by Anna Santos
“That maniacal woman tricked me into drinking a potion that irremediably cursed me. My dragon-shifting powers were locked away except for once a year. I can’t touch anyone or anything without turning them into diamond unless a true love’s kiss breaks my curse. As long as the curse is active, my kingdom will have terrible weather if I’m sad or depressed.”
“What about your fiancée? Did you love each other?”
“I thought we did. With a true love’s kiss being the answer, I believed the princess could solve this dilemma. She did, as well, and agreed to kiss me without a second thought. The beautiful human princess cared about me and respected my royal lineage. When she turned into a diamond statue shortly after our lips touched, I realized that was not enough. The dragon queen mocked my misery from afar, declaring that only she was strong enough to withstand the curse. All I had to do was love her above all things and make her my wife.
“Furious, my father led a war against the wicked queen’s kingdom, hoping to destroy her and end the curse. But she was ready and murdered him on the battlefield upon defeat. That evil creature also snuck into the palace and killed my mother. Leaving me alone and helpless. Declaring, in time, that I would grow to love and need her kiss.”
Claire was horrified by this revelation. She had no idea that so much pain had plagued William’s life.
“Why would anyone do those awful things and disguise it as love? This dragon queen is an evil, obsessed witch with no soul. No one who could feel anything but hatred could do what she did to you.”
“I don’t know what more to do, Claire. I’m not strong enough to defeat her until my curse breaks, and I’ll regain my powers.”
Claire let go of his hands and wrapped her arms around his torso, hiding her face against his chest. “I’m here for you.”
The smell of his clothes and the touch of their bodies made her feel bold and loved. Her heart ached for him. No wonder he had such a hard time trusting another and hid behind his anger and rules. It was his way of surviving and avoiding another betrayal and heartbreak. Plus, she pitied the poor princess who died because she was engaged to the prince.
Claire kept hugging him. It had to be terrible not being able to have prolonged human contact. Even now, she had to be careful there was not a slight hint of skin showing on his person. She could not imagine how he felt. When his arms embraced her, she smiled, enjoying the peaceful moment. If the best she could offer was her company and hugs, that would have to suffice.
William, suddenly, cried out as he pushed her away from him. “What have you done?”
Claire was confused about his accusation when she noticed the butler grinning maniacally from behind. Looking at his chest, she realized that William’s clothes were tainted with blood. Her prince had been stabbed.
“William? No! You stabbed him! Are you mad?” Claire yelled at the butler.
“The wound is not deep. He will heal,” the butler spat. “I’ve had enough of serving this stupid family who damned us all. Edana has plans for you. She will never allow anyone to make him happy. You are doomed.”
“I will kill you, traitor,” William grunted. “Claire, run to the palace. The fairies won’t let him touch you.”
“Hush, my master has arrived.” The butler looked upward.
As if on cue, a screech reverberated throughout the open space. Shortly after, a red dragon flew above their heads.
“We need to get inside,” Claire urged. Holding onto the prince’s arm, she tried to help him walk. “Lean on me to escape.”
“Claire, leave me behind. She will not hurt me,” the prince ordered as he knelt in the snow that was stained with his blood.
“I am not leaving you with your tormentor,” Claire refused. “Fairies, we need help,” she called for the only other creatures she knew that had magic and could help them. “The butler’s a traitor, and there’s an evil dragon on the property.”
Right then, Edana swooped down and seized Claire between her large dragon claws. The helpless human screamed as she was lifted into the sky.
The last thing Claire saw was an enraged William, tearing off his gloves and grabbing the butler as the fairies flew out in a panic, unable to do anything to stop this catastrophe.
Chapter 28
Prince William was ready to lose his mind. Why on earth would Edana take Claire away when they had not tried kissing each other? He had said time after time that he didn’t love Claire. The queen’s spies should have reported that back to her.
Unsurprisingly to him, the butler was a traitor. William let the old man keep his job because he’d rather know who was the spy than have to suspect other members of the staff. His godmothers were the only ones he truly trusted. Still, he had lowered his guard and wasn’t able to protect Claire from Edana’s jealousy.
Had he been so distracted by love that he failed to see the danger? He had tried to protect Claire, but she was too stubborn to be sent away again. He was sure that she would face the storms to return to him. It had been wiser to keep her by his side. She made him happy—the type of happiness he believed he never deserved to feel again. He should have known that couldn’t last.
William felt as if he could die if something happened to Claire. He would kill Edana before dying of heartbreak. That he could promise.
Claire’s shouts had alerted his godmothers, and they rushed outside.
“I killed the butler,” William muttered when they found him on the path to the entrance of the palace.
“I saw a red dragon,” Ming said, pointing at the sky. “Where’s Claire?”
Kara and Tasha held on with their tiny hands to his shoulders, trying to help him walk the rest of the way.
“You’re bleeding,” Ming stated the obvious as her hands covered her cheeks.
“The butler stabbed me, and Edana kidnaped Claire,” William explained while the pain made it almost unbearable to walk. It’d been a while since he had been wounded. Not any blade could pierce his skin. He was sure that someone had given the butler a diamond sword or dagger. “We need to go after them.”
