by Mary Dublin
"I'm sorry," she murmured, deciding he was secure enough. The last thing she wanted was to agitate his wound.
With her strength slowly returning, she struggled to her feet, sidestepping the witch and falling to her knees by Daniel's side.
She cupped the side of his face with her free hand, too terrified to appreciate how she was able to complete such an action at her human size. The pain twisting his expression made her tremble. She wanted to scold him for being a breath away from accepting the witch's contract, but it wasn't the time.
"Daniel, you… you need to get up," she urged softly. "We need to get you back to the castle… get some help."
He shook his head. "I can't walk."
"I'll help you," Esmae persisted, brushing his cheek comfortingly. "You can lean on me the entire way."
"We're over two miles out. I won't make it."
His chest rose and fell shakily. She could only imagine the pain of each breath. Tears welled up in her eyes as she held his gaze. Even the brilliant blue of his eyes looked paler.
"Then I'll run for help," she whispered. "I'll fetch Edmund and the others. They can fix this and bring you home."
Cradling Brennan carefully to her front, she made to stand.
"Esmae."
Daniel caught her hand, giving her a meaningful look as he pulled her back down next to him. The look on his face said it all: he had no intention of escaping his fate. The thought of losing him after everything had a sob shaking her shoulders.
He fed his fingers through hers, holding to her tighter than he'd ever dared. His blood was staining the ground, but there was a strange satisfaction on his face all the same.
"You look a bit taller," he remarked with an ironic smile. The pain was apparently worth the soft chuckle he shared with her.
She squeezed his hand, grinning weakly through her tears. "It was you," she said confidently. "I don't know how, but you're the reason I transformed again. I know it."
Daniel opened his mouth to answer, but what came out was a rattling cough, and Esmae's smile disappeared under a fresh round of sobs. He didn't speak, but she felt his fingers tighten on hers, and his eyes, though pale, spoke volumes on their own as he gazed at her in the darkness.
And she knew that at any moment, whatever light was left in his eyes would be gone.
Daniel's grip was failing.
Brennan hadn't even stirred.
Only fate would be cruel enough to allow her to recover while she lost the two people she would have died to save.
Esmae lowered her head, a cold hand closing around her heart. She would have been content to shut her eyes and sit there all night, but something in the distance agitated the stillness of the forest.
A glimmer of light shined between the branches—too low to be starlight.
As it approached, the single pinprick of light turned out to be two of them, more and more discernable as they came closer: purple and blue. The lights flicked in and out of sight as they maneuvered around sickly branches.
Esmae's chilled heart jumped to her throat, and she straightened.
"Help!" Her voice was thick with tears. She cleared her throat, releasing Daniel's hand and waving her arm desperately. "Over here! Please!"
Then the lights paused. They hovered where they were in the distance, and Esmae realized she may have made a mistake by calling out. She glanced down to where she cradled Brennan, remembering her size. It went against fairy custom to approach pleading humans in the woods.
She huffed under her breath and tried again. "It's me! Princess Esmae!"
That certainly got their attention.
Esmae looked between the rapidly approaching fairies, Daniel, and Brennan, willing them to hold on a little longer. She could no longer tell if either of them were breathing, and she was too petrified to check.
The fairies pulled to a hover less than a tree length away and didn't bother to keep their voices down as they ogled the strange sight below: a half-dead human, a witch's corpse, and their princess somehow at human size.
"It is her!" the blue-lit fairy exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Princess!"
The purple fairy caught her arm before she could fly down. "Do you not see that witch? It's clearly the source of the magic we sensed. It could be a trap!"
Esmae shook her head impatiently. "Blake, Nadine, please! There's no magic left here to be a trap. They're dying!"
The fairies exchanged a quick look. "Whatever the case, we must alert the others," Blake decided, though he still side-eyed the ground suspiciously. Nadine nodded without hesitation and threw a hand to the sky, sending sparks into the air that Esmae had to shield her eyes against until they dissipated.
