by Liz Dejesus
“Describe it to me, please,” Terrance said.
“Well…” Bianca looked around. How could she possibly describe her surroundings? She had never seen anything so breathtakingly beautiful. “Okay, I’ll try. We’re walking toward a lake. It’s like looking at a perfectly round mirror. The lake is reflecting everything on its surface. The sky is starting to get dark with streaks of peach and purple. Wish I had my easel. I could easily paint this for the rest of my life. Anyway…I have no idea what time it is. No sight of the moon anywhere. Just the stars peeking through.” They were halfway to the lake. “And there are trees everywhere, like they’re trying to reach the sky. I can’t wait for you to see it all.”
“Darling, I’m blind.”
“Don’t worry. This water is going to fix you right up.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” she lied.
Terrance stopped in his tracks. Bianca’s heartbeat raced. Why had he stopped walking? She waited with bated breath.
Terrance licked his dry lips. It did nothing to put moisture on his chapped lips. “Bianca, I’m so sorry.”
“For what? This wasn’t your fault.”
“I won’t blame you if you decide to leave me. I’m…I’m ruined.”
Bianca shuddered at the thought of leaving Terrance. Even worse, leaving him alone, wounded and blind, depriving herself of the man he could’ve been, could still become. Did he think she was cruel? That she had it in her to pick up her things and leave him like that?
Bianca tightened her grip around her boyfriend’s waist and pressed him against her body. “I hate to burst your bubble, mister, but you are stuck with me. What happened to you wasn’t your fault. And trust me, when I catch the witch that did this to you, I’m gonna make her wish she had never been born. Now, let’s go to this lake and heal your eyes.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” he asked.
“It will work. And I will never leave your side. Ever.”
She wondered if the lake would heal his injuries. And if it didn’t, she asked herself if she had it in her to spend the rest of her life taking care of Terrance. To be his eyes when he couldn’t see. To be there for him. To be everything he needed her to be.
Terrance managed a weak smile, but it was reassurance enough for him to walk toward the lake once more. She knew that the answer was yes. She loved him, for better or for worse.
“We’re here,” she said.
With every step they took toward the lake, Bianca prayed to God, any god willing to hear her plea, to please let this work.
When the cold water touched his feet, Terrance trembled.
Bianca stiffened and asked, “Are you okay?”
He nodded, and even though his cracked lips quivered from the cold, he took another tentative step deeper into the lake’s cool waters. As the water reached her thighs, she drew a sharp intake of breath.
“Holy crap, the water is cold.”
His teeth chattered and he stammered, “Yes, it’s very cold.”
“All right, sweetie, I need you to lean back and float on the water.”
Terrance hesitated.
“It’s going to be okay,” she promised. Bianca slowly guided him onto the water’s surface. “Trust me. Just let go. I’m not going anywhere.”
Terrance took a deep breath then leaned back and floated on the lake for a few moments. Bianca carefully removed the gauze around his eyes. She forced herself to look away. She didn’t want to see him like that. She couldn’t imagine what it was like not being able to see. Then she noticed some of the wounds on his chest, arms, and hands started to close. At first, it was a leisurely stitching of his skin. His wounds bubbled, as though someone had poured hydrogen peroxide over them.
Bianca scooped a handful of water and poured it over his eyes. How she longed to see his dark brown eyes once more. Her heart almost burst out of her chest when she heard him hiss in pain. She shrieked his name out loud.
“Oh God! Bloody hell, that stings,” he shouted as he struggled to stand on the lakebed.
Bianca reached out and held both his hands to help him stand up. She kept her hands on his broad shoulders and held her breath. After what felt like an eternity, Terrance very slowly and very carefully uncovered his eyes. Unveiling them to the world as though he were opening them for the first time.
“I can’t believe it,” he whispered.
“What? What is it? Is something wrong?” Her heart almost lodged itself in her throat.
Oh my God. What if the lake healed his eyes, but didn’t fix them enough so that he can actually see? What am I going to tell his parents when we get back to the castle? His parents are going to hate me for dragging their son into this mess.
Terrance lifted his gaze and stared into Bianca’s eyes. If eyes were the windows to the soul, then Terrance was most certainly looking back at her with every ounce of spirit that he had inside of him. Bianca sobbed and then covered her lips, as though this would somehow take back the sound that escaped her. Tears sprang out of her eyes, and she tried so hard to make the crying stop. All to no avail. There were no words to express her relief.
Terrance smiled at her. They stood there for several moments in the middle of the lake and simply stared at each other. He was finally healed.
“I can see.”
Twenty-Two
Bianca, Terrance, and Bluebell decided to camp by the lake for the night. They were all exhausted. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Bianca felt as though she had been sucked dry of everything that made her her. Seeing Terrance literally ripped to shreds made her realize that what they had wasn’t just love. It was the kind of love that gave the word soul mate a whole new meaning. The mere thought of losing any part of Terrance shook her to the core.
She stood at the edge of the lake and watched the silver moon rising on the midnight-blue sky. Bianca had never seen a more beautiful piece of land in her life. She wondered if she would ever return to this particular place or if this was a small reprieve.
