The Shadow Prince (7 page)

The world melted away into black again, but this time, the pain remained. We must have entered a portal. Within minutes, a flash of light. I opened my eyes as someone took me up a steep hill. Heavy winds blew around us. The air was cool and crisp. Then came the panicked voices. They rattled in my ear. Some I recognized. Others I didn't. I heard my name several times, and I wanted to answer, but I didn't have the strength.

They removed me from the animal, stretched me across a tan, flat surface. I ended up in a room lined with beds and wooden cabinets. It resembled a recovery room in a mortal hospital. Except, there were no mortals here. All the wheat blond hair and lavender eyes crowding the room told me they had taken me to the air court. More than likely, their castle on top of Avalon's highest mountain.

They had splayed me across one of the beds. I laid on my stomach. It was only moments before some of my blood trickled down on their lemon scented white sheets. Air elementals hurried, mixing herbs, retrieving cloths and bandages. I'd never seen them so panicked. It was safe to assume my injuries were worse than how I had imagined them. If they looked as bad as the pain I felt, I was in big trouble.

Then, it was as if someone pressed pause. All the elementals stopped moving. Each one bowed their head. A member of their royal family must have entered the room. One set of footsteps clicked on the floor. The sound got heavier as they moved in my direction. My head was turned the opposite way, making it impossible to look. I tensed when a warm hand touched my shoulder.

“Rowan?” a male voice asked. It only took me a second to realize it was King Taron. “How did this happen?”

A female elemental stepped forward. “We don't know, Your Majesty. He came through the portal unconscious on the back of a Gabriel Hound. He hasn't spoken since he arrived.”

It was Marcus. It had to be.

“Everyone leave us,” he demanded. In less than a minute, the room had emptied. “I don't know who did this to you, but you will tell me when this is all over. For now, I need to tend to your wounds.”

The air elementals were the best healers among all the courts. Taron had a very special ability. He could heal others without the need for herbs or other potions. It was magic only members of his kin could perform. It wasn't commonly known. I had told Marcus once about his special power. Clever thinking to have brought me here.

Taron brushed a finger around the edge of one of the gaping holes in my back where my wings had been. “Who would do such a thing?” he asked. I wasn't sure if he was speaking to me or to himself. “Rowan, if you can hear me, you were brought here without your wings. There's no way for me to create new ones for you. However, I can heal most of the wounds on your back.”

A warm sensation radiated from my back. Muscles tightened. Skin pulled, closing together. It was excruciating. I needed to concentrate on something else, anything to not focus on what was happening. I thought of Kalin dancing around her room in her cupcake pajamas. The way she moved. The sound of her laugh echoed in my head. Slowly, the pain faded as if I'd been given a pain-killer. Exhaustion overwhelmed me. I didn't fight it, letting my eyes close.

I awoke some time later. Still in the bed, I was resting on my back in a reclined sitting position. Someone had wrapped my torso in white bandages. I rubbed my eyes. In the corner of the room, Taron sat silently on the edge of his seat as if waiting for me to say something. There was no question, he had saved my life. He, along with Marcus, I assumed. No other hound would have risked their life by bringing me here.

“Thank you,” I said, voice raspy from dryness.

Taron got up, poured me a glass of water, and cupped my shaking hand around the glass. “You lost so much blood, I wasn't sure if I could save you.”

I wasn't a member of his court. If he wanted, he could have easily let me die. “But, you did. I am forever thankful.”

“The damage to your back was the worst I've seen. You will heal, but your scars will be severe. And, your wings—”

“Gone. I know.” The ultimate punishment from my mother. I would never fly again. Never feeling the cool air against my face, the wind tingling through my feathers. For the first time in my life, I truly and completely hated her.

Taron crouched down at my bedside. “I need you to tell me everything.”

I wasn't sure I could. Yes, my own mother had forced my best friend to nearly kill me while elementals cheered in support, but could I betray them? Regardless of what had happened, I was still a fire elemental. Tension built in my shoulders. Could I tell him my mother ordered me to kill his daughter? If I told him everything, I would risk starting a war between the courts. Elementals who had nothing to do with this would die. There was no way he would let this go unpunished. Mother had broken too many decrees. Although she'd been forgiven for many heinous acts, this could not be pushed under a rug. To Taron, it couldn't get any more personal.

