CHAPTER 38 #2
Looking back at her, he wrapped a finger of his free hand in her curls, relishing the familiar feel between his fingers.
“When I was thirteen, my dream was to join the cast at the theater. But every time I came to Flussendorf, your welcoming smile was there to let me know it was all right to just be myself. And as time passed, I formed a second impossible dream.” Bringing his hand down, he cupped her face and smiled through the pain.
“If I must choose between them, I would rather never sing again than spend the rest of my life performing without you.”
“Axel...” Her voice trailed off as she blinked rapidly.
“You would give up your voice for them?” Lotti repeated blankly.
He didn’t want to. The thought of never singing again tore at his chest, but as he looked down at Katy, her brown eyes sparkling with tears as she gazed up at him, he knew it was the right decision.
“Anything for you, Katy,” he whispered.
He would have to mind his thoughts so he didn’t grow bitter over it, but he could do that.
Whenever he longed for the stage or to lift his voice in joyful song and felt the ache, he would have to look at Katy and their child – children, someday, if the heavens blessed them – and remind himself that it was worth it.
Keeping his eyes on his wife, he replied, “Yes. It is a sacrifice I will gladly make.”
“But—your voice—” Lotti floundered.
“A voice for a broken curse: yes, I think that will do nicely.”
Axel startled as a new voice joined their conversation.
Whipping around, he saw Fabian stepping out of the piles of old sets and props.
“The prince may believe that he can make the sacrifice with a willing heart, but I have my doubts,” the sorcerer drawled.
“It will weaken him until your voice can overcome his will and command him. I accept it as fulfillment of your side of our deal, Niece.”
“But I—”
He ignored her and lifted his hands. A pale light began to swirl around them. Releasing Katy’s hand, Axel spread his arms, blocking her as well as he could. “What are you doing?”
“If the taking of your voice is part of the bargain, it will require a condition that could allow it to return. I want something more certain, so I’m going to use a burst of living magic to permanently damage your vocal cords.
” Fabian drawled the words as if they were of no consequence.
“It will take some time to gather the necessary magic, but don’t think you can disrupt it; not if you want that name. ”
Eyeing the sorcerer’s hands uneasily, Axel asked, “How do I know that’s all that you’ll do?”
Lotti’s eyes darted between them. “That is the intention of the magic he is gathering. But Uncle—”
“What protests could you possibly have?” Fabian snapped. “He left you for a miller’s daughter, and even now, he would prefer to be damaged and keep her than sing with you. Trust me, this will be the best means of obtaining our goal.”
“It’s not too late, Axel,” Katy sniffed behind him. “You can still turn him down. This is my fault; let Lotti keep me so you can keep your voice and our child.” Her voice turned hopeful. “Unless you think Fabian would accept my beauty instead? My beauty for hers?”
Axel looked over his shoulder at his wife, trying for a teasing smile. “I’m rather fond of your pretty face. It would be a sad thing if I could no longer enjoy its beauty.”
“Beauty fades,” she argued, mustering a tremulous smile for him. “It will be gone someday anyway.”
“I know.” Letting his face drop into a solemn expression, he turned back to Fabian, pushing aside the dreadful anticipation of what was coming. “But based on his stated goals, I doubt he would agree to the exchange.”
“You are correct,” Fabian smirked. “The loss of her beauty would not be devastating enough.”
Katy’s hand settled on his back, and he reached a hand behind to grip it. While they waited, Lotti stood to the side with a blank expression on her face, her eyes drifting from Axel to Katy and back again.
Then, just as a nasty grin lit Fabian’s face, Lotti blurted out, “Ruark.”
Axel jumped. “What?”
Lotti met his eyes, something softer in them than he’d seen previously. “Fabian’s magical name. It’s Ruark.”
The sorcerer’s face twisted. “No!”
Before Axel could react, Fabian took a step forward, thrusting his hands out in front of him. “No matter – I can still take his voice.”
Something moved in Axel’s peripheral vision. His hand was ripped from Katy’s grip before he crashed painfully to the floor. A hoarse gasp sounded above him as the light from Lotti’s fire vanished.
“You fool!” Fabian’s voice rang out. “It was your voice that made you so powerful!”
“And without it, you will have a harder time controlling him,” an unfamiliar voice croaked back. Rolling over, Axel was shocked to see that the speaker was Lotti. She leaned heavily on Katy’s bed. “And I worked on his too long to let you take it.”
