Mortal Enchantment

by Stacey O'Neale

  "You don't have to leave,” Jarrod said. “We can go back.”

  "No,” I croaked.

  "Then at least let me escort you to your room.”

  Since he was still following me, I didn’t appear to have a choice. I kept a pretty fast pace as I headed to my bedroom. Behind me, I heard something that sounded like a chuckle. I stopped. When I turned, I saw it was Jarrod laughing. My chest filled with anger. I pointed behind him. "You think all that back there was funny?”

  Jarrod pressed his fist on his mouth, clearing his throat. "My apologies, Princess. I wasn't laughing at you. It just occurred to me that your mother had a very similar experience the first time she had dinner with the council.”

  A ping of surprise jolted through me. It was hard to imagine Mom in Avalon, and at the very least, meeting with the council. But since Dad couldn’t spend time in the mortal world without aging rapidly, it made sense that he must have brought her here. Unfortunately, Mom never spoke of her time in Avalon—she refused to say much of anything about Dad.

  As Dad's second in command, Jarrod must have known Mom very well. He likely knew more about their relationship than I did. "What were they like when they were here together?” His eyebrows furrowed. "My parents, I mean. Before I was born.”

  He shrugged. "I would say they were very happy. King Taron doted on her constantly. She appeared to appreciate all of his attention.”

  We resumed our stroll toward my room. "What went wrong?”

  He shook his head. "I don't believe that's a question I'm qualified to answer.”

  I raised an eyebrow. "I'm just asking your opinion, that's all.”

  He lowered his head. "Princess―”

  I punched him playfully on his shoulder. "You know, I could command you to answer.”

  His face turned stern. "That's not fair.”

  "It never is.” I smiled, cheekily. "Now, what's the answer?”

  He huffed. "It took a turn for the worse after you were born. Your mother was not aware that King Taron could not leave Avalon. When he told her that you would be raised by mortals, she refused to leave you. Taron insisted she stay with him. In the end, they made their arrangement, but that’s all I know.”

  The arrangement was that I would spend my first sixteen years living as a mortal, then return to Avalon to rule. But that didn’t explain why Mom wouldn’t come with me. She never dated anyone after Dad, which made me believe she still loved him. I was convinced there was more to their story. I hoped when Dad returned, he would fill in the blanks for me.

  It must have been so difficult for her. My grandparents died when she was a teenager and she had no siblings. She was completely alone. Once I reached my door, I turned and gave Jarrod an awkward smile. "Well…thanks for, you know.” I shrugged.

  Jarrod placed his hand on my shoulder. "The next council dinner will fare better. I'm sure of it.”

  I nodded, shutting the door behind me. It really couldn’t get much worse.

  As soon as he was gone, my thoughts returned to my night from hell. I growled in frustration. Acid burned in my stomach while wetness lined my bottom eyelids. Those stuck-up council members didn’t deserve my tears. They should have been working with me, but instead, it was all a hot mess. Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I roughly wiped my palms over my eyes. Makeup smeared across my cheeks. I glanced down at my dress which represented everything I hated about them and their whole stupid society.

  The gown needed to come off—now.

  I ripped the straps off first. The sensation gave me a sense of freedom. I couldn't stop. Buttons and strings flew through the air while I tugged and ripped my way out. The last seam released. What was left of the dress fell to the floor.

  "Why didn't you prepare me for this?” I screamed into the empty air as if Dad could hear me somehow.

  Burning liquid raced up my throat. I made a beeline for the bathroom. Clutching the sides of my royal toilet, I emptied my stomach. There was not much in there. Once the dry gagging ceased, I pressed my cheek against the cool bathroom floor. As my eyes closed, I let the tears flow freely.

  A knock at my bedroom door rattled me from sleep. Again, no dream visits from Dad. I wished I could control my power. If I could, I would be able to contact him. But who was I kidding? I wasn’t even sure if his ability would pass to me since I was only half-elemental. I couldn’t ask any of the council. If they knew I didn’t possess the power, they would see it as a weakness.

