Chapter Twenty
The castle doors opened in Orious, and the procession began to enter the large hall.
A line of musicians crossed the threshold first, playing what Lukas recognized was the anthem of Nivea.
The music continued to play while two men followed with banners in black and gray, the kingdom’s crest in the center.
Lukas felt Baz nudge him forward. Reluctantly, he stepped up beside his mother just as the row of Nivean knights parted and the princess stepped into view.
Her dark gray gown felt more appropriate for a funeral procession—which if Lukas was being honest—was similar to his own thoughts at the moment.
His stomach tightened with every step the princess took toward him. She was beautiful. That couldn’t be disputed. Her soft brown hair fell straight around her shoulders and she practically floated down the aisle toward him.
She would have made him a very happy man… before. Now, even her beauty couldn’t hold a candle to the fairy standing at the end of the first row of benches. That same fairy gave a quick glance at the princess before averting her eyes to the floor.
Lukas wanted to scream. His throat was tight and he had to force himself to breathe.
This felt wrong. Entirely. It wasn’t what he wanted.
It wasn’t who he wanted. Despite Sage’s anger toward him on their recent trip, he would rather fight with the fairy than live a happily ever after with anyone else.
“Welcome,” Queen Clarice said with a smile. “We are delighted to have you here. Aren’t we, Lukas?”
Lukas couldn’t speak because his jaw was clinched so tightly, he thought it might break.
Instead, he gave a slight nod. The princess returned the nod and held her hand up for him to take, as was customary.
He knew what was expected of him, despite his entire body objecting to the movement.
Taking her hand in his, he bowed and kissed it, releasing it as quickly as was polite.
As he straightened back up, his gaze caught Sage’s and her eyes were filled with tears that had yet to spill over. His view of the fairy was blocked when the princess moved forward to greet Baz next.
“We have planned an intimate meal this evening to allow the two of you to become better acquainted,” Clarice said, “without any interference. My children can be quite meddlesome—”
“You mean just the two of us?” Lukas interrupted. “Would that be appropriate, Mother?”
“It is hardly scandalous, Lukas. With there being a strenuous situation between Carroway and Nivea, King Crusis and I are in agreement that a swift wedding will be most beneficial for both parties.”
“Exactly… how swift?” he asked, though he dreaded the answer.
“We are certain we can have a proper wedding put together in a few days—”
Lukas felt his face drain and noticed the princess in front of him had tensed as well. Neither of them were prepared for such a quick union and if he had to guess, Klarissa had not been made aware of the bargain between the two rulers for such a short betrothal either.
However, it was the soft gasp from Sage that made his head snap over to where the fairy was standing. One of the tears that she had been holding back had finally slipped out. He watched it trailing gently down her face as he ignored the queen while she continued speaking about the wedding plans.
He wanted to go to her. To wipe away the tear. He even began to step forward before he caught himself and winced. He couldn’t. No matter how much he hated the idea of marrying another woman, he was in no position to refuse. It didn’t make this any easier.
Sage’s eyes flicked up to his and widened when she saw he was watching her.
Another tear escaped and his breath caught.
If this wasn’t the purest form of torture, he didn’t know what was.
His heart ached and he wished the realm would just open up and swallow him whole.
It didn’t. Instead, he continued to stare at the fairy and she held his gaze.
It was when the queen mentioned flowers that he first saw it. A quick flicker of something over Sage’s face that turned it dark. Like a shadow fell over her and then disappeared. What in the realm was that?
He continued to watch her, confused and worried. Had it been magic? A spell? A curse? Was she alright? His mother was telling the princess that her Royal Gardener would be able to provide any type of flower that she might want for the ceremony.
It was true, but what the queen failed to mention was Sage would also assist her mother in creating those blooms. Sage would have to help grow the flowers used in his ceremony. The one in which he would marry another woman. She would make the damn flowers. It was almost sick. Cruel even.
The shadow flashed over Sage yet again, disappearing just as quickly as before. However, this time, it caught the notice of Baz and Rose as well. Rose gasped and Baz instinctively grabbed the hilt of his sword. To what? Use it against Sage? Lukas was stunned by even the suggestion.
“Sage?” Rose whispered. “What—”
When the darkness fell over Sage again, it lasted longer and it was clearer to see. It wasn’t a shadow so much as the fairy’s pale skin was momentarily darkened and her face changed. The whites of her eyes were gone and instead both eyes were pitch black.
Sage seemed to realize something was happening as she lifted her hands and watched the transformation pass over her.
Her slender fingers turned to boney claws with pointy nails.
She sucked in a sharp breath and when she opened her mouth, her teeth had been replaced by a row of sharp fangs.
She slammed her mouth shut just as the darkness left her again.
Princess Klarissa shrieked and jumped, running closer to the queen, who grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away from the fairy who was clearly beginning to panic.
“What—” Sage began. “What is happening to me?”
“Sage!” Iris shouted after landing in front of the queen and changing into human form.
“What’s wrong with her?” Rose cried, trying to move toward her friend but Baz held her back.
“You can control it, Sage,” Iris said, focusing solely on her daughter. She moved forward slowly, as if she were afraid to scare her. “You don’t have to change.”
Lukas couldn’t understand what was happening. Change? Change to what? And why was the fairy acting as if she were scared of her own daughter?
Rose broke free from Baz and flew past Lukas.