“Lotti?” Axel choked out, unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing. “Why did you—your beautiful voice. And for me? For Katy?”
Lotti met his eyes, her green ones wistful.
“Did you never guess why I wanted you to stay with me? Why I wanted to travel the kingdoms with you? Your voice is excellent, but...” She trailed off, then glanced over at Katy.
“Your wife was correct; I was being selfish. But watching her plead with you to let her be a captive so that you could keep your voice – the key element for your lifelong dream – and watching you willingly sacrifice it to keep her with you... I saw my actions for what they truly were. And I knew that if I—if I loved you, I could do no less.”
If she—?
Fabian growled. “Touching. You may be free of the deal, but that won’t stop me from taking your voice, too.”
The magic began to build in his hands again, but Axel shoved off the floor and launched himself at the sorcerer. The light disappeared as Fabian switched his hands to a different pattern.
Axel’s hand crashed into one of the sorcerer’s confounded walls of air.
Cradling the jammed fingers to his chest, Axel took a step back, hoping the edges of the wall were visible.
Fabian had already returned one of his hands to the previous position, the glow forming slowly around it.
But if Axel couldn’t get to him, it wouldn’t matter how slow it was.
He’d been willing to give up his voice to keep Katy and their child. But that didn’t mean he planned to give it up to suit Fabian’s anger. Besides, they would never be truly safe while Fabian was free.
Behind him, he heard Lotti attempt to sing, but her voice cut off in a croak. “Thinking better of your decision?” Fabian taunted. “You won’t be directing magic with that voice, and you aren’t strong enough to stop me with only your hands.”
She roared in frustration, a terrible sound with her damaged vocal cords. Axel started trotting away, one hand pressed to the wall of air. If Fabian was smart, he would have stretched it from wall to wall. But Axel had to do something.
Suddenly, Fabian released an angry shout, and the hardened air vanished from under Axel’s hand. Darting through, he spun around and raced toward the figure wrestling with Fabian in the dim light.
They’d forgotten about Otto. Bless Katy’s sneaky cousin for bringing the cuffs since he couldn’t bring weapons!
Otto held one arm, fighting for the other, but Fabian still held the glowing light in his free hand. He thrust it toward Otto, but Axel lunged forward and grabbed his arm, shoving the releasing magic toward the safety of the ceiling.
“Hold him still, Axel!” Otto grunted. Axel could see Fabian forming another sign with his hand. Otto ducked under the arm he held and jabbed his right hand toward the wrist that Axel was holding as motionless as he could.
Fire flared across Fabian’s arm, and Axel instinctively recoiled from the unexpected pain. Fabian pulled away, narrowly avoiding the cuff in Otto’s hand. Lifting a foot, the sorcerer push-kicked him, helping Otto’s momentum carry him forward.
Otto crashed into Axel, sending them both to the floor. They fought to disentangle themselves, but then the air vanished from Axel’s lungs. He dropped his head back, opening his mouth and straining for a breath, but nothing came.
“A valiant effort,” Fabian snarled. As Otto rolled off Axel, the sorcerer’s face came into view. “But you have a sister, and soon you will have a son or a daughter. If Lotti can’t control you, I don’t need you.”
A low hum drifted into Axel’s ears. It was scratchy and rough, but in tune.
Fabian took a step closer as Otto struggled to push himself to his feet. “I’ll figure out a way to remove this,” the sorcerer growled, holding up his left wrist, “but in the meantime, the two of you will pay for putting it there.”
Katy’s anguished cries almost covered the clink of the silver cuff hitting the floor. The candlelight glinted off it as it skidded an inch toward Fabian.
Axel couldn’t let the sorcerer see it.
Spots were starting to appear in his vision, but he pushed up on his elbows, drawing Fabian’s attention to him. “You are shockingly tenacious; it’s no wonder Lotti wasn’t strong enough to compel you.”
A skittering sound barely registered through the ocean in his ears. Axel rolled over onto his hands and knees. His elbows shook, but he forced his right foot under his shoulders.
“Do you really think you can stop me? You will be unconscious before you can reach me.”
Just a little more. He needed to give Lotti a little more time.
Gathering all his remaining strength, he shoved himself upright. Then the room spun, and he pitched forward. The world went black before he even hit the ground.