“We need to fix you first,” Ming interjected/countered. “Just save your breath, so you can reach the palace.”
William nodded and walked the rest of the way with the fairies' assistance.
Once they entered the living room and the prince sat on one of the couches, Ming flew to the kitchen while Tasha helped him remove his coat and shirt.
“Kara, clean his wounds with this water,” Ming ordered, entering the living room with a floating bowl of water and a cloth.
“We need to go after her,” William said, clenching his teeth when Kara cleaned the blood from his wounds.
“First, we need to heal you.” Ming flew in front of his face with folded arms.
“But Edana took Claire,” William protested out of breath.
“We know,” Ming said. “We’ll deal with that once you are healed.”
“The shields were up around the palace,” Tasha mentioned. “She shouldn’t have been able to do that.”
“The butler must have removed some of the protective stones,” Ming pointed out.
“A stab wound wouldn’t kill William, but it would stop him from reacting to Edana’s attack.” Kara turned to Ming. “It’s all cleaned. You can heal him.”
Tasha balled her hands and grumbled while shedding blue dust. “I’m so mad right now! Once you are healed, we’ll leave immediately to save Claire. That witch is mistaken if she thinks we’ll stay here without taking measures to punish her for her evil actions.”
“I want to help, but I can’t leave this kingdom because of the curse,” William complained. “If I had all of my powers, I would destroy that vixen!”
“You might not have all of your powers, but you can still face the witch with our help,” Ming assured.
“I can’t leave the kingdom,” William whined again and grimaced in pain.
“We have a potion that can help you leave this place temporarily,” Kara claimed.
Hope shone in his eyes. “Are you serious?”
Kara nodded. “We’ve learned a lot of new spells and potions in the last few years, hoping that, one day, we could help you if there was no maiden able to cure you of your curse.”
“Claire is also our friend, and we love her.” Ming’s glowing hands aimed at William’s wounds and healed them. “Edana isn’t going to hurt Claire. Not on our watch!”
“Then, we need to go to her palace,” William stated. “I’m sure Edana took Claire there.”
“She’s a jealous hag,” Kara muttered. “Claire is precious and kind. Edana can’t compare to her.”
“I did everything I could to make sure that her spies left Claire alone. I even sent Claire home to protect her.”
“It’s not your fault, William,” Ming assured. “There, your wounds are healed.”
William got up and rushed to his bedroom to put on new clothes. When he descended into the living room, his godmothers were already making plans to save Claire.
“We’ll be more successful with a direct approach. We’ll fly to Edana’s castle, fight her minions to get in, and demand the witch releases Claire,” Tasha said.
“We’ll be outnumbered,” Ming reminded her sister.
“It’s me the witch wants,” William interrupted their plans while adjusting the sleeves and the collar of his coat. “I’ll make a deal with Edana in exchange for Claire’s release.”
“You can’t!” Tasha and Kara protested.
Ming rubbed her chin and scratched her nose. “Claire’s life is in danger. It isn’t the first time Edana tried to harm one of the maidens that pleased the prince.”
“Claire doesn’t just please me,” William protested. “Somehow, Edana knows that.”
“You’ve been spending a lot of time together since her return. The weather has improved all over our kingdom. You’re happy as you’ve never been before,” Ming reminded him. “Edana might believe that Claire can break your curse. She feels threatened.”
William closed his eyes and breathed deeply. “I can’t have a break from my curse or the witch who cursed me. I can’t feel happy without her wanting to destroy the things I treasure the most.”
“We need to face the facts. Edana is stronger than us,” Ming said.
“We could call the other fairies. I’m sure some would come to help us,” Tasha proposed.
“It would take too long. We need to act now,” William urged. “We are losing time while we talk about this. She might be hurting Claire.”
Ming raised her hand for William to calm down. “I understand your despair, but your only plan is to give up yourself in exchange for Claire. That’s not a good plan.”
“I don’t care. I’ll do anything the witch tells me to do if that means Claire will be safe. It’s my fault she’s in danger.”
Tasha, Kara, and Ming shared a look.
“Are you coming or not?” William asked, ready to leave.
“You can’t leave without our help,” Ming reminded him.
William narrowed his eyes with resolve. “I’ll bring winter to Edana’s kingdom, even if I have to endure the most excruciating pain while breaching the borders of my kingdom.”
Tasha raised her hand. “I’ll get the horses ready and give them wings.”
“I’ll grab a few bags of spells in case we need to fight against her beasts,” Kara added.
“I’ll prepare the potion to allow William to leave this kingdom,” Ming announced.
“What do I do?” William asked, his heart swelling with worry but also love for his godmothers' determination to help him. They were his only family since his parents were killed. The only other person who was important to him was Claire. He wouldn’t let her suffer at the hands of his worst enemy.
“Wait and control your feelings so that the snow doesn’t return. I can hear the wind raging outside since Claire was taken,” Ming suggested.
“I’m mad,” William grumbled.
“Calm down.” Ming flew up and patted his shoulder. “We are here to help you. Nothing bad will happen to Claire.”
