“Rowan, you’re starting to freak me out.” His tone turned serious. “I’m not leaving until you tell me what’s going on.”
I tilted my head toward my quarters, and he followed me. Once we were inside, I shut the door behind him. “Fine, I can see you’re not backing down. I’ll tell you.” I took a look around to make sure no one was there. That’s when I noticed someone had left a tray of assorted appetizers along with a large jug of wine on the end table. “Remember how I told you Prisma would want something in return?”
He cringed. “Yes.”
“I was right. She does want something. Something terrible. Something so bad I’ll end up breaking practically every rule in the decrees.” I poured myself a glass of wine, drinking it in one gulp. “And if I get caught, I’ll be killed.”
“Holy shit.” Marcus took the bottle out of my hand. “I need some of this.” He drank the rest of the wine. “Okay, now tell me. What does she want?”
Part of me wondered if this was all a hoax. Maybe she wanted me to get caught and die, so she’d have no other biological heirs. In that case, she’d have a much easier time passing her crown to my adopted siblings. “She wants me to kill Kalin, the halfling daughter of the air court king.”
His eyes widened with shock. “Why?”
I sat on the side of my bed with my elbows on my knees. “Because she thinks Kalin is the next akasha. She wants me to kill her before my coronation.”
Marcus rubbed his palm over his stubble. “Even if Kalin is the Akasha, she’s no threat.”
Along with keeping the four elements in balance, the akasha would recognize abnormalities within the courts. I sensed Prisma was hiding something. It would explain why she insisted Kalin die without knowing for sure if she was the next akasha. “I know this.”
“Are you going to do it?”
I glanced at him, wishing for any other way. “I have no choice. If I refuse, she’ll never offer me the throne again.”
Silence filled the room for several minutes. There was no doubt that Marcus was uncomfortable with the whole idea. Any other hound would’ve encouraged me—they followed Prisma’s orders without question. Hell, most guardians would’ve offered to do it themselves. But Marcus wasn’t like them. The rage they carried didn’t exist within him, nor did the desire to cause pain.
“This isn’t right. You shouldn’t be in this position. But I understand why you’re doing it.” He sat down next to me. “Which is why I’m going to help you.”
This was precisely why I didn’t want him to know. Once he made up his mind, there would be nothing I could’ve said to talk him out of coming. “It’s too dangerous.”
“Do you expect me to let you go off on your own?” He raised an eyebrow. “You’re my best friend, man. Not to mention, I’m your guardian now. It’s my job to protect you.”
I shook my head. “Being my guardian doesn’t mean putting yourself at risk. Maybe even getting killed.”
He let out a quick chuckle. “That’s exactly what it means. Now, what’s your plan?”
I let out a sigh. “I know Kalin’s kept under constant surveillance in the mortal world, but we’ll need to find the exact location. Once we’re there, we’ll need to search the area around her house, and find a place where we can watch her without the knights knowing we’re there.”
“Then what?”
“I’ll wait until the perfect opportunity presents itself.” I stood, peering down at Marcus. “And when that moment comes, I’ll do what is necessary.”
Marcus stood and put his hand on my shoulder. “And you’re sure you can do this?”
I unsheathed the sword Orion had given me. The iron weapon shimmered beneath the candlelight. “To save our court, I will kill her.”
Chapter Five
Marcus found the elementals who spied on Kalin. Apparently, this had been going on for quite a while. We learned the halfling was living in Baltimore, Maryland, with her mortal mother. She attended a private high school in the city, recently turned fifteen, and was in the tenth grade. There was nothing supernatural about her life except that she had knights with her at all times. They stayed hidden behind a glamour, even following her into each of her classes.
I had no choice. I’d likely have to kill some of the knights to get to her, which only added to the disgust I felt.
