And the elementals repeated, “Queen Kalin!”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Rowan
I spent the night with my girlfriend.
Mostly I slept on the floor of my girlfriend’s bedroom. It was the only way her mom would be okay with me being there. Understandable, I guess. Kalin was technically still a teenager in the mortal world. I tried to argue that time didn’t work the same for elementals. Kalin was considered an adult, and now a queen. But her mom wasn’t having any of that. I ultimately gave in figuring there was no point in pissing off her mom. So that was how I ended up on the floor with a major cramp in my back. But I didn’t tell Kalin any of that. She didn’t want to be alone last night, and that was all I needed to hear.
Kalin was the most powerful elemental among all the courts. The one meant to balance the elements and potentially save the world. That would be a lot for anyone to handle, especially considering that she spent the bulk of her life in the mortal world. Not to mention, she also lost her father. I envied how it must have felt to love a parent so much. I’d never known who my father was. That disconnect made it hard for me to understand.
But I could be there for her and comfort her. After I attempted to work out the kink in my back, I peeked over at her. She was all tangled up in a mountain of covers. I crawled into her bed. I had promised her mom that I wouldn’t sleep in her bed. I never said I wouldn’t get in while I was awake. A sneaky way around a promise, but still a promise kept. Kalin wiggled a bit. I wrapped my arm around her waist, closing the space between us.
She laughed. “If my mother saw you right now, she’d kill you.”
From this angle, I got a good look at her tiny tank top and cupcake pajama pants. I had no idea how I’d managed to keep myself out of her bed all night. The girl was tempting without even trying. I ran my finger along her bare arm. “Oh, there are ways around that, Jelly Bean.”
“Ways?” she repeated, turning around to face me.
“Sure,” I winked. “If she walked in, I’d hide behind a glamour. She’d never know.”
Kalin wrapped her arm around me, burying her face in my chest. “Very clever.”
“It’s a gift,” I smirked.
The door to her bedroom flung open. Kalin leaped up, and I fell onto the floor with a loud thump. Yeah, this back thing wasn’t getting any better any time soon. “What the hell?” I said, massaging my lower spine with my palm.
“Are you okay?” Kalin asked.
“Yeah,” I said. Bruised ego mostly.
When I helped myself off the floor, I noticed Ariel standing by the door, hiding her eyes. “I cannot even express how sorry I am right now. I swear, I had no idea you had company.”
Kalin chuckled. “It’s all right, Ariel. You can open your eyes. There’s nothing to see. Rowan was a complete gentleman last night.”
If Ariel had been five minutes later, I wasn’t sure gentleman would have been the best word to describe me. The moment Kalin nuzzled into my chest, my intentions took a turn into the R rating category. “Care to tell us why you busted in here?” I asked.
Ariel’s eyes widened as if a light bulb had just turned on in her brain. “I’m glad you’re both here. Queen Britta has called an emergency meeting in the throne room. Every high council member received a summons.”
Kalin glanced at me, looking confused. “But there is no high council. Has no one told her about my father?”
Since I had slept on the cold floor, I left most of my clothes on. I sat down on the bed, pulling out my boots from beneath. As I slipped my shoes on, I said, “Whatever it is, it can’t be good.” I slid my sword and sheath over my shoulder. “Let’s get down there as quickly as possible.”
By the time we reached the throne room, several members of the former high council had arrived. Britta stood in the corner with various members of her court. It was impossible to tell if they were talking since they only communicated telepathically. Although I couldn’t read her mind, the worried expression across her face spoke volumes. Orion and Marlena were already seated in the circle of marble chairs. They wore their ceremonial green robes. I looked down at my jeans, feeling even more out of place than when I first walked into the room. Last time the high council met, Liana represented the fire court.
Now, it was me.
Glancing around, I saw no other fire elementals. I would stand alone. I sat in the circle, keeping my posture straight. I couldn’t let my insecurities get the best of me. They needed to recognize that I belonged here with them. They needed to believe I was the elemental who could rebuild the fire court. We had to trust each other if we had any hope of putting the high council back together. The elementals in this room would be responsible for bringing the four elements back in balance. It sounded cliché, but the planet would not survive without our success. The fate of the world depended on us.
Yeah, no pressure there.
Kalin entered the room a minute after I did, wearing casual clothes so I wouldn’t feel out of place. Each council member watched her in awe as she made her way toward the circle. They all knew about her akasha power. Most elementals believed the akasha were extinct. There had not been a new one in over one hundred years. The power of the akasha was something special, but Kalin was more than that. She was the first halfling in our history to inherit the akasha abilities. It was pretty ironic considering that many elementals frowned upon the existence of halflings. Now they would be forced to give her the respect she had always deserved.
Once we were all seated in the circle of marble chairs, Britta stood. She turned her attention to Kalin. Although she spoke to her telepathically, we could all hear what she was saying. Britta’s expression turned somber. “I am so sorry for your loss, Queen Kalin. I did not foresee your father’s death until it was too late.”
“How is that possible?” Kalin asked. “I thought you could see everything.”
