I examined the dried blood-covered cuts and bluish-purple bruises that decorated my skin. “I feel better than I look. Whatever Ariel gave me is working. I’ll heal in no time.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Kalin avoided making eye contact. She looked like she was trying to keep her emotions in check. “When I saw you lying on the ground, I—”
“Hey, hey. None of that.” They were all staring at me with somber expressions. “The worst of it is over, and we all survived.”
Kalin glared down into her lap and let out a weary sigh. “This is far from over.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Kalin
“Not going to happen.” Rowan shook his head. “There’s no way you’re going without me.”
Ariel watched silently from my father’s bedside. She had diligently checked his heart rate and breathing every five minutes. He was stable, but he still hadn’t woken up. Based on his wounds, she guessed it might be hours or even days before he was conscious. His time in the mortal world may have also weakened his ability to heal. Unfortunately, we were already out of time.
We had to find King Orion.
“I’ve made up my mind. Marcus and I will find King Orion while Ariel stays here with my father.” I scanned Rowan’s body. He was healing, thanks to Ariel’s efforts, but deep cuts and bruises remained on his skin. “You barely survived the last go around. You should stay here and rest.”
Rowan slid his legs over the side of the bed and onto the floor. “There’s no way I’m letting you two walk into an actual war zone without me. Discussion over, I’m going.” I opened my mouth to refute his argument, but I saw the determination in his eyes. Rowan was a warrior. No matter what I said, he was going.
“I think she’s right, man,” Marcus added. “You look like shit.”
Rowan ignored us as he removed his torn, bloody shirt. Without his glamour, the dark scars on his back were visible, but only for a second because he found a new, white shirt in one of the drawers and slipped it on.
I made one last attempt. “Rowan, this is too dangerous. We all know you’re not one hundred percent.”
His sinful blue eyes met mine with such intensity that it made my legs weak. He strode over, cupping my face in his hands and pressed his mouth against mine. Everything around us faded away. As our lips moved in unison, his arms wrapped around me with his fingers slipping inside the back of my jeans. He could’ve done anything in those moments, and I wouldn’t have stopped him. I wanted to stay like this forever.
But that wasn’t an option.
“Hello?” Marcus said, interrupting the moment. “We’re still here.”
I hated pulling away. Rowan easily shifted back into battle mode, while I took a few minutes longer. I’d never had someone get to me as he did. Then again, I’d never known anyone like him. In such a short time, he’d made a lasting impression on my life. I had this weird sensation around him. It was like I knew somehow that he was always going to be an important part of my life.
For now, I had to push those feelings aside. There might not be a future if we didn’t stop this battle. I had no idea how long the fighting had been going on, or if they had reached the volcano. It would take a lot of effort to get inside their underground fortress. The fire court army should be able to hold them off for some time. We needed as many soldiers as I could gather. King Orion’s exact location would be a secret, even to his court.
It won’t be easy to find him.
After we collected weapons, we followed our small collection of knights into a nearby portal. We stepped out on the edge of the fire territory. The scent of rotting flesh filled the air, and I cupped my hands over my nose and mouth. Dirt covered the stone mountains and deep valleys, but no foliage of any kind lived on them. The ground was dry. Within the gloom, an unusually large cloud of smoke hung over a hill less than a mile away.
Screeching metal and pained cries rang out in the distance.
We drew our swords. Marcus had already shifted into his hound form. My sword trembled in my hand. After all the hours I trained with Rowan, why hadn’t I asked him to teach me sword fighting? I guess I never imagined I’d be standing on a battlefield. Yet, here I was, trying to end a war that threatened our entire world. Tiny pearls of sweat formed on my forehead.
We trudged up a steep hill. I swung the sword a few times to get used to the feel of it. It was heavier than I expected, making a swooping sound each time I slashed the air. I was probably better off using my power, but I worried I couldn’t control it. Rowan reached out for my hand, entangling our fingers. My nerves calmed slightly. “Regardless of what happens, I want you to stand behind me. If someone comes at you, use your wind magic to keep them at a distance. I don’t want you endangering yourself.”
“I’m pretty sure just being here is a danger to my life.”
His jaw clenched. “Anyone who tries to get to you will have to go through me. You are safe with me in every way.”
My heart fluttered. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”
We reached the top of the hill and peered down into the valley. Judging by the amount of carnage, the battle must have been going on for a while. Shriveled gray bodies, in various stages of decomposition, were scattered about the open field. Elementals from each of the remaining courts slashed and sliced their swords at each other. Some fought in bloody hand-to-hand combat. Smoking fire pits created a hazing fog all around us.
We headed downward. I kept my eyes on the ground, stepping over puddles of blood, abandoned iron weapons, and crumbling bodies. The dead woodland elementals dried at a rapid pace until they were nothing more than piles of dust. These deaths were futile. I imagined the unbearable sadness that would come when family members learned the fate of their kin. A tear ran down my cheek. I would carry this day with me for the rest of my life.
