Mortal Enchantment

by Stacey O'Neale

  “The fire court is currently in power which means Liana will perform the ceremony. She will likely create a large fireball, which you must extinguish using only your air court magic.”

  Oh, you mean the magic I don’t know how to use? Perfect. “I have to put out a fireball? Like, one that’s being thrown at me?” This day had been one disaster after another. My palms sweated. “That’s not even possible.” I searched for a way out. “I know the rules, but under the circumstances, can’t you do it?”

  “I cannot,” he insisted. “It must be done by a member of the House of Paralda. Otherwise, you forfeit your titles.”

  This was all up to me and there was no way out. If Dad wasn’t found, I would be the one person expected to perform the power display. The uncertainty set in and I panted as if I was about to have a panic attack. “What if I can’t? What if—”

  “You have to,” Rowan said. “It must be done.”

  I laughed nervously. “No pressure there.”

  Rowan came to stand directly in front of me. “I’ll teach you.” He smelled like the cinnamon incense I used to burn in my bedroom. I leaned closer to take in more of his scent, and then abruptly stopped. What am I doing?

  “That’s not necessary.” I was startled at the sound of Jarrod’s voice. When the hot guy fog melted away, I turned my attention back to Jarrod―who was scowling at Rowan―like at any moment he might pounce. “She will be taught by a member of our court.”

  Even through the thick tension, Rowan’s shoulders never stiffened, his jaw never hardened. Slowly, he shifted to face Jarrod. “I’m sure you can imagine why I would be the appropriate person in this matter.”

  Appropriate? What did he mean? Rowan wasn’t part of the air court, so how could he help? What was with all the hostility between them?

  Jarrod paused for a long minute. I was about to say something when he broke the silence. “Very well, you can start training in the morning.”

  Jarrod bowed and walked away.

  Rowan’s eyes met mine, and he winked before following Jarrod. They headed down the side corridor.

  I was caught in a nightmare. Dad was missing, and now I had to master a power I didn't know how to control, in only five days. Maybe there was a chance I could find him. As far back as I could remember, Dad appeared in my dreams. If he were in trouble, he would come to me and tell me where he was. Suddenly, sleep was exactly what I wanted to do.

  Someone tapped me on the shoulder. The room had emptied except for Ariel and me. She took a quick glance around. “I imagine this is all quite overwhelming.”

  Biggest understatement ever! “Yeah, you could say that.”

  She smiled. “I’m happy to help you get adjusted.”

  I scratched the back of my head. “You mean you want to help with the power training, too?” The upside seemed to be that everyone was willing to jump in and help. Either that, or like me, they knew this situation was a disaster in the making.

  She giggled with excitement. “Oh, there’s much more to being a princess than power.”

  Chapter Five

  Ariel led me up several staircases and down a long, dimmed hallway. The winds blew out several of the candles giving the walkway a gothic hue. The only sounds were our footsteps and the occasional popping in my ears from the high elevation.

  “What do you mean by, more to being a princess than power?” I asked, wondering what else I would be expected to do.

  She turned around and smiled. “You have a prestigious position in our court and you’ll be expected to act accordingly. Most likely you will need etiquette lessons so you can fit in.”

  “Etiquette lessons?”

  “The way you talk, walk, eat…everything has to be perfected.” I raised an eyebrow, and she continued. “Appearances are everything at court.”

  Then it clicked; in the eyes of the court members, I was a homely halfling—not their equal in any way. I would have to prove myself so they would help me. I hadn’t been here for one full day and I was already sick of all the bureaucratic snobbery.

  The thought of kissing their asses made me a bit nauseous and I frowned. Ariel must have noticed. “I know you’ll pick up on it very quickly,” she said confidently. “And after that’s over, we get to the really fun stuff.”

  My tone soured. “Like what?”

  “Well for starters, you can’t go to a ball without a gown! You’ll be so beautiful,” she gushed. “We will meet with the seamstresses and they will create your dress from scratch.”

