32. Chapter 27
Chapter 2 7
Asher
I awake to filtered sunlight and swirling dust motes, my mind fuzzy with sleep. As awareness returns, I realize two identical figures lie peacefully on either side of me. Two Lillys. Why are there two Lillys?
As they begin to stir, I notice with confusion that one exudes an air of sweetness and light, but the other seethes with a sinister darkness. Before I can make sense of this, the one with rage in her eyes rises and leaps toward me with alarming speed. Dark tendrils of energy coil around her, pulsing with venom. I brace for impact, but a blast of fiery magic throws her back.
My eyes widen in shock as the gentle Lilly steps forward, wisps of light fading around her palms. Lilly has magic? How have I never noticed before? Both women’s magic practically roll off of them .
Clearly these two possess great power, though their reasons for battling elude me. I struggle to understand the scene unfolding as mystical forces erupt around the cottage.
I scramble back in alarm, my hand instinctively reaching for a weapon. "What’s going on?"
The vengeful Lilly's lip curls in disgust. "So much for the prince's bravery. Can't handle seeing my true self, weakling?"
With preternatural speed, she lunges at me, pinning me against the cottage wall by the throat. I gasp for breath as her grip tightens, magic constricting my lungs.
"Stop!" the other cries, distraught. She grabs her vicious double's arm in vain.
The dark Lilly backhands her without even glancing over. "Silence, you simpering fool. You may wear my face, but you're weak."
I struggle helplessly in her iron hold, spots swimming across my vision. Through the haze, I focus on the anguished eyes of the gentle Lilly still pulling at her counterpart's sleeve. Eyes full of light... and love.
As the dark Lilly chokes me against the wall, the gentle version's eyes suddenly blaze with white light. Magic gathers around her hands as she calls out, "I won't let you harm him!"
A burst of energy knocks the vicious Lilly aside, breaking her stranglehold on me. I collapse, gasping gratefully for breath. The two Lillys now face off, circling each other warily.
"Still weak, I see," the shadowy one taunts. She hurls a bolt of smoky energy, but it fizzles uselessly against a shimmering shield now surrounding the luminous Lilly.
"I protect those I care for," she replies firmly. More radiant magic builds around her fingers, casting the room in a soft glow.
She cares for me? I know this shouldn’t be what I get from this entire experience, but I can’t help the glimmer of hope those words have just given me.
With a feral scream, the dark Lilly unleashes a torrent of power, but her counterpart meets it head-on with her own blazing beam. The opposing energies collide in a shockwave that shatters the cottage windows, bathing us in shards of glass.
I shield my eyes from the blinding collision. When I can see again, the gentle Lilly is slumped on the floor, clearly drained from the magical duel. The darker version looms closer, murder in her coal black eyes.
"Now you perish, weakling!" she cries, swirling darkness gathering in her palms. Time seems to slow as lethal magic flies toward the exhausted Lilly.
Suddenly, the air shimmers, and a small, spindly creature appears before her. With a quick gesture, it throws up a glowing magical barrier. The killing blast disperses harmlessly, inches from Lilly's face.
I blink in astonishment at the unexpected guardian. It is only knee-high, with bat-like ears and bulging eyes. Nargle. Though lacking speech, its intent is clear—to protect the gentle Lilly from harm.
As I stare at the unlikely pair, comprehension dawns. A faint shimmering cord of light connects the two Lillys. These are not duplicates but split aspects of the same conflicted being—her inner darkness and light made flesh. I’ve never seen something quite like this, but I once had encountered a similar situation in a village spelled by an unknown villain creating duplicates of much of the population.
I know what must be done.
I rise unsteadily, broken glass crunching under my boots. Stepping through the tension thick as fog, I come before them. The creature watches me warily as I reach out a hand.
Taking a deep breath, I begin weaving strands of magic and emotion into the air. Memories of our time together, glimpses beneath her walls, my feelings left unvoiced... I channel it all into glistening threads, binding us heart and soul.
"You are my redemption as I am yours. Deny me, demonize me, but I will never forsake you for only together may we find the better parts of ourselves."
The charm pulls at the luminous cord between them. As the words fade, their forms melt together into one. Lilly collapses forward with a ragged gasp, and I catch her tightly, our knees hitting the hard floor.
She trembles against me. I cradle her, instinctively offering soft consolations. I smooth back her hair and press a feather-light kiss to her forehead, allowing myself that small intimacy.
As I hold the trembling Lillith, a storm of emotion rages within me. Seeing her so broken feels like shards of glass piercing my heart. This woman, who has always exuded such strength and composure, now seems so fragile in my arms.
Unthinking, I whisper, “I can't lose you, my love.” The endearment slips out before I can contain it.
She stills against me, and panic rises in my chest. What have I just done?
Lilly pulls back slowly to search my face, eyes glistening. “What... did you call me?” she asks hesitantly.
I take a deep, steadying breath. We’ve drifted far from pretense. Now, it is time for truth.
"My love," I repeat, willing my voice not to shake. She looks at me with an unreadable expression as I add, "Through our journey, you've become so much more than a traveling companion or maid. I've come to care for you, deeply."
There. I have given voice to feelings kept hidden even from myself until this moment.
Her lips part in surprise, but she does not pull away .
"Your light called to me from the beginning," I say softly, tenderly brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "But today, I fully realized the depths of my affection for you. When I thought we'd never have this chance..."
I trail off, overcome with the memory of nearly losing her.
She searches my face, her eyes clouded with confusion, tentative hope, and no small amount of fear. My own heart pounds as I will her to understand.
"Forgive my presumptuousness," I murmur. "I don't fully grasp the magic that drew us together, but I know the truth in my heart now. I have fallen in love with you, Lilly."
Uttering those words aloud both terrifies and relieves me.
For several thudding heartbeats, she simply searches my face in silence. Doubt creeps in, causing me to worry that I have overstepped our unspoken bounds.