Page 56 of Spring of the Cursed Fae

Chapter26

Lia

We stepped out of the palace doors and into my garden, which was filled with lush foliage, marble statues, and blooming flowers. In the center was the fountain with shimmering waters that sparkled in the midday sun like diamonds, only now it glowed in the moonlight.

Lerissa and I padded over to it, and she beckoned me to join her in the water. We sank to our knees, the warm liquid caressing our skin as we settled in. Bayleon, Bastian, and Aidan joined us, standing around the fountain with expressions of curiosity etched onto their faces.

Lerissa turned to me and whispered, “Take my hands and close your eyes.”

With bated breath, I did as she said. As soon as our fingers intertwined, I felt a jolt of energy race through me. Her magic embraced mine in a rush of sensations that left me reeling.

“I knew it,” she murmured, letting out a small snicker. “You’re worthy. My magic has accepted you. I can feel your mind connected to mine.”

And so could I—though all I could see was white fog surrounding us both.

“What do we do now?” I asked softly.

“Ask me what it is you want to know.”

I took a deep breath and spoke in hushed tones. “How do we break the Tyvar curse?”

At once, my vision erupted in a burst of blinding light. The water in the fountain churned violently as its magical energy intensified. A buzzing sounded in my ear, and I was thrust further into the white fog with Lerissa by my side. Then, the haze started dissipating, and I could tell we were somewhere else, somewhere I had been just recently. We were in the elvish kingdom, only the lake spread before us wasn’t there anymore.

“Glimmerglass Lake,” I whispered, my voice sounding far away like you’d imagine it being in a dream world.

Lerissa still held onto my hand, her gaze lit with wonder as she stared at the water. “It’s beautiful. I wish it were like that again. Not that I would enjoy its waters, but at least it wouldn’t be a baron muddy mess.”

I looked around for more clues from the vision, but it was still only the lake.

“Am I missing something?” I asked, turning my attention to her. “I see Glimmerglass Lake, but what does it mean?”

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. “Lia, look.”

As I turned my head toward the lake, two silhouettes materialized before me. As they solidified, I realized that it was Lerissa and myself. In my hand was a wide glass decanter, while Lerissa held a sharp knife with a steady grip. With nimble fingers, I lowered the decanter into the water to fill it up while Lerissa drew the blade across her palm. Blood welled up from the cut, dripping into the water in the vase. As she withdrew her hand and cleaned it in the lake, I watched as the wound healed—no mark was left behind to show what had just taken place.

“I didn’t know Glimmerglass Lake had healing waters,” I murmured, stunned by what I’d just witnessed.

It was surreal watching ourselves like we were in some sort of time-defying movie. My counterpart handed over the blade to me, and I passed her the decanter. This time, it was my turn to slice my own palm. The blade’s edge cut over my skin before crimson droplets hit the surface of the liquid inside. In an instant, a blinding light illuminated everything around us as if day had suddenly broken through the night’s embrace. Squinting hard against its searing brightness, I shielded my eyes with both hands. A moment later, when I dared to open them again, Lerissa and I had somehow found ourselves back in the fountain in my Blossom Court. The vision was gone as swiftly as it had come.

Lerissa smiled and opened her eyes, her skin beaming like the stars. “Who would’ve thought you’d be a key ingredient?”

I had my healing powers, but I had no clue my blood was the key to saving Bayleon and Bastian.

“What does it all mean?” I asked her.

Lerissa smiled. “I’ll tell you everything once we get there.” She glanced over at Aidan. “Do you think the dragon king could give us a ride? We could be back with the cure in no time.” Her voice was loud enough for him to hear.

Aidan chuckled and shook his head. “I thought you were afraid of me as the dragon?”

Lerissa bit her lip. “As long as you promise not to burn me to a crisp, I’ll be fine. I just know the sooner we get the cure, the sooner I can get my family here.”

Aidan’s eyes darted to the distant fields. “I’ll be out there waiting.”

He ran off, and I turned to Bayleon and Bastian, their faces creased with confusion. They helped me out of the fountain, and I stood between them, resting my hand on their chests.

“The cure requires three things,” I said. “We have two of them here, but we need water from Glimmerglass Lake.”

Bastian shook his head in disbelief. “But it’s dried up! How is that possible?”

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