Green bubbles became pink, then a dark, ominous crimson.
“Breathe,” she ordered, dropping everything to shove both our heads down towards the potion. I gasped as a wave of sweetness crashed into me, filling my nose and flooding my pores.
Fresh vanilla cakes.
Rich steaming cocoa.
Sugared fruits drizzled in caramel—
A dozen hands tore me away from the cauldron. Bodies thumped against mine, hands passing me from faery to faery until, all at once, they released me and I stumbled to the black, glittering floor. No, not the floor. A wall.I think?But when I turned away, everything around me was just as dark and glittering.
In the distance, I could hear whispers and laughter. There were faeries around me, I was certain of that. But I couldn’t see any of them. Only a dense, black void – so thick I couldn’t see my own hands as they fumbled around in front of me.
Panic gripped my bones.
“Arenn?” My voice shook. “I don’t like this game.” This darkness was more than just dimmed orb lights. It was like a veil of shadows had been wrapped around my face. Suffocating me.
“Arenn!” I yelled, leaping back as a stranger’s fingers brushed my arm.Damn this ritual.Perhaps once we found each other I could convince him I was ill, then I could spend the rest of the party in my bedchamber. No more cruel laughter echoing through the darkness or stray hands tugging at my skirt.
When something warm curled around my foot, I went to kick it away only to freeze as something blue flashed in my vision. Wrapping around my foot, was a glowing blue ribbon of smoke. It tugged my ankle gently as if leading me somewhere.
“Arenn? Is that you?” I called out, quieter this time. Turning, I followed the weaving ribbon until it ended suddenly.
I stepped up to its end, only to yelp as my face met what must’ve been a wooden door. Confused murmurs buzzed around me, but after a few moments, a creak sounded and the blue smoke continued. Rubbing my sore nose, I followed it into the void.
After another twenty minutes of crashing into doors and half-falling down a set of stairs, my boots padded against what felt like stone. I still couldn’t see anything other than the blue winding ribbon, but I was getting better at fumbling around in the dark. Wherever that darkness was.
Eventually, I let out a gasp as my boots splashed against something wet. Warm water pooled around my ankles. As I waded out further, still following the blue ribbon, I had tostop when the water reached my chin.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked the smoke.
The blue ribbon twinkled, like it was winking.
“I’m not going any further,” I told it. “I’ll drown.”
The smoke crept towards my face, tugging my hair forwards.
“No.” I batted it away, sputtering as water splashed up my nose. But the smoke didn’t seem to care. Gripping my hair, it pulled me further and further until my boots slipped on something smooth and water rushed into my mouth.
The dark void was even more disorienting underwater. Thrashing around, I tried to swim back up, but with darkness flooding my vision and smoke tugging on my limbs, I only seemed to sink further.
A scream tore from my throat. The smoke was a trick. It must’ve been. Lyssandra probably told Amabel that I didn’t care for Prince Arenn, and now they were drowning me. I kicked my legs wildly. Smoke wrapped around my throat, squeezing tighter, tighter.
As my limbs felt heavier, and my eyes fluttered shut, I could’ve sworn hands clasped around my waist, pulling me towards something firm. Lips, soft and gentle, brushed mine. Death’s, maybe? It certainly felt like I had died now my chest wasn’t burning anymore.
“Naria, open your eyes.” A low voice wrapped around me, warm enough for me to curl up inside it. Like I wanted it to hold me and never let go.
“Naria,” it said again, more urgently. “Open your eyes.Please. I have to talk to you, forest princess. I need to know you’re alright.”
Slowly, my eyes opened. I gasped to see golden light had replaced the darkness. The blue smoke was long gone. In its place, a young man hovered in the middle of a crystal pool. His copper skin glowed gold and cast rays of light that bounced around the dozens of multicoloured crystals embedded in the walls of the pool. It was beautiful.Hewas beautiful. And for some reason, I never wanted him to leave.
“Am I dead?” I blurted.
“Of course not.” Concern crossed the stranger’s features. “I saved you, just like I did before, remember? Although you need to promise me you didn’t throw yourself into some lake just to see me again.” A sad smile touched his lips before he drew closer. “Where are you right now? Are you safe? I swear I’ll come for you as soon as I can. I wanted to leave the moment he took you, but my advisors wouldn’t let me. I never should’ve listened to them.” Voice hardening, his gaze turned severe. “I’m with the merfolk now, and every day I’m getting stronger. I just hope you’ll forgive me for not being able to protect you sooner. I’ve been such a coward.”
My eyes searched his, all smoky and grey. “I’m sorry, but I don’t… This can’t be real.” I shook my head.
“Naria? What is it?” He cupped my cheek with his glowing palms. “Is something wrong?”
