“I don’t think there’s anything you can do. Not unless you have experience with cuts from enchanted mirrors.” He held his arm out anyway, gritting his teeth at the effort it now took to even move the shoulder that much.
Ferrys’ face was grim as he looked over the stiff limb and asked questions regarding the length of time since the injury, how quickly symptoms were spreading, and whether or not there was any mobility left. Alex could see the gnome gently prodding up the length of his arm and trying to bend his fingers and elbow, but he could feel nothing.
“You have written to Drosselmeyer?” he asked finally, crossing his arms and looking seriously up at Alex.
“Celesta did,” Alex confirmed. It took almost as much effort to put his arm back at his side as it had to lift it up. “But we’re waiting for a response.”
“If you want my advice, I would not wait. I’m not an expert, but I have lived long enough to see my share of magical injuries. The stiffness will continue to spread throughout your body, and I am afraid Drosselmeyer is the only one with the knowledge and skill to counteract it. You know where he is?”
“He told Celesta he would be in Summer, though not exactly where.”
“Then you should go to Summer, and you should take the shortest road there. There is a waypoint not far from here, and I can teach Celesta the song for the Summer palace if she does not know it already. You will want to find Drosselmeyer before the stiffness spreads to your legs and you are unable to walk.”
A heavy feeling of dread came over Alex, and he nodded woodenly. “Thank you.”
“It is nothing after what you did for our little Diggory. I only wish I had better news for you.” Ferrys reached up and clapped a hand on the side of Alex’s shoulder with a surprising amount of force for his small body. “But don’t fret. I’m sure Drosselmeyer will have you fixed up in no time, and you’ll be able to hold your pretty pixie with both arms to your heart’s content.”
Alex’s half-hearted protests were drowned out by Ferrys’ impish laughter as he returned inside to peel Celesta away from the arms and the attentions of the rest of his family. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Much to his chagrin, the idea of Celesta in his arms was far more appealing than he wanted to admit.
The warm sun of Summer was both sudden and welcome, accompanied by lush green grass and a symphony of birdsong. Brilliantly colored flowers dotted the field before them, with large, fuzzy bumble bees buzzing lazily from blossom to blossom. Alex breathed deeply. The air had the deliciously clean smell to it that followed an afternoon shower.
The city of Fleurzon lay before them on the other side of the grassy field. The tall, open-air buildings were white and gleaming in the bright sunshine, and Alex noted that many of them boasted rooftop gardens and balconies. The wall around the city was white as well, though green vines drew winding patterns across its surface. Celesta had informed him that, while this was the closest waypoint to the city, they would have to walk a ways around the perimeter before reaching the gates.
“You’re sure Drosselmeyer is here?” he asked as they stepped away from the waypoint. It was more in an effort to get Celesta to speak than a need for reassurance. She had been subdued ever since Ferrys brought her out to him with instructions to head to Summer as quickly as possible, and he found himself missing her light-hearted chatter.
“Yes; he said he would be. And even if he isn’t in Fleurzon, Lady Elsa will be able to contact him directly.”
“Oh? Is she close to him?”
“She’s married to his apprentice.” Celesta’s face brightened as she spoke. “I was so glad when she married Lowen; it was like getting an instant sister. Her brother Geoffrey is the king of Summer.”
Alex narrowed his eyes, thinking of the many political leaders he had seen over the years. “That seems like quite the handy connection for Drosselmeyer.”
“Oh no! It’s not like that at all.” Celesta vigorously shook her head. “Lowen actually came to Elsa’s rescue after she was framed for her brother’s disappearance, though he was under a curse himself. They each saved the other and it was quite romantic.” She let out a dreamy sigh. “Lowen had been missing for a long time, and even Drosselmeyer didn’t know who he was when he first showed up. There’s no way he could have planned for them to fall in love. And even if he did, why would it matter? It’s not like Elsa or Lowen will inherit the crown, since Geoffrey already has a son. Little Franz is absolutely the most adorable child. He’s at the age now where he says the funniest things. The last time I was there…”
Alex smiled to himself as he let Celesta’s words wash over him. He listened with half an ear, instead focusing on how brightly her eyes sparkled or how lightly and gracefully she moved beside him. He still did not understand how a person could be so happy all the time, but he was like a moth drawn to the flame of her smile. It lit up and warmed parts of his heart that had been cold and dark for far too long.
A voice in the back of his head cried caution, urging him to distance himself and protect his heart for the inevitable pain that would result from this growing affection. They were from two different worlds, and he would eventually return to his own while she stayed here. It would be wiser to pull back. It would be safer to protect his heart. He was a soldier, if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was protect.
And yet, as Alex spent more time in her company, he found his defenses failing against her continuous assault of smiles and sunshine. She held nothing of herself back, and the walls around his heart were slowly softening and crumbling in response.
“Alex, look.” Celesta stopped mid-sentence, putting her hand on her arm and pointing to something in the distance. They were nearing the eastern side of the city where the main gates were located. The landscape in Summer was much flatter than Autumn, and the neat wheat and corn fields seemed to stretch on for miles until they met the horizon in a thin, distant line. But what Celesta had noticed was much closer to the city, and it was a sight that made Alex’s blood run cold.
Thin tendrils of black smoke rose from the smoldering embers of campfires not properly extinguished, and the grass was stamped down and crushed. Broken tent poles and other discarded pieces of equipment dotted the ground, evidence of a prolonged presence bysomeoneoutside the city. Given the location and the size of the area affected, Alex knew only too well what had happened.
Fleurzon had been under siege.
Alex’s soldier senses immediately kicked into gear, and he quickly surveyed the rest of their surroundings. There was no sound of fighting or distress coming from within the walls, which meant either that the army that had been camped outside the gates had already taken and occupied the city or they had left. Based on the two long, wide tracks trampled into the field that led away from the city to the east and the campfires that had obviously still been tended not long ago, he was fairly confident that it was the latter option.But still, better to proceed with caution.
“Stahlmaus must have been here,” he said in a low voice, keeping his eyes and ears on alert for any unexpected sound or movement. “But the question is, why? We’ve only been in Faerie for two days, and the damage to the ground here suggests that they were here at least twice that long.”
Celesta kept pace beside him. “It’s hard to say. Drosselmeyer did say there was something in Summer that required his immediate attention. If Fleurzon were being threatened, that certainly would have caused him to come right away. But it seems like perhaps they left before inflicting any real damage?”
“It seems that way, but we won’t know for sure until we get inside the gates. Let’s hope your godfather is here. Stay close.” Alex reached for her hand and pulled her in so that she was nearly tucked under his arm. “If we run into any trouble, I want you to run. I don’t have my weapons, but I’ll try to buy you as much time as I can.”
She scoffed. “As if I would just leave you.”
“Please, Celesta. I could never forgive myself if something happened to you on my watch.” The words spilled out of him, accompanied by the familiar fear and guilt that had been plaguing him ever since the news of his family’s fate. “Promise me you’ll run.”
