Mortal Enchantment Complete Box Set

by Stacey O'Neale

  Tears welled in her eyes. “Exactly what I expected. They refused to let me out of my engagement with Aiden, and they threatened to have me exiled from the court.”

  “You will never be exiled from our court.” I pulled her into a hug. “I can promise you that.”

  “It was awful,” she sniffled. “They were so mean to Marcus. They called him a mongrel. They would never accept him.”

  I pushed back, gripping her shoulders. “Who cares what they think? If Marcus is the one for you, then you should be with him. You should be with whoever makes you happy.”

  “I wish it were that simple,” Ariel said, wiping her away tears with the sleeve of her yellow sweater. “I have to think about my younger brothers. If I marry Aiden, I’ll join a family with clout in the court. My brothers will get the chance to become knights. It’s been their dream since they were children.”

  Ariel always thought of her family before herself. When I was sure there had been a trap and had refused to return to the castle, she'd walked straight into danger. Her concern for her family was always more important than her safety. She was one of the most selfless people I’d ever known, which was why the situation with her parents was so unfair. Was she expected to live the rest of her life unhappy because it was better for everyone else?

  “I think it’s amazing how much you care for your brothers, but you also have to think about your happiness. I believe they wouldn’t want you to be miserable for their sakes.” I nudged her side. “Plus, hello, your BFF is the future queen. I believe I have some pull in our court, as well. And I would knight them if it gave you the freedom to be with Marcus.”

  “I should’ve told you about this a while ago, but things never slowed down.” She turned away from me.

  “Hey,” I said, grabbing a tissue out of a nearby box and handing it to her. Ariel wiped underneath her eyes. Her emotional reaction turned the volume up on my already frazzled nerves. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

  Rubbing the sides of her arms, she said, “My mother heard a rumor. She thinks someone on the council circulated it. They suspect your father's health isn’t improving and that we’re trying to hide the truth.”

  I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t matter what they think. Dad will recover, and when he does, I will make sure he knows all about this petty rumor.” I sounded a lot more convincing than I felt. On the inside, this was my greatest fear. What would happen if he never regained his power? Would the council support me as their queen? Not from what I could tell from those council meetings.

  “Do you believe he will make a full recovery?” she asked.

  “Absolutely.” Yeah, I was a big ass liar. I grabbed her hand and led her farther down the hallway. I had to get out of here. “I need your help.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “My room. I have to get ready.” All of the anguish I was feeling melted away when I thought about my plans. I tried to hide my excitement. “I’m meeting Rowan at sundown.”

  Ariel glanced out the windows as we passed each one. “You’d better pick up the pace. You’ve got less than an hour.”

  The minutes couldn’t pass quick enough. In the chaos of the last week, all I’ve had to look forward to was seeing Rowan. We’ve both been so busy. There were too many unanswered questions lingering between us. Are we dating? Does Rowan even want a girlfriend? To say things had started off rocky between us would be an epic understatement. We went back and forth so many times it made me dizzy. And then there was the epic makeout session in the dungeon, which didn’t sound sexy, but it was amazing. My cheeks flushed just thinking about it. I tried to downplay my excitement. “It’s no big deal. It’s not a date or anything. I’m just going to throw on a new pair of jeans and—”

  Ariel stopped suddenly, pulling on my arm. I nearly fell into her. “Kalin, no. You haven’t seen him in over a week. You have to look hot. Give me thirty minutes and I’ll have you ready for the runway.”

  I laughed. “You say that like you’re giving me a choice.”

  “I didn’t mean for it to come off that way,” she said with a mischievous grin. “You have no choice.”

  Chapter Three

  Rowan

  As I paced the white sand, I thought about my time here with Kalin.

  We trained for hours on end as she prepared for the Midwinter’s Ball. Every day had a new challenge. Taron’s decision to raise her as a mortal put her at ground zero in the power department. She was unprepared for the trials she had to face. There were some life-threatening moments, but somehow, she survived. She stood up to the council, killed Jarrod, and even managed to rescue her father when he was hours away from death.

