Mortal Enchantment (2 page)

A throbbing ache drew my attention to a cut on my forearm. It was swollen and dripping blood. I tore off a piece of the bottom of my shirt, wrapping it around the wound. Peering through the leaves, I watched my attacker thrash violently on the ground. The male elemental tore the necklace from her neck, then faster than I could blink, slit her throat. Black blood spurted from her neck and onto his shirt. He jumped out of the way when her body ignited in flames and watched until all that was left of her was a pile of ash.

My rescuer stepped into the clearing. I caught his stare and slowly rose to my feet. At my measly five foot three inches, I guessed he was close to a foot taller and maybe seventeen or eighteen-years-old. His brown shaggy hair hung in waves over his eyes, the silver barbell in his eyebrow shimmered in the moonlight. A torn blue t-shirt showed off his lean, muscular build.

His appearance suggested he’d spent a lot of time in the mortal world. For every young elemental, years away from Avalon were necessary. There was no other way to mature into adulthood. The magical veil that kept Avalon hidden from the rest of the world also prevented anyone inside from aging.

Adrenaline raced through my veins. “Who was she?” My voice shook.

He glanced down at the necklace in his hand. “She was an assassin from the fire court.”

My brain had officially left my body. “There has to be some kind of mistake.” In all the nights Dad visited me in my dreams, he never once mentioned any tension between the air and fire courts. I thought the elementals were at peace. “She must have been after someone else.”

He put the necklace in his jeans pocket and shot me a stern look. “The dead air court elementals she killed would prove otherwise.”

His words burned into me like a branding iron. They died because of me. Guilt rushed over me as I imagined the loss their families would feel. “You're sure she killed them?” I knew I’d heard him correctly, but for some reason, I needed to hear it again.

“Yes. I found them only a short distance from the pathway.”

If my attacker went to the pathway first, she must have been expecting me to be there. Oh God, this was getting worse by the second. “Wait. How do I know this isn’t some kind of trick? How do I know you’re not working with her?” I took a few steps backwards to put some distance between us. “How do I know
you
didn’t kill them?”

“The fact that you’re alive is a pretty good indication that I’m not trying to kill you.”

He pulled up the bottom of his shirt and wiped the black blood off his cheek. The curve of his hip was exposed, I forced myself to look away. I needed to focus, not drool over some guy who was obviously dangerous.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Rowan.”

“Were you tracking her?”

“No.”

Rowan definitely wasn’t big on details. “Then, what are you doing here?”

“I was in the area.” He looked away and I got the feeling he was hiding something. “Taron has knights at your house. You should be there instead of scampering around in the forest.”

I crossed my arms. “I wasn’t
scampering
.” I got impatient and stupidly decided I could find my own way to the pathway.

“Whatever you want to call it doesn’t change the fact that you’re alone and unprotected.” The leaves rustled and Rowan tensed. “We have to get you out of here.”

He looped his arm inside mine and towed me deeper into the dark forest. I had to jog to keep up. His urgency put my already amped up suspicions into epic overdrive. “Why? Where are you taking me?”

“You’re not safe here. The elemental who attacked you wasn't the only one they sent. There could be others.”

“This is insane!” Pulling back on my arm, I forced him to stop. “I’m not taking another step until you tell me who you are and what’s going on.”

“Look, this wasn't the way it was supposed to go down. I was supposed to be done, and now—” He cut himself off, emitting a low growl. “Trust me, this isn't going to make the highlight reel for me either.”

His answer only confused me more. “You were done with what? You're not making any sense.”

“You, I meant,” he snarled. “You and your…situation.”

“Wow, and up until now, I thought you were part of the welcoming party.” My
situation
? What was this guy’s damage? He didn’t even know me. And who said I invited him to be part of my
situation
anyway?

He took a deep breath, exhaling as if he'd been defeated in a battle. “I killed two fire court assassins to protect you. Now, I have no choice. I have to return to Avalon and tell the council what happened.”

