The Night

by Felicity Heaton

  Curses for instance.

  “Celene?” he whispered, not wanting to disturb her as she frowned at the sky, a distant look in her eyes. “What is the matter? It isn’t far to the castle but we can’t use magic to help us get there.”

  Her eyes widened. She couldn’t feel it. All magic users could. Why was she any different?

  “We should get moving then,” she said, her voice as distant as her stare.

  She moved out from his embrace and began down the hill. He watched her for a moment, confused. What was wrong? Even novice witches and wizards could feel the power here. It was as ancient as the hills and as dark as the bottom of the lakes.

  Striding to catch up with her, he tried to push the questions away but they crowded his mind and were only joined by more when he saw the anxiety written across her face.

  Something was worrying her.

  He almost gasped when it dawned on him.

  The sunrise.

  Dawn would break before they had even made it halfway to the castle. That was why she was worried. There was something about the day that she feared.

  He locked his eyes on the distance to the east, waiting for the sun to break the horizon. Dawn was hours away, but he wished it would come sooner. He wanted to see with his own eyes why she locked herself away each day.

  He only hoped that he wouldn’t change before then. The potion he had drunk should last until long after the night had lost her hold over him but he only had a little left in the phial for tomorrow night. Maybe they could make it to the castle before then.

  They walked in silence until they reached the first of the seven lakes. It was the largest and most beautiful. The breeze had dropped and the water was still, reflecting the glory of the heavens on its dark surface. Celene surprised him by sitting down on the bank, resting her back against a tall white tree, and hugging her knees to her chest.

  “We cannot stop,” he said but she either didn’t hear him, or she was ignoring him.

  He moved around her and stared down at her. Throughout the long walk, she had said nothing to him. She had been lost in her own world, with her thoughts that were clearly weighing her down. He crouched in front of her, looking right into her eyes.

  “Tell me what is wrong, Celene. What is it that is worrying you? What do you fear?” he whispered to her, and she looked at him, her face soft and eyes twinkling with unshed tears.

  “I fear... that you will not understand...”

  He frowned and then raised his eyes to the hill as the sky behind it began to lighten.

  “Speak to me,” he said, a feeling of urgency settling in his stomach as he saw the sun beginning to rise and felt the night set him free. “Tell me where you go.”

  “I cannot,” she said with a faint smile and then she was gone.

  He stared at the spot she had occupied not a second before and couldn’t believe what had happened. She had made no motion and uttered no spell to cause her to disappear. It was as though she had no control over it. The only thing that witches and wizards had no control over were curses.

  Was she cursed too?

  Settling down, he stared at the lake and waited for her to return, knowing that he couldn’t leave this spot or he would lose her. The castle was still a distance away. When Celene returned with the night, he would drink the remains of his potion and fight the curse for control over his body. They would only have a few hours in which to find and confront Erikka, and he wasn’t sure it would be enough.

  He didn’t want Celene going in alone to face the witch. It was too dangerous and a risk he wasn’t willing to take. He would defy the curse with every last drop of his energy and use every spell in his power to keep himself in human form so he could protect her if he needed to. He was useless to her as a cat, but as a man, he could keep her safe.

  Closing his eyes, he didn’t notice the moment he drifted off to sleep.

  Celene looked down at Zane with hope in her heart. He had kissed her, had shown his feelings for her, and had made her believe that he would understand what she was, but she still feared. She feared that he wouldn’t understand and that the knowledge of her power would drive him away as it had Elektra’s lover.

  Maybe her sister was right and it was foolish to love a mortal, but she had chosen to give her heart to him, and she wouldn’t change her mind now. No matter how short their time together might be, she had known true love and was sure that he reciprocated those feelings.

  He stirred slightly, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand and purring. She frowned and gently nudged his shoulder, wanting him to wake and stop making that noise. It was a bad sign. She knew it. The two halves of him were beginning to merge into one, just as he had said they would.

  His eyes opened slowly and were dark with sleep when they finally found hers. She smiled at him, silently wishing for a sign that he was beginning to understand her at last, and that her fears were pointless.

  He stretched and yawned.

  “Is it evening already?” he said and reached around behind him, gripping the tree to help him to his feet.

  “It is.” She watched him closely, still waiting for her sign.

  He smiled at her, his eyes brightening and lifting her heart. When he reached out and brushed her cheek with his fingers, she managed another smile, this time as thanks for offering her what she had needed most—reassurance.

  “There are clouds on the horizon,” he said, uncorking a small bottle.

  “A potion?” she said with a frown, ignoring what he had said. Tonight deserved to have clouds. “Is this how you reversed your transformation last night?”

  He nodded and swallowed the contents of the bottle.

  “I found the spell in one of your books. It seems to work quite well.”

  She noticed the way he had said that and held his gaze as he slipped the phial back into his pocket.

  “We are still going. You can’t spend the rest of your life taking potions to halt the change... not now there is another change happening to you.”