“The future is always changing, young queen. Decisions can shift the outcome for one individual or even thousands. It would be impossible to see everything happening all at once.” Britta pressed her lips together as if she were contemplating what she would say next. “During the time of Taron’s death, there was a block on my powers.”
Orion said Britta had left the engagement party in a hurry. It must have been when she sensed the block. Who had the power to stop an elemental queen? The question niggled inside me. Something about her words felt personal as if I were somehow connected. But how? I didn’t possess any kind of power capable of challenging her. If my mother could block the power of other elementals, she never used it in front of me. I had never even heard of anything or anyone gifted with such abilities, not even the akasha.
Orion leaned forward in his chair. “A block? Has that ever happened before?”
Britta stepped toward Orion. “Yes, Woodland King. Once, long ago, my power was hindered by an ancient, magical object. The leader of the fire court guarded the hidden object.”
All eyes turned to me. “What?” This revelation was all I needed. I finally started to rebuild the fire court, and now they thought I caused Britta to lose her psychic abilities momentarily. I waved my palms in front of me. “I can assure you I don’t have that kind of power.”
Britta spoke directly to me. “Each court leader protects one of the four sacred objects. The knowledge of their whereabouts is known only to the king and queen. You should feel its presence, young king.” An intense calm came over me as she tried to reach my mind. “Concentrate. Try to sense its power.”
“If I had this powerful object, wouldn’t I know about it?” I asked.
“The knowledge should have been passed to you at the beginning of your reign. The fact that you know nothing of it only adds to the mystery.” Britta placed her hands on top of mine. “I will attempt to join our powers. Perhaps together, we will find the answers you seek.”
Kalin reached over. When she put her hand over the top of our joined hands, I crashed against the back of my chair. The combinatio
n of our powers was unlike anything I had ever felt. Waves of power sizzled beneath my skin. It was like I had just become Godzilla or the Incredible Hulk. Power like this seemed impossible. If this was how Kalin felt all the time, I don’t know how it didn’t overtake her. Britta and Kalin stared at me as if they were waiting on something. Oh, I had forgotten I was supposed to be helping them find some ancient object.
I closed my eyes. In the darkness, I felt as if I were flying. It had to be Britta searching inside my mind. Warm, loving energy surrounded me like a physical embrace. Somehow, I knew that was Kalin. Something in the distance came into focus. It was the caverns beneath the fire court castle. We traveled through the caves, entering a small hole next to the chambers of the eternal flame. Inside, there was a box sitting on a massive tree stump. The container was empty. As I got closer, I felt its strange energy. Instantly, the strongest migraine I had ever felt burst into my head. But it wasn’t a normal headache. Pictures raced through my mind, along with enough information to fill a tome.
The Ring of Dispel.
All at once, I knew everything about the artifact’s history. It was as if I were reading from a book. Elementals couldn’t use magic against the wearer of the ring. It was one of the four sacred objects, each item so powerful they had to be kept in secret. Only the kings and queens of each court knew of their existence. That’s why I had never heard of them. It all made total sense now. Another image flashed in my head. It was Valac. The ring was showing me the vision as it happened. Valac stole the ring when he challenged me for the leadership of our court. He used the fighting as a decoy. Prisma must have told him about the ring.
Britta tore her hands back. The council members stared at her. I guessed she brought us all with her when she took a ride through my head. “But why does Valac need the ring? What does he plan to do with it?”
Pacing the room, she clasped her hands behind her back. “Valac possesses two of the sacred artifacts.”
Valac used the ring to block Britta’s power because he wanted something she was protecting. Tension settled between my shoulders as all of the pieces fell into place. “Does that mean—?”
Britta sat back down in her chair. “By the time I returned to the water court, I was already too late. Excalibur was gone. I called this meeting because I could not locate the sword. Now I know the ring impeded my visions.”
There was still something I was missing. “Then how come I can see it?” I asked, crossing my arms in front of me.
Her eyes peered into mine. “You are the chosen protector, King Rowan. Only you can sense its location.”
Orion rose to his feet. “If Valac has the ring and the sword, what is his next move? What does he want?”
“I believe I know someone who can answer your question, Your Majesty.” We all spun around to seek out the owner of the voice.
It was Marcus.
He stood with several of his hounds behind him. When Marcus moved to the side, we all took a gasp in unison. Two of his hounds held Selene by the arms. There was something over her mouth to prevent her from using her banshee scream. They pulled her to the center of our circle, where I could get a better look. Her hair was frazzled, and her red dress had mud smeared across the hem. I had never seen her this disheveled. She continued to try to release herself, but she was no match for their strength.
“Where did you find her?” I asked Marcus.
He bowed, and said, “She was heading toward your castle, King Rowan. I knew you would want her brought here for questioning.”
Marcus was always the smart one. If someone saw Selene going toward the fire court castle, they might assume I had joined with Valac. With Marcus bringing her here, I was just as surprised as everyone else. There would be no reason to doubt my allegiance to the high council. “Thank you, Marcus.”
I removed the tape over her mouth, knowing I needed to be cautious. Her arrival could be a setup. Part of Valac’s ultimate plan. “Why were you going to the fire court castle?”
