“This ends, Mendina. You have had your fun, exacted your revenge. And now it’s over.” I hold out my hands, building all the energy I can. Never before have I needed more, and now it feels as though I am drained. Perhaps I used too much in getting Valentino to safety. But it doesn’t mean I won’t try.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I’ve only begun. Watching you suffer as I slowly kill the love of your life is only the cherry on top. You will suffer that of a thousand deaths before I end you and take your crown from the cold grip of your mother.” Her eyes flash red. She sneers and slowly gathers her magic just as I am doing.
“I don’t understand why you hate me so much when I don’t even know you. But you won’t succeed—not if I kill you first.” I let every ounce of power I have left shoot at her.
She laughs menacingly. “Did you really think you could come all this way, angry, filled with hate, and still overpower me? Oh, no, Shanice. No one is stronger than me. Not even you … ” She flicks her wrist, and in one simple movement has the air sucked from my lungs, my body dangling inches above the ground. Everything goes in and out of view. She’s killing him, torturing me, and she’s safe behind a wall of magic I wish I could have broken through already.
Despite my lack of power, I try to muster more, forcing the little left in me to fight back, to force her magic apart. “You won’t win, you coward. You will never win.” I spit.
“Now, now, dear, you shouldn’t have done that. I was just about to let you live.” Where my power couldn’t penetrate hers fully, now I can’t at all. Every bit of magic she has readily in her hands hits me all at once, knocking me to the ground, stealing my breath, making my vision blurry.
All her built-up power, energy stolen from the man I came to save, hits me full force before I have a chance to move. My body falls limply the ground. “He would’ve lived longer, you know. Now he may just die before you can return to him.” She laughs before all fades to black.
I awake, tears filling my eyes. I’m surrounded by forest, Star at my side. Not only did I fail to hurt Mendina, but I risked Valentino’s life. I don’t know if he lives still or if all hope is lost. And as if all hope wasn’t already lost, I find myself lost in the forest.
She bested me, laughed at my attempts to stop her, and I wonder why she didn’t just kill me. She could have ended all this right then. She could have taken my life. And she didn’t.
In the only open space among the trees, the rain slides from my skin. My hair sticks to my neck. My clothes are soaking. I am cold. The rain continues, never stopping. The world has grown colder. No pain is equal to what I feel now. Hope has been crushed, the fire extinguished. All belief that I could make it is gone.
No amount of pushing, prodding, or begging gets Star to move. She is as miserable as I am. I slide off her and fall to my knees in the mud. “Go. Leave while you still can.” Tears come pouring like the rain overhead as I send her away.
No one else will die. Not for me. Not for this. Not because of Mendina. If she truly wants to kill me, now is her chance. She’d better do it before the lonely cold does. Rain drenches every bit of me. Mud covers me from the waist down. Smudges of dirt coat my arms and face.
I am finished. I cannot continue giving this world hope that does not exist. I cannot do what has been asked of me. I sink lower, my face inches from the ground. And I cry. I don’t hold back as I have done so many times before.
There is no one here to see my pain anyway. I am completely alone in a world I don’t belong in. I have destroyed their home. Disrupted their lives. And above the pain of all of that, they still believe I can save them.
But I can’t. I will only continue destroying things. Perhaps it is what I was created for. Perhaps Mendina has poisoned me. Or I am just simply useless.
Slowly the cold on my skins slips away. Not because the rain has stopped, but because I am numb. But I don’t mind. I prefer the numb over the cold. I would be happy if my heart could go numb so I wouldn’t have to feel the pain of failure. So I wouldn’t have to feel hope dying inside me. So I wouldn’t have to feel at all.
I would allow my heart to go numb just so I wouldn’t have to feel the pain of knowing Baccio died for me. Why did he have to save me? Why couldn’t he just let me die? Death would be better than this. I am no hero. Baccio died protecting a failure.
I lift my face to the rain, allowing it to wash away the tears. Baccio died to protect me. It hurts, and I am broken. But I will not stop. I can’t. I must defeat her now just to show her that she isn’t stronger than me.
Star is long gone, and I am alone. The spark is gone once more. I fall back to my knees—a splash in the water before me brings my eyes open. My necklace fell off. Being buried in the mud is Fuentes’ scale. I pick it up and wipe it off, rubbing my finger over it.
“Fuentes, I need you.” I barely speak above a whisper, hardly making a sound. More tears begin to form. Slowly, one by one, they fall with the rain. One single, lonely tear lands on the scale. “Please, Fuentes. I can’t do this alone. I shouldn’t have even tried. I am sorry. Now please, help me make it right.” Goose bumps cover my skin. Soaking wet and cold, I want to curl in a ball and close my eyes, knowing they will never open again. But for Baccio, for Danica, for Speranza, for my mother, for my father, for Valentino, I will keep going.
The heat begins to return to my fingers, the fingers holding the dragon scale. It’s thrumming. I look at the sky, and hope is alive once more. His dark form blocks the sun, the power from his flapping wings parting the clouds.
He’s stands before me in the clearing.
