Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set

by Stacey O'Neale

  Chapter Ten

  I should’ve been celebrating. A coronation was the ultimate achievement of any prince or princess—the greatest moment of their life. Under normal circumstances, fire elementals would fill the throne room along with other highest-ranking guests from all three courts. During the ceremony, I’d kneel before Prisma. She would say a few sacred words, then place the crown on my head. Afterward, we would party for days honoring this significant moment in our history.

  Instead, I sat alone on the edge of the bed wearing the formal red ceremonial robes that Liana, Prisma’s sister, had brought me. Underneath, my sword was strapped to my back, resting in its sheath. Carrying a weapon wasn’t typical for this type of ceremony, but it made me feel safe. Against Prisma’s wishes, I’d left the barbell in my eyebrow. It didn’t matter. Her death would come before my ascension.

  Liana was one of only three from my house who would witness my coronation. My adopted siblings were the other two, though I was sure they had no interest in being here. They certainly didn’t support me. They barred all other fire elementals from the ceremony. After my ascension, I was expected to keep them in line once word of Prisma’s execution went public. There would be questions and rumors, but none of them would ever know the full truth. They stripped Kalin, and the role she played, from the records.

  Staring out the window, I watched as orange and purple hue filled the skies around the castle. It was incredibly beautiful. I jolted out of my thoughts when I heard a knock. When I opened the door, a knight handed me a letter. The familiarity of the handwriting on the front of the envelope sent a shiver down my spine. The message was from Marcus. Without knowing what he had written inside, I had an aching feeling. It wasn’t good.

  Rowan,

  I always believed you would ascend someday. And now that the day has come, I wish I could be there standing by your side. But I can’t. Not after everything that happened. I can’t even look at you without reliving what I did and the pain I caused. I need some time alone to deal with everything. Please don’t search for me or ask Ariel where I am. That will only make things worse.

  I’m sorry,

  Marcus

  After crumpling the note in my hand, I set the paper on fire. How could Marcus believe any of this was his fault? I blame him for nothing. It was all Prisma’s doing, and she controlled the hounds. He had no choice. All I wanted was to leave this place and search for him, but I couldn’t. Taron and the council would never allow it. The fire court would need leadership once Prisma was gone, and I had to do my duty. I picked up a wine bottle and threw it against the wall. Red wine and tiny pieces of glass splattered across the floor.

  Marcus was gone, and there was nothing I could do about it.

  I was still reeling from his letter as another knight escorted me downstairs. The interior of the air court throne room didn’t look anything like my court. A bright light shone through the crystal walls while flags embedded with the air court symbol hung high from the cathedral ceiling. White marble pillars lined the walls with limestone statues in between. My boots clicked on the flooring as I made my way toward Taron. He sat on a throne made of clear quartz.

  The elemental air council in traditional yellow robes, knights, and various members of their court packed the throne room. They stood in small groups, whispering and pointing as I passed by. I couldn’t blame them. In their eyes, I was the would-be murderer who tried to assassinate their princess. I was a monster. Certainly not someone who deserved to sit on a throne and reign over a court. No matter. I kept my emotions hidden, walking with my chin up and looking straight ahead as if I were wearing horse blinders.

  One of the knights led me toward a regal chair near the king. When I sat down, I noticed there was a circular area cleared out in the center of the room—a wooden chopping block and iron ax sat inside. They planned to behead her, which meant her death would be quick and suffering minimal. I didn’t know why I cared about her pain, but I did.

  In the far corner, Liana leaned against a wall in her formal red robes surrounded by several hounds in their mortal form. A single tear ran down her cheek as she stared at the execution area. As far as I knew, they had never been close, but Prisma was still her sister. Scanning the room, I searched for my siblings. I didn’t see either. Perhaps they had chosen not to attend? I wasn’t surprised. The thought of watching her die was probably too much for them to bear.

