my overall disdain.
For now, I would go along with the engagement. I was hoping I could gain my akasha powers and never have to tell Mom about this whole disaster. I understood Dad’s perspective, but I was still pissed that he never told me about the betrothal. There should have been a discussion. Lots and lots of them until he saw my side and then changed his mind. An overwhelming sense of despair settled in the pit of my stomach. If I couldn’t ignite my akasha powers, would I have to follow through with this and marry a stranger?
I mean, who was Sebastian? I knew he came from an old, influential lineage. Members of his family, including his mother, Jada, had served on the council during the last several centuries. Others in his family had been knights. Like all other elementals, he had spent his childhood in the mortal world. But his parents rarely allowed him to interact with other elemental children. Ariel had seen him only once when they were barely teenagers. He had known about me all his life. Jaya said he has been preparing for our union, whatever that meant. I didn’t want to know. The whole thing creeped me out.
Whispers pulled me out of my thoughts. I peered over my shoulder and gasped. A crowd lurked behind me. This meeting was a big event around the castle. The more I thought about it, the pressure built in my shoulders. The presence of so many elementals reminded me of why I was here. They needed strong leadership to feel safe in this newly unbalanced world. Something Dad usually provided, but now it was up to me. I had to be strong for them. If I intended to be their queen, I had to do what was necessary.
Cheers exploded from the crowd when a small group appeared from within the nearby forest. Jaya came toward us, surrounded by four armored knights. The chest of their breastplates had an embedded air court symbol. Behind them was a wagon full of luggage pulled by two white horses. I poked my head to the side to see if Sebastian was walking behind the carriage, but I saw no one else. There had to be something I was missing. If he wasn’t with the group, where was he? I waited for Jaya and the others, trying to appear like I knew what was going on.
I had no clue.
When Jaya reached our group, she bowed. “Princess Kalin, I would like to introduce my son, Sebastian.”
A knight took a few steps forward until he was right in front of me, then he bent on one knee. His hands gripped the sides of his helmet, removing the metal with one tug. My stomach lurched. Oh God, was he going to propose in front of everyone? No, we were already engaged, so there was no need. I was engaged. The word made my throat tighten, and I couldn’t breathe. Suddenly, I was gasping for air. Very little oxygen was passing through to my lungs. Lightheaded, I started to wave my hand in front of me to create a little wind.
I teetered from one side to the other, feeling like I was about to pass out. I could feel it coming on in waves. As my hips weaved, a hand pressed against my lower back. It was Sebastian. He had his arms around me, preventing me from moving.
“Easy now,” he said, his voice so cal
ming it was almost hypnotic. “Try to relax.”
Once I had collected myself, I became fully aware of each set of eyes on me. I released myself from Sebastian’s grip. “I’m fine, I promise. It’s the dress. I can hardly breathe.”
Our eyes met, and I took him in for the first time. He had all the normal traits of the air elementals: white-blond hair, lavender eyes, and killer cheekbones. But there was something more to him. He appeared regal somehow. Beautiful and polished in a way I would never be. He looked straight out-of-the-box ready for royalty. No assembly required.
Sebastian smiled, displaying perfectly lined teeth. “I know what you mean. I had to come here wearing this metal suit. I can’t imagine having to fight in this thing.”
“You’re not a knight?” I asked, already knowing his response. He was too pretty to pick up a sword. And the cheers he received made me wonder how he had achieved his celebrity-like status.
“No, they wanted to bring me here in disguise.” He held out his arm for me to accept, which I did. Then we strolled toward the castle. “The random attacks from the fire court have Mother worried that they might target me.”
“Why would you be a target?” It was a ridiculous question to ask when I already had the answer. He was in danger because everyone knew he was my betrothed. Well, everyone but me. “Stupid question. Sorry.”
His expression turned serious. “Nothing you say is stupid. Please ask any questions you like.”
“The obvious one is why would you agree to marry someone you just met?” I cringed. Why was I always so blunt?
If he was bothered by my candid question, he didn’t show it. “I never thought of it as a choice. I was selected to be your partner while still in infancy. Once I understood what that meant, I wholeheartedly accepted the honor.”
The honor? Being chosen by a king did sound pretty awesome, but he had his entire life mapped out for him. Did that bother him? “Yeah, but haven’t you ever met anyone you wanted to date?” I refused to believe someone this good-looking spent his teenage years alone.
The tips of his ears turned pink. Was he embarrassed? Maybe the question was too personal. We were still strangers at this point. “There were relationships here and there, but nothing too serious. Everyone I dated knew about our plans. It wasn’t a secret.”
My body shuttered. If our betrothal wasn’t a secret, did Rowan know about it? If it turned out that he knew and didn’t tell me, I would be a little hurt. Wait! Was he betrothed too? In all the time we spent together, he never once mentioned someone else. Maybe he didn’t like her, or even more likely, maybe he didn’t care. Nevertheless, I planned to ask him the next time we meet.
Lost in my thoughts, I hadn’t even noticed that Sebastian led us inside the castle. The heels of my shoes clicked as we strode across the main foyer of the castle. Sebastian stopped every once in a while to admire a painting on the wall. He recognized each one. I imagined he visited the castle throughout his childhood. My arm relaxed inside of his, and I noticed his bicep was impressive for someone who had never seen battle or carried a sword. He looked like someone who might be on a water polo team. Or, maybe he fenced in his free time. I had no idea what high-ranking elementals did in the mortal world.
I tugged on his arm so he would stop walking, and I stared up at him. He had to be at least half a foot taller than me. “You must be uncomfortable in all of that,” I said, pointing to the heavy metal armor. “Would you like to get changed into something casual?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
I turned around, nodding at the guards trailing us. It was impossible to get a moment alone anymore. The only exception being when I snuck away to meet Rowan. “My knights will escort you to your room. Get settled and meet me back here in an hour.”