"Others?" Esmae inquired.
"You've been missing for days, Princess," Blake said gravely. "We've been searching all over." He paused, looking her up and down. "Did this witch curse you?"
Esmae couldn't bring herself to answer that, but she couldn't make herself lie, either.
"You… you said someone's dying?" Nadine tried delicately.
"Yes," she answered breathlessly at once, pulling her occupied hand away from her. "Brennan, and… and…" She trailed off, noting the wary looks from the fairies as Esmae gently rested her free hand on Daniel's cheek. "He saved my life. Please. He needs to be saved too."
Blake chewed on his lower lip, looking queasy. "We're not supposed to have a hand in human affairs…"
"He doesn't have much time," Esmae exclaimed, her voice choked. "I ask as both your princess and as your friend. Don't let him die."
Nadine elbowed Blake in the arm, diving downward. "I'm not going to argue with the princess," she muttered. "Come. The others will be here shortly."
Giving Esmae a nod, Blake cautiously descended. He took a swift flight along Daniel's back to scope out the damage. Then, positioning himself near the biggest puncture wound, he stretched out his hands and summoned his strength. An amber glow materialized from his fingertips like strands of gold. The threads of magic swam through the air, seeping into the bloodied holes to do their work.
She could only hope it would be enough.
Nadine gestured for Esmae to bring Brennan to the ground before gingerly kneeling by him and waving her hands up and down his body. Her frown deepened, and the spellwork began.
Esmae craned her neck as the air glittered overhead. More fairies had come, giving off subtle auras of blue and green and violet. They numbered nearly a hundred. The fairies swirled in patterns amongst themselves, consulting. Esmae could only imagine the confusion she'd stirred, appearing before them like this.
At the sight of Blake struggling to maintain the healing on his own, five more fairies dropped to the ground. Without requiring explanation, they supplied their strength into the same spell. Never had Esmae been more grateful for the loyalty of fairies towards their own kind.
The healing light burned brighter. Daniel jolted as though he'd been splashed with icy water, and Esmae leaned over him closely. His heavy eyes flew open wide and he sucked in shuddering lungfuls of air. She was immediately hushing him, stroking his hair back and urging him to stay still.
He was still pale, but the distant look on his face morphed into confusion as he searched overhead, blinking at the lights. "Esmae?" he murmured.
"They're here to help," she soothed, scooting over and guiding his head to her lap. "Trust me."
Daniel answered with a weak nod. He held still, but he clearly had to resist the urge to twist around and see the ongoing spell being performed on his back. She couldn't blame him if he was wary of magic at the moment, but the tension in his body began to relax.
"How is he?" she asked, turning her attention to where Nadine knelt beside Brennan on the ground. To Esmae's immediate relief, he appeared to be breathing steadily, though he was still out cold.
Nadine gave a small start at Esmae's voice, but her brow knit with concern a moment later. "It's healing, but this wound was the work of something very dark, Princess." She stole a look at the
witch. "Corrosion. It must have been very painful."
Esmae's insides turned to ice, and her mind flashed to every moment that Brennan's face had twisted with agony when he'd carried her into the woods. She had little time to dwell on it before there was a shift in the air. A nearly undetectable hush fell over the area, and the fairies up above ceased flitting about, pulling to a hover or landing among the branches.
Only one light moved—a brilliant gold, and it was quickly approaching. Esmae stiffened, running her hand through Daniel's hair one more time to soothe herself as much as him.
The fairy stopped several feet away. His hair was dark, like Esmae's, with signs of grey showing. His eyes darted about, as if he was unsure of what to focus on first. When his dark gaze swiveled to Esmae, any attempt for him to have an unreadable expression was lost.
After thinking she would never see him again, the indignation she had towards him felt meaningless.
