Mortal Enchantment

by Stacey O'Neale

  Everyone who remained―especially me― took a collective exhale.

  Jarrod sat back down in the chair, but Liana remained standing in defiance. I stood in the same spot, totally dumbfounded, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but my list of questions grew with each passing moment. There was one question that lingered above all. One question they would answer now.

  “Where is my father?

  Chapter Three

  Everyone looked in my direction, but no one answered my question.

  Instead, their attention returned to Liana who sneered at Rowan as if she was about to chew his face off. Her fists ignited into flames as she said, “You dare come here and make accusations against me?”

  Rowan stepped closer, yanking the necklace from his pocket. With the medallion raised above his head, he faced the crowd. “The fire court ordered an attack on the daughter of the air court king. This necklace belonged to the queen’s assassin.” Whispers spread over the remaining group. Rowan turned, throwing the jewelry at the feet of the council members. “I demand that Liana answer for her crimes against the air court.”

  Jarrod picked the necklace up off the floor. The other two air court council members joined as he examined the evidence. Once they were done, Jarrod said, “It cannot be coincidence that this crime took place around the same time as Taron’s disappearance.”

  I reeled back, stung by his words. “Wait, what? Did you say my father has disappeared?” Again, utterly ignored. It was as if I was the only one who heard my voice. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs. I had never been so angry in my entire life.

  Liana glared at Jarrod with even more fierceness. “This is nothing more than a smear campaign against my court. The assassin in question who wears that necklace is very much alive.” As she spoke, a ball of fire ignited next to her. The flame grew larger, molding into the shape of the woman who attacked me. Liana extinguished the flame coming from her hands before she reached for the necklace around the woman’s neck. She removed it and flashed the medallion around the room. The charm was an exact match to the other medallion that Jarrod held. “As you can see, Malin was never sent to attack the halfling.” She narrowed her gaze at Rowan and me. “They have been deceived by a glamour.”

  The council members and Rowan shouted. The arguments were so loud that birds flew out of nearby trees to escape what I assumed they thought was a threat. All that the council members cared about was who to blame. My arms trembled, wanting to strangle each one of them. Instead, I shook my head with disgust. I’d had enough. “Stop!” I shouted. “Your bickering isn’t going to resolve anything.” They were silent. “Now that I finally have your attention, I want to know what happened to my father!”

  Rowan ran his fingers through his hair. Under his breath, he said, “I warned Taron that something like this would happen. He should’ve listened to me.”

  “You knew my father was missing and you didn’t tell me?” He opened his mouth, but I held up my hand. Every confusing thing he had said now made sense. “That’s why you didn’t want to bring me here!”

  Rowan rubbed his hand across the back of his neck. “No, that’s not what I meant. I didn’t know he was missing.”

  All the anger was suddenly replaced with overwhelming fear. I didn’t know who I could trust. I was alone. I was in danger. Dad was gone, maybe even dead. I crossed my arms, drawing them tightly into my ribs. I tried to pull myself together while my life shattered in front of me. My throat tightened. I couldn't breathe. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of my lungs. At the same time, my mind flooded with questions. What was I supposed to do? I wouldn't even know where to start looking. Was my father attacked? What if he was hurt? “This can’t be happening! I have to get out of here.” My voice cracked as I willed the tears not to release. I pushed my way through the crowd and out the glamoured door. Jarrod yelled something, but I refused to stop. I ran through the forest aimlessly for what felt like miles until I collapsed near a patch of berry bushes. I pulled my knees into my chest and buried my face in my folded arms. I had never felt so alone. I wish Mom was here to help me through this.

  Leaves crunched under the thump of fast-paced footsteps. I tensed when the noise ceased. Rowan leaned against a tree. “Am I always going to have to chase you through a forest? This seems to be a developing pattern.”

  I rubbed my hoodie sleeve across my tear stained cheeks. “This is a nightmare.”

  He stared blankly into the distance. “There are worse things.”

  “Oh, really? Thanks for all that insight,” I said, scowling at him. “Was that meant to be comforting? If so, epic fail.” I was in a strange world with no idea as to who I could trust or what I should do next. How could this get any worse?

  There was a long silence as I watched his expression shift from irritation to something pained. I guess he was contemplating what he was about to say. After what seemed like forever, he bent down and gently placed a hand on top of my forearm. Little goosebumps formed around the area where our skin touched. “I can’t change what has happened, but I will help you find Taron.” He peered over my shoulder. “Let’s start by returning to the council meeting.”

  “Go back? You can’t be serious.”

  He rose, and then held out his hand. “It’s obvious that I don’t trust the fire court, but I still have faith in the council. If you plan to rescue Taron, you’ll need allies.”

  I stood without his assistance.

  If I had to count on the council to find Dad, it was more hopeless than I had imagined. They seemed pretty worthless, but I didn’t know them very well, and they have been in power for centuries. The more I thought about it, Rowan was right. I had to take any help I could get. Playing nice would be my best move at this point.

  I sighed. “Okay, I get it. Let’s go back.”

  We returned to the council area only to discover it was empty except for Jarrod. The rushing water underneath the wooden planks echoed through the surrounding trees.

