Eternal Sacrifice (Mortal Enchantment Book 4) (10 page)

Not exactly what I expected to hear when I set out to find Merlin. Although I’d anticipated there would be an interesting story tied to his incarceration. Britta had risked a great deal by imprisoning him here and hiding his whereabouts. Merlin created the mist. That meant he was very powerful. Maybe even a member of the high council. His disappearance would’ve been noticed by many. They’d likely gone to many extremes to keep their secret buried.

And I was supposed to believe it was all to save my life.

The images projected into my mind were convincing, but I still wasn’t fully sold on the picture she’d painted of my mother. I’d spent too many years being ignored to simply accept that beneath all of her anger and resentment, she loved me. If she’d feared I would destroy the world, I figured she would have told me. That was some pretty important information to keep hidden. The most logical move would’ve been to keep me close to her. Not send me to the exact person she’d been told I’d fall in love with. The person I’d do anything to protect.

Although Britta made it seem as if we couldn’t stop Valac from cutting the mist, I hadn’t lost hope. Merlin was still our best chance to save Kalin. Would he try to kill me the minute he was freed? Maybe. There was no way to know what he thought after all these years. The confinement could’ve driven him crazy. What if he’d been awake the entire time? Being frozen for eighteen years in an iron box doesn’t sound like anything I’d ever want to experience. I shivered just thinking about it.

Regardless of the danger to myself, I had to try.

Britta had led me to the tower where he’d been kept. I headed up the circular stone stairwell that never seemed to end. I was sure I’d been going for at least twenty minutes before I reached the top. I stood on the cement landing staring at a worn wooden door with no handle or key hole. I tried to ram it open with my shoulder, then kicked it as hard as I could. No luck. Britta must’ve left out the part of the story that explained how to get through the doors magical protection. If I wasn’t able to break her seal, I had one more option.

Burn it down.

I ignited my core fire in my hands, letting the fire burn all the way to my wrists. With as much force as I could muster, I slammed my palms against the door. I held on to the wood. My power flowed out of my fingertips, reaching the central point of the timber. Smoke engulfed the stairwell as the fire crackled. Ash filled my nostrils. I sensed it was working. Any minute now. I pulled my hands back, and watched the inferno burn. A crack split the center of the door. It was time. I punched my fist into the middle of the newly formed gap.

The wood broke into large pieces, and I stepped through the frame.

When the smoke cleared, I took in my surroundings. The circular room was all brick with four square windows. No designs or markings anywhere. And in the very center, I saw it. The horizontal block of ice had to be eight feet long. Iron belts were wrapped around it like a medieval present. The metal hummed with magic. Merlin had to be inside. As I approached, the sound increased. Then I felt the pressure. Something forced me back. Each step I took was harder than the last. I kept pushing forward with all my might. By the time I reached him, my muscles were sore. Between that and getting through the door, I hoped I hadn’t used too much of my core strength.

I unsheathed my sword.

Concentrating, I focused all my remaining power on my sword. Blue fire ignited all around the weapon from handle to tip. Actually, it was pretty badass. Britta hadn’t explained exactly how I’d free him. I expected that I needed to break those iron belts. Reaching back, I swung the blade into the iron with all my strength. The sheer ferocity of the impact caused a loud explosion. I was thrust backwards, slamming into the brick wall. Bones in my spine cracked, and I winced as I hit the floor. I was sure I’d be feeling that for a couple of days. When I got to my knees first, I crawled over to Merlin.

The metal had been bent and curled outward. Ice was everywhere. I held onto a large chunk as I rose onto my feet. There he was. Merlin was on the floor with his eyes closed. His arms were crossed over his chest. He was a lot younger than I expected. All the stories I’d heard described him as a really old mortal with a long white beard. They were way off. He looked to be in his early thirties with dark brown hair, and a muscular build. He wore dark pants with a long knitted matching shirt. His clothes were tattered like he’d been in a fight before he went in there.

I’d freed him, but he wasn’t awake.