  My back ached from lying on the floor for who knows how long. Grumbling, I pushed onto my elbows, managing to stand. I nearly fell over when I saw my reflection in the mirror; swollen red eyes with smeared make-up. Wild hair sticking up in every direction.

  I could have auditioned for a zombie role on The Walking Dead. I turned on the faucet, wetting a hand towel. I rubbed it over my face. Another series of knocks reminded me that someone waited at the door. I threw on a robe I found hanging from a rod. The tiny garment barely covered my thighs but it was the only piece of clothing I spotted. Twisting my hair into a clip, I made my way to the door.

  Of all the people who could have stood here, why did it have to be Rowan? He took a step backward, giving me a once over. "Wow,” he said, laughing. “I thought you were having dinner with a bunch of boring council members?”

  Mortified, I left him standing at the door while I dashed into the bathroom.

  "Had I known it was that kind of party, I would've crashed it.” He must have come inside my room, because after the door shut, his boots thumped across the floor.

  I scrambled around my bathroom searching for anything I could change into. Folded beneath the vanity mirror, I found my Jelly Belly pajamas. Someone must have sent knights to my house to retrieve my belongings. Rainbow colored beans peppered the drawstring pants. I slipped them on along with a button-down long sleeve shirt.

  I can't go out there wearing this.

  Mom had bought me those PJ’s back in middle school. The outfit came as a free gift when she purchased a huge container of every jelly bean they made. We spent one afternoon mixing all the different kinds, making up our own flavors. After eating the entire container, we were both sick for days. It was one of my favorite memories with her. "What do you want, Rowan?”

  "I wanted to make sure you are all right.” His voice was close enough that he must have been right outside the door.

  "I'm fine,” I griped, trying without success to get a hair pick through my knotted hair. "You can go now.”

  "If you're fine, then why do you look like an extra in some B-rated horror movie?”

  "That's hilarious, really.” I managed to get my hair somewhat sensible and dabbed a little concealer under my eyes. This was about as good as it was going to get. No matter how hard he laughed at my clothing, I promised I wouldn’t let it bother me. I needed to keep the conversation short. Get him out of my room as soon as possible.

  I opened the door with tension in my shoulders as if he’d already reacted.

  Rowan was lying on my bed with his arms crossed behind his head. His leather boots were on the floor, his shirt was pulled up a tiny bit exposing a slice of his toned stomach.

  I will not be attracted to him. Nope, I refuse.

  "I didn't mean it that way. I only came here—” He took his time admiring my silly outfit. I was expecting him to laugh, but instead, he smiled proudly. It was cute.

  "Yeah, I know. You wanted to make sure I'm okay, and I am, so you can return to wherever you came from.”

  "Ouch.” He rolled onto his side, checking me out again. "I gotta say, I was really feeling the robe, but there's something about a girl in cartoon pajamas that does it for me.”

  My cheeks burned as I desperately tried to hide how much his words excited me. I made my way over to the bedroom door, tapping my hand on the handle. "Did I mention everything is fine? You can leave.”

  He smirked and sat up. "Simmer down, Jelly Bean.”

  The pajamas were a mistake. "Don't call me―”


  "Easy now.” He held up his hands in defeat as he stood. "I didn't mean to piss you off. I came here because I heard what happened.”

  Again, sickness bloomed in my stomach. I guess the news had spread throughout the castle. No surprise I was the big joke. "Which part did you find the most entertaining? The part where they barely acknowledged my existence or when I choked on a table decoration?”

  "I knew they wouldn't be easy on you. The elders disapprove of halflings.” He watched me for a second as if weighing his next response. "But they are still our best ally in the search for your father. It's important you keep trying. You can win them over. It will take some time.”

  I pressed my back against the door, letting out a frustrated growl. "Time is the one thing I don't have.”

  Rowan put his hands in his jean pockets, strolling over to me. The color of his eyes had cooled to deep blue. It would have been very easy to get lost in them. Leaning against the wall next to me, our shoulders nearly touched. I did my best to ignore the way my body ached to get even closer. "I do believe the council will help us find Taron,” he said “They need him as much as you do.”