William nodded and tried to control the anxiety growing inside of him.
William was sure that Edana wouldn’t care if she killed the fairies or not if they faced the witch. Still, he needed his godmothers' help to save Claire. He was ready to do whatever it took to get Claire back and keep the fairies alive.
No one could conceal their anxiety when they boarded the magical chariot pulled by the flying horses. A few minutes in the air was all it took to arrive at Edana’s palace—where Claire was taken prisoner.
With an active volcano nearby, Edana’s kingdom was as hot as his land was cold. The prince already felt himself growing weak from the relentless heat.
Once the chariot landed, William walked ahead, ready to fight any resistance to get inside. Surprisingly, no one was guarding the entrance to the palace. William and the fairies strolled right in, opening doors and exploring the eerie building with dark walls and high red ceilings. The corridors were decorated with statues of flying beasts, and the walls were covered with paintings of desolated lands and volcanoes.
Entering the throne room, the prince saw Edana waiting for him on her throne. Her eyes lit up despite the furious look on his face, and she laughed at the fairies who hissed but kept their distance.
“Welcome, Prince William,” Queen Edana’s voice boomed. “This heat must be killing you slowly.”
“You should worry about your life, not mine,” William threatened.
Her grin widened, and she waved her hand in dismissal. “I’m surprised you were able to come here. I was about to send a messenger with my demands and a place to meet.”
“As you can see, I’m here to take back what you took from me,” William said.
Edana chuckled.
William winced at the repulsive sound of her laughter.
She leaned forward. “Why so glum?”
“I didn’t come here to play games. Where’s Claire?”
Edana shrugged and waved her hand. Fire swirled around her finger. “I might have eaten her, or maybe I burned her.”
“If you did anything to Claire, I will kill you,” Tasha menaced.
Ming and Kara grabbed Tasha’s shoulders to stop the fairy from flying to the queen’s side.
The queen’s eyes aimed at the fairies. “I could squash you like bugs, creatures. Don’t threaten me if you can’t keep your promises.”
“Enough!” William shouted. “Where’s Claire? If something happened to her, I’ll kill you if that’s the last thing I do.”
“Don’t agonize. I haven’t done any major harm to your pet.” With a grin, Edana waved her hand. Golden dust twirled upwards. Claire appeared, dangling inside a golden cage above the shifter’s head.
William ground his teeth at the sight of Claire caged. “Claire!” Her eyes were shut. She seemed unconscious. He glared at Edana. “Why isn’t she responding?”
Edana shrugged and waved her hand again. The cage shook, and Claire opened her eyes. “There, the pet is awake.”
William ignored the witch. “Claire, can you hear me? Claire?”
Claire turned her head and looked down. Her eyes widened when she saw the prince. “William! You’re not dead! I saw the blood.” She grabbed the bars as her eyes filled with tears. “I’m so glad you’re not dead.”
“Silence!” Edana shouted, lifting her arm and shaking the cage with her magic.
William narrowed the distance between the entrance of the room and the stairs that gave access to Edana’s throne. “Don’t you dare hurt her!”
“Too late,” Edana said with a wicked grin. “I had to teach her to shut up. Your pet is quite feisty for a helpless creature. Is that why you like her so much?”
William sneered at her. “Just tell me what you want in exchange for her life.”
Her eyebrows raised. “Straight to business?”
“I don’t like to waste my time chatting with you.”
“Ouch, that hurt my feelings!” Edana feigned hurt.
“You know perfectly well that I can’t stand you.”
“Yes, but now I have something you treasure,” she claimed, holding her index finger against her cheek. “You even came to see me despite the pain that afflicts you if you leave your kingdom.” Her gaze aimed at the fairies. “Even your tiny maids came to save this girl. She must be really special. I wonder what she did to win your heart.”
William balled his hands. “Fine. We have established that I care about Claire. Now, can you tell me what you want in exchange for her?”
The queen’s face became sober, and she sat straight. “You know what I want from you. Don’t you, my prince?”
His eyes narrowed, and he swallowed dry. “I have an idea.”
“Is she worth that much to you?”
“I’m not going to answer that. There’s no point in wasting time with games. Claire is one of my subjects. You kidnapped her. I want her back.”
The corner of Edana’s lips curled up, but she didn’t seem amused. It was more of a cruel smile than a pleased one. “I wonder if I would have more fun making you suffer than forcing you into submission.”
“Monster,” Ming spat.
William glanced at his godmother, seeing her anger. The same anger that was taking over him. Still, they were no match for the queen. He had the crazy idea of fighting the queen long enough for the fairies to rescue Claire and leave that damned place.
It was useless. They wouldn’t get very far before the queen went after them and killed them for fun.
His eyes searched for Claire before he had to face the queen. His human seemed well, but he was sure that she had been crying before his arrival. The queen must have hurt Claire for her to be unconscious upon their arrival. William wanted to tell her that everything was going to be all right, but he was afraid to promise something he couldn’t follow through with. He couldn’t predict Edana’s mood swings. She liked to be cruel, probably a lot more than she wanted to submit William to her desire and force him to marry her.