She’d almost reached Sage when Iris quickly grabbed her, placing two fingers on the princess’ forehead.
She must have done some sort of magic because Rose immediately began to fall backward.
Baz rushed forward to help lower Rose to the floor.
His twin sister was out cold, put to sleep by the fairy’s magic.
Lukas watched but couldn’t move. His body was in shock. Even the jolt of seeing Sage change yet again into this monster didn’t cause him to move. He just stared at her, trying to make sense of what he was seeing as she flickered back to normal again.
“What is wrong with me?” Sage cried out, pleading with her mother.
“Just stay calm,” Iris replied, holding her arms up in front of her as if she were approaching a scared animal. “Take a deep breath. Whatever it is, it isn’t that bad. You can come back from it. It’s just the first flicker of magic. The change won’t take hold if you don’t let it.”
“Change?” Sage sobbed then her eyes widened. “You mean into a—”
Soldiers rushed forward and surrounded them, their swords pointed toward Sage and Lukas snapped out of his daze.
He moved to intervene and Iris shot him a glare in warning.
She would do to him what she had his sister if he got any closer.
What was he supposed to do? They were going to hurt Sage if he didn’t stop them.
Why wasn’t his mother trying to stop them?
“It’s not too late,” Iris said, calmly. “Remember who you are. Fight the curse. You don’t have to turn.”
“I… I can’t!” Sage shrieked, changing into the creature again.
This time, when her mother approached her, Sage’s mouth opened and a beastly screech flew out.
The sound made every hair on Lukas’ body stand on end.
She was turning into something right before them.
Something wicked and… evil? That wasn’t possible.
This was Sage. She would never hurt anyone. Not even him, when he deserved it.
Lukas heard a soldier next to him whisper ‘imp’ and Sage’s head snapped to the man’s direction, releasing another screech. No. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t possibly be changing into an imp. Could she? His eyes had to be deceiving him.
“Sage, no.” Iris tried to move in front of Sage to get her attention. “Ignore them. Listen to me. I am your mother. You are my daughter. Remember who I am. Who you are.”
“How could this happen?” Queen Clarice whispered, harshly.
“Turning happens,” Iris said while keeping her eyes on Sage, “when a fairy’s heart begins to die. But yours into going to, Sage. You can fight this.”
“Who has she cursed?” Baz asked, confused. “It’s from cursing too much, isn’t it?”
“Usually but not always. It can be caused by cursing, from having too much hate in your heart, or even from heartbreak, if powerful enough.”
It was that exact moment when Sage came back to herself and her gaze found Lukas’.
His body froze and his chest seized. This was his fault.
Her heartbreak was the reason, he just knew it.
He had to do something. But when he took a step toward her, Sage changed back into the imp and this time, she had wings.
Giant black wings flapped and Sage rose into the air, scarcely dodging the swords swinging at her as she looked to be fighting with herself and barely staying in flight.
“Don’t hurt her!” Lukas heard himself shout. “Stop!”
It did no good. Either the soldiers didn’t hear him over their own shouts or they ignored him, too scared of what Sage had turned into to lower their weapons.
“Sage!” Lukas scream. “Sage!”
This caught the fairy-imp’s attention, and she looked down at him.
Suddenly, she changed again, this time into sprite form, and fell to the floor.
Both Lukas and Iris rushed forward but a sword blocked their way before they could reach Sage.
He could see her, so small and helpless, lying on the floor and surrounded by soldiers with their weapons pointed at her.
Sage didn’t move for a moment and Lukas feared the worst. Just then, one of her wings fluttered and she sat up enough to look at them. Her tear-filled eyes moved around the room and she gasped, scrambling backward but finding a soldier behind her. She cried out and looked to her mother for help.
“I’m here,” Iris said. “It’s alright. Sage, look at me.”
But Sage didn’t look at her mother. She looked right at Lukas, grabbed her chest, and gave a quick sob. He could feel her pain, as much as his own. His body was wracked with fear and shock. He wasn’t sure what to do.
Did he try talking to her like her mother had done? Did he plead with his own mother to make the soldiers back away? Did he drop to the floor and go under the sword in front of him? How could he get to her and would approaching her set off the change again?
Before Lukas could make a decision, Sage let out a little cry and soared into the air, flying toward the castle doors.
Iris shouted at her daughter and changed into sprite form also, chasing Sage out of the castle.
Lukas slid underneath the soldier in front of him and barreled past the others in his way, running down the aisle as fast as his legs could carry him.
When he reached the courtyard, he searched all around it, then even ran down toward the docks. Baz and Percy joined him a few moments later and the three of them searched the sky for any sign of either fairy. Other than a couple of seabirds, it was clear.
“No!” Lukas barked. “Where did they go?”
“They’re fast in sprite form,” Baz said, unhelpfully. “They could be anywhere.”
Lukas stomped back toward the castle and just as he reached the doors, something small flew past him. Sage? He rushed back inside but when he got to the throne, he saw Iris had changed into human form and was crying in Queen Clarice’s arms.
“I lost her!” Iris sobbed. “She’s gone!”
“No. No.” Lukas repeated to himself, watching the fairy breaking down in front of them. Even his mother wiped tears from her eyes. The queen was just as stunned and helpless as the rest of them.
What had just happened? Where was Sage? And why did Lukas feel as if he may never see her again?