Fragile Reign (Mortal Enchantment Book 2) (19 page)

“Of course it will,” she agreed, without a second of hesitation. “But on a positive side, you’re going to look ridiculously hot.”

Ariel plopped me down into a chair, swirling my seat around to face the mirror. She immediately went to work on my hair. As she curled my hair into submission, she spoke of the rumors she had heard. As I expected, the woodland king and queen went overboard. Food had been catered by the best mortal chefs from all around the world. Their ballroom was apparently dripping with rare breeds of flowers from top to bottom. Special jeweled goblets had been made for every guest. At some point the details became overwhelming and I just stopped listening. The lies I would have to tell for the entire evening sickened me.

“This may be my best work yet.” She said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

My hair hung in loose curls down my back. Every piece identical to the next. She was right to applaud herself. This hairdo deserved to be on a magazine cover. “What would I ever do without you?”

“I don’t know, girl.” Ariel said, shaking her head. “Pray the day never comes.”

I playfully smacked her on the arm. “I’m serious. You’re the best. You really are.” I pulled her into a tight hug.

She patted me on the back. “You can revel in my awesomeness later. I still have plenty of work to do.”

Laughing, I sat back down in the chair. Ariel opened her make-up arsenal, lining up all of her brushes in order, smallest to largest. Then she opened a palette of eye powders. The colors had been organized alphabetically by name. This girl was beyond organized. There were actual medical conditions that could explain what I was seeing. The words obsessive compulsive disorder kept flashing in my head. “Are you planning to use all of them on me?”

“Patience, my Padawan.” She winked.

My mouth hung open. I was completely impressed until I remembered that she had never seen any of the movies. “Oh no, you cannot quote Star Wars.”

“Why not?” Ariel chuckled, applying sparkly eye shadow to my lids.

In a faux serious tone, I said, “Those who mock the series may never quote the series. That’s the rule.”

We both giggled. It was nice. Freeing, even. For a while she made me forget about everything going wrong in my life. Our banter reminded me of my mortal friends. Whenever I was around them, I never had to think about my life in Avalon or my impending responsibilities. I could just be a teenage girl. We hung out together, shopped for clothes we didn’t need, and gossiped about who was taking who to prom. It was blissful and I missed it. I missed all of them. That’s why Ariel was so important to me. She somehow filled the void. Without her, I would’ve been lost here.

As the day passed into twilight I arrived at the engagement party with my parents, Bash by my side. My canary-yellow floor-length gown had a tight, strapless bodice with a flowing skirt. Bash wore a black tuxedo with a long jacket. He was very handsome, as usual. Dad wore his traditional black tuxedo with a yellow bowtie, but he had something special made for Mom. Her floor-length, capped sleeve gown was hand-beaded with sparkling yellow crystals. She had her hair twisted into a braided bun, making her look like a queen.

But her smile was the best part. I had never seen her so happy.

The ballroom in the woodland castle looked like something straight out of a Disney movie. Couples in formal wear glided across the gold accented flooring to the music coming from the orchestra. Elementals from each court were present, but the bulk of them were from the air and woodland courts. Taking in our audience only reminded me of the turmoil between the courts. It would take much more than a party to mend those deep wounds, to rebuild the trust we once had with one another.

We were all seated together at a long rectangular table. We sat a bit higher than the dance floor, making it easy to take in the exquisite room. Golden pillars lined the walls, shimmering almost as much as the massive crystal chandeliers. The entire space was lit with hundreds of white candles giving the ballroom a creamy, romantic glow. Waiters served wine in the goblets Ariel had described. When I got one in my hand I took in the carvings and the multi-colored, large-cut jewels embedded into them.

The goblets matched the place settings on our table. Each porcelain plate was lined in gold and cut stones. Even the freaking silverware was gold. Without asking, food was brought out to us. It was caviar. I had never eaten fish eggs before, but the ache in my stomach was advising me not to try it. I sat back in my chair trying to wrap my head around all of this for a moment. Everything in the room had to be worth millions of mortal dollars. You could feed an entire country for a month just by cashing in some of this stuff. I had never seen anything so lavish in my life.

Even Donald Trump would have been impressed.

“Have you ever tried caviar?” Bash asked, spooning some onto a warm blinis. “It’s always been one of my favorites.”

Bash ate the caviar with such enthusiasm. He relished in all things regal. I assumed it came from his upbringing. Royals were supposed to eat elegant dishes prepared by the finest chefs. Too bad I was a hamburger and fries kind of girl. I couldn’t imagine Bash eating anything greasy. He was too pristine for any of that. All the more reason we should never marry. He would not be happy with someone like me. I had to be dressed up, made to appear as if this were my environment. In reality, I could live without all of these luxuries. I was into…different things.

I was into Rowan.

Then, it hit me like a slap against the back of the head. I was supposed to meet Rowan at the beach at sundown. With all the party plans and my issues with my power, I had completely forgotten about our agreement. He was probably there now and worried about me. I had to find a way to send a message to him before he went to the air court castle looking for me. There, someone would tell him I was here attending my engagement party. I couldn’t imagine that would go over well. I stood. “I have to go.”

Bash grabbed my forearm. “Where are you going?”

“Rowan is waiting for me.” I said, voice frantic. “I have to get a message to him. He’ll be worried if I don’t show up.”

“Please sit down,” he said, guiding me back into my chair. “Let me take care of this for you. I can send someone right away. You stay and enjoy the party with your parents.”

