Chapter 33
33
T he familiar brown eyes, the many jingling keys, and the clicking of the pocket watch confirmed that she was not dreaming. In front of her stood Freddy, the captain's key master, and behind him, the five pirates who were part of Chris's crew and who had abducted her from her apartment took up positions around the basin. How had they woken up?
"You did well, Calla. Finally, the spring is running again."
Calla giggled and transformed into her human form. She sat lasciviously on the edge of the basin and bobbed her feet. She let Freddy pull her into a hug and kissed him uninhibitedly. "I've missed you."
The pirate winked at her. "I had to keep up the pretense. Since Anemone came back, I've stayed on the ship, just to be safe. And as you can see, our plan worked."
Wait, what was that supposed to mean? "What are you doing? Calla, what's the point? Let me out!"
Freddy lifted the cage she was trapped in and held her close in front of him. "So you can thwart our plans again just before we reach our goal?"
"What plans? What's that supposed to mean?"
Calla giggled. "She's so simple." She broke away from Freddy's embrace, took the cage from his hand, and held it in front of her face. A face that Anna should never have forgotten. "I'm tired of working for people day in and day out and never getting anything more than a thank you. We fairies have the greatest power in the land and we must use it."
"But we do that, for the good of all!"
"Oh, Anemone, if you weren't so annoying, I would find you amusing. But you almost stopped us with your ever-curious nature. At the time. Who would have guessed that the magic of fairy dust was tied to each individual fairy. And I would never have thought it possible that a single fairy would be able to hinder our powers."
Freddy gave an ugly laugh. "Luckily, the love-struck captain never stopped searching for you, Anemone. It was only thanks to his visit to Meysandrine that we put two and two together. As soon as I understood what the siren meant, I misled him so that I could use my men to abduct you from the non-magical world."
Panicking, Anna's heart pounded. She had to keep him talking until she found a way to stop the two. "How did you find me when Chris couldn't?"
He laughed. There was arrogance in him that Anna had never noticed before. He had been pretending…
"I knew there was this other world, I just had to figure out how to enter it. It wasn't easy, but we managed to find a spell that could do it. Calla was able to cast it."
Calla giggled.
"Another spell took us straight to your tiny apartment."
Anna shook her head in disbelief. "But you weren't there when I was abducted!"
"Of course not. The captain would have immediately grown suspicious. Unfortunately, he found out about my men. Before they could reveal our names, Calla flew aboard and placed them in a magical sleep. Nobody noticed." He winked at her. "Remember this, Anemone, even if it is technically too late for you. Love is weakness." Calla pouted and Freddy winked at her again. "Except our love, darling."
The fairy giggled and ran her finger through the glittering fairy dust that bubbled nonstop.
Anna's thoughts raced. It was Freddy. Chris was right not to have trusted him any longer. Why had she interfered? This might never have happened if the captain had left him tied up or questioned him— if he'd punished him in some way. She had pushed for reconciliation between the two men, even though Freddy's behavior a few days ago, after she had returned to this world, had been extremely suspicious. He had tried to prevent Anna from meeting the captain.
The captain. Her heart beat faster. It wasn't his fault. Whatever the Snow Queen had meant in her ice palace, Chris had not betrayed her. Quite the opposite. He was on her side. Happiness coursed through her, giving her new strength. But it wasn't helpful since the iron bars of the cage sapped her power. There was nothing she could do about it, especially since she didn't have any fairy dust with her. Shoot, why hadn't the Snow Queen sent Chris into this cave too? He would have been able to save her. He could have stopped Freddy and Calla.
Calla grabbed the cage and shook Anna. "Unfortunately, we have to send you to your eternal peace like the other fairies, dear Anemone, so you don't get in our way again."
"What? You want to kill me? Calla, what's wrong with you? You're not like that. We fairies are lovely, good beings. We don't kill or hurt anyone. Never!"
"Oh, Anemone. That was once upon a time. I freed myself from the burden of eternal goodness, thanks to Freddy. He opened my eyes."
Calla draped herself over the pirate, who only had eyes for the fairy dust.
"No, Calla, he's just using you. He wanted to get our magic through you and you made it possible for him. He does not love you!"
"Oh? And why should your captain love you, yet my pirate only takes advantage of me? Conceited as ever. Don't you think you're kidding yourself, my dear Anemone?"
"No, Calla, believe me. Once he has what he wants, he will eliminate you. Look into his eyes, he will never share his power."
Indignantly, Freddy stormed toward her and grabbed the cage. The cave shook under his angry footsteps. "Quiet now, you stupid thing! We have to get rid of her, now."
Oh no, oh no, she had to buy time. "What do you want with all that fairy dust anyway?"
"Well, we're going to rule the entire land," Calla exclaimed ecstatically while Freddy eyed her suspiciously.
