Chapter 33 #2
Elise extinguished the flame with the same chant once everything had blended nicely.
“It’s ready,” she said.
What followed was nothing short of a miracle. One of those times you order a mug of ale and are handed a whole pitcher for no extra charge. One of those moments when a fellow drops a coin and you happen to be walking right behind them.
When Fabian tested the potion, not only did the green liquid turn clear, but even the black smudge transformed into drinkable water.
“For the heavens!” Fabian rasped.
Murmurs about the Devil’s hand spread through the crowd, though with the potion finally complete, even if Beelzebub himself had stirred the cauldron with one of his nails, few would have complained.
Emery and Conrad cheered with so much enthusiasm that Elise couldn’t help but smile.
Fabian came over to her. “Well done,” he said, and Emery immediately began shaking her by the shoulders.
It was indeed a glorious moment. Elise thought it almost too good to be true, but the miracles kept coming. Even Gwern clapped the moment Elise caught her eye.
Footmen were summoned to carry the news to the king.
One stout boy nearly tripped in his excitement.
The news seemed to be traveling fast indeed as more footmen came and went in all directions.
A goose passing by took offense at the commotion and began squawking at the crowd.
Bruno naturally took the matter personally and flew out to avenge the insult.
Elise would have aided Bruno against the goose, but a familiar presence making his way through the tumult made her halt. The tall figure sparked a ripple of whispers among the fairies.
“May I speak with you?” Kurt asked.
*****
Elise couldn’t hide her happiness as she walked away with Kurt.
She hadn’t seen him since yesterday, and no one had been able to tell her what all the commotion with the trumpets had been about.
She was thankful that neither Seth nor Kurt had distracted her while she finished the potion, but now that it was done, she wanted nothing more than to enjoy a few quiet moments alone with him.
She kept thinking about everything he had said, about being someone’s second choice. Her heart swelled at the thought that, much like her, he too had known heartache and deception.
Danu’s magic surged through her with renewed ferocity at the mere idea of being alone with Kurt. She could still feel the warmth of his body. His hands gripping her waist. The desire burning in his eyes as he held her close. It was all maddening. And yet she wanted more.
They made their way around the gardens until no fairies were in sight. Elise could still hear the bustle, but at least the spot where they stopped afforded them a measure of privacy.
At first, Kurt said nothing, and all Elise could think about was reaching for his hand.
He must have shared the thought, for as he turned to her, his lips slightly parted and his fingers brushed hers.
There were no words, but the way he was looking at her told her everything she needed to know.
“Did you talk to Sebastian?”
Kurt nodded. “I should have known,” he whispered.
Elise barely shook her head. “I understand.”
She felt a wave of relief wash over her. At last, that matter was settled. But Kurt was right about one thing: he knew very little about her. She still had many secrets to confess, and she was ready to tell him everything before any more misunderstandings came between them.
Kurt kept looking at her as though nothing else around them mattered.
Elise swallowed hard as she prepared to tell him the real reason she had come to Metz: her borrowed surname, Seth, and her cursed magic power. Kurt, however, appeared equally troubled by something weighing on his mind.
“I’m leaving for battle,” he murmured.
She felt her heart skip a beat. Everything blurred for a moment.
“It’s Noldrin,” he said. “All of our men perished in a single day. There’s no good explanation for how that could have happened, but I’m being sent to recover what was lost.”
Elise gasped, mortified.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
For a moment, words failed her. Her heart sank, and everything else suddenly looked unimportant.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she managed.
Kurt smiled. “You already are. I came to see you as soon as I heard the potion was completed. I wanted to come earlier, but I didn’t wish to disturb you.”
She stood motionless, looking at him. He was indeed considerate, and she had no doubt he deserved all the praise Sebastian had given him.
Under the circumstances, there was only one thing Elise could bring herself to say.
“Promise me you’ll come back.”
Kurt smiled again, though this time there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I haven’t even left yet.”
“Promise me,” Elise repeated, holding his gaze.
He nodded.
It was a moment of shared understanding. Elise knew what was at stake just as well as Kurt did. They might have sealed the moment with something more appropriate, but the sight of a familiar blonde mane making its way through the gardens made it impossible for either to continue.
“Elise, you’ve had me chasing you through the gardens like a falcon after a pigeon,” Adelle said, struggling to keep her smile.
Elise tried to smile back, though she suspected the metaphor was more accurate than Adelle had meant it to be.
Kurt straightened as Adelle came to join them.
Elise knew this was not good. Finding her alone with Kurt in the gardens again was surely making Adelle fume, but feeling already so close to Kurt, she dared not give up the moment so easily.
“Is there something I can help you with?” she asked.
“You should have stayed with the rest. His Majesty wants to congratulate you in person. He came down to the workshop looking for you.”
“Congratulate you?” Kurt asked, turning to Elise. He looked at her as though he were barely resisting the urge to touch her.
Adelle cleared her throat.
“Didn’t she tell you? She managed to finish the potion Fabian had worked so hard on.”
“I didn’t realize you had been the one to make it happen,” Kurt said warmly.
Elise lowered her head. She still wasn’t sure she deserved so much praise, seeing that Morgaine’s magic had been responsible for the feat.
“I received a bit of outside help,” she admitted.
“How modest!” Adelle laughed as she looped her arm through Elise’s and sharply steered her away from Kurt. “Come. Let me take you back to the workshop. Everyone is waiting to celebrate.”
“Kurt,” Elise said as the tall blonde practically dragged her back to the catacombs.
“I’ll come tomorrow morning to see Sebastian before I leave,” he said.
Elise nodded as she felt Adelle’s grip tighten around her arm.
Tomorrow.