  And, in a very different way, she even rescued me.

  After I killed my mother and also thought I lost my best friend, I went to a dark place. Loneliness and despair left me feeling empty inside. I spent six months in the mortal world, never talking to anyone about what had happened to me. During that time, I trained and secretly watched over Kalin. It got to the point where I hardly recognized myself. Then she needed my help, and everything changed. I changed.

  She turned out to be what I didn’t know I needed.

  A few yards away, an oval-shaped wind tunnel appeared. The pathway swirled like a tornado. Kalin stepped out, pushing her loose red curls over her shoulders. Every nerve-ending in my body electrified. The wind coming off the ocean ruffled the bottom of her short canary-yellow sundress. In the dimmed light of the setting sun, she seemed to glow as she made her way toward me.

  Suddenly she was standing in front of me. Neither of us said a word. I could tell she was waiting for me to say something. And for the first time in my life, my mind was completely blank. Was I nervous? Why would I be? I had dated plenty of girls. Since when did I get tongue-tied? When in doubt, I was always good for at least one snarky comment. But then she smiled, and all I could think about was kissing her. There was this sensation, this need to feel her in my arms. My fingers tingled at the thought. What was she doing to me?

  “You’re late,” I said.

  “Really?” Kalin rolled her eyes. “You have no idea what it took to get here. I have knights following me everywhere. The council has everyone on full alert since the fire court started attacking us in the mortal world.”

  I wanted to correct her and say rogue members of the fire court, but since I already sounded like a douchebag, I decided to shift the topic to something less combative. “Looks like you’re handling the portal travel much better.”

  I cringed. Brilliant conversation starter, moron.

  She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m still not crazy about the portals, but I guess I’ve gotten used to them.”

  “That’s good.” If Marcus could see me now, he would’ve been laughing uncontrollably. He would’ve never let me live this down.

  “Good?” she repeated, eyebrows furrowed.

  I should bury my head in the sand. “I meant, good that you’ve gotten used to them.”

  “Rowan, is something wrong?” she asked, genuinely concerned. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

  “No,” I said, louder than I intended. Kalin took a step back, and I grabbed her hands. “You look pretty. That’s what I wanted to say.”

  “Thanks,” she smiled. “You look handsome.”

  “Of course I do,” I winked. “Did you expect anything less?”

  “Never mind, I take it back.”

  Oh, it was on. I pulled Kalin into my arms. “You don’t mean that, do you?”

  Looking away, she said, “I meant it.”

  I leaned in, letting my lips touch the tip of her ear. “I know you’re lying,” I whispered.

  “You couldn’t be more wrong. I think you’re barely tolerable.” She wiggled as if she was trying to release herself from my embrace, but there was no force behind her attempt.

  “I’m intrigued.” Holding her with one arm, I used my finger to turn her face until her eyes met mine. “What would you do
if I tried to kiss you?”

  “Push you away,” she said, narrowing her eyes. I almost took her seriously, and then she bit her bottom lip to hold back her grin.

  “I call your bluff.”

  Before she had a chance to respond, my lips were on hers. I loosened my hold, giving her a chance to pull away. She didn’t. Then I kissed her harder, wrapping both arms around her waist. She let out a little squeal. The peppermint taste of her kiss alerted all of my senses. Every hair on the back of my neck stood up. I didn’t want to stop. My hands explored, while her fingers dug into my hair.

  “I missed you,” Kalin said, in between pants.

  “I know.”

  Laughing, she broke the kiss. Our foreheads rested against each other. “Has there ever been a moment when you weren’t cocky?”

  I pursed my lips like I was pondering the question. “It hasn’t happened yet, but if it ever does, you’ll be the first to know.”