  His right eyebrow rose.

  “You purred in your sleep,” she stated flatly.

  He swallowed hard and his eyes widened the slightest amount.

  “We must force Erikka to lift the curse.” She began walking towards the castle at a determined clip and stopped only when she realised that Zane wasn’t following her. Turning, she saw him standing by the lake, his eyes fixed on the moon.

  The potion would protect him from the night, if only for a short while. She could feel the power in it now that she knew it was there.

  “Come... we must hurry.” She held her hand out to him and he looked at her as though he had only just noticed she was there. Had he been waiting for the change? She wouldn’t allow it tonight, not like she had last night.

  He caught up with her and she looked into the distance at the castle.

  “We have to run,” he said.

  She shook her head and took hold of his hand.

  “No need.”

  Focusing on the castle, she willed them to be standing at its door. The world shifted around her, effortlessly rearranging itself to change their position in it. When everything was stable again, she looked at Zane and saw that he couldn’t believe what she had done.

  “But...” Zane started and then faltered. He felt queasy, a strange feeling in the very depths of him that said that something wasn’t right. It wasn’t about what she had done, but it was about her. He stared into her eyes for what seemed like minutes, waiting for the unsettling feeling to pass. Something was wrong. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but it was definitely wrong.

  The whole world didn’t feel right.

  “Come,” she said, taking hold of his hand again.

  He stumbled along behind her, still lost in his thoughts and trying to understand what had just happened to him. A glance at his surroundings and then the sky revealed that she hadn’t transported them here instantly. Time had been lost. The night was wearing on.

  A
s the castle loomed before him, the strange feeling gave way to dread and he moved to be alongside Celene.

  She was so determined as she strode towards the castle, her step not faltering and her eyes fixed on her destination. He wished he could say that Erikka would do as Celene was going to ask of her, but he knew the witch, and he knew that she wasn’t going to back down and lift the curse that easily.

  He flexed his fingers and magic built there, circling and spiralling around his hand. He got the feeling that they were going to have to force Erikka to lift the curse, just as Celene had said.

  Only, he had tried many times to use magic in this place, and every time it had been weak. His insides knotted with the horrible feeling that Erikka was going to be too powerful for them. They had never tested Celene’s magical abilities when it came to fighting, and he didn’t know whether she knew such spells. He glanced across at her. She was staring at the castle, her eyes reflecting her determination and the set of her jaw telling him that she was going to fight, regardless of whether she had the power to or not.

  The dark, menacing feeling inside of him grew worse as they began up the small incline to the castle. He realised that it wasn’t about Erikka, or potentially having to fight her to force her to lift the curse.

  It was about Celene.

  This had gone too far. If he had been honest with her from the start instead of allowing his attraction to her to silence him, then they might have been able to find a counter-curse or break the one that had hold of him.

  He had thought that by not telling her the details behind his curse, he had been protecting her. Instead, he was leading her into danger the likes of which she had probably never seen before. He’d had his share of war, of fighting for his kingdom in the name of Valunthier, but what experience did she have?

  He couldn’t ask her now, couldn’t upset her confidence by mentioning that they could be heading into a fight. He would wait it out and if it became apparent that Erikka was going to turn dangerous, he would intervene and protect Celene. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

  He couldn’t.

  The whole of his body felt as though it was twisting and he paused, struggling against the will of the night as it tried to make him change. He bent double and clutched at his stomach, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to get control of himself. Through the pain something reached to him, soft and comforting as a blanket, and tender as a lover. He opened his to see Celene standing before him, her hand gently cupping his cheek and her eyes shining with concern. Her hand was cool against his skin, but the warmth it made spread through him was incredible.

  She smiled and the pain disappeared, leaving him feeling light and calm inside. This wasn’t her usual magic. She wasn’t using her life to heal him. This was something else.

  He looked up at her. She was an angel wearing the full moon as a halo. It circled her head, making her hair shine silver-blue and casting her face into shadow. But he could still see her perfectly, as though the moon’s rays were shining straight through her. Her eyes were bright, almost white as she looked at him, a smile still teasing her lips and a strangeness about her. He felt as though he was looking at a different person, one that had always been there but that he had never noticed before now. There was something about her, something that made him feel as though she was trying to reveal herself to him and shed the mystery that always surrounded her.

  A tear dashed down her cheek, purest silver cutting through softest silk.

  Straightening, he stepped towards her and brushed the tear away with the pad of his thumb. He looked at it as he drew it away. It twinkled in the moonlight, iridescent and beautiful. His eyes widened but by the time he looked at her, she was walking on, towards the castle.

  He looked at the moon and the lightening sky.

  He almost laughed at himself.

  She couldn’t be.