  I was taking my anger out on the wrong person. "I'm sorry for acting so bitchy when you got here. I'm just really worried, and I dumped it on you.”

  The corner of his mouth curled. It made me feel all squishy inside. "No apology needed. Your Dad's missing, and the council isn't helping. I get it.”

  I shifted my stance until I faced him. He mirrored my movement. Our eyes locked, sending a tingle down my spine. Tonight, his scent was a mix of warm cinnamon and soap. "You told me Dad had helped you out of a bad situation. What happened?”

  A chilly breeze blew through the curtains dimming the candlelight. I rubbed the sides of my arms.

  His face was all shadows, which gave him a fearsome hue. For an uncomfortable few moments he didn’t say a word. It was obvious he didn’t want to tell me. I was about to change the subject when he spoke. "I was brought to this castle badly injured and Taron used his power to heal me. He could’ve let me die if he wanted, but he decided to save me. Afterwards, he offered me asylum in his territory.”

  The scars on his back flashed in my mind. I wanted to ask more questions about the injury and the asylum, but the fact that he had opened up made me afraid he would shut me out if I pushed too hard. "It's a good thing Dad got to you in time.”

  Rowan made his way over to the windowsill. As he stared out into the darkness, he said, "If it wasn’t for Marcus, he never would have.”

  A member of the air court? “Who’s Marcus?”

  He paused for another long moment, then shifted his body in my direction. “My best friend.”

  I couldn’t help being caught off guard by the mention of his best friend. Rowan said he was a solitary. Didn’t that mean he was alone? “Where is Marcus now?”

  In an instant, his face lost all emotion. Share time was clearly over. “It’s been a long night for you,” he said softly. “I’ll let you get some rest.” Just as he was about to walk out the door, he glanced over his shoulder. “Goodnight, Jelly Bean.”

  Chapter Ten

  I totally sucked during our next training session at the secluded beach. After many annoying hours of meditation, I could not hold onto my calm, yellow aura. The problems with the council and the impending Ball weighed heavily on my mind. I tried to concentrate on the salty air gently wafting around us. Failed. The waves crashing against the white sand shore. Nope. No matter what I focused on, my thoughts lingered back to my troubles.

  Rowan decided that we needed to change gears. He wanted me to practice my air court powers. It was no surprise that I couldn’t ignite my wind magic. My body tensed with each attempt. A trail of sweat surfaced across my brow. Each time I failed, Rowan's lips pressed together into a thin line as if he was holding back what he wanted to say. After many frustrating tries, I let go of my concentration and wiped the moisture away with the back of my hand.

  Rowan circled me while rubbing his hand across his cheek. "Maybe I'm going about this all wrong.”

  "What do you mean?” I asked, crossing my arms across my chest.

  "Keeping calm has always been the way I control my power, but yesterday, you were afraid. Your power awakened when you felt threatened.”

  If he was planning to come after me with his sword, I wasn’t having any of that. "Fine, I'll pretend I'm scared and see what happens.”

  He flicked his wrist. In an instant, a baseball-sized ball of blue fire materialized. The damn thing was floating in a circular motion about an inch or so above his open palm. "No, your fear has to be real for this to work.”

  Holy Shit! "I thought you said you were a solitary?”

  He raised his eyebrows. "I am.”

  I crossed my arms to hide the fear shaking my limbs. "Okay, then how are you still able to ignite fire?”

  "Some solitaries do lose their elemental powers all together.” He shot me one of his infamous smirks. "But my family has been part of the fire court for centuries. My connection to the element is stronger than most.”

  No wonder the other elementals feared him. Not only could he kill with his crazy sword fighting skills, but he could also turn someone into a freakin’ pile of ash. "Well, fire boy, I'm glad to see you've kept your mojo. Now, please tell me what you're planning to do with that thing?”

  He cupped both hands beneath the flame, and it doubled in size. "Provoke your anger.”

  "Keep talking, you're bound to piss me off in no time.” Would he burn me to prove a point? He edged toward me. I backed up. "Stay away from me, Rowan.” I tried to sound stern, but my voice shook.