  Taking her hand, I led her to a blanket I had set up. We sat next to each other, watching the waves as they crashed against the shore. I took a deep breath and then let it out slowly. It was the first time I had truly relaxed in weeks. Right here with her, I was completely content. I could almost forget about all of the drama going on. Maybe even pretend we were two normal mortals on a date. I shook my head. No, that would never be us. We would always have responsibilities that most mortals couldn’t even fathom. Soon, we would both be in control of our courts, and moments like these would be few and far between.

  “I wish it could always be like this,” Kalin said as if she were reading my mind. She pulled her legs to her chest, resting her head on her knees.

  Since she seemed to know already what I was thinking, I figured I’d ask, “If we were mortals, what do you think we would be talking about right now?”

  “You mean like on a date?” she asked, with excitement in her tone.

  “Yeah.”

  Everything got quiet while she thought. “I guess we’d be getting to know each other. You know, talking about our hobbies or what we like to do for fun. That kind of stuff.”

  Although I had watched over her in the mortal world, I didn’t know much about what she did with her friends. When she was with a group, I knew she was safe. I gave her privacy. Plus, she had her knights, and I had to keep my distance. “What did you like to do in the mortal world?”

  “When I was with my friends, we liked to hang out at Mike’s Diner. They had the best hamburger sliders. We’d get a massive plate of them and talk for hours. Sometimes we’d sneak into this crappy bar and listen to live music. If I was by myself, I liked to paint.” She laughed. “With my mom, we’d have our movie nights. We would compete to see who could find the best romantic comedies. Mom liked the ones from the ’80s, like Sixteen Candles and Say Anything.”

  It was nice seeing her so calm, not thinking about all of her duties and responsibilities. I leaned back on my arms. “Which movies did you choose?”

  Her eyes widened with excitement. “I was all about the ’90s. I love Seven and Fight Club. Any movie with Brad Pitt.”

  The enjoyment dropped from her face. “You’re thinking about your mom, aren’t you?”

  “I wish she was here. I’ve missed her every day since I came here.” Her fingers toyed with the fringe on the blanket. “I’ve contemplated visiting her a thousand times, but I don’t want her to know what’s going on. I don’t want her to worry.”

  I wasn’t a big fan of secrets. I had seen firsthand how they could break a family apart. “I might be stepping over a line here, but don’t you think she has a right to know? Aren’t you afraid she will be upset when she eventually finds out? At some point, you’re going to see her again.”

  Her back straightened. “She might be upset, but I think she’ll ultimately understand that I had my reasons.”

  It was better to back away from this conversation. I had hit a sore spot. “How is your father doing?”

  Once her shoulders slumped, I had my answer. “Not good. We can’t remove all of the iron in his bloodstream. I didn’t get to him fast enough.”

  I put my arm around her, squeezing her shoulder. My heart ached at the guilt she felt. How could she possibly blame herself? “Hey, none of that. You rescued him. He’s alive because of you. Don’t ever forget that.”

  “If he had trained—”

  “Exactly. Taron made a choice not to teach you. He couldn’t have predicted how everything played out, but he should’ve prepared for anything.” I thought back to my mother’s execution. How I had begged Taron to tell Kalin the truth. She had a right to know that her life was in danger. If she had known, she could’ve prepared herself or sought out training. Who knows? If only he had listened to me.

  “Any news to report from the mortal world?” she asked, obviously trying to change the subject. She must have sensed this was a sensitive topic for me.

  I weighed my words before I spoke. Coming at it in a positive light seemed like the way to go. “I found out most of the fires are not igniting from the unbalanced elements.”

  Her eyes lit up. “That’s good, right?”

  Nope, there was no positive way to spin this. It made more sense just to come right out and tell her the truth. “It seems Valac has been encouraging other fire elementals to attack the air and woodland territories. He has declared himself king of our court.”

  “No, he can’t do that,” she said, her tone filled with venom.

  I understood her anger. Valac had no right to claim the throne. “He can say whatever he wants, but he can’t ascend to the throne. Not until I’m dead or I concede, which I will never do.”