  Jarrod leaned against the armrest on Dad’s chair. As we entered, he moved toward us. Beyond the scar running down the side of his cheek, he looked more like a politician in his yellow council robes than the leader of my father’s knights. He appeared to be in his mid-to-late thirties, but thanks to the veil, it was impossible to tell anyone's age.

  Beyond the minor defect, his only distinguishable trait was his short, white-blond beard. Most elementals couldn’t grow them because they remained in Avalon after they reached physical maturity. Dad told me Jarrod had visited the mortal world many times, which was why he appeared older than most. I imagined it must be hard to have to remain in Avalon when there was a huge world outside. Depending on how much I wanted to age, I would eventually have to stay within the mist as well.

  He bowed. “I’m pleased to see you, Princess. My apologies for the way you were treated when you first arrived. Even after all these centuries, some in the council still look down upon halflings; even the ones with royal blood.”

  Is that why they ignored me? Awesome. I could add their disapproval to my growing list of problems. “I’ll have to worry about that later. Right now, I need to know exactly what happened. Where were you when my father disappeared?”

  He stared at the ground. “I was sent to check on the preparations for your arrival. Before I left, your father said he wanted some time by himself. That was not an unusual request. He prefers to meditate alone on the hillside surrounding the castle. When I returned, he was gone. I sent out a search party, but there were no traces of him anywhere.”

  My eyebrows furrowed. “You didn’t go searching yourself? How could you leave him alone?”

  Jarrod’s tone intensified. “We followed the orders of our king.” He took a deep breath, and his shoulders visibly relaxed. “There was no reason for us to expect an attack.”

  I instantly regretted my behavior. Jarrod had been at my father's side my whole life. He was probabl
y hurting as much as I was. “I’m sorry I came at you with accusations. You've been a great friend to my father and it's wrong to assume—”

  Rowan let out a low growl, stepping in front of me. He was right up in Jarrod’s face. “No reason to expect an attack? I can think of plenty of reasons. You should have been prepared—”

  Jarrod stood, unmoving. Clearly, he was not easily intimidated. “We followed the orders of our king. That’s what you do when you’re loyal to your court. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”

  Why was Rowan so angry? There had to be more to this than either of them were letting on. And what had Jarrod meant by his jab at Rowan? Forcing my way in I pushed them both, increasing the space between them. “Whatever this is between you two needs to stop. Arguing is not going to help us find my father. We need to get to the castle and see if we can find any witnesses.”

  There was an uncomfortable silence for some time. Rowan was the first to calm down. “You’re right. Can you take—?”

  “Princess, he is not a member of our court. We do not need his assistance.”

  Rowan squared his shoulders, glaring at Jarrod. “I am a friend to the House of Paralda. I will help Kalin find her father.”

  House of Paralda? It was strange to hear Dad's last name referred to as a house. Even after all of his lessons over the years, the elemental customs still felt foreign.

  Jarrod reached for his sword. “Kalin is the princess of the air court. Her protection is my responsibility.”

  Rowan was about to say something else when I moved in between them. “Enough! I thought we’d moved past this.” I locked eyes with Jarrod. “I wouldn’t be alive if it were not for Rowan. I would like him to stay at the castle as my guest.” He opened his mouth to speak and I put my hand on his shoulder. “My decision is final.”

  Jarrod huffed. He definitely was not happy. “Very well, Princess.”

  Rowan had a smirk on his face as he motioned toward the door. “Follow me.”

  When Jarrod opened the door, I was expecting to see the forest. Instead, he had used the door to create another pathway. I shuddered. “Oh, not again.”

  Chapter Four

  It was a good thing I was not afraid of heights. Otherwise, I would’ve passed out. The air court’s castle was embedded in the top of the highest mountain in Avalon. The colorless crystal bricks of the medieval styled palace sparkled against the moonlight. Beyond the castle walls, a hazy fog hid a very long drop to the ground. A brief ping of pain radiated from my shoulder blades. For a moment, it felt as if something was trying to push from beneath my skin. Now that I was so close to the source of our power, would I sprout wings? I hoped it was true, but the sensation quickly faded.

  We trudged toward the arched passageway leading into the grassy courtyard. A massive stone fountain sat directly in the center of the quad. As we approached, thin lines of water shot into the sky in what looked like a professionally choreographed show. I spun around, counting the balconies protruding from each level. During one of our dream visits, I stood on one of those balconies next to Dad. Together, we had watched the air court elementals practice weather magic.

  At the very thought of Dad, my chest ached with a mix of worry and fear.

  While lost in thought, we’d been greeted by a group of air elementals. Embarrassed for not noticing them, I gave them a weak smile. They bowed in response, which only made me more uncomfortable. No way would I ever get used to that.

  Air elementals tended to marry within their own court, keeping their unique characteristics intact. Each was stunningly beautiful with their white-blond hair, lilac colored eyes, and pale yellow feathered wings. I could only imagine the scandal that took place when Dad brought Mom here. Unfortunately, neither of them ever wanted to talk about it.