"Esmae, what—where have you been?" Somehow, his voice still made her flinch. He looked from her, to Brennan, to Daniel. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Father," she started softly, noting the anger rising to his face at the sight of a human in the process of being healed by fae magic. "I… I can explain everything. But you must understand, this human saved my life." It was strange to refer to Daniel as though he were just another human, but she pressed on. "He sacrificed himself for me. It's only right that he be repaid with his own life."
"There is nothing right about this! Look at yourself. Fawning over a human that has no place here to begin with." Her father flew closer. Esmae get a strange twist in her stomach to see the fear in his eyes. She couldn't be sure in that moment whether he was fearful of her or for her.
"And you… what happened to you?"
Esmae bit her lip and looked down at Daniel's face. The light of the healing spell had faded, and the fairies hovered near, looking winded. The prince was still recovering, and even if he was fully aware, she wouldn't have asked him to back her up. When she faced her father, she took a deep breath, aware of the others listening in. No more lies. She couldn't do it again.
"I ran away," she said, keeping her voice steady. "I… I overheard your plans to marry me off, Father, so I fled before it was too late. I knew there were no fairy communities I could hide in and not be found, so… I chose the neighboring human kingdom." Her eyes drifted down to Daniel to escape the astonished looks from all around. "I made a contract with a witch. Brennan followed and was captured that night, doing what he could to save me. The witch outwitted me. She had plans of her own. Things went horribly wrong, and I take full responsibility."
Her father's pause of silence was agonizing. "You betrayed your kingdom to spite me?"
"I did it to save myself from a life I didn't choose," Esmae pleaded. "I never meant to hurt anyone."
"You're lucky it wasn't worse!" His glow flickered. "I can't even embrace my own daughter as I should. Are you quite happy now?"
She cringed. "I'm so sorry, Father,"
Her father flew closer. It was strange to see him so small. Growing up, he had always been one of the tallest people she knew. Now, he looked frail and breakable as he looked her over with tears in his eyes.
"I can't save you from this," he whispered, his anger vanishing. "A witch's work… There's not enough magic in all of Evrosea to change you back."
Esmae looked down at her lap shamefully. She gave a small start to find that this time, Daniel was looking back up at her. He blinked as if emerging from a strange dream, looking all around as he struggled to sit up. Esmae kept her hands on his shoulders to steady him, watching his face avidly for signs of weakness. But the others had done their job well—healthy color had returned to his cheeks, and life to his eyes.
The prince exchanged a wary look with Esmae as he attempted to regain some dignity amidst the onlookers.
"This is your father?" he asked, squinting into the golden light. Esmae nodded. Daniel promptly devoted his attention to the fairy, bowing his head deeply. "Your Grace."
The king studied Daniel while Esmae held her breath. Then he gave a slow nod, apparently finding nothing false about the way the human regarded him. Still, the suspiciousness in his gaze was evident. "And who might you be?"
"I am Daniel of Mirrel," he answered, lifting his gaze.
"Prince Daniel of Mirrel," Esmae put in. "Heir to the kingdom beyond the woods. He did more than save me right now, Father. When things went wrong with the witch's contract, I… I was changed back to my natural height, without my wings or my magic."
Esmae's father breathed out sharply. "Where were you when this happened?"
"In the humans' castle. But it's alright! The prince gave me shelter. He ensured no harm came to me. And he went out of his way to help me reverse the contract."
The king considered this, and to Esmae's relief, he gave Daniel a less severe look. "You have my thanks, Prince Daniel of Mirrel. But how on Earth did you reverse a witch's spell?" His tone was blunt, but Daniel didn't seem offended.
"I'm not quite sure what happened myself," he admitted, glancing at Esmae for explanation. "One moment she was fairy-sized, and then the next… I'm sorry. I was injured by the witch when it happened. It's a blur."
"Royal blood was spilled," another voice said.
"Brennan!" Esmae wasn't sure how long he had been conscious, but he was sitting up, alert with Nadine holding his arm cautiously. He winced as he shifted.
