Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2)

• Chapter One
  
• Chapter Two
  
• Chapter Three
  
• Chapter Four
  
• Chapter Five
  
• Chapter Six
  
• Chapter Seven
  
• Chapter Eight
  
• Chapter Nine
  
• Chapter Ten
  
• Chapter Eleven
  
• Chapter Twelve
  
• Chapter Thirteen
  
• Chapter Fourteen
  
• Chapter Fifteen
  
• Chapter Sixteen
  
• Chapter Seventeen
  
• Chapter Eighteen
  
• Chapter Nineteen
  
• Chapter Twenty
  
• Chapter Twenty-One
  
• Chapter Twenty-Two
  
• Chapter Twenty-Three
  
• Chapter Twenty-Four
  
• Chapter Twenty-Five
  
• Chapter Twenty-Six
  
• Acknowledgments
  
• About the Author
  

FRAGILE REIGN

by

Stacey O'Neale

This book is dedicated to my father, Russell Howell.

Rather than cautiously tip-toe into the water, you encouraged me to dive straight in with freeing abandon.

Thank you for teaching me to be fearless.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Henry IV, Part 2, Act III, Scene i

Rowan

By the time we reached the brush fire, the blaze had spread over more than a thousand acres. The dry heat and wind kept it growing stronger by the hour. Mortal emergency trucks lined the perimeter while sirens rang out to alert residents to the evacuation. I gazed into the skies when I heard a rumble. A plane flew over, dropping gallons of water over 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.”

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring,” he replied.

Hidden behind a glamour, we made our way past the firefighters and emergency workers. My nostrils filled with the scent of ash and smoke. Heat radiated over my face as we got closer to the flames, but the temperature never bothered us. Fire elementals ran hot most of the time. Unfortunately, my clothes did suffer from the exposure. My jeans were spattered with soot and my leather jacket was burned at both sleeves. It was really a shame. That jacket was one of my favorites.

“What do you suppose caused this?” I asked. “Can you pick up on anything?” In addition to his strength, Marcus had an incredible sense of smell. He could recognize the scents of each of the four kinds of elementals. If one of us caused this fire, he’d know it. I feared one of my kind had ignited the forest as retribution for the woodland court’s involvement in the attack on the fire court.

After Liana was killed by Orion and his army, rogue fire elementals waged war with the air and woodland elementals. Their forest and mountain territories within the mortal world had been attacked. Some have taken on air and woodland elementals directly. Losses have been suffered on every side. I’ve done everything to try to end the war, even being forced to take down members of my own court who refused to stand down. The natural disasters and attacks have kept me away from Avalon—away from Kalin.

“I can’t tell in this form,” Marcus said, unbuttoning his shirt.

He began to shape-shift into a Gabriel Hound. Since I wasn’t into seeing my best friend’s junk, I looked away while he undressed. Bones popped, repositioning themselves beneath his growing muscles. He tried to hide the pain, but I heard him wincing a few times. No matter how many times he transformed, it was excruciating. I wished I could help ease his suffering. Marcus snarled and I turned back around. Standing on all fours, he was about the size of a panther on steroids. Coarse black fur now covered his caramel skin. I collected his clothes from the ground, stuffing them into my canvas knapsack.

“We need to find the source of the fire.” I said, tipping my chin. “Follow me.”

I stretched my hands out on both sides. Using my power, I thrust my energy away from us. A pathway formed, splitting the fire into two. We headed straight through the flames. After about two miles, Marcus stopped. His head arched as he sniffed the air. Then he took off. He had likely picked up a scent. I chased him until he circled around something. He couldn’t speak in his hound form, but when his eyes met mine, I knew he’d found what we had feared.

Within the blaze, Marcus discovered an area of forest that had not been damaged. It was an oasis filled with lush green trees and flowering bushes. As I approached, I saw what he had already uncovered. It was the bodies of three faeries from the woodland court. Their skin was charred and blistered, but their remains had not dissolved. Woodland faery corpses did not burn like fire elementals. Their remains melted into the ground, becoming one with the lands they protect. Based on the marks on their skin, it was likely because they had been attacked by an elemental in my court. I bent down next to one of the bodies, setting the knapsack on the ground. The woodland elemental was very young. I would guess she wasn’t even a teenager. I ran my hand over her face, closing her eyes. A moment later, she began to liquefy into the earth. Anger burned in my chest. I couldn’t understand why fire elementals would kill without reason. These fae were children, most likely unaware of the events in Avalon. I stood, vowing to give the slain creatures justice. I swore I would put an end to this violence.

