The Faerie Curses

Chapter Thirty-Five: Pawns in a Game

At the bottom of the chasm, there was silence. But in the silence I could hear; hear the sound of two roaring hearts and one that was running out of time.

It took a moment for the shock to register. And once it did, the force was enough to send the chasm crashing down around us.

"You're lying," Glen said, his voice hoarse. "You have to be."

He glanced over at The Winter Wand, half-expecting the object to confirm it. But the wand did not speak; in response, the blue sphere that trapped it shattered and fell into shards that littered the darkened floor.

We had passed the test. We had finally released The Winter Wand.

But at what cost?

Diandre's eyes swam as he looked at me knowingly. "She's telling the truth. Her heartbeat...it's actually..." The last word was a breath. "Dying."

Glen shook his head furiously. "Dammit!" He yelled. "I'm not just going to let this happen! There's got to be a way to save you, Marissa." His voice broke as he saw the contorted expression on my face. "There has to be."

"I'm sorry," I croaked, my throat dry like sandpaper. "I didn't know how to tell you."

Diandre turned to the wand, which hovered slightly in the air. It was glowing a pulsing, electric blue.

"Can you help her?" He asked it desperately. "Can't you cure her curse?"

The Dagger of Darkness poisons the heart, The Winter Wand replied. If it had been earlier, I would have been able to draw out the black magic. But there's too much of it that has already destroyed much of her heart. It's beyond salvaging.

My gut wrenched as I envisioned the curse chewing at my heart, my blood running black with darkness. I'm beyond saving. There's nothing to be done.

The acceptance of this fact made my entire soul rip and tear like a precious letter that had been shredded by knashing teeth of metal.

Diandre put his head in his hands.

"It's alright," I whispered, struck at how calm my words were. "We can't change what's going to happen with me." I met their gazes, trembling against the tears that threatened to spill out of my eyes. "But we can change what is going to happen to The Faerie Realm. We need to alert Queen Titania immediately. With the Winter Wand and the Summer Scepter, we can fight off the sprites."

We can make my death worth it.

I never imagined my ending to be this way. I envisioned a spectacle of valor, having my life extinguished in honorable battle like a dancing flame that was snuffed by the closing of air. Not like this. This was defeat. This was being killed silently, softly.

I clenched my fists. I hated defeat more than anything.

"Marissa," Glen said, his wings reflecting tears of light against the cavern walls. "We can't lose you."

"How sweet."

He was here.

His weaving presence practically reeked of death and anguish, and with a sweep of my skirt I turned to face him. My ice sword gleamed threateningly in my hands, illuminating the sheen of iron in front of me.

"What a touching and predictable sight we have here," The Master purred, emerging from the shadows next to The Winter Wand. "I knew that I could count on you three to release the wand from its hold."

His armored fist closed around The Object of Power, and streaks of lightning ignited from his fingertips. The blue glow of the Winter Wand deepened into a midnight black as it was contaminated by the touch of iron.