At first, Esmae was sure he would look away the moment their eyes met. Indeed, his gaze wavered, but he surprised her by steadying it.
"Your contract," Brennan went on. He glanced at Daniel fleetingly. "It involved him, didn't it?"
In an instant, Esmae's face heated up. More than ever, she could feel the weight of the many gazes upon her. "I… yes. In order to make the human transformation permanent, I needed a true kiss from Daniel by the end of the third day." She looked down, utterly aware of her father's indignant glare.
"And you ran out of time then," Brennan said before she could be berated. He gave Daniel an uncomfortable look, but pressed on. "But he spilled his blood for you tonight when the witch would have killed you. I… saw it."
Esmae eyed Daniel guiltily. Her father followed her gaze, seeming to notice for the first time the massive amount of blood staining his clothes.
"That's far more powerful than the bond of any kiss," the king admitted. "Enough to ignite the remnants of the contract, it would seem."
Esmae couldn't take her eyes off the prince. It was surreal to recall how he had surrounded her in that moment. And now, she could look him eye to eye again.
"You might've died, Daniel," she whispered.
He smiled weakly in reply. "I warned you I was stubborn."
Her smile trembled as he cupped her face in his hand, brushing back leaf-strewn hair behind her ear.
For the first time since the fairies' arrival, she could forget they were there. Daniel's eyes were no longer pale and faraway, but bright and focused on no one but her. Even after what he had gone through, the tender look he gave her hadn't changed.
Overwhelmed with relief that he was alright, Esmae leaned in with every intention to simply rest against him or put her head on his shoulder, but somewhere along the way, she changed her mind. His other hand slid to her waist, and she threw both arms around his neck. Before she knew it, her eyes fluttered shut and her lips were pressed against his.
It was far different than when they had kissed before, yet she still recognized it as him.
Her moment of bliss was cut short when she heard her father clear his throat.
Esmae pulled away abruptly and folded her hands in front of her. Her face was hotter than ever, but the tingle on her lips remained. "My apologies," she murmured, though she couldn't bring herself to feel completely sorry for such a wonderful kiss.
Daniel wore a subdued smile, like he was holding back a chuckle. He laced his fingers into hers and looked at the fairy king.
"Your Gra
ce, I believe I heard you say it is impossible to return Esmae to her original form?"
The king gave him a guarded nod, but there was no hiding the fresh pain that entered his eyes. "That's correct."
"You fear what's to become of her. I know." Daniel spoke calmly and earnestly, and Esmae knew it had to be all those years of speaking to his own father. "I would like to invite her to live in Mirrel. She'll be safe, and not too far from Evrosea. She's welcome to stay in the castle, if it pleases her." He glanced her way, and she could only give a stunned nod of consent before he returned his gaze to her father. "And with your blessing, of course."
All eyes were on the king. Esmae held her breath as her father leaned forward, aiming his hover to be squarely before Daniel's face. Though the king was scarcely seven inches tall, Daniel was visibly fighting to maintain his composure under such peculiar scrutiny.
"Can I have your word that you will protect my daughter with the same ferocity you have demonstrated tonight?"
Daniel nodded resolutely. "Until the end of my days."
"You will not leave her or lead her astray?"
"Never."
The king barely blinked. His expression was entirely unreadable until he turned to Esmae.
"And… this will make you happy?"
Esmae felt a final weight lift from her as she smiled breathlessly. "More than I can say."
Her father sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Then it would be cruel for me to deny you. You have my blessing."
Bowing her head, Esmae blinked tears away. After the horror that had plagued them that night, she was almost afraid to believe that something wonderful could be happening. "Thank you, Father."
Another buzz of wings entered the air. Brennan hovered, a concentrating frown on his face like he was paying special attention to keeping his wings going. Once he was steady, Nadine backed away from assisting him. It wasn't easy getting a full look at the blood staining Brennan's midsection, but Esmae trusted the magic had done its work.
She bit her lip. "How are you feeling?"