  CHAPTER 5

  Celene walked silently up the steps to the white castle and waved her hand before her. The doors opened, sweeping inwards without a sound and revealing an equally as white interior. She stared up at the tall towers above her, their tops peaked with conical roofs. Walking inside, she waited for Zane to join her. She could sense the potion he had taken was beginning to wear off, but it wouldn’t matter. It would soon be dawn. The fight to remain unchanged would then be hers.

  She had to stay here with him and confront Erikka. The kiss that Zane had given her was a message, one she had been able to read clearly. He and the witch had once been involved and she knew without a doubt that their relationship was the reason he was now cursed.

  He stopped beside her, his dark eyes full of too many emotions for her to be able to single out the one she most needed to see at that moment.

  Worry surfaced in his gaze and the sight of it made that same emotion spread through her. If he feared Erikka, then the witch had to be strong, more powerful than he was. More powerful than herself?

  Her eyes shifted to a small arched window and she saw that the sky was rapidly beginning to lighten.

  Time was against them.

  When she looked back at Zane, his expression had changed. In place of fear was determination. She took hold of his hand and went to lead him into the castle but he had other plans. He pulled her against him and wrapped her up in his arms. His lips played gently against hers, sweeping softly over them and setting her whole body aflame with tingles and shivers, with an inexplicable lightness the likes of which she had never felt before. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the kiss, surrendering completely to him and her feelings, and drawing everything she could out of it. It was her strength and her power. This feeling was more powerful than magic.

  The doors slammed and Zane pulled away.

  She looked straight into Zane’s eyes as he stared at the door, a frown on his face. She could feel the power growing in him, the magic coming to the surface and tickling her skin where he was touching her.

  “Come,” he said, taking hold of her hand and leading her up a set of steps that spiralled around the wide circular room and seemed to reach up to the heavens themselves.

  She followed without question, her lips and body still buzzing with his kiss and feelings that she didn’t know what to make of. With each window they passed, she looked out onto the world. Each step brought them higher but it also seemed to bring the dawn closer. Every view from the castle showed the sky growing brighter, changing the landscape.

  There was a moment of quiet and then a tug at the base of her stomach. She frowned and ignored it, pushing away from it and forcing herself to remain where she was. Zane needed her now. She had to save him. She didn’t care about anything else.

  She looked at his back as he took step after step with careless ease. She could sense no fear in him. Her sister was right. He had managed to find his courage.

  Suddenly there was a door in front of them and the steps were no more. The intricately carved white wood almost shone in the strange light between night and day. There would be repercussions for what she was doing. It was against natural law to suspend the dawn and dusk. Mother Gaia would be angry.

  Zane looked over his shoulder at her and she thought he was going to say something, but then he turned away and opened the door. He let go of her hand as he stepped through and the loss of contact had an impact on her that she hadn’t been expecting.

  She felt weak.

  Tired.

  It was a struggle to walk but she followed him into the expansive room. Midnight black banners with silver embroidered edges hung from the back wall, stretching high up into the vaulted ceiling and flanking the throne-like chair directly in front of her.

  Zane was already striding towards it and she hurried to catch up. Magic slowly circled his hand and she could sense how weak it was. There was something about this place that dampened everything, but at the same time heightened something else.

  Looking above her, her eyes widened when she saw a magnificent blue glass dome, its panels decorated with s
ymbols of the night and the heavens, and of the stars. In its centre was a single star, spreading silver rays out that cut through everything else in the dome. From the star hung a black shard of crystal.

  Celene shook her head and raised her hands.

  Magic faltered around her fingers, broken and distorted.

  A chill swept over her, fear bubbling to the surface and making her sick. She had never felt such a feeling before. It consumed her, driving her mad with hissed words of defeat, of death.

  “Zane... we must leave,” she whispered.

  He turned to look at her, and as he did, someone shimmered into being behind him. A beautiful woman stared at her, eyes black as midnight and hair white as snow. Her gaze narrowed and Celene felt a stab of pain in her heart.

  Pain.

  True pain.

  Raising her hands, she held them in front of her, muttering words to protect herself and frowning when nothing but a fragile shimmering blue disc appeared. It wouldn’t protect her for long. She was too weak here.

  “What’s the matter?” Erikka said with a look of amusement.

  Celene looked up at the dome and cursed the stone hanging there. It was drawing all her power, all Zane’s power, and feeding it to Erikka. It was stealing their strength.

  “Leave her be, Erikka.” Zane’s voice rung around the stone room, echoing off the corners and sounding strange in her ears.

  There was confidence in it that she hadn’t heard in so long. It made her heart ache and the dread inside her conjured up images that made her believe that if they stayed here, he would surely die. She couldn’t lose him. She didn’t care about anything but him. Not anymore.

  “Why do you return now? I had expected you to come back sooner, and alone. Instead, you bring this thing with you.”

  Hearing Erikka refer to her as a thing made Celene’s blood boil. All fear disappeared as she straightened and stared at the witch. With or without her power, she was going to make Erikka lift Zane’s curse.