Chapter Eighteen: Afraid of Losing

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I waited. And waited. My blood was pounding in my ears. The kingdom couldn't lose him, and even though we had been lifelong rivals, I couldn't imagine losing him either.

Suddenly, Glen's eyes flickered open, orbs of green lighting up the shadowy room. I nearly passed out with relief, but grew worried when I saw that Glen's gaze was filled with delirious terror and confusion as it swept across Lorely's apartment, searching for me.

"Marissa!" He yelled, his voice filled with fear as he jumped up from the sofa. Immediately, his legs gave out from beneath him and he crumpled to the floor, weak and exhausted. I caught Glen just before he could hit Lorely's carpet. My muscles strained with the effort of holding him up, and he sagged against me, his breaths faint against my neck. I laced my arms around him, reassuring him softly.

"I'm right here," I said. "We're safe."

I could feel him trembling, his entire body shivering against me, and I held him for a moment. I waited for his breathing to slow, and his shaking to subside.

"I'm sorry Diandre and I couldn't wake you up sooner." I told him. "The Master had you under a pretty strong hold."

"Figures," Glen scowled, starting to return to normal. "Every time I try and take down that psychopath I end up passing out. What happened, anyway?"

His voice was hoarse, but color was slowly returning to his face as I rested him back on the sofa. "All I remember was freeing all the children, and then as we running towards the portal, The Master used that spell on me." He shuddered jokingly with a smile, his wings flitting. "I had a nightmare that I lost my good looks. It was devastating."

"You're lying." I snickered, pulling up a stool next to the sofa. I perched on the edge of it. "You lost something else. It was something you cared about, I could tell. I know how The Master's fear power work."

I suppressed a shiver as I recalled the corpses laying in the snow.

Glen looked mock-thoughtful.

"Hm," He pondered. "No, I'm pretty sure that it was my good looks." He decided after consideration.

"I see you're just as egotistical as ever." I snorted, rolling my eyes.

Glen took in the candles, talismans and potions surrounding him.

"Where are we, anyway?" He asked.

"Believe it or not, we're in Lorely the witch's apartment." I answered. "Once the three of us passed through the portal, it seemed to have malfunctioned and sent us here."

Glen's mouth fell open. "You've got to be joking. Lorely? As in the legendary witch Lorely?"

"You heard me," I told him. "But she's lost her famed beauty after nearly a century."

Glen looked disappointed at this news.

"That's too bad." He remarked. "I heard that Lorely would lure men into the forest when she sang, and-"

"We get it." I cut him off. "I really would rather not hear the details."

Glen smirked up at me, wiggling his eyebrows. Suddenly, his expression turned concerned.

"You're hurt." He said, his eyes resting on my leg.

I looked down to find the flesh completely raw, the wound from The Master's iron blade eating into my skin. Sooner or later it would reach the bone.

"What, this?" I winced, trying to ignore the searing pain. "I've had worse."

Glen looked skeptical. "You should have Lorely take a look at that."

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