  Silence filled the room as Prisma was escorted inside by two air court knights. She had cleaned up since I last saw her. Her hands remained locked in iron cuffs, but her hair was now clean and braided. A thin white gown replaced the torn dress. With her pale skin and flowing gown, she looked ethereal. It wasn’t until she glared at me with her eyes filled with hate that I truly recognized her.

  The crowd parted, making a pathway for the knights to take her to the makeshift guillotine. As she knelt in front of the wooden chopping block, she kept her focus on me. I forced myself to watch, even though my insides twisted into tight knots. She expected me to cower away. But I refused to show any weakness. The executioner, wearing a black mask to cover his face, came to stand at her side with the ax in hand. He glanced up at Taron, awaiting his command.

  Taron stood. “Do you have any last words?”

  Prisma remained silent.

  “Very well,” he replied, waving his hand at the executioner.

  The executioner nodded before raising the ax over his head.

  I inhaled deeply, then held my breath. The next few seconds passed as if I had slipped into a dream. Everyone around me stood motionless. I was numb, doubting I could move even if I wanted to. Why had it come to this? Prisma could’ve expressed her concerns over Kalin to the high council and avoided all of this. Instead, because of her hatred and foolishness, I had to watch the only parental figure I’d ever known die.

  The executioner swung the ax, but instead of taking off Prisma’s head, it sunk into the chest of the closest knight. Stunned, I watched as a yellow cloaked woman ran to Prisma’s side and clasped her shackles. A fire burned from her hands as she melted her restraints. Her hood dropped back, and I saw her face. Selene. At least twenty fire elementals removed their air court robes and began blasting fireballs into the crowd. Screams erupted as panic ensued.

  “Guards,” Taron shouted. Knights raced in from every doorway with blades raised. Within seconds, the king disappeared, whisked off to safety through a hidden door.

  During the mayhem, the executioner pulled a knife out of his side pocket and sliced the neck of the closest knight. I knew it was Valac before he ripped off his mask. This jailbreak was his idea. Selene would never have attempted to rescue Prisma without him. A fire burned from my clenched fists. Valac helped Prisma to her feet. He produced a line of fire that created a pathway to one of the doors. They both took one of her arms over their shoulders before heading toward the exit.

  No way was I going to let them start a war between the courts. Rage overtook me. I flung my robes over my head. The cloth was nothing more than shreds of charred fabric before landing on the floor. I unsheathed my sword, pushing my way through the crowd. One of the fire elementals stepped in my path. A ball of fire formed in each of his hands, but before he could attack, I plunged my iron sword into his belly. His skin seared. After I pulled back, he collapsed onto the ground.

  Nearby, an air elemental used her wind magic to fling her attacker into the adjacent wall. I ducked out of the way at the last second. All around swords scraped against one another while pained cries echoed throughout the room. My siblings had disappeared. A male fire elemental cornered a cowering air female. He was about to burn her when I sliced my weapon across his throat, partially decapitating him. Blood smeared my blade, splattering my face. I wiped the blood off with the back of my hand.

  The air reeked of burnt flesh. I covered my nose as I searched the area. The world around me faded when I caught sight of my siblings. They moved at a much slower pace—they must’ve used too much of their element, l
eaving them physically weak. As they were about to exit, I stood between them and the door. Prisma’s head hung low with her eyes closed. I pointed my weapon at Valac’s throat. “You’re not taking her anywhere.”

  “Please don’t do this, Rowan,” Selene begged as tears streamed down her cheeks. “She’s our mother.”

  Her plea made my soul ache. Unlike Valac, I had a decent relationship with Selene. I never felt any hatred from her. As kids, I often wondered what our relationship might’ve been if she wasn’t under Valac’s influence. But none of that mattered now as I forced myself to push those feelings aside. “If you leave with her, you’ll start a war between the courts. You get that, right?”

  “Get out of our way!” Valac shouted. He pulled out a knife he had hidden in his side pocket.