He took my hand, placing it inches from his lips. “Until then, Your Highness.” He kissed the exact spot where I would wear a wedding ring. I wasn’t sure if it was on purpose, but it felt like a subtle message.
I watched him walk away and then headed to my room to get out of this dress. On the way, I thought about Sebastian. As far as fiancés go, he wasn’t a horrible choice. He certainly wasn’t unattractive. The guy could have been a model in the mortal world. Beyond the physical, he was very kind and chivalrous in an old-school way. I couldn’t say I had ever met anyone like him. As far as I could tell, Sebastian only had one problem:
He wasn’t Rowan.
I changed into a Pink Floyd t-shirt and my favorite pair of skinny jeans. For a second, I thought about how the council might react to my mortal clothing. They would certainly disapprove. I didn’t care. If I was going to get to know Sebastian, I wanted it to be on my terms. Once I arrived back in the foyer, I found him waiting for me. He wore the same attire as most of our court: loose-fitting yellow pants with a plain yellow shirt. Although he meant to blend in, something about him just didn’t. He carried himself as if he were already part of the royal family.
When he saw me, he smiled as he bowed. “Princess Kalin.”
I could add textbook manners to his list of perfections. I waved my hand. “Please call me Kalin. There’s no need for us to be formal.”
“Of course,” he replied, holding out his arm for me.
I tucked my arm into the crook of his elbow. “I thought we might go somewhere and talk in private.”
“Did you have anywhere specific in mind?”
I led him outside. We ended up on the side of the mountain, where Dad liked to meditate. Correction, where he used to like to meditate. He hadn’t returned to that spot since his kidnapping, and I doubted he would ever find peace there again. I sat next to a large oak tree. The winds were stronger here. I pulled the hairband off my wrist, using it to tie back my hair.
Sebastian sat next to me, crossing his legs. “Do you like it out here?”
I closed my eyes, inhaling a deep breath. “I like the quiet.”
“Would you prefer I not speak?”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry.” My cheeks burned. “I meant that I come out here sometimes to clear my head. It’s been pretty crazy over the last two weeks.”
“I can only imagine the anguish you must have felt when King Taron went missing. My mother was distraught but refused to talk about it most of the time. She has been close to your father for many years. While he was missing, she barely spoke to anyone.”
Jaya had always been one of Dad’s strongest supporters on the council. I was sure their friendship played a role in our betrothal. “She didn’t say much to me, either.”
He stared at the puffy white clouds blocking most of our view. “She wants you to take the throne. At first, she worried about your mortal upbringing. But you made quite an impression on her when you arrived. She admires your tenacity.”
Surprise did not begin to explain my reaction to his comments. The council fought me every step of the way when I first arrived in Avalon. I didn’t think I had one supporter on the entire council. It could have been so much easier if Jaya had stood up for me then. If any of them had tried to help me, we might have found Dad before the war started against the fire court. “There is no need for me to take the throne. My father will recover soon.”
Sebastian shifted, turning his body to face me. “Are you sure?” he questioned. “After what happened to him, I don’t know how anyone could come back from that.”
“Dad will recover,” I said, sternly although I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince him or myself.
My reaction made him squirm. Sebastian cleared his throat. “I’m sure you’re right. After all, King Taron is the strongest member of our court.”
A dull ache had bloomed in the middle of my chest. I wasn’t trying to make him uncomfortable, especially since he had been nothing but kind to me. I desperately needed a subject change. “Tell me about you.”
“What do you want to know?”
Everything. “Whatever you want to tell me.”
“First, I prefer to be called Bash. Sebastian is what my mother calls
me.”
I assumed he would prefer his formal name, but I was happy to go with a nickname. “Bash. I like that.”
Bash grinned. “I play the piano and cello, but music is not my passion. I love to travel. As a child, I visited every country in the mortal world. My parents insisted I learn about different cultures and customs. Of all the places I visited, Italy and Africa were my favorites.”
My mother never took me anywhere. She always lived in fear that someone would catch me using my powers, which made no sense since I was untrained. I was shocked that she let me attend a mortal school. But maybe that wasn’t a big deal since I had knights with me at all times. “I always wanted to go to Tanzania. You know, go on one of those safari adventures where you get to see the wild animals.”
His eyes danced with excitement. “It’s not too late. You’re still young enough to go without worrying about aging.” Placing his hand on top of mine, he said, “We should go together.”
I pulled my hand back in one swift motion. Together? I wasn’t ready for that. Bash looked like I just stepped on his puppy. Guilt swept over me. The poor guy had been nothing but nice to me. It wasn’t fair to reject him like that. I put my hand on top of his and squeezed. “Sure, maybe we will go someday.”
His whole face lit up. “It’s a date.”
Any girl with working eyeballs would have been happy to switch places with me. Obscenely handsome appearance aside, he was easy to talk to and subtly charming. He also seemed to care about what I had to say without being judgmental. I’d come to realize that trait was rare in the air court. All in all, he checked all the boxes on the boyfriend material chart. I should have been ecstatic about our betrothal.
But I wasn’t.
All I could think about was Rowan. He was also charming and gorgeous, but with a dangerous edge. I could hardly tell what he was thinking most of the time, whereas Bash was open to answering all of my questions. Both came from very prestigious families, but Rowan wasn’t gifted anything by his family. Eventually, he would claim his throne with only a sword. He was warrior through and through, and I doubted many could hold their own against him. When I was with Rowan, I always felt safe. Bash would protect me behind the comfort of his knights. He was a true royal.
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 35