“Shanice, all you had to do was ask.” Fuentes picks me up gently, wraps his claws around me, and hugs me to his face, closing his wing around us. A single silver dragon tear escapes his eye. “You are never alone, my dear.” With that, he turns, and, still holding me in his claw, takes flight.
I don’t know how many times I blacked out. The pain I feel is almost as bad as the pain in my heart. I may have killed Valentino trying to save him.
I don’t know how long we flew before Fuentes lays me on the ground. I see feet running toward me, but I don’t know who they belong to. My vision is blurred; everything hurts.
My body is lifted and carried inside. I can smell food and feel warmth. I’m placed in a bed and covered with blankets. It’s the last thing I feel before I lose consciousness again.
What feels like days later, my eyes open. The room is no longer spinning in circles or blurred beyond comprehension. It takes me a minute, focusing on the room before I realize I’m in Garverdale, back at the cottage.
Nastasia puts her hand on my forearm, and my first instinct is to shrug it off. But I don’t have the strength in me. Not even enough to push those around me away. “Shanice, please. He is dying—you cannot stop now. His life is in your hands.” Her accent becomes prominent, and the deep tone is relaxing, it helps to calm my wracking body.
“I can’t do it. I’m not strong enough to stop her—that’s already been proven. What would you have me do?” I cover my face with my hands, though it no longer helps in hiding my tears as they pour through my fingers.
“Your biggest mistake was believing you could do it alone. You think we would waste time gathering the other missing royals if you could do it by yourself? No! You can stop her, it is possible, and you do have the power. But you have to let us help.” Tears begin streaking down her cheeks as well.
I look up at her. “How can one woman cause so much destruction, and yet one woman can’t stop her?” I counter.
Nastasia’s strong arms wrap around me, my head now resting on her shoulder. “Oh, my dear princess.” Her voice becomes calm once more—sad but calm. “Let me tell you, she is one of the strongest witches ever to be. She has more power than one could imagine. She is almost undefeatable.”
I break away from her now, no longer comforted, but terrified. “Then what makes you think I can defeat her?” I want to scream but it comes out more as a broken sob.
>
“I said she is almost undefeatable. There is only one stronger than her. That’s you, Shanice. And the sooner you realize that, the better off we will all be. Asking for help is not a weakness—it proves that you are stronger than us all. You think Mendina works alone? That is not so. She uses people to do her dirty work. Today she used you against yourself. She knew that threatening Valentino’s life would get a reaction out of you. She knew exactly how you would respond. You didn’t bravely risk your life to save Valentino’s—you walked into a trap she set, you did exactly what you she wanted you to do. And now the love of your life is dying.”
“I can’t lose him, Nastasia.”
“That is exactly why you need to finish. Find the others, then defeat Mendina. You don’t have much time, so you need to work fast. You must use every resource you have. Do not let that boy die.” I follow her example and rise to my feet, standing a little taller, wipe away my tears, and accept the path in front of me as the one I must choose.
“Let me say good-bye,” I whisper. She simply nods and returns to the kitchen. I take one deep breath and step into Valentino’s room.
Labored breathing is the one thing I hear. It is physically painful to see him lying so still, no grin on his face, no sign of life but the breath of a dying man. I sit on the stool beside his bed and take his hand in mine.
I lay my head on his shoulder and play with his fingers. “I love you, and I won’t stop until Mendina is gone and your life is restored. I won’t return until I know you’re safe.” I lean back and look at his beautiful face, standing because I know I need to leave. “And if I don’t return, know that I would have married you in an instant.” I lay his hand back across his chest, leave a kiss on his forehead, and turn to go.
His hand catches mine. “Shanice.” His voice is barely there, gravelly—he’s in pain. “I love you. Come back to me please. If I can’t live with you, I would rather not live at all.” It takes all my power to hold in every tear begging to be set free.
“I promise,” I say against his lips before rushing out of the room. If I don’t, I may never leave. I must save him. I will do whatever it takes.
I enter Umare’s gates with a heavy heart. The tears stopped long ago but the pain is endless. When I enter the castle doors, a servant informs me that I am wanted in the throne room.
The world feels so cold—time seems endless. The corridors are long and empty. I enter the room, hiding my emotions, my hands balled into fists, my mouth set, my resolve hard. I don’t want to feel—I must become numb. I clench my jaw, form fists—relaxing and forming them again.
It appears that Jareth told Palamides as well as my parents what happened. Palamides tries to keep his expression emotionless. But when his eyes meet mine, an understanding passes, and he almost breaks.
“Shanice, explain to us what happened,” the king says, trying to keep his anger controlled. I look him in the eye and never look away as I explain exactly what happened—how Baccio was killed, how Valentino was hurt, how only Jareth was willing to come with us.
“Will Prince Valentino live?” my mother asks the second she has a chance. Her concern speaks volumes in the way she asks, the tone of her voice, the way her eyes soften when they meet mine.
I have to continue breathing evenly to keep my voice from breaking, to keep my emotions in check. I make fists again, squeezing as hard as I can. “I cannot say. The poison used is based on magic. It isn’t just killing him—it’s stealing his energy. Every time Mendina uses magic, she kills him a little more, and if she is not stopped immediately, there is no way he will survive either.” I keep balling up my fists. It’s the only thing I have to keep from bursting into tears, breaking apart again. I have to remain strong. I have to prove that I am worthy of this battle.