I turned to my parents. Both were greeting a group of water elementals. I realized I should be with them, speaking to other guests. This party was about more than just my fake engagement. Dad hoped to lessen the tension between the courts. As a princess and future queen, it was my duty to do what I could. I smiled at Bash, appreciative of his kindness. “Thank you so much for doing this for me. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to join my parents.”

“Of course,” he said, bowing. A second later, he was off speaking to a group of air court knights.

I was about to join my parents when I noticed Brita—the water queen—standing on the other side of the dance floor. She was difficult to miss, wearing an iridescent gown that seemed to change colors in the candlelight. Her perfectly straight black hair flowed down her back, making her porcelain skin appear even paler than it already was. As I got closer, I could see the white henna-styled tattoos on the sides of her face.

Any hope of getting the water court back to the high council meant bringing Brita back into the fold. No one in our court had seen her since the day the high council disbanded. All attempts to speak with her had been declined. But the fact that she came tonight was a good sign. Perhaps she was interested in the same things we were. If we could open up communication with her, maybe the three courts combined could help the fire court rid itself of Valac and unite them once more under one king—Rowan.

I made my way through the center of the dance area. The current song was slow, making it easier to weave my way through the couples. Once I reached Brita, I bowed in respect. “You look extraordinary, Your Highness.”

Brita nodded her head once. From inside my head, she said,
“Good Evening, young Air Queen.”

Air Queen. No matter how many times I imagined it—it never felt real. Maybe because I was considered so young in the mortal world, but here, I was an adult. “Oh, I’m not a queen just yet.”

She smiled mischievously, like someone keeping a secret.
“It has been your destiny since your birth. I saw it for myself the day you were born.”

I was reminded of her ability to see the future. My purpose was to try to coax her into a conversation about the high council, but my curiosity got the best of me. “When you see my future, do you see me as an akasha?” I didn’t see the point in hiding anything from her. If she could see the future, it was likely she already knew.

Brita placed her hands on either side of my head, thumbs over my temples. As she closed her eyes I felt a tinge of pain, almost like a tiny electric shock. She pulled her hands back making me wonder if she felt the tinge too.
“Something is blocking my view. I see nothing when I glance into your future. All I see is blackness, but not death. It is something else. Something different.”

Blackness? That was what I had been seeing for days. Every time I attempted to meditate, all I could see was nothingness. There was no power or even the slightest aura. It was as if all the elemental had been drained out of my body, leaving only my mortal half. “Could it have something to do with my abilities? I have been unable to use them or even connect with my aura. Do you think the two blockages are connected?”

She bent down, her eyes piercing into mine.
“For certain.”

My heart beat rapidly. Enough that I could hear drumming in my ears. “Is there anything I can do to fix it?”

“You must identify the cause of the block. Consult with Taron.”
Brita pressed her lips into a thin, straight line.
“Whatever is causing this is very powerful.”

Rowan

I waited at the beach, eager to see Kalin.

The waters were calm without too much salty wind coming off the waves. As the sun set, the yellow and tangerine skies slowly melted into a light purple tinge. Soon the stars would be visible, the perfect scenery for a romantic evening. I didn’t have time to put together a picnic. After I left the caves of the eternal flame, I returned to my quarters only to shower and change clothes. Marcus tasked the hounds with interviewing all of the surrendering rogue elementals. He was sure one of them would be able to tell us where we could find Valac.

When the battle began, I was surprised Selene wasn’t by his side. I replayed everything back in my mind. It was then that I realized I had not seen her at all. Would he keep her away, worried she might change sides? Or had he killed as I had feared? The thought sent a cold shiver down my spine. Selene had always been the mediator between us. We weren’t close, but we had our moments. I certainly wouldn’t wish for her death. But Valac wasn’t acting rational. It was absolutely possible he had made a reckless decision when dealing with her disloyalty.

I heard a rustling behind me. I turned around, but there was nothing there. The anticipation of Kalin’s arrival was eating away at me. There was so much I had to tell her. I couldn’t wait to see her face when she saw my new wings. As the first hour rolled past, my excitement shifted to concern. Was she running late? I thought for sure she would have sent a message if she couldn’t make it. Or even send one of her knights. It wasn’t like her not to show up. Each passing hour made the intensity of my restlessness grow. After the skies had turned pitch dark, I finally gave up.

Kalin wasn’t coming.

There was a chance she had sent a message to the fire court. That was where I told her I would be. I decided to return to the castle and check before I took a pathway to the air territory. Last thing I wanted to do was barge in and make a scene for no reason. My temper has been known to get the best of me where she was concerned. But at this point, I had no reason to fear something bad had happened. For all I knew, she could have been exhausted and had fallen asleep. Even as I convinced myself there was no need for concern, something brewed deep in my gut. An inkling that I needed to return to my court.

The portal opened at the entrance of the fire court castle. I had just entered the main foyer when Marcus came barreling down the hallway. By the time he reached me, I noticed he was panting. “I’ve been looking all over for you.” Marcus said, out of breath. He handed me a thin piece of yellow gold the size of a piece of paper. “This came from Orion.”

I hadn’t heard from Orion since he healed Marcus. It was an invitation. I read the engraving. The fire court had been invited to an engagement party. A party for Kalin and Sebastian. Anger coiled in my chest. Kalin told me the engagement meant nothing. An elaborate ruse to keep the council happy while she attempted to study the akasha journals. Then Marcus came home to tell me she had set an actual date to marry this asshat. And now, I had an invitation to their engagement party.

Through clenched teeth, I said, “He sent me an invitation.”