Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set

by Stacey O'Neale

  “Kalin,” a voice startled me out of my thoughts.

  I shifted around and saw Ariel. She sat on the edge of the biggest bed I had ever seen in my life. It was an island with pillows. Black, dried mascara settled beneath her eyes. Leaping up, she opened her arms, and I hugged her neck. “Ariel, are you okay?”

  “Everything happened so fast.” Ariel pulled back, leveling our eyes. “I tried to tell King Orion that Valac had King Taron, but he wouldn’t listen. Jarrod convinced him that Valac and Selene were dead. When I tried to explain everything that happened, Jarrod locked me in here.”

  I was angry but not surprised. Jarrod needed Liana to die so Valac could take the throne in her place. By locking Ariel in this room, he made sure she couldn’t tell her story to anyone else. As much as I hated him, he made a smart move. “The castle is empty. As far as I know, the two guards are the only ones who are left. Jarrod has taken everyone with him to watch the bloodbath.”

  A tear fell down her cheek. “I don’t know what happened to my family.”

  I took her hands in mine. “I don’t know where they are, but I promise that when this is over, I will do everything I can to find them.”

  Her eyes widened. “How can we stop this?”

  “We need to find my father.”

  “Okay, but how can we do that?” she asked. “I doubt Valac is simply going to hand him over.”

  “I have a plan,” I assured her, pretending to have confidence that it will work when really, I was terrified. “First, we have to get you out of here.”

  “How will we pull that off?” Ariel’s shoulders dropped, and she hung her head. “The room has been sealed by magic.”

  Cleaver. Jarrod knew I would come for her. He used magic that would that allow me to enter the room but prevent me from leaving. “That certainly complicates things.”

  She sat back on the bed with her hands tucked under her legs. “I feel like I should have known Jarrod was the traitor. I mean, if I had paid closer attention, maybe King Taron—”

  “You can’t blame yourself.” I tried to ease her undeserved guilt. “He fooled everyone, including my father. All we can do is try to stop this war before Liana gets killed.”

  Ariel tapped her finger against her bottom lip. “Finding King Taron won’t be easy. We should come up with a secondary plan in case we fail. If we only had evidence linking Valac to your father.”

  “There’s nothing other than our word.” I sighed. “Valac and Jarrod were careful as they built their web of lies. Trust me, the only way we’re stopping this is to find my father and have him explain what happened.”

  She let out a low growl of frustration. “But how can we get King Taron back? We can’t use force. There’s no way we can take on Valac, Selene, and all of their followers by ourselves. Who knows how many elementals have joined with them?”

  “We don’t need to defeat Valac. We only need him to show us where my father is hidden. If you can create a portal, then I will distract them long enough for you to grab him for a quick escape.” I held Ariel by the shoulders. “We have to go back to Vegas.”

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Ariel waved her hands in the air. “You’re making this all sound simple, and this is not simple.”

  “I know it’s dangerous, and maybe even a little foolish, but this is all I’ve got,” I shrugged. “Do you have any other suggestions?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay then,” I clasped my hands together. “First, let’s deal with the guards so we can get us out of here.”

  Ariel crossed her arms. “How are we breaking the magical seal?”

  “Leave that to me.”

  The plan was in motion. At first, the guards refused to disobey Jarrod. I told them that if they didn’t release us, their heads would be my future table décor. They became much more reasonable and told us how to remove the seal. I didn’t want them reporting back to Jarrod, so I told them the entire court was in danger, and they agreed to help us. The first guard was sent to find the other council members and update them. No telling whether they would believe us, but we had to try. The second guard was sent to find weapons in case this got ugly, as I suspected it would.

  A short time later, one of the guards returned with iron swords and blades, which we hid with a glamour. Ariel insisted that I change my clothes since they were torn and bloody from my fall in the forest. She brought me tactical clothing that looked medieval. Before long, I was in a corset top with chainmail and a metal breastplate, pants, and leather boots. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

  Ariel appeared wearing the same thing, except the expression on her face was fierce and confident. My heart kicked in my chest. I fiddled with a knife I had hidden in my breastplate, hoping she didn’t notice my trembling hands. I had no idea if any of this would work. If the plan didn’t work, I prayed everyone would get out alive.

