Page 46 of Sprite Wedding
“Not sure,” Zoe replied. “I’ve called Pandora. She and Cassandra will be here soon.”
She walked from one side of my flank around to the other. “It seems like he’s been cursed.”
“You think?” Diego asked in a sardonic tone.
Hey, don’t give my mate that attitude, you curmudgeonly corpse,I warned, but my words remained locked in my head.
She wagged her index finger at him. “As someone who has recently been cursed herself, I’m simply trying to help.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Diego replied, running a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m freaking out. And I know what it’s like to be controlled by a curse, too.” He turned to me. “How could this have happened to him? I was right inside and didn’t hear a damn thing.”
“What can we learn from your experiences?” Zoe asked.
Gianna turned to Nova, and they exchanged a meaningful glance. What the hell was that about?
Gianna turned back to Zoe. “Love. I think it was Sebastian’s kiss that did it for me.” She turned to him and gave him a warm smile. “He thinks it’s the protection in the ring.” She raised her hand to show off her wedding ring that his grandfather had given his grandmother. “Maybe that as well. But ultimately, in either case, it comes down to love.”
“Humph.” Zoe stepped closer to me and stared up from below. “Do you think I should kiss him?”
I expected Diego to counter that I wasn’t a frog or a prince, but he kept his trap shut.
“Can’t hurt,” Gianna replied.
“True.” Zoe moved her head closer to one of my wings.
My anticipation rose as I anticipated the touch of my beloved’s lips on me even in this cold stone form.
When her lips touched my stone, a flicker of hope took form. I yearned to burst through the stone like a mighty warrior breaking steel chains. I pushed all my energy out, ready to spread my wings and boom!
Nothing happened.
What? I tried again. Her kiss should’ve restored me, right? All the talk about love and fairytale magic should work here to break me free. Yet nothing happened. I remained as frozen as if I’d been petrified in ice.
“Did you put some feeling into it?” Gianna asked.
“Right,” Nova added. “You have toreallytap into your magic, your energy, your love.”
Zoe sighed. Her expression turned uncomfortable. “I’ll try once more.”
“Wait,” Nova added with a raised hand. She stepped closer to me. “Lucas, if you can hear me, we need you to work with us. When Zoe kisses you, focus on it. Try to tap into it. Feel her love. Connect with it. Let it enter and heal you.”
Roger that. No one acknowledged my silent reply.
Zoe moved to the front of me and leaned toward my torso. I tried to concentrate. When she kissed me, I put all my focus on the point where her lips connected with my stone. I thought of my love for her and tried to connect with her as Nova directed.
I couldn’t. Something blocked me. Whatever that scrappy little sprite had put on me clamped a hold on everything within me, even my magic within. If I ever saw that grubby little monster again, I’d tear his grimy little wings off and hurl him back toward Bermuda.
Zoe stepped back. She stared at me, her hazel eyes haunted and fearful. “It’s not working.”
It’s okay, my love,I wanted to assure her but couldn’t. And I couldn’t promise her that anything was going to be okay. How could I exist trapped in this form when I couldn’t touch my mate at will? Couldn’t talk to her? Couldn’t make her laugh?
Couldn’t touch her.
My dragon whimpered inside with a whimper that hit me soul deep. It would be agony.
“It didn’t work.” Zoe’s voice edged with panic, which wasn’t like her. “What am I doing wrong?”
Why had I walked away from her to sulk last night? At least, I could have had her in my arms one more time.