  Ariel continued talking, but my mind was on the events of the day. I wasn’t sure what my next move should be, or who I should trust. One thing was for sure, the life I imagined with Dad was nothing close to reality. If I spent any more time thinking about this my head might explode. I desperately needed a topic change. “How did you get stuck as my tour guide anyway?”

  “I volunteered. It’s a great honor to work at court, and especially for you, Princess.”

  I came to a complete stop.

  “Okay, I get this whole princess thing and wanting to be proper, but I’d really appreciate it if you called me Kalin.”

  I would prefer to make a friend than have a personal assistant. In my old life, I couldn’t tell anyone I was a half-mortal, half-elemental princess, destined to rule the air court of Avalon. No one knew this huge part of my impending future. It was as if I was living a secret life. No matter how close I got to friends or boyfriends, I could never tell them the truth. I spent so much of my life feeling alone. I wish I could’ve known other elemental children. Maybe then it wouldn’t have been so bad. But both my parents thought having elemental friends would make it impossible to live as a mortal.

  “I can’t, Princess.” Ariel's eyes widened as if shocked by my request.

  I shrugged. “Of course you can. I’m asking you to.” She pressed her lips together. “Think of it as a royal command or whatever.”

  She bowed. “If that’s what you prefer, Prin—”

  “Kalin.”

  She smiled. “Of course…Kalin.”

  We continued down the hallway until we came to a stop in front of a wooden door. Bouquets of flowers were engraved into the door in an intricate design. Ariel turned the knob, the door opened and I gasped.

  It was like walking into Barbie's dream house. The walls were adorned with hanging vines of multi-colored flowers. A king-sized bed with an island of pillows sat in the center of the room.

  A large limestone fountain caught my eye. I made my way over to it and ran my fingers through the tepid water stream. I cupped my hands, leaned in, and let the water rush over my face.

  When I opened my eyes, Ariel was standing next to me with a hand towel draped over her forearm. The fabric smelled of citrus. Next to the fountain, I discovered a wooden tray with a bowl of mixed tropical fruit, a glass pitcher of orange liquid, and a single glass cup.

  My stomach rumbled. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. I reached for an apple and happily bit into it. I had never tasted fruit so ripe. The sweetness tingled in my mouth. It must have just been picked off the tree and brought directly here. While I ate, Ariel watched with her hands clasped together. It was weird. I ate a second piece of fruit, leaving the cores on the tray.

  Ariel strolled across the room, she opened another door to an adjacent room. White marble covered the walls and floors. She stepped inside and ran the water in the Jacuzzi bathtub.

  I examined my bloodstained clothes. A deep soak was exactly what I needed. Ariel poured a purple liquid inside the tub along with a handful of white rose petals. The water turned into a riot of bubbly goodness. I inhaled the sweet lavender aroma.

  Ariel reached for the bottom of my shirt and I said, “I’ve got it from here, thanks.” It was a nice gesture, but there’s no way I was letting anyone undress me. That’s something you do for children or really old people who can’t do it for themselves.

  She bowed and walked out. When the door shut behind her, I shimmied the rest of m
y clothes off, and then lowered myself into the heavenly fizz. While the scented steam wafted around me, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to forget about my worries for just a few precious moments.

  Completely refreshed, I wrapped a cotton towel around myself and opened the bathroom door. I jumped when I realized Ariel had waited for me. “There’s one last thing I wanted to show you,” she said, leading me toward a huge bi-fold door. As she opened it, she squealed. The entire closet was filled with clothes and shoes.

  “Where did all this come from?” I asked.

  “Your father had everything brought here for you.”

  I rummaged through the hanging items first. Everything I picked was a designer cut twenty-eight which translated to a size six—my size. A closet designed for me? This didn’t fit with the typical air court themes; they were all about simplicity and moderation. “He didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

  “King Taron wanted you to be comfortable. These are all the best mortal fashions,” she said, pointing to the tags. “Made by all the top designers: Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Calvin Klein, and even Versace. He’s been planning for your arrival for months.”