How was I supposed to get him out of here? I’d used up most of my energy. I only had enough left to steer us through a portal. That was it. There was no way around it. He had to wake up. I bent down, and tried to shake him. “There’s no kiss coming, Sleeping Beauty. I can promise you that.”

Since Merlin was a fire elemental, there was one thing I could try. A transfer of power. I’d heard it could be done to save someone that was in a coma or totally drained. It was a myth among our court. I’d never actually heard of anyone attempting it. It was even more dangerous with my power drained. But I had no other ideas. Why not give it a go? I placed my hands over his chest. Using my power like a defibrillator, I sent a shock into his heart. His entire body jerked. Nothing. One more time with all my strength. Pressing my palms against his skin, I thrust two more jolts into him.

His eyes flipped open, and he gasped for air.

I put some space between us in case he decided to attack. He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes roamed the room. Was he trying to figure out where he was? His stare settled on me, and I gripped the handle of my sword. “You’re in a tower in the water court.”

He managed to get on his knees, but his arms wobbled. I guessed he was experiencing some kind of muscle atrophy. I couldn’t imagine being frozen for eighteen years was good for the body. A normal mortal wouldn’t have survived. But elementals were built differently. Our bodies were much more durable. “Will you take me to the eternal flame?”

Of course. The flame was likely the only way he could recharge his power. Actually it wasn’t a bad idea. I was also in need of some rejuvenation. “Can you walk?” I asked, pointing over my shoulder. “The portal is about half a mile from here.”

He squinted. I wondered if his vision hadn’t fully returned. “I will manage,” he replied, as he steadied on his feet.

I clutched his bicep to keep him sturdy as we headed down the steps. He patted my hand like he was showing gratitude. I was surprised he hadn’t asked me any questions. If I’d been locked up as long as he had, I imagined I would have thousands of things I’d want to ask. “My name is Rowan, in case you’re wondering. I’m the king of the fire court.”

He turned his head to face me. “I know who you are, Rowan. I know everything about you.”

My eyebrows drew together. “How is that possible? I mean, no offense, but you’ve been a popsicle for eighteen years.”

He chuckled, then coughed. “That’s a very long conversation for another time.”

I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that. After a while, we reached the bottom of the stairwell and made our way outside. “It’s not much farther.” I said, as we strode over the sandy beach.

“I remember the way.”

I wasn’t sure whether or not I should trust him. Although he was in a weakened state, his power would be fully revived by the eternal flame. Was that the best move? I needed to know more before I took him there. “Do you remember why you were imprisoned?”

The corner of his lip curled. “Are you asking because you fear I might harm you?”

I almost laughed at his response. He might know who I was, but he had no idea what I was capable of. “If you’re planning to attack me, you’ll be the one with a sword to the throat.”

“I don’t have any desire to hurt you, Rowan,” he tried to assure me.

Really? That seemed like an odd statement to make considering what he’d tried to do the last time we were together. “If all that’s true, why did you try to kill me?”

We were a few yards away from the portal. The pathway swirled with orbs of fire. It seemed to spark as we got closer as if it had seen us coming. “I feared there was no other way,” he replied. “Britta told me you would fall in love with the akasha. That you would protect her instead of our kin. I didn’t want you to have to make that choice. Killing you seemed like a mercy at the time.”

Did he still feel that way? Was I setting myself up for a trap? I stopped, and shifted in front of him. “And now?”

“Now you are the king of the fire court.” His eyes bored into mine so intently that I shuddered. “I believe you will make the right choice.”

“Isn’t there any other option?” I asked, with desperation in my tone. “There has to be another way to seal the mist.”

“There is not.” He lowered his head. “The blood of the akasha was the fail-safe in case the mist was ever weakened or torn. At the time of its creation, I never imagined any elemental would be able to collect all of the four sacred artifacts necessary to cut the mist.”

All my hopes disintegrated. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“I’m sorry, son.” His hands fell to his sides.

The words he spoke triggered something in me. Something I’d wondered all my life. A story mother had told me that never added up. My eyes narrowed. “Son?”