I tried to take a sip of the water, but when I thought about everything that had happened my throat tightened. My voice was coarse as I said, “I disobeyed an order and I was punished.”

He leaned back, eyes wide with surprise. “Prisma ordered this?” he asked, pointing at my bandages. “I don't understand.”

Of course he couldn't understand. There would never be a circumstance where he'd order his own child to be punished so severely. He loved his daughter, as a parent should. He protected her, as a parent should. My mother didn't understand love. There was no compassion for others in her. Not even for her own child. “Maybe it's better that you don't,” I replied, looking away.

He put his hand on my ankle. “I need to know what happened. I feel like you're hiding something from me.”

I was. Something so terrible and unforgiving that I wasn't sure I could admit to it. But I couldn't help wondering if Kalin was still in danger. There was a good chance Mother would send someone else to finish the job. A royal could only be taken out by another royal, but because she was a halfling it might be possible for someone outside the families to kill her. A cold chill raced through my veins. Had Mother assumed I would be brought here? Would she have sent an assassin while they were busy tending to me?

My stomach sank.

No, I couldn't let that happen to Kalin.

Once the words came out, I'd never be able to return to the fire court. But I couldn't live with myself if something happened to her. I swallowed hard, then said, “I think Kalin may be in danger.”

He flinched as if he'd been punched in the face. “What?”

“My mother believes she's the next akasha. She sent me to kill her.” A numbness settled in my chest as if a piece of me had died. With those words I had turned on my own mother. My court. There was no turning back now. The damage was done. “She insisted I do it before my coronation, but I couldn't. I knew it was wrong. That's why I was punished.” I pointed to the doorway. “You need to send knights to protect her. I'm afraid Mother will send someone else to do what I refused to do.”

I took in a long breath then slowly exhaled. There was a part of me that felt better. He had to know his daughter was in danger. Taron had been so kind to me over the years. Much more than my own family. For that, and many other reasons, I owed him the truth. But, what he did with the knowledge was out of my hands. I was sure he'd do everything to protect Kalin, but how would he deal with my mother? What cost would my court pay for her poor decisions?

His face turned cold as stone. It was as if someone had flipped the switch from friend to king. “You made the right choice by telling me the truth. I will make sure you receive no further punishment.”

I shouldn't have pitied her. Mother deserved whatever she got, but I couldn't help it. Regardless of how awful she had been, she was still my only family. “What about my mother?”

Without any show of emotion, he said, “The council will decide her fate. How many others know about this?”

“Only my adopted siblings.” I had a bad feeling things were about to get really rough. After all he'd been through, there was no reason to involve Marcus any further. He'd never tell anyone what he knew. I trusted him completely.

He stood. “Very well.”

As far as I knew, nothing like this had ever happened in the history of the elementals. Sure, we have had our problems before the decrees, but no one had ever ordered the death of another royal child. Mother had committed the highest level of treason. She could be put to death for her crimes. “What are you going to do?”

Taron made his way to the door, standing directly under the frame. Waving at someone in the hallway, he said, “You need to focus on your recovery. I'll take care of the rest.”

A moment later, he was gone. Yeah, it was about to get real around here. Taron controlled himself, but he was pissed. I didn't blame him. Mother had threatened him in the worst of ways. Over the centuries, he had considered my mother an ally. Maybe even a friend.

Several female air elementals entered my room. They carried wash clothes and bowls of water. Diligently, they worked to remove the dried blood and cleaned whatever injuries Taron wasn't able to heal. There wasn't much I could do except sit and watch. I didn’t have the strength to move or complain. I wanted to go after Taron to find out his plans. But that wasn't happening.

I could only pray he wasn't too late to save Kalin.

Two days had passed without Taron returning to my room. Thanks to the healing herbs my energy was returning. I was walking around without assistance, but the healers wouldn’t allow me to leave my room. I was told there were guards outside my door for my protection. I guess I should have expected as much. Once Mother learns of my betrayal, I won’t be surprised if she sends knights to try to kill me.