"She is simply trying to buy time. Calla, kill her, now!"
Anna's heart pounded in fear. She had to shake the fairy up. Calla couldn't be so dense as to trust the pirate's false promises. "What will he do when he has what he wants? Do you truly believe he will share power with you?"
"What are you waiting for, Calla? Kill her!"
The fairy hesitated. Suddenly, Freddy took her head in his hands and kissed her passionately. When he let go of her, he peered deep into her eyes. "Do it now! Show me what you're capable of, darling."
Thunder filled the cave again. This time, however, Freddy hadn't taken a step. Was it the betrayal that Calla committed against her own kind? Was it causing the cave to collapse? More thunder sounded and small stones tumbled from the ceiling.
Wide-eyed, Calla glanced up at the ceiling. "What is that?"
At that moment, Anna understood where the thunder was coming from. It wasn't the betrayal — no, it was her friend Anton. He was coming. But he didn't know where the cave was. How was he supposed to save her?
Within a second, she made a decision. "TONIIIIII!" She had to direct him.
Freddy stared at the exit that Anton would never fit through. Still, he paled as if he could already see him entering. "The giant is coming. Protect the source!"
The pirates drew their sabers and stood in a semicircle with their backs to the basin.
"He doesn't know where the cave is," Calla crowed, and Anna wanted to strangle her.
"TONIIIIII!"
"Shut that stupid fairy's mouth or better yet, wring her neck. We must not lose the source's power again!"
Calla took out a sack and slowly placed it over the cage. "I'm sorry, Anemone, but I have no choice."
"Stop, Calla, don't do it! You can still go back. Admit your mistake and the fairies will forgive you."
A hint of sadness crossed Calla's face. "No, they won't. I went too far for that." She turned to Freddy. "He will be there for me, take care of me like our family used to. I want more, Anemone, than just work. And it will be different by his side."
"Calla, don't!"
The fairy, however, no longer hesitated. She placed the bag around the cage and closed it, enveloping Anna in darkness. The voices of the others were muffled but she could hear the bag being tied shut. Almost immediately, her breathing grew shallower. The air was running out and as a fairy, she felt it immediately. There had been a reason that she had almost fainted with Anton in the Thundering Mountains. Fairies needed fresh air more than other beings, or else they lose consciousness and suffocate.
Apparently, that was Calla and Freddy's plan. But she couldn't give up so quickly. Finally, she knew everything. The real culprits were finally exposed. The happy ending was so close that she couldn't give up. She tried again to sense her magic, but the iron cage she was trapped in blocked her powers. With every minute that passed, she grew increasingly dizzy. Every breath grew burdensome, and she was starting to swoon. How much time did she have before she passed out?
Thunder rang out again. Was Anton nearby? She wanted to call out to him, but there was no longer enough air. Anton. Her best friend.
She believed the blackness had completely engulfed her when the bag opened and oxygen flowed in. She breathed in deeply, sucked the clear air into her lungs, and felt her strength returning. At the same time, someone pulled the bag from the cage. "Anton?"
"If you're confusing me with him, Ani, you've definitely been in there too long."
"Chris?" Anna opened her eyes. Yes, it was him. The captain was standing in front of her. "How did you escape?"
"The giant freed me before…"
A shadow appeared behind the captain. A long sword.
"Watch out, behind you!"
Chris reacted immediately and raised his saber as Freddy's blade clashed against his with a metallic clang. With another thrust, the captain put some distance between himself and the pirate, who laughed maliciously.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your pleasant tryst, but the days of me following you are over!"
"Freddy!" The captain growled the name more than he said it. "What are you thinking? Did you fraternize with the dirty mutineers and turn against me? How dare you?!"
"He's not only allied with them, he leads them!" Anna shouted.
"Exactly, and that's why I will finish you off now, Captain." Freddy almost spat out the last word as the five pirates positioned themselves behind him. Calla stayed in the background, her longing brown eyes focused on Freddy.
"Watch out!" Anna pointed to the men approaching. They were all holding their sabers firmly. Six against one. How would the captain take them on?
Chris, however, stood up confidently, using one hand to hold the cage Anna was still trapped in and the other to wield his saber. "As if I hadn't already proven why I'm your captain. Do you really think you can take me?"
"As long as you try to protect the cage, it won't be difficult."
Chris growled. "If you harm a single one of Ani's hairs, you'll regret it! I swear that on my honor as Captain of the Fortuna — providing you understand what honor means."
"You just keep on talking. But you know full well that I can take you on." Without another moment's hesitation, Freddy attacked. The two were almost equal in strength and wielded their weapons so deftly Anna could hardly follow the duel. While the remaining pirates surrounded them, they continued to fight.
"Chris, be careful, they're surrounding us."