“What more can we do to stop her?” Palamides says, clenching his jaw just like Valentino does. I can’t look at him, for all I see is the boy I’m losing.
“I don’t know how to use my magic. I have at least one more prince to find that I know of, and though it isn’t much, at least there will be a few here willing to fight by my side when the time comes.”
“King Jareth has offered his help, as has Prince Lancilotto. What other royals are willing to fight alongside you?” the king asks me.
I look around the room, mostly empty aside from us. A few servants lean against the wall, and the rest of the hall is vacant. “Prince Javiar has offered his help from the beginning. He has protected me, he has taken care of me, and he doesn’t even know he’s royal. So you ask what other royals will fight alongside me, Father, and I hope the answer is you. And King Palamides. And you, Mother.”
It is a brazen thing to say but they can’t expect to sit by and allow me to fight on my own. “I cannot fight by your side, daughter. I must protect our kingdom first. I cannot fight both battles. But I can teach you to use your powers. Come.” Mother steps down from the dais and takes my hand.
I’m glad this meeting is over. I’m glad I no longer have to look at Valentino’s father. He reminds me so much of his son, and the pain is too great.
The queen leads me outside to the far gardens I have never seen. And they are breathtaking. “You have your father’s tongue—like a sword, cutting through the things people say to attack you. You are right to question why we do not fight, but do not place blame where there is none. Your father, Valentino’s father, myself—we cannot fight as we once could. All magic has a price, Shanice. It always does. Our power was given to you. In a battle against Mendina, we would only get in the way.”
I realize my outburst wasn’t called for. Valentino said all royals had magic. I didn’t realize the king and queen gave theirs to their only heir.
“Now, you wish to wield your magic, to use it against Mendina. But Shanice, you must remember what the Oracle told you. Only with love can you win. That is a power even magic cannot touch.” We sit on a long wooden bench amongst the trees and bushes, flowers surrounding us.
“Your magic is more than energy used as a weapon. Your magic has the ability to make forests grow, caterpillars turn into butterflies, and mymees get their favorite flower.” She picks what looks like a golden rose from the bush and twirls it in the air. One of the small creatures like those I met in the cave comes humming along and snatches the flower from her fingers.
“I can train you to control where your energy goes, where your powers are used. But only you can decide how to use them. Mendina chose poorly, and her price to pay will be the greatest of all. She doesn’t know it yet, but soon her powers will cease to exist.” My mother kisses my forehead and wraps her arm around my shoulder.
“Now, I feel there is something far greater on your mind.” She looks me in the eye, and I realize how beautiful she is. How wise she is. And though I love the adoptive mother I had on Earth, I wish I had been able to grow up in the care of this woman.
“I love him.” I close my eyes, hoping to stop the oncoming flood.
“That much is obvious, dear, and you’re doing all you can to save him. What else is bothering you?”
“I screwed up. He thought I didn’t care. He thought I was messing with him. He may die never realizing how much my heart is truly his.” I lean into her shoulder.
“Then I suggest you save him before that can happen.” She smiles, looking far happier than anyone should under the circumstances. But I realize that perhaps it’s because she has hope, something I’ve lost.
“What if I can’t stop her? What if I can’t save him? What if I try and only help her kill him faster?” My voice wavers.
“I’ve already told you—the power of love is far greater than any magic she possesses. She believes she has the upper hand but you have the chance to show her what true love can do. Show her that his desire to be with you is far greater than her desire for the two of you to suffer.”
I nod, taking every word into consideration. “I need to find the final prince. I need more help.” I sit straighter.
“Then go.” S
he stands and pulls me to my feet. “Find him and bring him back. You may be few in number but your powers will surpass hers by far.” I nod and walk through the gardens, back inside the castle and walk through the corridors in search of the other prince I need.
I realize it could take me all day to search the castle for him, so instead, I return to my own room, where I find Edda.
“I need Javiar. Please help me find him,” I ask her in such a rush that I have no time to explain. But she smiles.
“I would check the courtyard,” she says.
I nod and turn back around. As I open the door leading outside, I can hear the clang of metal on metal. Javiar is teaching Lancilotto sword skills I didn’t know he had. I watch the remainder of their fight.
Both men gladly put down their swords. I step from the shadows as they both wipe off their swords.
“Shanice is not one you want to meet in a sword fight. On her arrival, I thought mocking her was a good idea but when she put my sword skills to shame, I wanted to weep.” Javiar laughs.
“Your Highness.” Lancilotto bows upon seeing me.
I smile and turn to Javiar. “I need your help. I have one prince left to find.”
“What of Valentino? Why are you asking that I help you instead of him?” He looks around, and it shocks me that only a few people know what has happened.
“He lies dying at the hands of Mendina. And now I am asking you for help because without it, she may very well win.” I want to tell him so desperately that he is a prince but no matter how I form the sentence in my head, it feels wrong.
So I don’t mention it. I continue wasting time when I could prove to him he is worth more than he believes.
“I—I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” He bows his head.
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