  Just as I was about to respond, Prisma came to life and lunged at me. There was no time to think. Adrenaline kicked in as I pulled back on my sword, spun around for momentum, and carved the edge of the blade through her midsection. I nearly split her in two. Prisma let out a roaring scream. She fell first to her knees, then onto her hip as she hit the floor. Selene screamed. She collapsed down next to her, placing Prisma’s head in her lap. Valac stood motionless.

  “How could you, Rowan?” Selene wailed.

  My hands shook until I dropped the sword at my side. I stared at my blood-covered palms. Britta’s vision had come to fruition. I tried to take a breath, but could only manage short, intermittent puffs. I was hyperventilating. Blood pooled all around Selene and Prisma. As she took her final breath, cold reality set in: I had killed my mother. I was the monster they all believed me to be.

  “I’m going to kill you,” Valac shrieked, pointing his sword at my chest.

  Before he could make a move, someone grabbed him from behind. It was Jarrod, the lead air court knight. Valac tried to wrestle his way free with little success. I glanced around at the slew of knights surrounding us. They pulled Selene while she begged to stay. My chest tightened as I watched Prisma’s body burn. Soon, she’d be nothing more than a pile of ash.

  I was still too numb to speak, even as an air court knight escorted me back to the front of the room. Taron was back on his throne. He didn’t have to say a word with the shock and horror written all over his face. The air was thick as corpses burned in a heap. Air elementals cried over the dead bodies of their kin. Each helplessly watched as crumbled ash floated into the skies to join the wind.

  Liana appeared next to me, protected by two gabriel hounds in their animal form. She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Are you all right?”

  I wasn’t sure I could answer the question. Prisma was dead. My siblings had organized a coup, costing many elementals their lives. “Were you part of this, Liana?”

  “Valac told me they weren’t coming. If I had known what they planned to do, I would have stopped them. Prisma is my sister, but I despise what she did.” She leaned as if she was trying to get a look at my back, but I shifted away before she could.

  Liana backed away as air elementals brought my siblings forward.

  Held by several guardians, they were made to stand next to me. Both wore iron cuffs on their hands and feet. Valac struggled to break free while Selene stayed silent, overwhelmed with grief. Taron’s eyes shifted between them. His lips pressed together into a tight, thin line.

  I stepped forward. “Please have mercy on them, King Taron.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Mercy? They are responsible for all the death you see before you. How can you ask this of me?”

  “Prisma is the reason we are all here, and now she is dead.” A vision of her body collapsing to the ground flashed in my head. There was no feeling left inside of me. All I sensed was emptiness. “Hasn’t there been enough death for one day?”

  Taron glared at me with a pained expression. Without words, I sensed his sympathy for my situation. “I am indebted to you for the enormous sacrifice you made to save my daughter. For that reason alone, I will show some mercy.” He turned his attention to my siblings. “You are now exiled from Avalon. You will live out your final days in the mortal world.”

  Taron wasn’t giving them much mercy. Forcing them out of Avalon meant they no longer had the veil’s protection and would age rapidly. During the process, their bodies and power would slowly breakdown. It would be excruciating. They would both be dead in a matter of weeks. “This is your mercy?” Valac interjected. “We’d be better off if you killed us now.”

  “Take them away,” Taron ordered, dismissing them with the flick of his wrist. Jarrod took hold of their shackles and pulled them toward one of the doors.

  I had a thought that made me shudder. Kalin would be in the mortal world for another year without any clue she was in danger. My siblings were angry about Prisma’s death, along with their exile. Taron didn’t know Valac the way I did. As enraged as he was, I have no idea what he might do. I couldn’t take the chance. “Your Majesty, I wouldn’t trust them in the mortal world. They may seek revenge.”

  “They’re no longer a danger.” Taron glared at the exit door, his eyes narrowed. “They’ll begin to weaken the moment they set foot in the mortal world. Soon, they will be helpless.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After everything he witnessed, he still didn’t see the risk he took. Was it because the courts had been at peace for so long? Did he believe no one else would break the laws of the decrees? Tension built in my shoulders. “How can you be sure?”