Freddy gave an ugly laugh, while Chris was at his best. He parried all attackers with unimaginable speed, but Freddy was right. He couldn't strike with the cage in one hand. Instead of a second weapon, he had something to watch out for.
"TONIIII!" she screamed again.
Chris shook his head almost imperceptibly. "He can't come in without destroying everything."
"Is there a problem?" Calla sneered, while Freddy took advantage of the captain's distraction to knock the cage out of his hand. Anna crashed loudly onto the floor. She fluttered up a little in time so that she wasn’t hurt. That had been close. With her hands wrapped around the bars, she watched the men.
Chris wanted to bend down for her, but the pirates pushed him back while Calla ran over and grabbed the cage and Anna. As she picked her up, Anna saw something that made her heart flutter. The barred door. It was no longer straight but crooked. With a little luck, it was off its hinges and Anna would be able to push it open.
Calla immediately put the bag over the cage again while the captain fought all six pirates at the same time. "Ani!" he shouted, and the worry she heard in his voice made her chest tighten. She couldn't give up — not just for the fairies and herself, but also for Chris, who was risking everything to save her. And he had been doing that ever since she disappeared, or even before.
She slammed her shoulder into the crooked door. It wobbled but didn't pop open. The noise drew Calla's attention.
"What are you doing?" She pulled the bag aside at the same moment that Anna slammed into the door again, which finally flew off its hinges. With a hiss, she dashed out of the prison and high into the air before Calla realized what Anna had done.
"I'm out of the cage, Chris," she called, and the captain laughed. The power he put into his blows was unimaginable. He effortlessly disarmed the five mutineers, who ended up unconscious on the ground with only Freddy remaining. They stared at each other and circled one another as if they had been rehearsing the movements for years. Each knew the other's weaknesses, but who would win?
How could she help Chris? Before she could find a solution, someone barreled toward her. Calla. She had transformed again. Her face was contorted with rage. She took a pinch of fairy dust from the bag hanging from her belt and blew it at Anna. The fairy dust source immediately grew quieter. Panic struck Anna as she realized what was happening.
"Stop it, Calla!" Anna pointed to the stream that was threatening to disappear. "You may not use fairy dust to harm anyone, especially not a fairy. Otherwise, the magic will dry up."
"You think so?" The fairy peered closely at the trickle and her eyes widened in horror. But, instead of stopping, she laughed deviously and a sly expression filled her face. "Then stop fighting us." She cleared her throat loudly. "Stop resisting or I will destroy the fairies' magic forever!"
Freddy parried Chris and pushed him back with the next thrust so that the captain had his back against the wall. "Did you hear what she said?"
"So what? I don't care about fairy magic. I only care about Ani."
"But I do." Anna flew sadly next to the captain, who looked at her warningly.
"Ani, don't let yourself be blackmailed. There will be a way to get the source working again."
Anna shook her head sadly. "No, I feel it. If Calla uses magic against me, it will destroy the fairies forever."
"Freddy doesn't want that either. They're bluffing!"
"Do you want to risk it?" Freddy pointed to the basin full of fairy dust. "I have my share, but you won't have anything. And the fairies will die. Isn't that so, Anemone?"
Anna pressed her lips together. Calla held another pinch of dust in her hands, ready to harm Anna with it. If only she had some fairy dust with her, she could have stopped the fairy somehow.
The five pirates lay motionless on the floor and Freddy leaned against the basin, running his finger through the glittering particles. Chris's eyes darted from her to Freddy and back to her again. He hesitated, holding his saber ready, but he didn't continue fighting. Instead, he waited for her verdict.
She nodded resignedly and Chris lowered his saber. "Are you certain?"
"Unfortunately, I can feel it." And she did. The fountain screamed, weeping for the fairy who was ready to harm another fairy with its bright magic. It waited, willing to go to any extremes to prevent further harm. Was that why it had stopped flowing back then? Because Calla had betrayed her and the other fairies? Or because Anna had lost her faith? Maybe everything was connected. She couldn't say with certainty, but it didn't matter what had happened back then. All that mattered was the here and now.
Chris breathed in and out loudly.
"That's good, Captain," Freddy sneered. Anna thought she saw Chris raise his saber again, but he didn't. Instead, he looked at her. "Remember, Ani, I believe in you. I always have. You can do so much more than most. Believe in yourself and you will succeed in everything!"
Had she just imagined it or had he stared at her chest for a split second? But why…. Lost in thought, Anna's hand went to her cleavage, where the necklace was resting over the dress. She watched as Freddy took Chris's weapon and began to bind his hands while the captain kept looking her in the eyes. And then another memory flashed.
It had been the evening of their first kiss. They had agreed to meet in the small bay and were sitting around the campfire. The sun was setting and Anna was fighting to stay awake longer to see the stars shining over the man she thought about every day.