A few of the fire court elementals at the outer edge of the warfare noticed us heading toward them. They threw spears in our direction. Our group scattered as we tried to avoid the assault. I stayed close behind Rowan. Others turned around, and suddenly, the battle was right before us. There was no white flag, no time to try to explain why we were here. We ran into the crowd with our swords raised, pushing our way through.
Rowan attacked with fluid motion like he was performing a deadly dance. Marcus was taking out fire elementals three at a time. I was really happy he was on our side. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw several fire elementals running toward me at an incredible speed. My power surged, and I pushed them back using my wind magic. With every thrust of wind, my energy slowly drained away. I couldn’t keep it up. Gripping my sword tightly, I awaited their impending attack.
I had no idea what I was doing.
A fire elemental, double my size, was the first to reach me. Our swords clashed with a loud scrape. He pushed his body weight into me, knocking me backward. The weight of my armor caused me to lose my balance. I tripped over something on the ground and fell back. He stood over me with his sword raised above his head. At the last possible second, I twisted on the ground, and he missed me by inches. I tried to get away, but his foot was pressing into my chest. I was trapped. He smiled and was about to plunge his blade into me when a sword pushed through the middle of his chest.
My attacker collapsed.
“I could’ve sworn I told you to stay behind me.” Rowan held his hand out. “I think those were my exact words.”
“I tried to stay behind you.” He helped me to my feet. “If you haven’t noticed, we’re kind of in the middle of a war zone.”
Rowan positioned himself in front of me again as we made our way back to the other air elementals. Some of our knights found us, forming a circular barrier around me. Aching screams of pain rang out, but my wall of protection blocked most of my view. The knights in front of me came to a sudden halt, and I bumped into the back of one of them. “What’s going on?”
I pushed my way through. Rowan pointed to a clearing where I saw King Orion surrounded by a group
of his knights. They stood, examining one of the dead bodies. Then, a loud horn sounded, and the fighting ceased. “That means the fire court is retreating. Something’s happened.”
I ran toward the woodland king, screaming out, “King Orion, I need to speak with you immediately. My father—”
“Will be returned to you shortly,” Orion finished my sentence.
He pointed to the lifeless body in front of him. My heart sank. The deteriorating corpse was Liana. I said a silent prayer as she burned into ashes at my feet. When I finished, I remembered what Britta had told me. Now that Liana was gone, Rowan must ascend to the fire court throne. Our eyes met, and his face turned somber. It was almost as if he already knew what had to be done.
“The fire queen is dead,” Orion announced, breaking me out of my thoughts. Cheers broke out among the air and woodland knights. “We will invade her castle and find Taron.”
Bitter cold ran through my veins as if my blood had frozen over.
This scenario had played out exactly as Valac predicted. I marched over to the king with my sword pointing down at my side. “You have no idea what you just did,” I yelled. Orion’s knights circled tighter around him. “My father is safe in our castle. We rescued him, but not from the fire court. Everything Ariel told you was true. Jarrod was the traitor.”
“Liana was responsible,” King Orion insisted. “You will see.”
I didn’t expect him to take my word for it. “Send your knights back to your territory. You can come with me and see for yourself.”
King Orion did as I requested. Most applauded as we passed by, and he waved his hand accordingly. They had no idea they had just ignited a ticking time bomb. Valac would make the best of this situation. In Rowan’s absence, Valac would return to the fire court and continue recruiting elementals to his cause. Liana’s death gave him all the ammunition he needed. The fire court would see the air and woodland courts as their enemies.
As the armies returned home, I saw the battlefield clearly for the first time. Hundreds of dead bodies surrounded us in various stages of decomposition. We were overwhelmed by the smell of burning flesh. I leaned over and put my hands on my knees.
A minute later, I vomited.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Kalin
The woodland king, along with the remaining members of the air court council, stood speechless at my father’s bedside. King Orion was in a state of shock. He was finally able to see the deceit, although that didn’t seem to matter. He had ordered the death of an innocent queen and started a war that had already cost hundreds of elementals their lives. I walked into the hallway. Leaning back against the wall, I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Orion is a good king.” Rowan’s voice was soft, comforting. He leaned against the wall next to me with his arms crossed. “There’s a tough road ahead, but I believe he will find his way through it.”
“I hope he does because I’m not feeling as confident as you.”
He turned, facing me. “At least we got Taron back. Once he’s healed, they can rebuild the high council and figure out our next move.”
“How?” My voice came out more panicked then I intended. “The water court has abandoned the council, and Liana is dead. We now have three courts at war, and we still have to deal with Valac and Selene.”
“Selene survived?” Rowan asked.
I thought back to the last time I saw her. Marcus had Selene by the throat, but he didn’t go for the kill as he did with the others. He seemed to want her to live. “She was hurt, but I believe she’ll recover. There’s something else. While you were out of it, Selene did something I wasn’t expecting.”
“What?”
“Selene didn’t appear to know Valac’s intentions, but when she found out he planned to kill you, she begged for your life.” I shrugged. “It isn’t much, but I thought you should know.”
