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wanted to age, I would eventually have to stay within the mist as well.
    He bowed. “I’m pleased to see you, Princess. My apologies for the way you were treated when you first arrived. Even after all these centuries, some in the council still look down upon halflings; even the ones with royal blood.”
    Is that why they ignored me? Awesome . I could add their disapproval to my growing list of problems. “I’ll have to worry about that later. Right now, I need to know exactly what happened. Where were you when my father disappeared?”
    He stared at the ground. “I was sent to check on the preparations for your arrival. Before I left, your father said he wanted some time by himself. That was not an unusual request. He prefers to meditate alone on the hillside surrounding the castle. When I returned, he was gone. I sent out a search party, but there were no traces of him anywhere.”
    My eyebrows furrowed. “You didn’t go searching yourself? How could you leave him alone?”
    Jarrod’s tone intensified. “We followed the orders of our king.” He took a deep breath, and his shoulders visibly relaxed. “There was no reason for us to expect an attack.”
    I instantly regretted my behavior. Jarrod had been at my father's side my whole life. He was probably hurting as much as I was. “I’m sorry I came at you with accusations. You've been a great friend to my father and it's wrong to assume—”
    Rowan let out a low growl, stepping in front of me. He was right up in Jarrod’s face. “No reason to expect an attack? I can think of plenty of reasons. You should have been prepared—”
    Jarrod stood, unmoving. Clearly, he was not easily intimidated. “We followed the orders of our king. That’s what you do when you’re loyal to your court. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand.”
    Why was Rowan so angry? There had to be more to this than either of them were letting on. And what had Jarrod meant by his jab at Rowan? Forcing my way in I pushed them both, increasing the space between them. “Whatever this is between you two needs to stop. Arguing is not going to help us find my father. We need to get to the castle and see if we can find any witnesses.”
    There was an uncomfortable silence for some time. Rowan was the first to calm down. “You’re right. Can you take—?”
    “Princess, he is not a member of our court. We do not need his assistance.”
    Rowan squared his shoulders, glaring at Jarrod. “I am a friend to the House of Paralda. I will help Kalin find her father.”
    House of Paralda? It was strange to hear Dad's last name referred to as a house. Even after all of his lessons over the years, the elemental customs still felt foreign.
    Jarrod reached for his sword. “Kalin is the princess of the air court. Her protection is my responsibility.”
    Rowan was about to say something else when I moved in between them. “Enough! I thought we’d moved past this.” I locked eyes with Jarrod. “I wouldn’t be alive if it were not for Rowan. I would like him to stay at the castle as my guest.” He opened his mouth to speak and I put my hand on his shoulder. “My decision is final.”
    Jarrod huffed. He definitely was not happy. “Very well, Princess.”
    Rowan had a smirk on his face as he motioned toward the door. “Follow me.”
    When Jarrod opened the door, I was expecting to see the forest. Instead, he had used the door to create another pathway. I shuddered. “Oh, not again.”
     

 

Chapter Four
     
    It was a good thing I was not afraid of heights. Otherwise, I would’ve passed out. The air court’s castle was embedded in the top of the highest mountain in Avalon. The colorless crystal bricks of the medieval styled palace sparkled against the moonlight. Beyond the castle walls, a hazy fog hid a very long drop to the ground. A brief ping of pain radiated from my shoulder blades. For a moment, it felt as if something was trying to push from beneath my skin. Now that I was so close to the