Mortal Enchantment by Stacey O'Neale Read Free Book Online Page B

my death stare and continued enjoying himself. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you what, if you admit that you were watching me, then I’ll answer your question.”
    “This is ridiculous. You can’t answer a simple question?” He leaned his head back against the bark, humming the final question tune from Jeopardy. My arms flailed in the air. “Yes, okay? I was watching you, but it doesn’t mean anything.”
    “I’m sure it doesn’t.” He chuckled under his breath, and I wanted to jump on his back like a little spider monkey. “The truth is, I can’t answer your question.” He shrugged. “The elementals could be uncomfortable because they know I’m not part of your court. Most of us stick with our own kind.”
    He was hiding something. It had to be big, considering all the effort he was putting out. I moved closer. “No, it was more than that and you know it.”
    “Kalin.” His tone turned serious. “I’m trying to help you, but you have to trust me.”
    My eyes widened. “How can you ask me to do that when you refuse to answer a simple question?”
    I blinked and he was peering down at me. His face was only a few inches from mine. My heart pounded like a drummer on speed. “You ask too many questions,” he said.
    “Only because you avoid answering most of them.” I held my ground. No way was I letting him think he could intimidate me.
    He pressed him lips together, then turned and walked away. A pathway materialized a few feet in front of him. Instead of a wind tunnel, it was a swirling ring of fire. “You’re kidding, right?” Then it hit me like a slap across the face. “You’re a member of the fire court, aren’t you?”
    “Nope.”
    My eyebrows knitted together. “That’s impossible.” I pointed to the portal. “Only fire elementals use those pathways.” He didn’t answer. My tone sharpened. “Are you a member of the fire court, Rowan?”
    He sighed. “I’m a solitary elemental.” The sudden fear I felt must have been displayed across my face because he kept going with his explanation. “I was once part of the fire court, which is why I can open their portals. Are we done here?” He waved his arm toward the portal as if he was inviting me to enter.
    As a solitary, he wasn’t tied to any of the elemental courts. Dad once told me those kind of elementals were the most dangerous because they didn’t follow any court rules. “If you’re solitary, why are you helping me?”
    Rowan squared his shoulders. “I owe your father a debt. If he’s alive, I will do whatever I can to find him. That’s why I’m helping you.” For some reason my heart ached. His explanation for being here had nothing to do with me. I immediately pushed those thoughts away. It didn’t matter what his reasons were.
    Rowan choosing to leave the fire court must be why Liana called him a deserter. I wanted to ask him why he left, but the burning glare he shot me signaled that our little Q and A session had ended. “Fine,” I said, sliding my arm inside his. I pulled him toward the gateway while my head filled with more questions. I wanted to know about his debt to my father. Was it part of the reason he left his court? Solitary life seemed so lonely. Why had he chosen complete isolation?
    The circulating flames loomed as we approached. I bit my lip as I stepped inside. The darkness was the same as the last portal. Instead of cold, the intense heat pushed against my skin. I was covered in sweat. The farther we walked, the more powerful it became. My mouth was dry and a migraine was forming at my temples. The heat penetrated in waves, as if I was walking into the sun. I shielded my arm over my face out of instinct. Rowan put his arm around me, protecting me from some of the heat. I clung to his chest, my fingers digging into his shirt.
    Even with my face covered, I squinted when a bright light flashed. The temperature dropped by what seemed like a thousand degrees. I let out an exaggerated breath as I made a