Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2) (15 page)

Unfortunately, I was already out of time.

Reports from the mortal world seemed to come in hourly. Massive fires continued to break out causing major damage and mortal death. In addition, fire elemental attacks against the air and woodland courts persisted. I set up a reward system to capture rogue elementals and bring them the justice they deserved. In just one day, I had over one hundred traitors in the cells beneath the castle. I had not decided what I would do with them. I wanted to make examples out of them, but I did not want to return the court to the same sense of panic that Mother had kept them in for so long. I had to find a better way to control the elementals without forcing them to live in fear.

I had not been challenged by any more of Valac’s followers. Their silence was a relief, but I never let my guard down. It was only a matter of time before they would strike again. I was sure he would send more assassins. He may not be much of a fighter, but he was certainly smart. Valac was able to raise an army after his exile and turn courts against one another. I would not make the mistake of underestimating him in the future. But I did wonder about Selene. Kalin said she went against Valac, trying to convince him not to kill me. I had no idea what type of repercussion she had suffered for her actions.

I certainly hoped Valac didn’t kill his own sister.

“Your Highness?” The troll asked, rubbing the bottom of her oversized nose with a cloth. “Have you reached your verdict?” Black rounded eyes stared at me, awaiting my decision. Rows of canine teeth were exposed when she smiled.

“Unless you have some proof the goblin tried to poison you, I cannot punish him.”

Her pudgy fists clenched at her sides. “Proof has never been required in the past. Why do I need it now?”

I stood, wanting the entire line of elementals to hear me. “From now on, any fire elemental who commits a crime will get a fair trial and punishment. If proof is not found, I will dismiss the charges.”

The crowd let out a collective groan. Their reaction amazed me. They would resist a change that ultimately helps them, providing them with freedom and protection. “Does anyone have something they would like to add?” I asked.

The crowd silenced.

“Your turn,” I said, waving the next elemental forward.

By the time I reached the end of the line, I was ready to pass out. That was the most continuous talking I had ever done. I reached a point where I was sick of hearing my own voice. I gazed around the cathedral-size hall. At least a few hundred elementals had packed the throne room. They stayed to watch the proceedings. Some snacked on berries and other fruits while I dealt the punishment. They even clapped when they were satisfied with my verdict. It really was entertainment for them. It reminded me of the mortal television channel they called Court TV.

I was about to return to my chambers when I heard a roar that shook the walls. The floor rumbled like an earthquake. A thumping beat got louder as it seemed to be heading my way. When I could stand, I reached for my sword and held it in front of me. The door pushed open. Gabriel Hounds poured into the room, lining the walls. They each found a spot on the barrier, sitting back on their hind legs. Many of the other elementals panicked. No one could exit which caused a few of them to scream out in fear. Then the last hound entered, heading straight for me. He stopped in front of me and bowed.

It was Marcus.

“What are you doing? You don’t ever need to bow to me.” I said to him. Addressing the crowd, I said, “There is no need to be afraid. The hounds have returned by my invitation.”

While I waited for Marcus to shift into his mortal form, I sent someone to get him some clothes. Within a few minutes, his curly brown hair and forest green eyes had returned. Something was different about him. He seemed bigger than I remembered. Perhaps this was something that happened when one of them became pack leader? I handed him a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. None of the other hounds had shifted. They remained in their same positions, watching over the crowd. Snarling when one of the elementals got too close.

“Were you going for fashionably late?” I asked Marcus.

With a gruff voice, he said, “My stay at the air court castle lasted longer than I expected. I really need to talk to you—”

“Tell me all the dirty details later.” I insisted. “Right now, we have an announcement to make.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “We do?”

“Yup.” I pointed to the spot next to me. “Get up here.”

Marcus cautiously made his way up the steps. He stood at my side, arms crossed. “Are you getting ready to propose?”

“Don’t you wish?”

He shook his head.

I addressed the remaining crowd. “Effective immediately, all Gabriel Hounds are released from their duties. They are now full-fledged members of our court with the same rights as any other. If they choose to remain in their current positions, they will be paid for their work. Guardians will now be considered knights unless they do not wish to continue their service.”

The rest of the room gasped. A goblin came forward, pointing a sharp finger at one of the hounds. “They cannot be members of our court. They were made, not born. Created to guard and serve us. Who will protect us now?”

Rage was rising in my chest. It took everything I had not to slice his throat. “How they came to be is irrelevant. From this day forward, they are members of our family and will be treated as such. Marcus, their new leader, will have a spot on the council as one of my advisors.”

An ogre stood next to the goblin, tripling him in size. “They are animals.” The crowd cheered in agreement.

I never thought I’d see the day when these two creatures would agree on anything. Figures it would be on this topic. Fire burst from my palms. Everyone but Marcus took a step back. It took a lot more than fire to scare a hound. “If you challenge my decision, be prepared to face me. This ruling is final. I will not allow it to be contested in any way.”

The horde silenced while the two creatures backed away together. I took that as my cue to leave. I’d had enough for one day. I nodded for Marcus to follow me. He said something to one of the hounds before we left. They stayed where they were as we exited out of a side door. The hallway was quiet for the first time today. The silence was a relief.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Marcus said, putting his hand on my shoulder.

“Yes I did.”

“Thank you,” he said, lowering his head.

As we headed toward my chambers, I took a closer look at Marcus. Not only had his muscle mass expanded, but his facial features had become defined, chiseled. My best friend could put the WWE wrestlers to shame. “Damn, bro. What kind of steroids have you been taking? You’re starting to make me look bad.” I playfully pushed him away. “What am I saying? I could never look bad.”