My mind swirled with questions. I needed to know what happened to Kalin. Was she attacked by someone in my court? What punishment had my mother been given from the council? Had anyone hurt Marcus after he saved me? I thought about it for hours and hours until it drove me nearly crazy. I barely ate, sleeping only a few hours at a time. It was infuriating being locked in here, even if it was for my own good.

I sat up in bed when I heard chatter from the hallway. The guards in front of my door moved to the side. Taron stepped inside wearing his yellow council robes. His long blond hair was tied back in a low ponytail. He was both intimidating and regal at the same time. The dark circles under his eyes gave me the impression he hadn't slept much either. I didn't say a word as he sat in a chair directly across from me.

He kept his back straight, maintaining his regal demeanor. “As you may have guessed, the last two days have been quite eventful.” His voice remained as cold as the last time we spoke.

Nerves filled me. I wanted to blast him with questions but it seemed like patience would be best. I wasn't sure where our friendship stood after my revelation so I chose to tread lightly. “Yes, I figured as much.”

His eyes bore into mine with a seriousness that made me squirm. “I'm sure you have questions. Let me see if I can answer them. To start, Kalin wasn't hurt. She remains in the mortal world, unaware of what has transpired. More guards have been placed around her home to ensure her protection.”

“You're not going to tell her about any of this?”

“No. She will move here in less than one year. I don't want her to feel her life is in danger. I'd rather she enjoy what time she has left in her mortal life.”

This didn't seem right. His knights were certainly competent enough to keep her safe. She deserved to know the truth. I didn't agree with his decision, but I wasn't in any position to question him. I moved on to another topic. “And my mother?”

His fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. Only days ago he discovered his only daughter’s life had been threatened—by her. “She was taken into custody by the council. She will be executed for treason.”

The words turned my blood cold. A part of me expected this outcome. But it was something else entirely to hear the words. “When will this take place?”

Without hesitation, he replied, “This evening at sundown. Immediately after, you will be crowned.”

“A public execution?” It was like someone splashed a bucket of cold water on my face. This meant I would have to watch my own Mother's death. Thanks to my coronation, it might seem to others that I was a participant. My stomach churned as I envisioned ripping a bloodied crown off her head and placing it on my own.

“Due to the nature of Prisma's crimes, the council has decided that these events will be stricken from our records. No one needs to know the circumstances of her death or her allegations against my daughter. This could cause civil unrest. Wars with one court pitted against another. No, we need to keep the peace at all costs. The elements must be kept in balance.”

He wasn't wrong. The courts agreed upon the decrees for this very reason. If the elements were to unbalance, it could cause natural disasters all over the mortal world. It could ultimately destroy it. As the protectors of nature, we had to ensure this never happened. “What about my adopted siblings?”

He crossed his arms. “They will not be punished. After the council investigated, it was determined they played no role in Prisma's plans.”

They didn't participate, but they weren't against it either. Throughout my life they had always agreed with Mothers’ every move. However, I didn't feel comfortable saying anything negative about them to Taron. If I did, he would likely have them executed along with her. I worried they might retaliate. But I couldn't justify threatening their lives over something they hadn't done…yet.

As soon as I entered the castle basement I wished I hadn't come. The stained cement walls echoed the sounds of dripping water. The air stunk like it was made of sweat and dirt. This place didn't fit with the typical images of the air court. To me, the air elementals had a quiet, peaceful beauty about them. Nothing like this dank dungeon.

One of the knights led me to a cell with an iron door. Simply touching the door could burn our skin, charring it down to the bone. For that reason, I stood back as the knight used a key on his belt to open the door. Once I entered, I blinked twice to make sure I had seen correctly. Mother sat on a metal chair in the center of a very small, square room. Her red dress had been torn in several spots. Her hair had been pulled back but pieces had loosened around her face. Iron handcuffs covered her wrists with dried blood around the edges. By her appearance, I'd guess she put up a fight before they brought her here.