  Her eyes were the deepest blue I had ever seen. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  I didn’t want any of this. I was scared out of my mind, my palms were sweaty, and I wanted to vomit. I thought of my parents and tried to imagine what their lives were like when they were here. There was a time when they were happy and together. I would’ve given anything to go back in time and prevent all of this. More than anything, I wished they were here to hold me in their arms and promise that everything would work out.

  I mustered all the courage I had. “I’m ready.”

  Ariel led us to a portal within the castle. A wind tunnel appeared as she waved her hand in a circle. It was the same one my parents used when my mother visited. I took her hand in mine, and we stepped inside.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Kalin

  The portal opened in front of the entrance to club privé. Two ladies who must have been in their eighties glanced up from their slot machines and shot us a surprised look. I nudged Ariel with my elbow. “Next time we should just appear in the middle of the fountain and give them a show.”

  “That wasn’t me. I’d planned for us to land in the alley behind the hotel,” Ariel replied with fear in her eyes. “The portal is unstable.”

  My heart beat faster. “What does it mean?”

  Ariel turned away from prying eyes and held out her palms. A gust of air whipped in a circle then faded in and out. She clasped her hands together. “Our powers are being affected somehow. It’s a sign that we’re running out of time.”

  Britta was correct; the elements were unbalanced. “And the good news keeps rolling in.” I gave a weak smile to the old ladies, but a bell went off, and they quickly returned their attention to the slot machines. I whirled around, facing the entrance. The guards weren’t there. I wiggled the knob, and the door unlocked. “I guess it’s time to go say hello.”

  I followed her inside the private club, and my mouth fell open. The once-luxurious suite now resembled an empty storage space. All of the furniture, game tables, decor, and carpets were gone. The large, dimly lit room had only two white bulbs hanging from a wire in the ceiling. An ashy aroma lingered, yet nothing appeared burned. Had our entire visit with Nevin been nothing more than a powerful glamour?

  A hidden side door creaked open. One by one, male and female elementals silently lined the walls of the room. My pulse raced as they surrounded us. Although dressed in casual mortal clothes, they marched in unison like soldiers in the military. Several of the elementals sported tattoos of the blazing fire symbol on their necks. I wasn’t sure how many there were. I stopped counting after forty.

  Valac and Selene had been busy. While most thought they were dead, they had been recruiting in the shadows. This situation was even bigger than I’d thought, which was only going to make my plan ten times harder. I glanced over at Ariel. I could see beads of sweat popping up on the back of her neck. I clenched my fists, refusing to show fear. The elementals watched us as if they were waiting for a signal to attack.

  I crossed my arms to hide my trembling hands.

  The crowd parted, and I flinched. Val
ac sauntered through with his sister at his side. When I locked eyes with Valac, they both took a few steps to the side. Two soldiers made their way through the crowd with a bloody Rowan in tow. I held back a shrieking scream. Valac pointed at Rowan. They released him, letting his motionless body crumple to the floor with a thump. He didn’t open his eyes. His swollen face had bruises all over, and a line of dried blood stained his cheek.

  I held back tears as a lump swelled in my throat. Rowan had sacrificed himself so that we could escape. They tortured him. Their brother. It took everything I had not to run over to him, but I wouldn’t give them the reaction they wanted. They brought him here to scare me. Just as I was about to look away, Rowan’s chest rose and fell. He was still alive. But for how long? I needed to get him help.

  I tore my eyes away from Rowan and glared at Valac. “I’ve come to offer you a treaty with the air court.”

  “Kalin, don’t do this,” Ariel begged, playing her part well.

  A few elementals snickered in the audience, but I didn’t shift my attention from Valac. “I’ve come for my father and Rowan. If you let us leave with them, then the air court will be your ally and support your claim to the fire court.” I concentrated on keeping my voice calm, making every attempt not to appear frightened, even though my stomach was a twisting ball of nerves.

