“Not like this,” I cry, and flatten my palms against the barrier. “Not without you.Please.Don’t do this. I don’t want—I don’t—”
I can’t continue.
At the edge of my blurred vision, Bash runs to the border of the circle and hammers a fist on it. “Will, what are you doing?”
“I think he’s going to sacrifice himself to break Fliss’s curse,” Card whispers at his shoulder.
The prince comes apart. He attacks the barrier like each punch is the blow of a sword.
“What? No! You are not allowed. Iorderyou to stop.”
Will sighs. He closes his eyes.
“Well, I was going to do a grand romantic gesture. However, Fliss has requested otherwise, so that won’t be happening,” he says. He struggles to keep his hand planted against the floor as the spell bucks like a startled horse. “If you could both get lost while I figure out how to deactivate this spell without losing my head, that would be great.”
“Wait!” Card jumps in with a flicker of excitement. “The runes around this circle are written in ancient Berian.”
“Nice to know,” Will drawls.
“Ancient Berian runes have a few different interpretations. The ones drawn here explain that a declaration of love and an expenditure of life can break a curse,” Card states. He takes a few steps around theedge and inspects the runes. His eyes narrow with that familiar fixation. “But there doesn’t have to be justonedeclaration. The sacrifice can be split. This word means like…‘sharing a burden.’ Like carrying a proportional weight. Taking a village to raise a child, for example.”
Bastion clings to Card’s every word. “What are you saying?”
Card swallows. He rereads the runes once more. “No one needs to die. I think the vitality of life that the spell requires can be shared among many to lessen the impact. Instead of it striking one person and killing them, it can be a softer divided blow, like…the difference between a focused explosion on one target and a candle burn on many. We can still use the spell.”
“Well, I don’t care anymore about not being able to use magic. I made my peace with it when I met you,” Bash says. “But…”
“We could break Fliss’s curse. Together.”
Together?As in…Card wants to help too? After all I’ve done and said to him?
“How long can you keep that spell in suspension?” Bash asks.
Will blows out his cheeks and grips his wrist to keep his hand flat against the floor. The coils of magic around his arm are curling, searching, needy for a target. One spits sparks and his jaw clenches in concentration.
“Uh,” Will replies, “a bit.”
Bash claps his hands together, calmer now that he can rely on his pragmatism.
“How convenient that our friends and family are all here,” he says, and raises his voice to explain the situation to the wedding guests.
I don’t want to look away from Will. I don’t want there to be a chance that he’ll disappear. If I turn, if I blink, his heart might stop beating. The spread of murmurs and the shuffles behind me are meaningless compared to Will staying alive and taking another breath.
A hand brushes my back, and the scent of carnations floats toward me.
“Fliss…darling,” Mum says. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry that you’ve lived so long with such an awful curse. I’m sorry for putting pressureon you and keeping things secret. I only wanted you to be happy, to live without fear. I gladly offer my love. I love you, my darling girl, my baby. You are the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“You’re my best friend,” Card says nearby. “I’m sorry. I know how much you’ve struggled, and I could have done more to support you. After all these years, I think I forgot. I became complacent. You are more than your curse, Fliss. You always have been. I remember those early days, testing different sentences together and celebrating the loopholes. You deserve better. More. I love you so much and I’m sorry. There aren’t enough languages in the world I could learn to tell you how much your friendship means to me and how stupid I was to jeopardize it. I love you, Fliss.”
A hot tear drips down my cheek.
Will grapples with the spell.
“Keep going,” he presses.
“Fliss,” Bastion says, “I’ve always been blown away by your kindness and passion and, honestly, Card spends so much time talking about you, you quickly became family. It doesn’t feel right unless you’re here with us. Um…both of you. I love you.”
Ruth’s voice comes from my right, from where Fern has been sobbing uncontrollably.