“Didn’t anyone tell you?” He asked, as a line etched between his brows. When I didn’t answer, he let out an exaggerated breath. “Rowan, I am your father.”

Kalin

I’d gotten in way over my head.

Trying to plan a wedding in twenty-four hours was crazyballs. Idiotic. But I had to do it. Ariel was wild with excitement. We had every elemental in the castle involved. Everywhere I went, workers raced around me in every direction. The wedding ceremony would take place outside on the side of the mountain where Dad used to meditate. It had the best view of Avalon, and just happened to sit on a fairly flat surface. Ariel loved the idea. As an air elemental, she wanted to be among the clouds.

I headed outside to check out the preparations.

Wooden chairs with white silk pillows had been brought out and arranged into two rows. They had nearly finished a stage they built for the bride and groom to stand on. On either side, two white pillars had been installed. Garlands of fresh flowers in a riot of colors would be hung from the columns forming a floral curtain archway. Several females sat in a circle as they sewed the blossoms into long strands. Once all the work was completed, the area would be transformed into the perfect romantic backdrop. I had no doubt Ariel would love it.

Pleased by the progress, I made my way toward the ballroom where the elementals version of a reception would take place. It made sense. There would be a lot of space for dancing as well tables for eating and conversation. I stepped inside. Preparations had already begun. White round tables lined every corner of the room. Each had lavender silk draped over the surface. Purple was Ariel’s favorite color, and I wanted to make sure it was everywhere. Each table had white ceramic dinnerware, champagne flutes, and silk napkins. The centerpiece was a bouquet of lavender roses that had been shaped into a large round ball and set inside a glass vase. Above my head, tiny balls of light illuminated the room like stars. The ceiling was breathtaking, and I couldn’t stop the girlish shriek that escaped my throat.

Before I checked on Ariel, I needed to peek in on the kitchen staff. I let my nose lead the way as I sauntered across the ballroom floor. I approached the entrance to the kitchen. Cinnamon and sugar wafted into my nostrils. I pushed against the swinging doors, and stepped inside. At least twenty elementals were moving around the area. A few stood in front of the ovens as they appeared to be waiting for food to come out. Others worked feverishly mixing ingredients in bowls. In the far corner of the room, I saw the beginning of a wedding cake. So far, they’d made the cake layers and stacked them on top of one another. It looked like vanilla but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t want to ask because everyone was so busy.

I left without saying a word to anyone. Upstairs, Ariel was in her room. She had dressmakers running in and out of her quarters for the last few hours. It had been a while since I’d seen her. I headed up several flights of stairs. As I made my way down the hallway, I thought about Marcus and Ariel. They’d fought so hard for their relationship. From the start, it was troubled. Marcus was still learning to control his new hound form when they met. He was in constant pain as his body got used to the shifting required during the transformation. It wasn’t an easy process.

But his time with Ariel seemed to ease the hurt. She’d told me she quickly fell in love with him, but he pushed her away. He’d known that we air elementals typically mated with others of our kind. Not to mention, she was already promised to a high-ranking elemental. The last thing her parents wanted was to see her with a hound—the one-time servants of the fire court. He’d thought he was doing the best thing for her. Of course, he was wrong. Ariel deserved to be with someone she loved. Eventually she convinced him. And now, two of my favorite elementals were going to get to spend the rest of their lives together.

They were worth the sacrifice I had to make.

I knocked on her door, then turned the knob. I put my hand over my mouth as it fell open. Ariel looked like something out of a fairy tale. Her long, wheat-blond hair hung loosely down her back. Small white flowers had been sewn into the curls. Her makeup had been applied using natural tones and glossy pink lipstick. She wore a satin one-shoulder wedding gown with a pleated wrap bodice, multi-tiered skirt, and ruffled six-foot train. The bottom of the white dress was dyed in a purple ombre style. Seamstresses worked all around her, sewing all the final touches.

Ariel noticed that I stood at the door and her smile lit the room. “What do you think?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“You’re gorgeous,” I replied, on the verge of tears. “Like something out of a dream.”