Finally, Mister Personality said something I understood. The council was judge and jury to everything. The members included the four royal families and several other high-ranking elementals. I definitely wasn't convinced I could trust Rowan, but Dad was a member of the council. If that was where he planned to go, then it’s exactly where I needed to be. “I’m coming with you.”

“Absolutely not.” He shook his head. “You need to go back to your mother's house. The knights can take you somewhere safe until I can get this mess sorted out.”

I let out an exaggerated breath. “Listen, I really appreciate what you did back there—I really do, but I need to find my father. If you want to keep me safe, take me to the council.”

“Last time I checked, the fire court was part of the council.” He pointed over his shoulder. “I think the big pile of ash back there sent a pretty clear message.”

He wasn’t wrong, but I had reached my limit. “Okay, let me make this simple for you. You’ll either take me to the council, or I’ll scream my freakin’ head off until I alert every elemental within a five mile distance.” I poked my finger into his chest, which was surprisingly hard. “Do you understand me now?”

With his hands balled into fists at his sides, he said, “Fine, whatever. Walk right into danger if you insist, but don't say I didn't warn you.”

He pressed his palms into the air and the blackness rippled like ocean waves. We must have been standing close to the glamour protecting the pathway. Elementals used glamour magic to change the appearance of an object or hide something from view.

A howl cried out strong enough to shake the ground, we fought to stay on our feet.

“What the hell is that?” I shrieked.

“Gabriel Hounds, which means we’re officially out of time.” In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around me and hurtled us into the dark current.

We plunged through the glamour, hitting the ground with a
thump
. Rowan landed on his back with me on top of him, our bodies completely entwined. I gazed up briefly and he was smirking. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I hurried to get to my feet and dusted the dirt off. A second later he stood, brushing the muck off the back of his jeans.

Less than a few feet away, a large oak tree had been split right down the middle and spread open wide enough for a doorway. Cloud-colored wind spun rapidly inside like a tornado. It must have been the pathway the air elementals had planned to use.

I tensed when his hot breath blew against my ear. “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered.

Oh yeah, sure.

Something tugged at my feet. The magnetic force of the hole was dragging us closer. Even though Dad had told me about the portals, I couldn’t settle the cold shiver racing down my spine. Only a pure elemental could navigate through the portal. Rowan reached out for my hand as if he sensed my hesitation. The tension reduced in my shoulders and I was ready to step inside.

This was it. There was no turning back. I slid my hand inside his. The connection sent a warm sizzle up my arm as we entered the abyss.

Dad compared the experience to being sucked into a vacuum bag—he was spot on. There was nothing above, below, or on either side of us. Icy air circulated like a wind tunnel, but without any noise. We walked on a hard surface, but I had no idea what it was made of. My teeth rattled from the bitter cold. “I hope you know where you’re going.”

“Doubting me already?”

Of course I doubted him. I didn't feel confident about anything. I was attacked without knowing why, and then saved by someone who seemed to wish it had never happened. On top of that, air elementals are dead, and now I was traveling through a dark, freezing hole with no idea of where I was going. Who wouldn't be freaked out? “When will we get out of here?”

“It will be over any minute now,” he said calmly.

A camera-like white flash snapped in front of us, and I covered my eyes with my forearm. I took a few more steps and quickly realized the cold was gone. Luke-warm air surrounded me and I let my arm fall to my side. My vision was hazy but cleared within seconds.

The moonlight illuminated the emerald green forest surrounding us in every direction. My eyes followed the primeval twisted tree trunks all the way into the sky. Dark hostile clouds hung and intermittent bolts of lightning flashed. Dampness clung to my legs as I glanced back at the ground. A faint gray mist filled the forest floor in rolling waves. Crickets chirped over the cicadas’ calm song. I stood there with my hands over my mouth, unable to speak. It was breathtaking.

The pathway brought us to the edge of the woodland court forests. The Earth's natural terrain—every speck of dirt to the immense rainforest—was kept in balance by the faeries. Of all the courts, the woodland fae seemed the most interested in the mortals, especially the arts. Painting, dancing, and music were some of their favorites. Dad said they were known to dress in high-end mortal clothes and jewelry. Compared to the air court, they were quite lavish.