“What are you doing?” Bluebell asked.
She had in her hands an empty water bottle.
“Taking a little bit of this water with me,” Bianca explained.
“Why?”
“Because I may need it again in the future. Please, don’t tell anyone I have this. Okay?”
“If you insist.” Bluebell shrugged his tiny shoulders and flew back to the brick house.
Bianca twisted the cap off and collected some of the lake water, just in case. It had to be saved for an extreme emergency only. It was also something that she would keep to herself for now. She twisted the cap back on and walked back toward the brick house.
Terrance awaited inside, recovering. Even though the lake had healed his eyes and sight, he was still sensitive to the tiniest bit of glare. She thought back on her promise to use white magic only. It was going to be very difficult for her to keep it. All she wanted to do was find Rebekah, Elda, and Blair and make them suffer for all the harm they had caused. She needed to keep her emotions in check.
Bianca took a deep breath and tried to push the red bubbling anger back down. She didn’t want to become like Elda or Blair. That was not a path worth taking.
Bianca stepped inside the house and found Terrance in the rocking chair. He had a fresh pair of gauze over his eyes to protect them from the firelight. In his hands, he held a bowl of soup that Bianca had prepared for him.
“How do you feel?” she asked. She put the water bottle inside her backpack and hoped that she would never have to use it.
“Like I’ve been given a second chance at life,” he replied.
“I know the feeling. And your eyes?”
“Better, I think.” Terrance set the bowl down by his feet and removed the gauze. He blinked several times and managed to squint without hissing in pain.
Bianca sat down on the floor beside him. Terrance joined her and cuddled up next to her. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. He kissed the top of her
head and breathed in her scent.
“I never got a chance to say I love you, too.”
She had completely forgotten that she had professed her love to him moments before she fell into the pit. Bianca had honestly believed she was going to die. She lifted her gaze and met his unfaltering eyes. He caressed her cheek and leaned in for a kiss. She basked in the moment of respite.
Finally, some peace…even if it was temporary.
The following morning, they had to face the reality of their situation. The bad news was that Prince Ferdinand had been kidnapped. He was alone and defenseless.
The good news was that Bianca had the real glass slipper. Elda’s yellow snake had taken the decoy.
“We need to find the prince,” Terrance said.
Bianca sighed. “I know.”
“I think this is the longest we’ve ever been apart.” Terrance chuckled softly, but there was no joy in the sound.
It was obvious that he missed his friend.
Bianca knew he felt guilty about getting sidetracked. If it had been up to Terrance, he would be in the middle of the forest, bleeding and blind, while Bianca followed the Frog Queen and the rest of her posse in the hopes of rescuing Ferdinand.
“Don’t give me that look. If I had to knock you over the head with the largest rock I could find, I would’ve done it with a smile on my face. I was going to rescue you even if you didn’t want me to.” Bianca smirked. She would’ve done exactly that. “I would’ve dragged you through the forest, too. But lucky for us, Bluebell helped.”
“I made you teeny tiny,” the fairy said with a giggle.
Terrance massaged his temples. “I thought I dreamt that.”
“You were about a foot tall,” Bianca explained.
“Like a doll.” Bluebell wrinkled his nose. “A teeny tiny doll,” the blue fairy teased some more.
Terrance chuckled and replied, “I believe you, but that still doesn’t change the fact that we have no idea where Prince Ferdinand is.”
Bianca thought quietly for a few minutes. The only thing she could think of was Magnus… a creature that also happened to be Terrance’s grandfather. He was the only one that was large and fast enough to get them to the prince.
“Magnus owes me a favor. So does Luna. Think I should cash in on that favor?” Luna was Magnus’s mate. They both owed Bianca a favor for rescuing Luna from Lenore’s dungeon.
“I can’t tell you what to do, Bianca. You’ve done quite well on your own,” Terrance replied.
“I could use your advice. You know this place better than I do.”
Terrance’s head and shoulders dropped, as though he were carrying the weight of the world on his back. When he finally raised his head and his dark brown eyes met hers, he spoke.
“There is always a price, even when you think you’re the one who is getting something out of it. There will always be a consequence for a gift given or a favor owed to you. Do you honestly think that once Magnus does what you ask that it’ll be over? That he won’t find a loophole or a way to make you do something for him? You can’t trust him, Bianca. You can’t trust anyone. Magnus is dangerous and very old. He didn’t get that way by being kind.”
Bianca nodded. She understood what he was trying to explain to her. But the fact was, they had no idea where Ferdinand was or how to find him. Terrance watched patiently as she struggled to make a life-changing decision.
She stood up to her full height, which wasn’t much since she was only five-foot-two, and asked, “Which way is north?”
“That way.” He pointed to his left.
“All right. Let’s put the house away. We still have a lot to do.”
She walked out of the house, and everyone followed. She plucked a hair from her head and tied it around the silver doorknob.
“Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin.”
The house reverted back to its original brick form. She placed it on the bottom of her backpack, along with her other magical belongings. She took several deep breaths and then closed her eyes.
“I call to you, Magnus the Wolf,” she said in a loud commanding voice. She repeated his name several more times until it felt as though the wind itself had plucked his name from her mouth and carried it to him. As if his name was a tangible thing that could be taken and given.
