- Tales From Meridea, Volume III
Morning came like a wicked witch with a poisoned apple. Tainting everything it touched. The warmth she’d felt upon waking tucked into her prince was washed away with sorrowful goodbyes with Agnes and Cochran. Even Calcifer wasin a terrible mood and growling low from his basket despite the extra treats Ira’d given him.
Not an hour in, Ira was already sneezing, and eyes were watering. Luci trades him a tonic for a fresh apple, of which they had many. Despite only a one-day journey ahead of them, Agnes prepared enough food to last them a week.
Luckily, Ira didn’t bring up the night before or what would happen when they returned to the castle. Instead, they rode hard, and when the horses needed to rest, they talked about his family and growing up at Blythe. Nothing heavy and nothing complicated. Like the peace they shared was fragile, and neither was willing to break it.
The closer they got to the castle, the less Luci could focus on anything other than riding hard. The faith she coveted last night that they would be in time faded with every footfall of Cinnamon. Magic was real, Elowen was real, the vision was real. It was a mantra she repeated in her head over and over.
If the vision was real, then Brielle would live and live well.
Sweat clung to Cinnamon, and her breathing was growing more rapid, but just over the hill, the sun was setting beyond turning blue skies pink, and a castle rose. Heart in her stomach, Luci urged Cinnamon faster. She promised all the carrots and apples in the world, but they couldn’t stop. Every inch was a second closer to Brielle, and it was all Luci knew.
When they rode past the gates and brought the horses to a stop, Luci barely waited for Cinnamon before leaping off. It was like the thread that tied her to Brielle knew something was wrong. Ignoring Calcifer’s pitiful meow, no doubt shaken from the rough ride, Luci grabbed the Midnight flower from where it was carefully folded in silk and ran.
She ran for Brielle, and she ran for herself because there was no life for her without her soul mate. Servants and nobles alike stepped to the side as she ran through the halls now like musclememory. Even if she didn’t remember the way, she knew by now well enough to follow the scent of cinnamon. If Elowen was watching, it was either very good or very bad.
Every step she took, the smell grew stronger till she was barreling into a familiar ornate door, and her nose was stinging with Elowen’s influence. The room was dark, all the windows shuddered, even though light was Brielle’s favorite. At her entrance, those sitting around the bedside lifted their heads, and Luci’s blood ran cold.
Lord Treveon’s eyes were sunken and tear-stained. It was like he’d aged thirty years in only a few days. Lady Margaret was next to him, but her usually painted face was pale and hollow. Grief was consuming her. On the other side of the bed, Lucien was lying his head over Brielle’s hand, devoid of color.
At the center of it all was her Brielle. Lips are a horrifying shade of blue, and her youthful face is all skin and bones. Luci took a step forward, but it felt like she was in a nightmare of her worst imaginings.
When Lord Treveon saw her, it was like he was drowning and she was the only way to stay afloat. All his hatred of her was rising to the surface. His brows drew together, and his lips twisted as he stood.
“You dare to come back here now?” he spat. “Get out! Get out!”
Lucien lifted his head, and swollen eyes met hers. “Luci? Did you get it?”
Lady Margaret was too busy sobbing into her handkerchief to notice much of anything.
“Is she-?” Luci couldn’t bring herself to finish the question.
“Get out!” Lord Treveon shook with rage.
Behind her, the door opened and closed once more, but she was paralyzed, holding a magical flower and knowing that she was too late.
“Let me have it, Luci,” Noah said behind her. “There’s still time, and we have to try.”
Numbly, Luci was aware of Noah taking the flower from her, but she knew what was true now. She was too late. One minute, one hour, one day, it didn’t matter. She was too late.
“Guards!” Lord Treveon shouted. “Remove this intruder at once!”
“Enough, Lord Treveon. I understand you are grieving, but Lucinda is welcome here and has gone to great lengths to try to save Brielle.”
Ira’s hand on her back was her only connection to the living. Words exchanged all around her, and she was vaguely aware of Noah working at the station he’d set up at the back of the room, but all she knew was that her life was slipping from her fingers.
She stepped forward like a wraith standing before death and stood at the edge of Brielle’s bed. Her chest rose and fell, but there was a terrible rattle coming from her chest. One she’d read about and experienced nightmares of. A rattle she’d heard once before when she was very young, the moment before she lost her mother forever.
“I’m so sorry,” Luci whispered.
And as if there was no one else in the room, Luci climbed into the bed and wrapped herself around Brielle, terrified of how cold she was. Voices yelled and commotion broke around her, but all that mattered was that she was with her friend.
“I tried, Brielle. I wasn’t fast enough. The stories are real, though. You were right. Turns out fairy godmothers exist, and they are very nosy. I met one. Her name is Elowen, and I think you would have loved her. She is chaotic and pushy, just the way you like.” Her voice broke, and Brielle gave another shaky breath, the rattle growing like a persistent groan. “Magic is real, and we brought it back. I don’t even know what that means, but I need you to stay so that I can figure it out, all right? I can’t do itwithout you. I don’t want it without you. Please stay. Please don’t leave me here.”
She could barely catch her breath for the sobs wracking her body. Light above, she was too late. She was too late. All of that, and she was too late. They shouldn’t have stopped last night. It didn’t matter the risk of brigands and wild animals- they should have chanced it.
“Luci, I need your help getting her to drink this,” Noah said, gently.