A warm energy surged through me, pulling me out of my thoughts. My skin hummed as it made its way through my body. I felt stronger—alert and aware of everything around me as if I had just drank several shots of espresso. Dad told me my power would surge as soon as I entered Avalon. Within the mist surrounding the isle, I would be my most powerful. But what I was feeling now was much more than I had imagined.

During our dream visits, I would beg Dad to allow me to come to Avalon. He always rejected the idea, reminding me of his promise to Mom. They wanted me to have a ‘normal mortal childhood’. Not sure how he figured I could ever be normal, but Mom did her best. As I got older, she feared my power would fully awaken, but she never tried to hide me from the mortals. There was no need―I had become an expert at blending in.

Most of my physical traits were mortal, but I had never seen anyone with bright green eyes like mine. I always thought they looked like two limes, especially since they were slightly bigger than most mortals. My hair was an odd shade of burnt red, but anyone could use hair coloring to match it.

Rowan startled me. “We need to get into the woods, it's not safe here in the open.”

Before I had time to ask why, he headed in the direction of the woodland and I followed. We delved deeper into the inner sanctum of the forest. Sandy paths I could barely see through the foggy mist went in every direction. Rowan led cautiously while we passed beautiful fruit trees. My mouth watered as their strange aromas traveled on an invisible wind straight into my nostrils: vanilla and chocolate. One particular grape vine caught my eye. It appeared ordinary except the fruit was a shimmery gold. I picked a single grape off the vine and pinched the fruit between my fingers. These fruits were used to make the wine they drank during celebrations.

About a quarter of a mile away, a luminous watery haze rose from a tiny stream. The bright liquid materialized into the form of a young woman surrounded by a glowing aura. Her inkblot-black hair hung past her waistline. As we got closer, I saw she had white henna styled markings on the edges of her pale blue eyes and cheekbones. Scaled fish fins poked out from behind her like wings. Her facial features were tiny—almost childlike—when she smiled.

A water elemental.

They controlled all the waterways of Earth and were known to be peaceful and intuitive. The fact that they only communicated with each other telepathically added to their mystery. Their real voices were like a siren's song. They could put any mortal in a trance if they wanted. Because I was a halfling, I had to be careful not to get caught up in their spells. I considered them the most dangerous of the four courts.

Her eyes bore into mine. Inside my head, I heard a woman humming a beautiful song that sounded oddly familiar. Of all the courts, I knew the least about them. Curiosity got the best of me, and before I realized it, I was heading in her direction. The angelic creature held up a wine glass as if she was offering it to me. The drink looked delicious. My mouth tasted like sandpaper. I wanted some of her refreshment.

“You cannot accept a drink from her. That water elemental is a siren.” Rowan blurted, almost as if he was scolding me. “The elixir she’s holding is likely enchanted. Drinking that would be like chugging ten shots of vodka, and that’s if you react well.”

He redirected us onto an adjacent path leading us farther from the siren. She shrugged. The light surrounding her dimmed like a sunset until there was nothing but darkness.

Once she was gone, the music silenced and so did the dehydration. I didn’t want to admit Rowan was right, but he was. I stared down at my bandaged arm. “I get it. I should've been more cautious.”

When I glanced up, he was staring intently at my injured hand. He must not have noticed it before. In less than a second, he stopped walking and reached for my arm. He unfastened my make-shift bandage and examined the cut. His touch made the baby hairs on the back of my neck stand.

“You should be able to mend this,” he said. “It's part of your lineage.”

Dad told me the healing gift was unique to our bloodline. Similar to mortals, any other elemental had to use potions and elixirs to mend themselves. I cleared my throat. “I don’t know how.”

“I don't have the ingredients to mix together a salve, so we're going to have to try to ignite your healing power.” He cupped my free hand over my forearm, then placed his hands on top of mine. A cool breeze circled us, tickling my face. His hands were warm with hard calluses on his palms. “Close your eyes and visualize the cut mending.”