“At ease, soldier,” Drosselmeyer said in amusement. “I wouldn’t have left my goddaughter in your care if I were concerned about you taking advantage of her. But Celly, my dear, you’re making the poor boy uncomfortable.”
Celesta’s face immediately looked up at his, and she scrambled into a seated position, causing the blankets to fall off them and letting in a rush of cold air. “Sorry!” she exclaimed.
Alex slowly peeled himself off the ground and reached for a blanket. He used one arm to awkwardly put it back over his shoulders before pulling Celesta back so that she was sitting in front of him. “I wasn’tthatuncomfortable,” he muttered close to her ear as he rearranged the blankets around her, ensuring that she stayed as warm as possible.
She gave his arm an answering squeeze and leaned back into his chest before turning her attention back to Drosselmeyer. She held out her palm expectantly. “Hand them over.”
Alex watched in confusion as Drosselmeyer smiled and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a handful of red and white striped sticks and placed them on her outstretched hand. Celesta immediately popped the end of one into her mouth. She turned her head around to look up at him and held up the sticks. “Peppermint?” she offered.
He shook his head in disbelief. “You almost froze to death, we’re about to face your power-hungry uncle, and the first thing you ask about iscandy?”
She pulled the peppermint stick from her mouth to answer. “Sugar helps me think. Besides, if you can’t enjoy candy in between almost dying and confronting a tyrant, when can you?”
“Literally any other time,” Alex drawled, though he did relent and take one of the proffered sticks. His stomach was pinched with hunger, but the thought of eating food made him nauseous. Perhaps there was something to Celesta’s words, after all.
Unlike the other treats she had plied him with, the peppermints were not overwhelming in their sweetness. The sugar was balanced perfectly with the cool mint flavor. The sharp, refreshing bite spread over his tongue and up into his nose, waking his senses and helping bring things into focus.
“Now, about those instructions,” Celesta was saying to her godfather. “What did they mean, anyway? Why couldn’t you just tell us where to find the mirror pieces? It would have saved us a lot of trouble.”
Drosselmeyer added another log to the fire and lowered himself to the ground. “What do you remember of my instructions?”
“You told us the shards would be found ‘where the heart of Faerie is reflected in mind and body.’ But that could have meant anything.”
“Think carefully, my dear. Analyze the situations as you’ve been taught. What was the commonality between each of the scenarios in which you found a piece of the mirror?”
The little pixie tilted her head thoughtfully, and Alex did his best not to be distracted by the sight of her adorably pointed ears.
“Well,” she began slowly, speaking her thoughts aloud. “We found the first piece in Spring near Rose’s home, and the second was in the alleyway in Herbst. It couldn’t be due to proximity, then. The pieces were both under trees in Arboris and Fleurzon, but that doesn’t match with Herbst or with the piece that Alex found in the lake.”
“You’re thinking too literally,” Drosselmeyer prodded. “Think about the first part of the instructions; think about the heart.”
Alex’s mind was working quickly, fitting pieces of the puzzle together. “The first piece appeared after you used your magic to help Oaken and Sage rebuild their home,” he offered. “You mentioned it before. And the second was when we found Diggory.”
“You used your magic then, too!” Celesta continued excitedly. “When you played for him after he was so frightened by Stahlmaus’ soldiers. Yesterday was the same thing: the mirror came after we performed for the people in the marketplace.”
“Yes,” Drosselmeyer nodded sagely. “When you used your magic as it was originally intended by the Almighty–as a way to help and encourage and serve your fellow Fae–your thoughts and actions reflected the heart of Faerie. Our magic was never meant to be used for personal gain or power over others, but as a way to serve. When we use magic, we give of ourselves for the good of our neighbor.”
Alex frowned, still perplexed by the last piece of the puzzle that he had yet to solve. “But what about the last mirror shard?” he asked. “Neither of us used magic then. In fact,” he added, looking down in shame as heat rose in his face, “I had just made up my mind that I was going to leave.”
Celesta squeezed his knee in quiet support, a sign of forgiveness that he wasn’t quite sure he deserved.
“But you returned, and though it would have been safest for you to let Celesta drown, you risked your own life to save hers. And,” the wizard added with a knowing look, “I believe that’s not the only thing that you had to let go in order to save her.”
The thought of his lost harmonica cut into his heart like a sharp knife. The instrument had been his one escape and comfort, his constant companion during the dark years of heartache and war. He had been just beginning to discover a new purpose for his music, a way for him to make a positive difference in others’ lives. A world of possibilities and power had been opened for him in Faerie, and the means to those ends was now lying useless at the bottom of the lake. Even if they were able to retrieve it, the instrument would be soaked and damaged beyond repair.
And yet, as Alex looked down at the little ballerina safely ensconced in his arms, he found that he would give it all up again in a heartbeat.
As if reading his thoughts, Drosselmeyer continued, “The heart of Faerie is one of service and sacrifice. When you saved Celesta, you had to make the choice between her and your own magic and power. And though it would have been easier–and certainly in your best interests, given your situation–you chose her.”
Celesta bolted upright and began pacing, her back and wings taut as she paced in front of the fire. Apparently, unlike Alex, she no longer felt the lingering effects of her dip in the freezing lake. Or perhaps the fatigue and heaviness he felt was simply due to the progression of Stahlmaus’ curse. His whole body felt as if it were made of wood, and his knees and ankles took a great deal of effort to bend. His right arm was beginning to feel stiff and numb as well.
“That’s right!” she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hip and looking down at him sternly. “Without the harmonica, you won’t be able to use your magic to connect the gateway to your realm. You’ll be stuck here! What were you thinking??”
“That I wasn’t about to watch you die,” he answered fiercely. “It was an easy choice, and I would make it again.”Because I love you. He left the words unspoken, but he could feel the truth of the sentiment in every fiber of his numb, dying body. It was surprising and frightening and unexpected, but he could no longer deny it.
He loved her.
“But now I have to watch you die,” Celesta whispered, a tear escaping her eye and leaving a trail of wetness on her pale cheek. The sight made his chest ache. His little pixie was all sunshine and happiness, and the thought that he was the one responsible for her tears was a knife of regret to his heart.