  Valac’s face was unreadable. “Very well,” he said, gesturing toward the hidden door. “Follow me.”

  The crowd cleared a path, and Valac strolled through with his sister. I wasn’t a fool. He had agreed too easily, setting off my internal alarms. There was a trap waiting for me. I didn’t trust him, but what choice did I have? I met eyes with Ariel and gave her the signal. She had to stay put. When this went sideways, she would get my father out of here. My gut told me that he wasn’t going to last much longer in the mortal world. After he was safely back in Avalon, she would return for Rowan. I knew that’s what Rowan would’ve wanted me to do. My father had to survive to end this needless war.

  I followed the crowd through the entryway.

  The moment I entered the room, I gasped. My father was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. His canary yellow court robes were ripped and covered in muck. His white-blond hair hung in his dirt-covered face. An iron collar was locked tightly around his neck with charred, bloody skin encrusted around the edges. The collar poisoned him slowly, preventing him from using his power. I sensed he was barely clinging to life.

  Rage fueled me, triggering my power. My muscles tightened. “Release my father from those chains,” I demanded. “Now!”

  Dad lifted his head, and our eyes met. I placed my hand over my mouth. He was worse off than I thought. He had lost his youthful looks entirely. Now, he could easily pass for a mortal in his mid to late fifties. Dark wrinkles encircled the bottoms of his eyelids, while his skin was ghostly pale. He was aging rapidly. They must’ve kept him in the mortal world this whole time. Payback for the sentence he had given them. Dad blinked several times, and in a faint voice, he whispered, “Kalin?”

  I wanted to burst out crying, but I managed to hold the tears back. Just when I thought the situation couldn’t get any worse, Jarrod appeared from out of nowhere. He held a knife to my father’s neck.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Kalin

  “Not so fast,” Jarrod warned.

  “You disgust me.” White-hot anger raged inside of me, surging my power. “After everything my father has done for you. He made you the captain of his knights, one of the most prestigious positions in all of Avalon, and you betrayed him. Where is your loyalty?”

  “Loyalty? Your precious father betrayed me centuries ago.” Jarrod stared at me like he expected me to know what he meant. “I see that Taron has kept this part of his history from you as well.”

  I needed to get Jarrod away from my father. Until I thought of a plan, I had to keep him talking. “Tell me then so I can understand.”

  “I fell in love once with a beautiful fire court elemental named Aletta. I wished to marry her, but your father rejected our union. He wanted the captain of his guard to have a suitable wife from a high-ranking family of his choosing.” He tightened his grip on my father’s neck, and I flinched. “My Aletta was unfit in his eyes.”

  Jarrod had to be lying. My father would’ve never said something like this. It made no sense when he had fallen for my mortal mother. “You’re wrong.”

  “Am I?” he countered. “Remind me what the reception was like when you met the air court council. Did they greet you with open arms? Or did they reject you as a halfling?”

  He knew the answer. The council had rejected me, but that didn’t mean my father had felt the same. I didn’t bother to answer him. Every one of the questions was hypothetical.

  “When Aletta died during childbirth, I knew Taron wouldn’t allow our children to live in the air court, so I offered them to the childless fire queen. Prisma loved Valac and Selene as if they were born from her womb. I lived alone for centuries without my children.” Jarrod tore his eyes away from my father long enough to glance at Valac and Selene lovingly. “They didn’t learn my true identity until that horrible night.”

  They learned the night of Prisma’s execution.

  That was the missing piece. Jarrod had helped them escape their exile. My father would’ve trusted him to escort them to the mortal world. To see that they died, and could not seek revenge against me. Now I understood why my father thought that I was safe. He probably never told Rowan that Jarrod was supposed to see that they died per their sentence.

  “Now, imagine how I felt when I found out King Taron had fallen for a mortal,” Jarrod continued. “Our king was allowed to choose who he loved, but I was not. Aletta is dead because of him. He ruined my life!”