  “Please don’t go back to the fire court.” Fear laced her words. “He’ll kill you.”

  I started to wonder if she really could read my mind. “You know I have no choice. These attacks will not end if I don’t. The elements cannot stay unbalanced.”

  “But you have no army to stand with you,” Kalin said, frantically. “Do you even know how many members of your court support him? You could be walking right into a trap.”

  I cupped her face in my hands. “You may be right, but it doesn’t change what I need to do. The longer I avoid this, the worse it will get. I am leaving in the morning.”

  Kalin put her hands over mine. Her touch sent a wave of heat through my arms. “I understand, but you need to make me a promise. You have to come back here at sundown every other day. It’s the only way I will know you’re safe.”

  “I promise. I will be here.” I kissed her again, softer this time. Tenderly. The way you kiss someone when you want it to matter. The first time I kissed her tonight, it was all about need and want. The fierce desire I felt for her deep down in my bones. This kiss was different. It was me saying everything I couldn’t get out in words. How much I cared for her. How much she meant to me. I would die to protect her.

  I couldn’t say how long the kiss lasted. But when it was over, I was lying on the ground with Kalin’s head on my chest. I stared into the night sky while she slept, running my fingers through her soft curls. I smiled each time she snored in her sleep. I probably should’ve attempted to sleep, but there was too much on my mind.

  Everything Kalin had said about the fire court was true. I didn’t know if there was a trap waiting for me. Or if Valac had amassed an army to stand with him. But I would not idly stand by while he destroyed the world. I should have killed him long ago when I had the chance, and I planned to correct that mistake. Tomorrow I will return to my home in the court of fire. And even if I stood alone, I would defeat him.

  Chapter Four

  Kalin

  The hours passed by too quickly.

  A dull ache settled in the pit of my stomach the moment we said goodbye. I didn’t want Rowan to return to the fire court. He hadn’t been there since his mother forced Marcus to tear off his wings. Prisma earned her execution. I just wished Rowan hadn’t been the one to end her. I wondered if the other fire elementals ever learned the circumstan
ces surrounding her death. It probably didn’t matter. Valac has had plenty of time to fill their heads with lies while he gained supporters for his army.

  During the night, Rowan told me he had depleted all of his energy trying to put out a massive forest fire. He had no idea how long it would take before he was back at full power, or if he would need to go back to the mortal world and help the younger elementals. Was this all part of Valac’s plan? Was he trying to weaken Rowan before he returned to the fire court? My only solace was knowing Marcus was with him. The hounds were the strongest of all the fire elementals. If it came down to a battle, he would protect Rowan.

  As I approached the stone archway, I noticed a collection of elementals just outside the castle entryway. Thunder crashed while lightning flashed within the clouds. The skies didn’t look natural. Cheers rang out as I pushed my way through the crowd. Then I saw the reason for the uproar. My father stood in the center of the commotion with his hands raised toward the heavens. Rays of sunlight blanched his face. New wrinkles were visible in the corners of his lavender eyes. Had the other elementals not noticed how much he had aged?

  All of my concerns washed away when I realized he was using his powers to control the weather. A sliver of hope grew in my chest. Had something changed overnight? Maybe I was right all along, and he just needed time to recuperate. When I reached him, I threw my arms around his neck. “Dad, I can’t believe it. How are you feeling?”

  His arm wrapped around my waist, but something was off. Dad was shaking. “I woke up this morning with a burst of energy. I just had to get out of bed and come outside.”

  I took a hard look at him. Sweat pearled on his forehead. His eyes strained as he concentrated his energy. His reaction reminded me of my training with Rowan. That was the day I tried to use too much power and ended up passing out right on the beach. When I woke up, he told me that using too much energy could’ve put me in a coma. Or I could’ve died. A knot formed in my throat and I swallowed it down. “Dad, you’ve been out here for a while. How about we go inside and get some breakfast?”