Read The Shadow Prince for Free Online

school in the city, recently turned fifteen, and was in tenth grade. There was nothing elemental about her life except she had knights with her at all times. They stayed hidden behind a glamour, even following her into each class.
    I’d have no choice but to kill her guards in order to get to her which only added to the disgust I already felt.
    After we’d packed weapons and supplies, we left the castle without anyone noticing. The ball was still well under way, keeping everyone busy. Marcus had remained silent since we left the castle. An overwhelming sadness lingered between us. There was no question what we planned to do was wrong. Yet, there was no other option. I hoped I could get this over with quickly. But, regardless, I’d always live with guilt. It had already begun to eat away at me. In its place an empty hole which would never be filled.
    There was a portal less than two miles from Kalin’s house in the middle of a thick forest. A floating ball of fire illuminated our way as we trucked through the dead, matted leaves covering the winter woodland. The scent of pine filled my nostrils. Each breath made puffy white clouds. The temperature was frigid, but I was always warm. A fire elemental could never be cold.
    It was well after midnight by the time we reached Kalin’s home. I had expected a house in the city, but she lived on the outskirts of town in a simple brick rancher with a large, wooden back porch. The house was enclosed by forest with no visible neighbors in the surrounding areas. There was only one light on inside.
    As expected, an air court knight stood in the backyard. We settled behind a line of tall shrubbery. The knight circled the house several times, but didn’t seem to notice us. He had no reason to expect an attack. Ever since the decrees were set in place, the courts had been at peace.
    “Are you going to kill him?” Marcus whispered, handing me a pair of binoculars from his bag of supplies.
    “No. I want to wait and see what we’re up against first.” We needed to find out how many guards she had. There would likely be more than one of them inside the house. My goal was to attack when she was surrounded by the least amount of knights. I had skills with a sword and my element, but I didn’t want to go in over-confident. These knights were trained, deadly opponents. Although Marcus was only a halfling, he had all the strength and fighting skills of a purebred hound. Knowing he always had my back put the odds in my favor, but I preferred to play it safe.
    Marcus sat his bags down. The weapons clinked when they hit the ground. Luckily, the guard was on the other side of the house when it happened. “What’s the plan?” he asked.
    Break the decrees. Potentially start a war between the courts. Murder. Treason. “We’ll stay here tonight and assess the situation.”
    He scratched the back of his head. “What about tomorrow?”
    “I’d like to follow her during the day. There might be a chance we can catch her alone. If we don’t get an opportunity, I’ll make my move at sundown.”
    Marcus nodded, but said nothing; his emotional conflict written all over his face. If I could help it, I wouldn’t involve him in the killing. Only one of us needed to live with the anguish. It was my burden—my throne. A pain I deserved to live with for what I planned to do.
    I jolted when another light came on in the house. We were too far away to see anything. I tried looking through the binoculars, but couldn’t make out much. I adjusted the settings a few times until I found the right one. I gazed through the binoculars again and everything became clear. The blinds were open, allowing me to see into the room. A girl stood in front of the window. It had to be Kalin. Goosebumps ran up my forearms. She had her long, wavy hair tied back in a ponytail. Unlike the other air elementals, her hair was red. Her skin was creamy white like porcelain and her eyes were a bit larger, like most elementals.