  “You have every right to be angry, but my father didn’t cause Aletta’s death,” I argued. “Not if she died during childbirth.”

  “I’ve seen the healing powers of the Paralda bloodline,” he sneered. “I was there when he saved Rowan’s life. That is why your father is responsible. Taron could’ve used his power to save Aletta, but she wasn’t allowed in his precious court.”

  Jarrod released my father. He winced once before falling on his side. Ariel surprised me when she ran to my father. We had briefly discussed a secondary plan, but it was a long shot. I prayed she knew what she was doing as she kneeled in front of my father, putting his head in her lap. While she appeared to be comforting him, she rubbed a concoction on the iron collar lock. Smoke rose above them.

  While Ariel tended to my father, I needed to keep their attention on me.

  Valac waved his hand in the air, and a wall of fire encircled the four of us. The flames burned high enough to touch the ceiling. I could no longer see what was happening with Ariel and my father. I prayed she would break the lock soon, and he was able to flee. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have time to help Rowan. I wasn’t sure how I could live with myself if he didn’t survive.

  “Cool trick,” I said to Valac. “I’m sure Queen Liana would be impressed.”

  Selene let out a disgusted huff.

  “Liana is no queen,” Valac said, voice laced with venom.

  I’d found their soft spot. Now I had to push their button. “She is the queen of the fire court. Your queen, if you want to get into the specifics.”

  Valac narrowed his eyes. “Rowan is the blood heir to the crown. Until he dies, Liana is nothing more than a steward of the court.”

  I gripped the knife hidden in my breastplate. “But you asked Rowan to join with you. What happened to the whole family reunion thing?”

  “Is that true, Valac? You never told me that was part of the plan.” Selene questioned, visibility upset. “Rowan never wanted to rule. He wouldn’t challenge you. He shouldn’t have to die.”

  Valac grabbed Selene’s arm and spoke to her through clenched teeth. “You would have me show him mercy? He is responsible for our mother’s death?”

  Selene didn’t want to kill Rowan.
Perhaps their alliance wasn’t as strong as it seemed. Would she support him now that she knew his real intentions? Either way, this could be exploited for my benefit. “How could you kill your brother?”

  A fire ignited from Valac’s fingertips. “The throne belongs to me. I would kill every elemental in Avalon if necessary.” He clenched his fists, putting out the flames. “With Rowan dead and Liana following soon behind, there is no one left to challenge me.”

  “What about Selene?” I asked. “She could challenge you. Will you kill her too? Or double-cross her as you did to Rowan.”

  A noise coming from outside the circle drew all of our attention. It sounded like scraping metal. Valac lowered his hand, and the firewall dropped below my knees. Without knowing we were watching, Ariel removed the iron collar from my father’s neck. The metal hit the floor hard, breaking into pieces. Her concoction had worked. Dad’s eyes opened, and a single tear fell down my cheek.

  “Destroy her,” Valac yelled, pointing at Ariel.

  Guards closed around Ariel, and she leaped to her feet into a crouched position. A sword appeared from behind her back. When she reached for it, I could see her badly burned palms. She winced when she gripped the handle. Without missing a beat, she swung the blade out in front of her as a warning. Damn, Ariel had all kinds of surprises.

  A wild roar came out of nowhere, shaking the floor beneath us.

  A gabriel hound stepped out of the shadows. The floor shook as he raced over, positioning himself in front of Ariel and my father. Our secondary plan had arrived. The hound snarled. When two of the guards moved toward them, the hound jumped on top of them. They screamed out in pain, begging for help, as the hound tore them apart.

  When the hound finished, he waited for the others to attack. They did the opposite. They took off, running full-speed toward the exit. With all their attention on the rogue hound, I figured I had about ten seconds. This was it. I pulled the hidden knife out of my breastplate, quickly plunging the blade into Jarrod’s chest. He grimaced in pain, but he managed to hit me with a backhanded slap across the face. I stumbled from the shock of the blow.