Selene continued to struggle. When it became clear she wouldn’t speak until she was released, I waved at the guards, and they let her go. “Thank you,” she said, brushing off the sleeves of her dress with her hand. She behaved as if the hounds touching her made her dress dirty. This type of thing was a common prejudice held by prominent members of our court. The kind of behavior I wouldn’t tolerate. When she finished fixing herself up, she said, “I’ve come with an olive branch.”
An olive branch was a symbol of peace. Did Valac think he could fool me with something so ridiculous? “Peace? My adopted brother doesn’t know the meaning of the word.”
“No, he does not.” Selene straightened her back. “I have come on my own.”
I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it. “You want me to believe you’ve gone against your twin brother? How stupid do you think I am?”
Her eyes bored into mine. “I have, Rowan. I can prove it to you.”
“And we’re just supposed to believe whatever you say?” Kalin asked her. “What makes you trustworthy?”
“You don’t have any reason to trust me. Valac is my brother, and I’ve always been at his side. I know how this looks.” Selene lowered her head, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “I can’t change anything that’s happened, but I can help you prevent what’s coming.”
“And what’s coming?” I asked Selene, leaning on my elbows as I sat on the edge of my seat.
“The end of the world.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kalin
It was hard to believe what I was seeing.
I hadn’t spent much time with Selene, but her loyalty had been crystal clear. She supported her twin brother, Valac. He was the stronger of the two, the leader. Whenever things went down, Selene was right there with him. But instead of playing an equal role, she seemed to always stand behind him without ever getting her hands dirty. And now she stood before the high council ready to lay out his secret plans.
Nothing about her presence felt right. I was immediately suspicious of her intentions.
After all the heinous crimes Valac had committed, why leave him now? I couldn’t help thinking back to the last time I saw her. Valac was ready to kill an unconscious Rowan, ending the Djin line, and clinching his ascension to the fire court crown. But instead of urging Valac on that day, she begged for Rowan’s life to be spared. It was obvious by the look of shock across his face that Valac hadn’t expected that reaction from her. Oh, and he was pissed about it.
When Rowan later found out about what had happened, he couldn’t understand why she would do that. He said that they had an okay relationship, but she had never once crossed Valac. Looking at her now, she wore a mix of emotions. Her leg and arm muscles tensed. I guessed she was trying to hold her composure. She didn’t want to appear weak, but her eyes gave her away. They were wild and filled with fear. I couldn’t blame her. There were plenty of elementals in the room who wouldn’t mind killing her, regardless of how small a part she played in recent events.
I was one of them.
“The end of the world,” I repeated. “That’s a pretty broad statement. Care to elaborate, Selene?”
Selene stared at Rowan. “Valac has always known you would take the throne. He resented you for that. And I think, somewhere in the middle of all this, he figured out he would never be able to take that from you.”
Rowan shook his head. “That wasn’t the message I got, especially when he showed up at my front door with an army.”
“The army was only meant to be a distraction. Valac wanted to get to the Ring of Dispel.” Selene turned to face Britta. “He needed the ring to cloud your visions.”
“Yeah, we know.” Rowan stood. “Valac also wanted to get to Excalibur. What we don’t know is why.”
“He wants all four of the sacred objects from each court. He―”
Rowan drew his sword, pointing the tip of the blade into her neck. She screamed when her skin sizzled. “Is that why you’re here, Selene? Ar
e you a distraction so Valac can collect the other two?”
Orion nearly jumped up from his chair. He peered at Selene as if he were about to attack her. I put my hand on his chest just as he was about to pounce. “Easy now, everyone. I don’t believe Valac would sacrifice his twin sister to get his hands on the other two artifacts.” I glanced at Rowan, hoping he would put down his blade. He didn’t. No surprise there. “We haven’t heard what she came here to say.”
Rowan pressed his blade farther into her neck. She winced as tears ran down her cheeks. “Okay, Selene. Tell us the rest of the story.”
“Valac knows all about the powers that each object possesses,” Selene answered, whimpering. “He plans to use their combined powers to overthrow each court.”
Orion put his hand over the top of mine and smiled. He had himself under control, so I released him, letting my hand fall to my side. He stepped forward and said, “The sacred artifacts are powerful for certain. But not enough to conquer each court.”
Britta came to stand in front of Selene, placing her hands on her temples. She closed her eyes. When she opened them a second later, her face filled with horror. “Valac does not intend to start a war with the sacred weapons; he plans to use them all at once.”
Rowan scratched the top of his head. “I don’t get it. What happens when he uses them all together?”
Britta’s lips pressed into a thin line. “If we do not surrender all four courts to him, he will use the weapons to cut the veil protecting Avalon, and we will no longer have a shield.”
Without the veil, the isle would become visible to the mortals. But how could Valac use that to his advantage? There was no benefit for him. I had to be missing something. Then it hit me like a smack to the back of the head. “If the veil falls, the time suspension will be gone. Half of the elementals will die within weeks.” I glanced from Orion to Britta. They were the last of the four original elementals. “Some of the oldest may die within days.”
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 47