When Bianca opened her eyes, she felt a shift in the wind. A sudden chill ran up and down her spine. Her skin became riddled with goose bumps. Terrance walked up to her and put his arm over her shoulders. She felt the tension in his muscles, almost as if he were getting ready to scoop her up and carry her away. She didn’t blame him for being nervous in Magnus’s presence. The first time they met, Magnus smacked him so hard, Terrance was thrown several feet up in the air and landed yards away from where he originally stood. This despite Terrance being his grandson.
“He’s coming,” he whispered.
The earth beneath their feet trembled, softly at first, then shook more and more with every passing moment. A gust of wind struck her. The smell of dried blood and pine hit her first. It was quickly followed with Magnus’s imminent arrival. One moment, she was alone with Terrance and Bluebell. The next, Magnus stood before them—a large black wolf, roughly the size of a house. He wasn’t even panting. His bright yellow-green eyes glimmered when they rested on Bianca’s face. He gave her a lopsided grin, flashing row after row of white, razor-sharp teeth. He circled around them once, placing one giant paw before the other.
“Took you long enough,” he said, his voice rumbling in his throat like rocks falling off the side of a mountain.
Bianca took a step forward and said, “Hello, Magnus.”
“Bianca, Terrance…miniscule fairy that is hiding in the trees.” He gave a single nod to them. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“We need your help.”
He arched a jet black eyebrow.
“We need you to help us rescue Prince Ferdinand and retrieve Cinderella’s glass slipper from the Frog Queen. I also need you to help me defeat two witches named Elda and Blair.”
Magnus’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second in surprise. It was such a tiny movement that Bianca thought she had imagined seeing it.
“I had a feeling you would be asking for something…substantial,” he replied.
“Substantial, right. Problem is, we’ve been sidetracked and we’re about two days away from the prince. We don’t know where he is or how to find him.”
“And what do I get out of this?” he asked.
“You get to repay me for rescuing your wife from Lenore not too long ago. But if you feel this is beneath you, I’ll ask Luna instead. I’m sure she won’t hesitate to help us out.” Bianca knew that the great wolf would never play second fiddle to his wife. His pride wouldn’t allow it.
“You forget yourself, child,” he growled.
“You think I’m actually afraid of you,” Bianca said.
“Don’t lie to me. I can hear your skipping heartbeat.”
“What’s your answer?” Bianca pretended to be bored as she crossed her arms over her chest. She tried to control her heart and the fact that she was sweating profusely while she waited for Magnus’s response. All to no avail. Tiny droplets of sweat trickled down her back.
Magnus chuckled and gave her a sideways smirk. “I like you, Human Girl. You have…bite.” He snapped his jaws a few times and then licked his nose with his long mauve tongue. “Very well, I accept your challenge. I will find your prince and this slipper…but no more.”
“Can you carry us on your back?” Bianca asked.
“Do I look like a horse to you?” he snarled.
She put her hands up in mock surrender. “Hey, I had to ask.”
Magnus sneered. “I suppose I could be rid of you much faster if I carried you,” he growled. “If you fall, you stay on the ground. Understood?”
“Understood,” Bianca said.
“I will not carry the fairy. I don’t want my fur to have its shimmery stench for weeks o
n end.”
Bianca rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. “Bluebell?”
“Yes, Bianca?”
“Hey, you called me by my name,” she said with a bright smile.
Bluebell flew close to her and whispered, “It’s not every day you meet someone who can match wits and argue with the Big Bad Wolf.”
“Gotcha. Listen, I hate to do this, but you’re gonna have to sit this one out.”
“I understand. I don’t wish to sit on his stinky fur anyway. I shall return home and tell Queen Titania what I have seen. I will follow the wolf’s stench and find you.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you soon.”
“Farewell, Bianca.”
“Farewell, Bluebell.”
“If you are finished with the pleasantries, I would very much like to be on my way,” Magnus said.
“All right. Let’s go.” Bianca grabbed her backpack and climbed up on Magnus’s back.
“Are you sure about this?” Terrance asked.
“Not really, but we have no choice. We’ve already lost two days, and we can’t afford to waste any more time.”
Terrance shook his head and threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender. “I still believe this is a bad idea.”
“That’s what I said at the museum, and I saved you from being turned into a wolf,” Bianca countered. She extended her hand and helped him climb up Magnus’s back.
“You’re never going to let me forget that, will you?”
“Nope. Never, ever, ever.”
“Very well. Lead the way, Grandfather.”
Magnus flared his midnight black nostrils and took in a deep breath that filled his lungs. He exhaled and then rumbled with laughter.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“Foolish witch tried to use magic to cover her tracks. She has basically drawn a clear path to where she and your friend are hiding. Hang on. We’re going for a ride.”
Bianca dug her fists into Magnus’s dark fur, which was surprisingly soft, and held on. When he started to run, she let out a whoop of delight. It was like being on the world’s fastest rollercoaster. The world zoomed past her. A blur of pine green and chocolate brown whizzed past them while Magnus ran to save their friend, Prince Ferdinand.