After packing weapons and supplies, we left the castle without anyone noticing. The ball was still well underway, keeping everyone busy. Marcus remained silent. Without words, I sensed an overwhelming sadness lingering. There was no question what I planned to do was wrong, but I could see no other option. I only hoped to make her death quick. But regardless of how it played out, I’d carry the guilt for the rest of eternity.
It had already begun to consume me.
The portal opened inside a thick forest less than two miles from Kalin’s house. The scent of pine filled my nose—each breath I exhaled created a puffy white cloud. I opened my palm, igniting a ball of flame. The floating fireball lit our way as we treaded through the dead, matted leaves covering the winter woodland. The temperature was frigid, but that wouldn’t be an issue for either of us. A fire elemental could never be cold.
It was after midnight by the time we reached Kalin’s home. She lived in a simple brick rancher with a large, wooden back porch. Enclosed by forest, the house sat with no visible neighbors. That was smart. They kept her away from mortals in case they ever had to defend her. There was only one light on inside. As we anticipated, two air court knights stood in front of a window, which I assumed was her bedroom. Another guarded the front door.
We settled into a spot about a quarter-mile away. Behind a line of tall shrubbery, we observed them for a few hours using a pair of binoculars Marcus had brought. Although the knights circled the house several times an hour, they appeared at ease. With the decrees in place, they had no reason to expect an attack. The courts were at peace.
“Should we kill them before daylight?” Marcus whispered. “It might give us an advantage.”
“No, I want to wait.” We needed to find out how many guards she had inside. There would likely be at least two more. I planned to kill her with the least amount of casualties. Plus, they outnumbered us. Hounds were bred to be killing machines, and I had skills with a sword and my element, but I didn’t want to go in overconfident. These were highly trained knights.
None of them would be easy prey.
Marcus ruffled through his bag. The weapons clinked together, and I shot him a look. Luckily, none of the guards were alerted by the sound. “Okay then, what’s your plan?”
Break the decrees. Potentially start a war between the courts. Murder. Treason. “We’ll stay here tonight and assess the situation in the morning.”
He scratched the back of his head. “You want to wait until tomorrow?”
“I’d like to follow her during the day.” Without training, Kalin won’t be able to see us through our glamour. Neither will the guards. As prince of the fire court, my powers are strong enough to shield us both from all of them. “There might be a chance we can catch her alone at school. If not, we’ll attack at sundown.”
Marcus nodded, then left to survey.
If I could help it, I wouldn’t involve him in the killing. Only one of us needed to live with the anguish. It was my burden to bear. A curse I deserved for what I planned to do.
I jolted when another light came on inside the house. It was coming from her bedroom. I tried looking through the binoculars, but couldn’t make out much. I adjusted the settings a few times until I found the right one. Everything became clear. The blinds were open, allowing me to see into her room. Goosebumps ran up my forearms. It was Kalin.
I watched as she gazed out her window.
She had long, wavy red hair tied back in a ponytail. She didn’t look like a typical air elemental. Purebred air elementals had pale blue eyes, but hers appeared to be green. I couldn’t tell, even with the binoculars. I always thought the air elementals were dull,
but there was something different about her. Maybe it was her mortal half, or perhaps something else. Either way, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.
She wore a tight black tank top with baggy pajama bottoms covered in dancing cupcakes. The pajamas made me laugh. It was certainly not what I was expecting the future queen of the air court to wear. She sat down, leaning her elbow on the windowsill while her cheek rested in her fisted palm. She seemed lost in her thoughts until she burst into tears. For once, I wish I had the power to read minds like Britta. I wanted to know what caused her so much pain.
As she opened her window, within seconds, two knights charged into her room. Did they think she was leaving? They must’ve been standing right outside her bedroom door. She startled, then hurried them out. Yeah, she definitely wasn’t pleased that they rushed into her room. Privacy must be important to her. After they left, she paced with a disgusted look on her face. Judging by her intense reaction, I suspect this wasn’t the first time they had intruded in her space.