Since there was nothing more I could do for the victims, I turned back to the blaze. I had to save as much of the forest as possible. I closed my eyes, summoning all energy I could from my core. The power surged deep in my chest. I let it extend into my arms and hands. From my center, a ball of energy formed. I focused all of my power into the orb, urging its growth. Every inch of the expansion weakened me. I could barely stand, sensing my knees were about to buckle. When the sphere equaled the size of the forest, I encased the woodland within the energy dome. I spread my fingers then tightened them into a fist. As I pulled my arms into my body, the ball sucked the oxygen out of the fire. No oxygen, no fire. Sweat poured down my neck and I fought to hold on. Little by little, the blaze grew smaller. My arms got heavier, as if someone was adding weights on top of them. My body swayed. I was so close, just a few more seconds. It was too much.

I had nothing left.

I collapsed.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t on the ground. Marcus was carrying me on his back with my knapsack swinging from his mouth. As he raced through the burning forest, leaves and twigs crumpled under his massive paws. The ground shook with each step he took. Additional planes flew over with water. Some of the liquid landed on us which felt pretty good. The mortals managed to contain what was left of the fire. It was a relief, a small victory. Now we could rest and prepare for the next challenge.

I woke up next to a large stream in a thick, wooded area. Oak trees that seemed to stretch into the skies surrounded us. A sweet scent permeated the area coming from nearby berry bushes. None of the foliage had any fire damage. I didn’t see a single burnt leaf or blade of grass. Marcus must’ve carried me for quite a while. My entire body ached, as if I were covered in bruises. It would be several hours before I would return to full power.

He sat on a log, chomping down on what was most likely the last of our food. Each time he shifted, he used a tremendous amount of energy. He needed to eat to regain his strength. I could’ve filled a semi with the amount of food he had eaten this week.

“How long have I been out?” I asked, checking the knapsack to see if there was any food left. I found a sandwich and took a bite.

Marcus stared into the distance. “A few hours.” Before I could say a word, he said, “Don’t complain. You needed the rest.”

Although we were close in age, he acted as my protector. Had my mother still been in power, he would be my slave. My guardian, expected to give his life for mine if necessary. But I would never accept that. Marcus was the reason I survived my childhood. He was family. My brother. Our friendship had been tested when he was forced to remove my wings, but since he returned to my side we’ve been closer than ever.

“You look so serious. What are you thinking about?” I had a pretty good guess, but I wanted to be sure.

“Do you think her parents will ever accept me?” he asked, shoulders sunk as if he already knew the answer.

Before we left Avalon, Ariel had gone to her parents and demanded to be let out of her engagement with Aiden. Holding Marcus’s hand, she explained she was in love with him. Her parents wanted nothing to do with it. Marcus wasn’t an air elemental. Making matters worse, he was still considered a slave in the fire court. Ariel’s parents were too obsessed with their own social standings to see how happy their daughter was. They threatened to banish her from the air court. Of course, Kalin would never let that happen.

My chest tightened each time I thought of Kalin. I hadn’t seen her in over a week. Each day I worried about her father’s recovery. Until he could resume his position as king, she was expected to fill in. This meant she would have to attend air court council meetings in his place. She was the one who went to them to reveal Jarrod was the traitor. Since her father is still recovering, she would have to choose someone to replace him. It’s an incredible amount of responsibility for someone so new to the elemental world. Much more than she was expecting, I’m sure.

I sat next to Marcus on top of a log. “Listen, Ariel’s parents don’t need to accept you. If you love each other, that’s all that matters.”

He threw a few stones into the stream. “Not to Ariel. She feels responsible for her younger siblings. She thinks she has to marry into a high ranking family so that her brothers can become knights.”

I put my hand on his shoulder. “If that’s the case, there’s nothing to worry about.” Marcus turned to face me. “Kalin is her best friend and the future ruler of the air court. She would knight all of her siblings if it meant Ariel could be with who she wants.”

Marcus shook his head, letting out an exaggerated breath. “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

My eyebrows furrowed. “Why not?”

“Ariel said there are powerful council members who don’t want to see a halfling ruler.”

I let out a low growl. I couldn’t believe after everything Kalin had done—everything she had sacrificed—to save her court, there were still elementals who would stand against her. I wished I were there. I would love to set them straight…with my fists. “What a bunch of idiots.”