He chuckled. “Your ego has no limitations.”

I couldn’t stop staring at him. It was as if he had aged ten years. “What happened while you were gone?”

Marcus glanced at his enormous forearms. “The change happened gradually. Each time I shifted, I got bigger. I noticed it after I left the woodland territory.”

I opened my bedroom door, walking in after Marcus. He made a b-line for a platter of fruit and pastries someone had left. “What did Ariel think of the new you?” I asked, watching him stuff a whole muffin in his mouth.

Once he had chewed and swallowed his snack, he said, “It took her a minute to get used to it. I have to be more careful with her. Sometimes I forget how much stronger I am.”

“Do you think you could take me?” I joked.

He laughed. “I could rip you in half.”

I poured myself a glass of wine. “I don’t doubt that.”

Marcus ate half the platter before he spoke again. “Rowan, there is something serious we need to talk about. Something that you’re not going to like.”

I raised my eyebrows, curious. “If it’s that bad, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

He lowered his voice. “I wanted to wait until we were alone.”

An overwhelming sense of worry came over me. “Okay, tell me now.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s about Kalin.”

My entire body tensed when he said her name. I tried not to get angry, but he knew me well enough to know that anything involving her was top priority. He shouldn’t have waited to tell me. “What happened?”

“I want you to promise to hear me out before you react.”

“Tell me.” I said, teeth clenched.

He let out a long breath. “Kalin is set to marry an air elemental named Sebastian in six months, but Ariel said it was all part of Kalin’s plan.”

Setting a wedding date was never part of Kalin’s plan. This was exactly what I had warned her about. This asshat had no intention of helping her. He wanted the throne. Fire ignited from my fingers to my shoulders, burning away half of my shirt. “I’m going to kill him.”

Marcus waved his hands in front of him. “Easy now. You need to hear the rest of it.”

“I know all about him. Kalin told me they were betrothed, but she said it would go no further than that.” Every inch of my body felt as if I were on fire. Like my blood was boiling in my veins. “I knew I was right about him.”

“Don’t be so sure. Kalin may have no other choice. She’s under a lot pressure from the council.”

“Yeah, she told me all about her issues with the council.” Since her arrival, they had done very little to support her. “But I still don’t believe Sebastian is helping her out of the kindness of his heart. The guy has an agenda.  I’m sure of it.”

Marcus shrugged. “You could be right, but Ariel confirmed that Sebastian
is
helping her. When they’re together, Kalin is trying to read the akasha journals.”

“What do you mean, when they’re together? Where are they going? What are they doing?” I didn’t trust Sebastian as far as I could throw him. But I’d still like to throw him. I would also like to punch him, burn him, and slice open his throat.

“Nothing has changed, Rowan. I followed them around for a while after I left Ariel. Kalin is keeping up appearances. That’s all. There’s nothing between them.”

“I think I may need to see for myself.” I said, rubbing my hand over my knuckles.

A knock at the door startled us both. Marcus moved first, opening the door. One of his hounds stepped inside, bowing in front of him. It was strange to see him in this new position among his pack. “What’s wrong, Ethan?” Marcus asked.

Ethan glanced at Marcus, then to me. “There’s an army of elementals outside of the volcano.”

“Valac.” I said, with venom in my tone.

Kalin

The sun had begun to set, painting the skies with a golden yellow tint. Each cloud was highlighted with a different shade of purple. Flocks of birds flew overhead, singing their sweet songs. I admired their tranquility. With the temperatures dropping, I threw on a black hoodie over my t-shirt, then returned to my meditation. I had spent the last several hours in this same spot on the side of the mountain. The place where Dad once went for peace. I tried to reconnect with my power.

Unfortunately, nothing was working.

Bash stayed close, completely silent while I focused. Things had gotten about as bad as they could get. Instead of gaining the akasha powers, I had lost my own. When I closed my eyes, my mental pictures were shaky. It was as if I was watching myself on a scrambled television station—nothing but static and broken images. The more I concentrated on my mental projection, the worse it got.

An overwhelming sense of anxiety flowed through me.

When I worked with Rowan, my aura was affected by my fear. The panic I couldn’t release made it impossible to relax. I worked tirelessly to get to a calming state. It took an incredible amount of time just to learn to concentrate. My body was nearly at rest before my aura changed from deep orange to bright yellow. Once I reached the color, I had a perfect handle on my power. Now, I couldn’t see my aura at all. It wasn’t dark or light.

It was nothing.

After the mental images faded away, all I saw was an eerie blackness. I was totally disconnected from a part of myself. I didn’t know where to go or how to fix whatever had happened. All I could think about was how many elementals I would let down. And Dad still was not getting better. As an akasha, I may be able to regenerate his power. At the very least, I could restore the air court. I could bring balance to all four of the courts and stop the out of control natural disasters in the mortal world.

Without any power, I was helpless.

I pulled my knees to my chest, resting my head inside my crossed arms. “I don’t know what to do.”

Bash put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. “Why don’t you talk to your father? Maybe he can help.”

Dad couldn’t help himself or his court. Why burden him with my problems when he already had so much on his plate? “No. It’s my body, my power. I should be able to figure this out on my own.”

Two of my father’s knights appeared next to us. Both bowed in unison. “Princess Kalin, the king requests your presence.” The knight’s eyes turned to Bash. “The king has also requested to see Sebastian.”

“Why would he want to see me?” Bash asked, looking at me.

I bit my bottom lip. “I really have no idea.”