Kalin searched through a desk drawer and pulled out earbuds and a black iPod. After scanning for a few seconds, her head bobbed up and down. She must’ve found a song she liked. A moment later she rose to her feet, swaying to the beat of the music. Her eyes closed while she sang. Something was fascinating about the way she moved. Sexy, even. Wait, what the hell? I needed to stop staring at this girl before I turned into a full-fledged creeper. I blame exhaustion or maybe temporary insanity. The last twenty-four hours had been the most intense of my life.
“Is something happening?” Marcus took the binoculars.
I cleared my throat. “Nothing, man.”
“Now, I see.” He nudged my arm with his elbow. “She’s pretty.”
“I hadn’t noticed.” I lied.
He didn’t call me on my bullshit as he handed the binoculars back to me. Instead, he reached into the bag and pulled out a loaf of bread and two apples. “Are you hungry?”
My stomach growled. He tore the bread in half and handed one piece to me along with an apple. I bit into the food, which tasted heavenly. “Thanks.”
While we were eating, he told me he had cleared out a spot on the ground and laid out our sleeping bags. I didn’t even know he brought any. It made me wonder what else he had in that bag.
“Why don’t you get a few hours of sleep?” he suggested. “I’ll wake you if something changes.”
Again, he knew what I needed. “I’m fine.”
He rolled his eyes. “We both know that’s not true. Stop being stubborn and get some rest.”
No, I wasn’t okay. The guilt I’d pushed down bubbled to the surface. The picture in my mind was so vivid. It was as if it had already happened. I could see myself standing over her, ready to plunge my sword into her chest. She begged for her life while tears ran down her pink cheeks. I shook my head like the motion would somehow remove the images. It didn’t work.
Now, each time I closed my eyes, I saw her terrified face—bile built in my throat. I put my hand over my mouth and took off. I managed to get a few yards away before I vomited.
Marcus rushed over to me. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I’m okay.” I waved him off. “Don’t worry about me.”
“You need to tell me what’s going on.”
I couldn’t burden him with anything else. This wasn’t right. It was wrong on every possible level, but I had to do it. Tomorrow, no matter how much I will hate myself, I had to end Kalin’s life.
Chapter Six
Marcus let me sleep until Kalin was ready to leave for school. I wasn’t happy. He needed to rest just as much as I did. I rummaged through the bag of food and found an orange. As he packed up our tent, I worried about the huge risk we were taking and the ramifications of my decision. We had to be careful not to leave any evidence. Once we completed our mission, it was vital that no one could tie her murder back to the fire court.
The last thing we needed was an all-out war.
I scanned the back of her house through the binoculars. Her curtains opened, and suddenly my mouth was as dry as the Sahara Desert. I cleared my throat.
How this girl managed to pass for a mortal was beyond my comprehension. What fifteen-year-old had a pimple-free complexion, perfectly angled facial features, and hair like she just stepped out of a salon? Staring longingly out her window, she flipped her fiery-red wavy hair over her shoulders. Every time I looked at Kalin, I noticed a sadness about her. Our spies had said she was popular at school with lots of friends. Each time I’d seen her, she seemed depressed.
In a way, it was easy to understand. She lived in the mortal world where she would never truly be one of them. Her entire life, she had to hide her real identity. According to Prisma’s spies, her father kept her away from Avalon. I may not have spent much time there, but I at least got to experience it once in a while. I got to train with other elementals, and I learned how to harness my element. In her situation, I would have been unhappy too.
As she tucked her white button-down shirt into a navy blue pleated skirt, I should’ve looked away. I didn’t. Who could blame me, though? The girl was gorgeous—the perfect mix of elemental and mortal beauty.
“Pass those binoculars over,” Marcus jolted me out of my thoughts.
“What? Why?”
He chuckled. “I’m dying to know what put that cheeky grin across your face.”