A surprised look came over his face. “Selene has always been the mediator between us, but I’ve never heard of her going against him. This could end up being a good thing.”
“It might not matter which side she’s on,” I countered. “Valac will seize control of the fire court. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had already happened.”
“As long as I’m alive, he can’t claim the throne.”
A chill raced up my spine. “That means he wants you dead. Now more than ever. That’s not exactly comforting.”
Rowan shifted in front of me, our bodies practically touching. He ran his thumb across my cheekbone. “You don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself.”
I never doubted his skills. It was the fire elementals that I feared. They were an unruly, unpredictable bunch. I put my hand on his chest as I gazed up at him. “Do you have a plan?”
“I’ll do what I should’ve done from the beginning.” He let out a deep sigh. “I’ve been fighting my destiny for too long, and the consequences of my denial are all over that battlefield.” He cupped my face in his hands. “I don’t regret protecting you. Every second of our time together is precious to me. But my aunt was right. My duty is to my court.”
In my heart, I already knew the answer, but I wanted to hear the words. “What are you saying?”
He brushed his lips against mine, then released me from his hold. “I intend to claim the fire court throne.”
Marcus appeared out of nowhere, placing his hand on Rowan’s shoulder. “And I’m going with you.”
I sat in a chair next to my father’s bed, watching him sleep. It was the first time we had been alone since he returned. The silver bowl still sat on the nightstand with bloodied water and cloths inside. The dried blood and dirt on his face and neck were gone, but dark bruises remained. I leaned forward, placed my hand over his, and laid my head on top of our joined hands.
While my eyes were closed, my mind raced. Knowing my father was safe gave me some relief, but I knew this mess we’d created was far from over. The effects of Liana’s death remained unknown. Rowan was now the last member of the House of Djin—the only fire elemental with a blood claim to the throne. Valac would not rest until he was dead.
Dad groaned, and I jerked my head up. His eyes opened. I wrapped my arms around him as tears welled in my eyes. With his free hand, he rubbed the back of my head. “This wasn’t how I envisioned our first meeting. I’m sorry I put you in danger.”
“I was in danger because I was untrained and because you kept so much from me. I was blind-sided.” I tried to keep calm, but the stress and irritation I’d been bottling up were getting the best of me. “You knew what would happen when I came here. Why did you insist I live like a mortal?”
He tried to lean on his elbow, but his arm couldn’t hold his weight. I helped him adjust to a sitting position. Once he was comfortable, I perched on the corner of the bed. “What did your mother tell you about the night of your birth?”
“She told me I was born during a storm,” I said in a frustrated tone. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“You weren’t just storm born, Kalin.” He cleared his throat, then winced. “You called to the storm, and the storm obeyed.”
I poured him a glass of water, then held it to his mouth while he took several sips. “I’m your daughter. Didn’t you expect me to have some abilities?”
He chuckled, but it came out sounding like a cough. “After you trained for years, yes, of course, but not seconds after you took your first breath. I’d never seen power like that, and it filled me with fear.”
“You could’ve trained me,” I argued. “You didn’t have to send me away.”
“Who would you have become if all you had ever known was great power? A guardian or a ruler?”
I wasn’t sure because that wasn’t my life. Even Britta had said that each of our paths had threads, which I thought meant options. We chose which step we took and created our future as we went. “Maybe I would’ve become something awful, or maybe it would’ve worked out. We’ll never know.”
“That i
s why I bound your power,” he explained. “For most of your life, you’ve known Avalon existed, studied our histories, seen how we balanced the elements, but always from the outside. Living without your abilities has taught you the value of power.”
I thought back to the first time I stepped inside Avalon. The surge that went through my body when my power awakened. “That’s why I was never allowed to visit you. You wanted my power to remain dormant.”
Dad nodded.
“There is one universal truth: all life, regardless of bloodline, power or position, is precious.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “You must be a protector of life. This is the duty that comes with great power.”
“But I don’t have great power.”
“You do, Kalin. I can feel it even now,” he insisted. “From the moment you were born, I knew your destiny would be extraordinary. I believe you will one day be the foundation that keeps our elements in balance.”
Prisma believed, then Rowan. And now, my father. “It’s true, then?”
“You are the next akasha.”
Fragile Reign
Chapter One
Rowan
By the time we reached the brush fire, the blaze had spread over a thousand acres.
The damage and loss of life were nearly insurmountable. The wind kept the wildfire growing stronger by the hour. Mortal emergency trucks lined the perimeter, but their equipment couldn’t travel through the rural terrain. Residents were in the middle of an evacuation. A plane flew over and dropped gallons of water on top of the burning forests.
“Do you have enough left to put it out?” Marcus asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
I wasn’t sure. This last week had been a strain on my power. Thanks to the unbalanced elements, we’d been traveling the globe fighting one natural disaster after another. The younger elementals living in the mortal world couldn’t keep it up on their own. I had no choice. I had to do what I could. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
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