With a subtle smile, he took her hands and asked her to close her eyes. As she did, she felt a cold object around her neck. It was metal, but she could tell it wasn't iron. Confident, she kept her eyes closed until a clasp clicked and the captain stroked her shoulders. His rough hands left trails of goosebumps.
"You are my sun, Ani, and will be for all time."
She slowly opened her eyes and looked down at herself. He had put a gold chain on her with a sun-shaped pendant dangling from it. She stroked it reverently.
"Thank you, it's beautiful."
The captain slowly picked up the pendant, the gold glistening in the light of the evening sun. "It has a secret lock." A mechanism clicked and the sun's body popped open, revealing a small compartment. "You can hide something in it—maybe some of your fairy dust. Then you'll have an emergency stash on you if your bag ever runs out."
Happy, she looked at the sun and leaned toward him, and then they kissed. For the first time.
As the memory surfaced, Anna's chest tingled. Only now that she remembered did she feel the magic that lay hidden within the sun. She had taken Chris's advice and hidden a small amount of fairy dust inside. And with this small amount, she had to try to save them.
Subtly, she smiled at Chris to show him that she understood as Calla flew toward her, laughing.
"You see, Anemone, you are too good for the world. For the good of all, you are willing to sacrifice your own life. That's too… funny!" She laughed foolishly, still holding the fairy dust threateningly in her hand. She waited until the captain was tied up, but Anna didn't hesitate for a second. She quickly opened the mechanism on the pendant, nudged the sun so that the glittering dust flew up, and blew it at Calla. As she did so, she murmured a spell that came to her as suddenly as the memories had. The next moment, Calla yawned. When she realized what Anna had done, she tried to warn Freddy, but he wasn't paying attention to her. Before Calla could speak, she fell asleep. Using a spell, Anna gently and silently floated her to the floor while Chris jumped up and shook loose the restraints. Before Freddy could react, Chris pulled the other's saber from his belt and held it to his neck. "It's over."
"What?" The pirate looked around, searching. When he saw Calla sleeping on the floor, his anger flared.
"No! You damn…! Woe betide you when I'm free again. You have to be careful that day. You'll never be safe because I…" Before he could continue his threat, Chris slammed his fist into his face, causing Freddy to fall to the ground unconscious.
Anna immediately flew over to the pool, grabbed a pinch of fairy dust, and blew it onto the bonds that had been around Chris's wrists. The ropes lifted off the ground and wrapped around Freddy's body, pulling him toward the other pirates and binding all six together.
The captain looked at her with shining eyes. "I knew you could do it, Ani."
She laughed and in one fluid movement, as if she had done nothing else all these years, assumed human form.
"I was waiting for that!" The captain pressed her against the wall and peered deep into her eyes before pressing his lips against hers. Overjoyed, Anna lost herself in the kiss that tasted so much of freedom, the future, and hope like she never could have imagined.
"Anemone?"
Laughing, Anna broke away from him. "Toni? We're coming out."
Chris groaned. "Must we? The chaperone will drag me away from you again as soon as I get too close to your lips."
Anna grinned. "Better that than him causing the cave to collapse because he's worried."
The captain rolled his eyes, but then he took her hand and hurried outside with her. The sun was low, casting a pinkish hue over the clouds. In the middle of the forest, not far from the cave, stood Anton. Countless trees near him had fallen as he had tried to come to her aid.
"Anemone, is everything okay?"
"Yes, Toni, see." She turned into a fairy and fluttered up to him. Now he was much taller than she was and yet, when she saw him, she felt nothing but joy and trust.
His mossy-green eyes sparkled and he laughed loudly. "You succeeded. You can transform again."
"Yes, and the spring is bubbling again. The fairies are saved."
"That's wonderful."
"Chris helped me. I wouldn't have succeeded without him."
Anton peered down at the captain suspiciously. "Then it's a good thing I freed him from the mess with the Snow Queen, right? I think you owe me a thank you."
"Didn't we sort this out long ago, giant?"
"Oh, and here I was looking forward to a thank you."
Chris rolled his eyes. Anna flew to him and stroked his shoulder imploringly. He sighed. "All right, because it's you, Ani. But listen carefully, giant, you will never hear these words from my mouth again."
"Yeah?" Anton leaned closer to them with one ear and waited.
"Well, thank you, giant, for freeing me from the Snow Queen's dungeon."
"And you mean thank you for trusting my instincts and going to the Ice Palace, thank you for bringing you here, thank you for running so fast that a few trees fell along the way? Thank you, because without me, you wouldn't have been able to help Anemone, would you?"
Chris growled, but Anna flew up to Anton's head and stroked his hairy cheek. "Thanks, Toni. We couldn't have done it without you."
The captain sighed loudly. "Oh, Ani, he'll hold it over our heads forever."
She giggled as Anton nodded leisurely. "That's what it looks like, pirate, that's what it looks like."