  Of all the courts, air was the most conservative. The men wore yellow, loose-fitting tops and matching drawstring pants. The women were a bit more stylish with yellow silk fabrics draped over them in layers. Some were strapless while others exposed only one shoulder or covered both completely. They didn’t care much for heavy make-up or jewelry.

  A surge of energy jolted me out of my thoughts. It raced through my veins, filling my body with a warm vibration. It was stronger than what I had felt when I first arrived in Avalon. This was intense, powerful. The skies erupted in a lightning storm. Thunder crashed loud enough to make some of the elementals duck. A bright white light flashed, and a split second later, the ground rippled with an electronic surge. A rush of heat snapped at my temple. I lost my balance and fell.

  Jarrod came to my side, grabbed my arm and helped me up. “Are you all right?”

  I held one hand to my forehead, trying to suppress the forming migraine. “What happened?”

  “You called on the power of our element.” A younger female elemental said as she approached. She had to be around my age. “This will help,” she said as she rubbed a white cream on my temple. I closed my eyes and a hint of white shimmer flickered. When I opened them, the pain faded away completely. She backed up a few steps and bowed. When she rose, her bright smile made it impossible to look anywhere else.

  I glanced around at the crowd watching us. They looked as surprised as I was. “It couldn’t have been me. I don’t know how to do that.”

  “I thought only King Taron could summon lightning. But since you are his only daughter, it makes sense that the power was passed on to you.” She looked into the skies as the thunder continued to roll. “Without the king, it will take some time for us to calm the skies.”

  The elements are tied to our emotions. Something I’d felt triggered the storms, but I had no idea how to replicate it. A trained elemental could've calmed the skies. Unfortunately, Dad insisted I would be taught when I came to live with him, making me completely useless right now. Knowing there was nothing I could do, I said, “I think now would be a good time to go inside.”

  “You can follow me. I’m Ariel, by the way,” she said, sliding the bag off my shoulder and onto hers.

  The great room had air court banners hanging from every archway. The cathedral ceiling was made of stained glass, allowing the lightning storm I’d somehow created to flicker across the walls. Pale yellow candles in large golden sconces illuminated the foyer. Cream colored stones covered the walls with white marble flooring. A few scattered wooden pews lined the walkways, but beyond that, the decorations were sparse.

  Our footsteps echoed the hall as we made our way along the stone floors.

  I cleared my throat. Jarrod turned around as I said, “After what happened in the forest, I need a few knights to keep watch over Mom. They should stay nearby, but not close enough for her to notice.” She is mortal with no way of defending herself if an elemental attacked. If something happened to her because of me, I don’t know how I could forgive myself. I’d begged her more times than I could count to come with me to Avalon, but she refused. It was clear now that she should have come with me.

  Jarrod pointed toward two knights who nodded back, quickly disappearing down a back corridor. “Consider it done, Princess.”

  We eventually stopped in front of a long wooden staircase. Jarrod put his hand on my shoulder. “You must be exhausted.” He glanced at Ariel. “Please escort the princess to her room. I will get Rowan settled into one of our guest rooms.”

  Rowan nodded, following Jarrod down a long hallway.

  Ariel motioned for me to come with her, but I raised my hand instead. “Wait a second. I can't just go to bed now. I need to know the plan. What are we doing to find my father?”

  Jarrod turned to face me. “Knights are searching every inch of our territory. If he's here, they'll find him.”

  “What about the other territories?”

  He crossed his arms. “The council members are as concerned for your father as we are. They've dispatched their own knights to search for him.”

  My gut told me something wasn’t right. After what I saw at the council meeting, could I really trust that they we
re worried about finding Dad? Then I remembered what Rowan said about needing allies. “I guess that's good enough for now.” Jarrod smiled at my response, but I wasn't finished. “If he isn't found by morning, I'll be going out with the next search party.”

  He shook his head. “That’s impossible, Princess. You must prepare for the Midwinter’s Ball. It’s only five days away. With your father missing, there’s much left to be done.”

  The Ball was the way the elementals celebrated the seasonal power shift. To keep the four elements in balance, each court reigned over three months of every year. The air court was about to take power, but under the circumstances, I could not imagine Dad would have wanted me to focus on the celebration. “Can't we postpone this until Dad is found?”

  Jarrod rubbed his beard stubble. “If there was a way, I would’ve done it the moment we discovered King Taron was missing. Unfortunately, we have no choice. We can't risk the elements shifting out of balance. The Ball must happen as scheduled, even if the king is not found in time.”

  In all the turmoil, I had forgotten about the power display. During the seasonal power shift, the royal family ascending to power must prove they have full control of their element. During the ceremony, they are challenged by another elemental court. If they win the challenge, their elemental court will reign for the next three-month period. My neck muscles tightened as if two boulders had been placed in between my shoulder blades. “You know I haven’t been trained.”

  “There is no one else, Princess.” Jarrod explained. “Each royal house has to prove they are worthy of the power they will receive.”

  My hands trembled. Before anyone noticed, I shoved them in my jean pockets. Dad had performed so many power displays over the years; I wasn’t sure what was expected. “What kind of display?”