Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale Read Free Book Online

when I realized Ariel had waited for me. “There’s one last thing I wanted to show you,” she said, leading me toward a huge bi-fold door. As she opened it, she squealed. The entire closet was filled with clothes and shoes.
    “Where did all this come from?” I asked.
    “Your father had everything brought here for you.”
    I rummaged through the hanging items first. Everything I picked was a designer cut twenty-eight which translated to a size six—my size. A closet designed for me? This didn’t fit with the typical air court themes; they were all about simplicity and moderation. “He didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
    “King Taron wanted you to be comfortable. These are all the best mortal fashions,” she said, pointing to the tags. “Made by all the top designers: Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Calvin Klein, and even Versace. He’s been planning for your arrival for months.”
    I bit my lip to hold back the tears. The design of this room with all of these beautiful things was how he saw Avalon—how he wanted me to see it. Dad tried so hard to make everything perfect for my arrival. If only things had turned out as he had planned. Pushing down the lump in my throat, I promised myself I would be brave and do whatever it took to find my father.
     

 

Chapter Six
     
    The next day I awoke to utter disappointment. Dad had not come into my dreams. Of course, he didn’t have much of a chance. I doubt that I got more than two hours of sleep. Most of my night was spent tossing and turning, fearing the worst. I had run through every possible scenario that would explain his absence. Unfortunately, most of them led to conclusions I didn’t think I could bear. Imagining life without my Dad made my soul ache.
    I really needed a distraction before I drove myself crazy.
    Outside of my window, I heard what sounded like someone sharpening kitchen knives. I leaped out of bed, poking my head out of the windowsill. Rowan was doing some serious Jackie Chan moves with a sword. A bright light flashed with each slice of his blade. He slowed long enough for me to notice the weapon had a curve at the center. The knights Dad assigned to watch over me always carried swords, but Rowan’s was unlike anything I’d ever seen. Every twist of his body made me even more aware of just how dangerous he really is.
    He pressed the blade of his sword into the ground. As he pulled his arm over his head for a stretch, a bead of sweat trickled down his neck and over a row of muscles on his stomach. I swallowed hard. The window’s edge dug into my skin but I refused to move an inch. The tiny droplet disappeared into the waistband of his shorts. I had seen plenty of guys in gym class with their shirts off, but none of them looked like…that. He was physical perfection—a living work of art. I sat on my knees with my chin relaxed on my crossed arms, unable to look away.
    “Enjoying the view?” he said, eyes suddenly on me. His chiseled face wore an overly confident grin. Clearly, he was used to being admired.
    My cheeks burned.
    I stood, pretending to check out the scenery. “Not much to see.”
    He raised an eyebrow, letting me know that he knew I was full of crap. I waited for him to call me on it, but he went right back into his workout. I took one last quick glance at his lean, defined arms, then curled around until my back was pressed up against the wall. Snap out of it! This shouldn’t be a big deal. I need to keep focused on finding Dad. Besides, Rowan wasn’t interested in me. There were no signals coming from him, so why was I even thinking about him?
     

     
    Rowan was done with his workout by the time I made it outside. He was bent over a massive stone fountain. Leaning into a cascade of water, he let the liquid wash over his face and neck. The sun glistened on his back, revealing lengthy thin white scars sliced haphazardly across his shoulder blades and down toward his lower back. Besides their faint appearance, they resembled