  Taron crossed his arms. “There will be additional knights around Kalin’s home and will accompany her when she leaves. I have complete faith in her safety.”

  I wouldn’t be able to talk Taron out of his decision—he believed wholeheartedly in his knights. My hands were tied. He hadn’t seen what I saw first-hand. Kalin dismissed his knights when they got too close, and they followed her command. I could have easily killed her on several occasions.

  “The fire court cannot go without leadership,” Taron announced. “As unsavory as the current circumstances are, we must proceed with the coronation.”

  “No.” Every face in the room turned in my direction. If I accepted the crown, I would have to stay in Avalon. Valac would have free reign in the mortal world. In the weeks before his death, he could devise a plan and recruit other fire elementals to his cause. Their actions would start a war. If Taron refused to see the danger, I wouldn’t stand by and let her die. I owed him that for saving my life. “I withdraw my claim to the fire court throne.”

  Taron leaned forward. “Rowan, are you sure this is what you want?”

  Protecting Kalin was all that mattered.

  “Withdraw?” Liana repeated, eyes widened with surprise. “After everything that’s happened, you would abandon your kin?”

  I couldn’t tell her the truth. There were too many elementals left in the room who could hear every word of our conversation. No one could know Kalin was vulnerable. At this point, I didn’t trust anyone, even members of her court. As much as it would break me, I had to do what I knew was best for my people, no matter the personal cost. “You are no longer my kin.”

  “Traitor.” A fire ignited in her hands. As the blaze raced up her arms, the hounds roared with excitement. “You don’t deserve to carry the name of our house.” She pointed her finger at me with venom in her tone. “From this moment forward, you are nameless. You will only be known as the shadow prince.”

  Her words seared a hole into my chest. In all my life, I had never felt as alone as I did at this moment. But in my heart, I knew I was making the right choice. Someday, I would return to the fire court and reclaim what was mine. I would restore my name, title, and reputation. For now, preventing this war took precedence. “I formally abdicate my throne to Liana. With her in power, the crown shall remain with the House of Djin.”

  “You’ll never set foot in the fire territory again!” Liana shouted.

  I didn’t respond as I headed for the exit—there was nothing left to say. The crowd booed as I passed. Some
tried to push and shove me, while others threw broken pieces of crystal. Through it all, I remained focused on my mission. It was time to cast aside the childish prince and become the stone-hearted warrior. I would be the monster they feared—the slayer in the night.

  I am the shadow prince.

  Epilogue

  Ten months had passed since I refused my crown. Throughout my mission, I had managed to stay undetected by her knights. I watched Kalin from the shadows. Her mortal life remained unchanged as if nothing had ever happened. I hadn’t seen my siblings since their exile. I heard whispers that they had died several months ago, but I remained in the mortal world to be certain. And if I was honest, I wasn’t ready to return to Avalon. I might never be.

  I eventually told Taron why I was here. He assured me Kalin was safe, but something in the pit of my soul didn’t believe it. Regardless of his doubts, he didn’t try to stop me. I wondered if some small part of him wanted me to protect her, but if it were true, he would never admit it. He was impressed by my dedication, even offering me a position. I could’ve been a knight, which was a prestigious title in any court.

  I declined.

  I’d become a solitary elemental. Rejecting my court should have meant losing my connection with the fire element, but I was still part of the ruling family. My exile didn’t change my bloodline. I could command the fire element. However, the strength of my power had weakened. I had to find other ways to combat this new vulnerability. When I wasn’t tailing Kalin, I trained. I spent hours practicing with swords, knives, and throwing stars.

  I had become a lethal weapon.

  The months I’d spent in the mortal world did give me one advantage: I had aged. The time I had spent working out had morphed my tall, lanky figure into thick muscle mass. I was broad-shouldered and solid. I even managed to grow a beard. I hardly recognized myself in the mirror.