  I bit my lip to hold back the tears. The design of this room with all of these beautiful things was how he saw Avalon—how he wanted me to see it. Dad tried so hard to make everything perfect for my arrival. If only things had turned out as he had planned. Pushing down the lump in my throat, I promised myself I would be brave and do whatever it took to find my father.

  Chapter Six

  The next day I awoke to utter disappointment. Dad had not come into my dreams. Of course, he didn’t have much of a chance. I doubt that I got more than two hours of sleep. Most of my night was spent tossing and turning, fearing the worst. I had run through every possible scenario that would explain his absence. Unfortunately, most of them led to conclusions I didn’t think I could bear. Imagining life without my Dad made my soul ache.

  I really needed a distraction before I drove myself crazy.

  Outside of my window, I heard what sounded like someone sharpening kitchen knives. I leaped out of bed, poking my head out of the windowsill. Rowan was doing some serious Jackie Chan moves with a sword. A bright light flashed with each slice of his blade. He slowed long enough for me to notice the weapon had a curve at the center. The knights Dad assigned to watch over me always carried swords, but Rowan’s was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Every twist of his body made me even more aware of just how dangerous he really is.

  He pressed the blade of his sword into the ground. As he pulled his arm over his head for a stretch, a bead of sweat trickled down his neck and over a row of muscles on his stomach. I swallowed hard. The window’s edge dug into my skin but I refused to move an inch. The tiny droplet disappeared into the waistband of his shorts. I had seen plenty of guys in gym class with their shirts off, but none of them looked like…that. He was physical perfection—a living work of art. I sat on my knees with my chin relaxed on my crossed arms, unable to look away.

  “Enjoying the view?” he said, eyes suddenly on me. His chiseled face wore an overly confident grin. Clearly, he was used to being admired.

  My cheeks burned.

  I stood, pretending to check out the scenery. “Not much to see.”

  He raised an eyebrow, letting me know that he knew I was full of crap. I waited for him to call me on it, but he went right back into his workout. I took one last quick glance at his lean, defined arms, then curled around until my back was pressed up against the wall. Snap out of it! This shouldn’t be a big deal. I need to keep focused on finding Dad. Besides, Rowan wasn’t interested in me. There were no signals coming from him, so why was I even thinking about him?

  Rowan was done with his workout by the time I made it outside. He was bent over a massive stone fountain. Leaning into a cascade of water, he let the liquid wash over his face and neck. The sun glistened on his back, revealing lengthy thin white scars sliced haphazardly across his shoulder blades and down toward his lower back. Besides their faint appearance, they resembled claw marks. What was he hiding?

  He collected water inside his cupped hands. “You’re making a habit of this,” he said, curling around. As he sat on the rim of the fountain, he ran his fingers through his damp hair. “Should I pose or do you prefer watching me in action?”

  I rolled my eyes, but who was I kidding? He was the definition of swoon. The worst part was, he knew that I knew it too. “Over-confident much?”

  Desperately needing an aversion, I turned my attention to three female air elementals sitting on the opposite side of the fountain. They could have been triplets with their identical Botticelli faces, wheat-blond hair and ivory skin. Each wore the yellow strapless garments I had seen when I first arrived at the castle. They scooted closer together, diverting their eyes. I stepped nearer and realized they were all staring at Rowan with a very distinct expression on their faces—fear.

  I scratched the back of my head while glancing back at Rowan who was busy slipping on a hunter green t-shirt. “Let’s get started with your training.” He slid the leather sheath over his shoulder, inserting the sword inside.

  What was the deal with the scars? Why were those elementals afraid of him? “Okay, where do we go?” I asked.

  He surprised me by reaching out for my hand as if he were asking me to dance. Curious, I accepted. Our fingers clasped and my skin hummed with excitement. Before I could ask another question, I was being led toward the castle gates. I tried to relax, hoping he didn’t notice the goosebumps peppered across my forearm.