  "Stop me. Push me away like you did yesterday. Find your center and focus.” He took another step closer. "Come on, Jelly Bean. I know you can.”

  My eyes squinted. "I told you not to―”

  "Do something about it.” He waved the ball of flame so close to my head that I felt the sting against my ear. "What's the matter, Princess? Am I too much for you to handle?” He bounced the ball between his hands. "I'm not surprised. I wasn't expecting much from you anyway.”

  Anger boiled in my chest. "You weren't, huh?” If he wanted to irritate me, mission accomplished. My power surged from my shoulders down to the tips of my fingers. "I'll show him what I can handle,” I mumbled under my breath. Pointing at Rowan, I released a surge of energy from my fingertips. The sheer power knocked us both backwards and I landed on my back in the sand. The gravel scraped against my skin. I tried to stand, but my arms and legs were as limp as a wet rag.

  He grabbed me under my arms, pulling me to my feet. "You're still using too much energy because you’re not keeping your emotions under control. This is why the meditation is important. To master your power, you have to learn to quiet your mind.”

  I wiggled my arms, trying to shake off the numbness. "Sure, Yoda. I'll get right on that.”

  Rowan rolled his eyes. "Be serious.”

  I made a disgusted face, but I had to admit, I did lose my focus. "I’m trying, but I feel like I'm never going to be able to make this work. Like I'm doomed to fail on an epic level.”

  "That's not going to happen,” he insisted.

  "You can't predict—”

  "We need to keep working.” He pointed to three pink seashells lying on top of a sand mound. "I want you to move them. Push them off the hill.”

  They couldn’t have weighed much more than a feather, but my hands ached from the last time I tried to use my power. I didn’t want to try, but there was a determined look on Rowan’s face. He wasn’t backing down so I relented. "All right, fine.” I closed my eyes, envisioning the three shells flying off the hill. I held out my hands, pointing in their direction. I felt a spark like a static shock.

  "Open your eyes,” he whispered, sending a warm tingle down the side of my neck.

  My eyes flickered open. I had to hold back from squealing and jumping. The mound was empty. The shells were lying close to the water's edge. I had fina
lly managed to do something right. "I did it!”

  "Yes, you did,” he said, eyes searching the beach. “Now, let's go for something a bit bigger.”

  I twirled around, noticing a boulder bigger than both of us in the distance. "I think I found something.” I pointed to it.

  "I was thinking something about the size of a basketball. You're not ready for something that big.”

  "Oh, come on.” I gave him a wicked smile. "We're only days away from the Ball, which means we've got to speed these lessons up.”

  He scratched the back of his head. "This isn't a good idea.”

  I wanted to do this. I had to do this. "Afraid I'm going to show you up?”

  "No, I—”

  I didn't wait for more of his disapproval. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths. My mind was dark except for a faint yellow blinking light. I had never seen the yellow so pale, and I wondered if I had used too much power. My arms were sore, numb at my fingertips. I thought about taking a break for a second. But if I had used too much power it wouldn’t work, so what's the big deal in trying? I pictured the boulder, imagining it rolling toward the ocean. I reached my hands out as if I was attempting to roll it.

  An odd feeling settled between my shoulder blades. It was a pressure like I had pulled a muscle. A massive muscle. I ignored it, keeping my focus on the boulder. Something changed suddenly. I was spinning except I stood still. Dizzy, I fell to my knees. I was weakening. It was like my energy was being sucked right out of me.

  With arms wrapped around my stomach, I grimaced. My eyelids were heavy and I collapsed completely. The sand scratched against the side of my cheek.

  "Kalin!” Rowan shouted.

  Everything went black.

  When I opened my eyes, my head was nestled in his arms. "Are you okay?” he asked, his eyes were wild and panicked.

  I rubbed the side of my head and tried to sit up. "What happened?”

  Instead of helping, he pulled me into his chest with his arms wrapped around me. His embrace was like a winter coat during a snowstorm. I was safe and protected. If only I could stay here forever. I didn't want it to end. "You passed out for a few seconds.”