Page 31 of Vanish

Lisette’s airy touch caressed my cheek, a sensation so tangible I almost felt it. “You don’t have to be perfect to be deserving of help, Lucien.”

It wasn’t until she voiced my insecurity out loud that I realized the extent I’d lived with that false belief. Even with my myriad of mistakes, I didn’t seek Evelyn’s assistance for my own sake but for Lisette’s—someone who was far too kind to have ever give the Estorian princess any reason to reject her.

“I’ve already tried discussing the curse with Evelyn shortly after I discovered you’d become invisible,” I said. “Unfortunately, she didn’t believe the dormant powers she’s still developing were enough to help.”

“Perhaps her magic is currently powerless against a force as great as the vanishing curse, but does it extend to transporting a single letter to the magical monastery?” Lisette nodded towards the missive I clutched in my white-knuckled grip.

Tentative hope lifted my heart. “I believe that might be within her capabilities.”

It was definitely worth a conversation, one I knew needed to extend beyond the vague questions I’d previously asked to tell Evelyn that Lisette hadn’t fully vanished. She might still be unable to help, but I’d be guaranteed not to receive her assistance should I remain silent.

I’d already wasted too much time in my reluctance to seek out Evelyn’s company. I felt the heat of my guard’s scrutiny as he escorted us through the corridors, a look I imagined to be filled with condemnation after the embarrassing displays he’d witnessed; my cheeks burned at the memory of the impression I was talking to myself. Word must have spread, for the servants we passed paused their tasks to whisper to one another as I walked by.

My heart pounded wildly and I clenched my fists.It doesn’t matter. What did some unfounded scorn mean in comparison to Lisette’s plight? Yet such reassurances felt empty in the face of the insecurities that had first led me to adopt my formal mask…a mask I now struggled to remove at will, no matter how much I wanted to show my true self to those I cared about.

We arrived at the parlor to find my brother cuddling with his wife on a shared settee, his arm wrapped around her to tuck her cozily against his side while his fingers absentmindedly played with her hair, a gesture I had only dreamed about doing with my own fiancée but had never been brave enough to act on.

A flare of jealousy swelled that he could so easily touch the woman he loved, a fact he undoubtedly took for granted; I only wished I now had the same opportunity I’d squandered for years, consumed by my duty and doing nothing to help Lisette break free of the walls she’d built to protect herself. I resolved to remedy all the wasted years I’d maintained my distance from Lisette, even if I had to overcome the impossible in order to be close to her even before she regained her tangible form.

Ryland looked up at our entrance and automatically stiffened in defense, his narrowed gaze flickering between me and his wife as if he expected an attack against her. “Lucien, if this is about magic—” His tone contained firm warning.

“It’s not about that,” I assured him. “Or rather, not exactly…”

His expression only further hardened at my hasty amendment. Regret twinged that because of my previous actions, our brotherly closeness was meaningless in the face of his protectiveness…and I only had myself to blame.

“Not exactly about magic?” he asked. “That doesn’t bode well. Whatever this is about, I must warn you that I have less patience for your usual badgering than usual, considering Evie isn’t feeling well.” His hand rested on her protruding stomach.

“I can see why you were worried,” Lisette murmured from her unseen place beside me. “What on earth happened between you three?”

I sighed. “It’s a long story.”

Her translucent expression was curious as she eyed the pair, especially when Evelyn cocked her head in Lisette’s direction instead of focusing her attention on me.

My heart flared. “Can you see her?”

Evelyn’s eyebrows lifted. “Her?I’m sensing not awhobut awhat. Though I’m still in the process of growing my powers, they’re developed enough for me to sense an unusually strong force of magical energy surrounding you.”

A promising beginning in an interaction for which I’d harbored little hope. I reached for Lisette’s hand and curled mine around its silhouette as best I could. “I think she can sense you.”

Lisette’s apprehension softened at this news. Ryland, however, only became more grave, his previous antagonism eclipsed by worry.

“There has been a rumor going around that the crown prince has been talking to himself. I had hoped it was unfounded.” His brow furrowed as he took in my position that appeared as if I was grasping at air rather than holding my invisible fiancée’s hand.

“You saw Lisette prove herself,” I protested.

Ryland bit his lip. “I heard you provide information that you shouldn’t have known,” he said carefully. “It was compelling, and I hope for both your sake and Lisette’s that you truly are seeing her. But you are not currently inspiring our nation’s confidence in their crown prince. Fostering their belief that your judgment is in question will not help, especially with the tense situation regarding Thorndale.”

I sighed, knowing he only spoke the truth. It didn’t help that I’d given no one a reason to believe I truly cared for Lisette until she disappeared, making it implausible that we had developed a connection that bridged the ravages of the curse. Yet at the same time I was no longer willing to push her aside to preserve my own image.

I wasn’t sure whether Ryland and Evelyn could offer any true help, but this burden was riddled with too much uncertainty for me and Lisette to continue to bear alone. Squaring my shoulders, I settled in the seat across from him, Lisette taking the spot beside me close enough for our knees to brush should I have been able to feel her. I kept my hand curled around her formless one, finding strength even in this pseudo contact.

“Lisette has not fully vanished, and I will not give up until I’ve found a way to rescue her from the curse…along with the rest of our people. We have been working side by side all this time, and I am here to request your and your wife’s assistance in breaking this curse once and for all.”

I braced myself for his judgment but he simply stared at me with bulging eyes, while Evelyn took in the spot beside me with greater interest. “In our previous conversation you did state you believed your disappeared fiancée hadn’t fully succumbed to the curse, and Ryland mentioned something about attempting to contact her, but it appears I misunderstood how present she actually is. Apparently Lisette is the magical energy I’m sensing. It’s no wonder it felt different from the other enchantments my studies have familiarized me with; it’s a cursed person.” Rather than sounding doubtful like I’d feared, she only seemed fascinated by this development.

Ryland cast her a sidelong glance before following his wife’s line of sight to squint at the space beside me. A look of unease crossed his face and he tilted his head to murmur in Evelyn’s ear. Her expression was thoughtful before she slowly shook her head. Seeing my anxious gaze, she smiled reassuringly.

“Ryland is concerned about my proximity to someone who was cursed,” she explained. “We know so little about what causes it, but I suppose it’s possible that it could be transmitted by exposure to a cursed person. However, I was much closer to Ryland when he was cursed than I currently am to Lisette and remained unharmed, so I think I’m safe. If anyone is in danger, it would be you since you are…” Her voice trailed off as she pondered how to describe my contact with Lisette considering we weren’t able to truly touch. “…close,” she finally finished.

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