  “Somewhere we won’t be interrupted.”

  He loved vague answers. We made our way toward a group of air court elementals practicing what most people would assume was tai chi, but really it was weather magic. In unison, they moved from cloud hands into a single whip. The skies crackled in response. It would take their combined power to try to ease the thunderous eruptions. They each had a small portion of power compared to Dad's power. Judging by my unintended lightning display, mine will be strong as well. Assuming I ever learn to harness it.

  Although the elementals seemed focused, every pair of eyes followed us as we passed. I was about to shrug it off, but then I glanced in the opposite direction. I saw several other male elementals sitting in a tight corner whispering, fingers pointed directly at us. Either Rowan hadn’t noticed or simply did not care. I, on the other hand, squirmed.

  “Are you really that oblivious?” I asked. He didn’t respond and I squeezed his palm. “Did you happen to notice everyone staring at us?”

  “I’ve gotten used to it.” He met my gaze with a wolfish grin.

  I rolled my eyes. “I don’t think that’s why they’re staring.”

  He took a quick look for himself, then turned to face forward. “You sound like you have a theory. By all means, let’s hear it.”

  “Those elementals by the fountain were staring at you—”

  “Now when you say staring, are you including yourself in this assessment? I recall you taking in the view on several different occasions.”

  “For the last time, I was not staring at you.” I was a terrible liar. “Now, if you’re done, I'd like to finish asking my question.”

  He let go of my hand, moving toward a white oak tree. Leaning against the trunk, he crossed his arms. “You’ve got my undivided attention, Princess.”

  My hands clenched at my sides. He could be such a cocky little prick when he wanted to be. “Fine, whatevs.” I took a deep breath. “What I was saying was the elementals by the fountain looked like they were afraid of you. I want to know why.” I put my hand up. “And no more elusive answers. I want the truth.”

  In an obvious attempt to impersonate Jack Nicholson, he replied, “You can’t handle the truth.”

  “Oh my God. You did not just quote A Few Good Men.” I was ready to strangle him.

  “It’s a great movie. One of the best scenes ever.” He ignored my death stare and continued enjoying himself. “Oka
y, okay. I’ll tell you what, if you admit that you were watching me, then I’ll answer your question.”

  “This is ridiculous. You can’t answer a simple question?” He leaned his head back against the bark, humming the final question tune from Jeopardy. My arms flailed in the air. “Yes, okay? I was watching you, but it doesn’t mean anything.”

  “I’m sure it doesn’t.” He chuckled under his breath, and I wanted to jump on his back like a little spider monkey. “The truth is, I can’t answer your question.” He shrugged. “The elementals could be uncomfortable because they know I’m not part of your court. Most of us stick with our own kind.”

  He was hiding something. It had to be big, considering all the effort he was putting out. I moved closer. “No, it was more than that and you know it.”

  “Kalin.” His tone turned serious. “I’m trying to help you, but you have to trust me.”

  My eyes widened. “How can you ask me to do that when you refuse to answer a simple question?”

  I blinked and he was peering down at me. His face was only a few inches from mine. My heart pounded like a drummer on speed. “You ask too many questions,” he said.

  “Only because you avoid answering most of them.” I held my ground. No way was I letting him think he could intimidate me.

  He pressed him lips together, then turned and walked away. A pathway materialized a few feet in front of him. Instead of a wind tunnel, it was a swirling ring of fire. “You’re kidding, right?” Then it hit me like a slap across the face. “You’re a member of the fire court, aren’t you?”

  “Nope.”

  My eyebrows knitted together. “That’s impossible.” I pointed to the portal. “Only fire elementals use those pathways.” He didn’t answer. My tone sharpened. “Are you a member of the fire court, Rowan?”

  He sighed. “I’m a solitary elemental.” The sudden fear I felt must have been displayed across my face because he kept going with his explanation. “I was once part of the fire court, which is why I can open their portals. Are we done here?” He waved his arm toward the portal as if he was inviting me to enter.