I was doing it again. If I told Marcus what I was thinking, he’d freak out. I shouldn’t be attracted to her, especially considering what I had to do. Making any connection with her will only complicate our situation. I had to find a way to turn it off, or I’d never be able to follow through with it. Hell, even I knew I was losing control. I held the binoculars at my side, refusing to hand them over. “I don’t know what you think you saw, but I was surveying the area around her house.” I lied again. Another bad sign. “All of her guards must be inside.”
Marcus crossed his arms and gave me a knowing stare.
I needed to move past this conversation. “We should start making our way toward the portal. I want to get inside the school before she gets there.”
“And you’re sure Kalin won’t sense us?”
Marcus wasn’t questioning the strength of my glamour. This was his way of stalling. He didn’t want me to do this, but he wouldn’t come right out and say it. I needed to lighten the mood to get his mind off of our task. “She won’t sense us, but your stench might give us both away.” I pinched my nose while I fanned myself with my other hand.
He punched my shoulder. “Dick.”
“Come on; let’s get going.” I slid the sword strap over my shoulder, inserting the blade inside the sheath.
Students hustled in every direction. A riot of voices rung out over the sounds of metal locker doors screeching open and smacking closed. Coffee scented the air making me thirsty. I regretted not stopping for a Starbucks. I wasn’t fond of most mortal food concoctions, but coffee was one of the rare exceptions. We settled into an empty spot by the stairwell. The glamour would protect us from being seen, but if we got bumped, they would feel us.
Thanks to our spies, we knew the location of Kalin’s locker was about twenty feet away from where we stood. The moment she arrived, I scanned the surrounding area for her knights. I didn’t see any. Interesting, they must’ve remained outside. Maybe she insisted on some distance after they busted into her room last night. If I was right, they weren’t doing their jobs. They needed to protect her regardless of her need for space. But their mistake could give me a golden opportunity. I might only have to take one life today.
I wish I didn’t have to take any.
While I was deep in thought, a gaggle of students surrounded her. More than half of them were guys, which, for some reason, turned my stomach. The spies were correct. She did seem to be popular. One of the bulkier guys in a letterman jacket put his arm around her shoulder. She smiled, but when she turned her head away from him, she appeared uncomfortable. Irritation bloomed in my chest. It
was obvious she wasn’t interested in this idiot. Why wasn’t she pushing him away?
She was too nice.
I had to put an end to it. I ignited a quarter-sized fireball in the palm of my hand.
Marcus glared at me with widened eyes. “What are you doing?”
“Getting rid of a tick.” I reached back like a baseball pitcher and flung the tiny fireball, hitting him in the wrist. Perfect shot. He jumped back, shaking his arm wildly. Pulling up his sleeve, he searched for the cause of the sting. There wouldn’t be a mark. I only made it hot enough to get his attention.
Marcus stood in front of me, blocking my view. “What the hell was that?”
I solved the problem. “Weren’t you watching? She didn’t want him on her.”
“So you threw a fireball at him?” He was pissed. “Have you lost your goddamn mind? Her guards probably saw that.”
This wasn’t my finest moment. “I didn’t see any of them when she came in.”
His face reddened to the point that I wondered if he might explode. “It doesn’t matter if you saw them. We know they’re here somewhere. What were you thinking?”
“The guy was all over her,” I shrugged, trying to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal. “I was doing her a favor.”
Marcus stared at me with a look of total disbelief. After a long, uncomfortable moment, he put his hands over his face. “I can’t believe this.”
I crossed my arms. “What?”
“You’re into her. I know it.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re into the girl we came here to kill.”
I waved my hand dismissively. “You’ve lost it, man.”
“Then explain to me what just happened.”
As he waited for a response, I tried to come up with a logical answer. I thought back to the moments before I threw it. The irritation I felt watching her squirm tucked beneath his arm. I wanted to storm over there and throw him against the lockers. But why? It made no sense. I didn’t need to interfere. He wasn’t the reason I came here. My insides cringed.
Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set Page 4