Chapter 16 (Incomplete)

Chapter 16

How could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
We’re so close, to reaching that famous happy end
And almost believing this was not pretend

- So Close, John McLauglin

I don’t stop to look twice at the lifeless body at my feet. Tears running down my face, I run to Carwyn, pushing his hair back from his face and pressing my ear to his chest. His heart is still beating, but slowly, and barely noticeable.

“No, no!” I whisper. “Please don’t die on me now, please! What will this be worth if you die? Nothing. Nothing at all!” I caress his cheek, letting my tears fall on his face, hoping that somehow they will wake him up.

“Please! Please!” I scream. “You’re what I’ve been living for! You’re all I have left! No more Gavina, Ionor, or Belinda! You’re the only one I love!” I cough, choking on my own tears. “I was the one who was supposed to die the whole time, not you. Never you.”

I turn around, unable to look at Carwyn’s dying body anymore. And then I see it, the broken ring on Donnell’s finger, the jewel still glowing red. Is Ionor’s magic still working even after its holder was mutilated? I shuffle over to the shattered ring, carefully sliding it off of Donnell’s corpse. The pieces are hot to the touch and I feel my fingers blistering under the heat.  I don’t care so much about the pain anymore; I only want Carwyn to be okay. The pieces simmer and hiss in my fingers but I put them together and the gem turns blue, cooling instantly.

“Please.” I whisper into the ring. “I don’t know how to work this magic, but I need to have Carwyn be alright. If he’s not alive, I don’t know what I’ll do…” My voice trails away and I take a great shuddering breath. “I need him.” I say to the magic, and it is all I can possibly muster.

Nothing happens. I am ready to fling myself off the side of the castle, or stab myself with the same sword that I had used to defeat Donnell. After all I have done to keep myself alive, what is it worth if I have no best friend, no one to love?

But then I feel the pieces shaking in my hand and I drop them in surprise. They stay together however, and suddenly a bright white light shoots from out of the jewel, shining right on Carwyn’s unmoving body. I watch as he is illuminated by the strange magic, the white light shooting out different figures- faeries, nymphs, and a bird that looks similar to Gavina.

They lift Carwyn into the sky, circling him, light erupting from every crevice of their being. Finally Carwyn is lowered to the ground, and all of the creatures are siphoned back into the ring. All of them- except for the bird. She flies over to me gracefully, almost blindingly light.

“You did so good Cordelia.” she speaks, making tears well up in my eyes. She sounds like Gavina too. “Magic will be there whenever you need it.” And then she vanishes.

I stand there for a moment, staring, until I realize that Carwyn has gotten up.

“Cor?” he asks thickly. “What happened?” Then he looks around and sees Donnell’s body, vanquished forever. “Wow.” he says, his eyes wide. “You did that?” He turns to me, skepticism written on his face.

I roll my eyes, running over to him and kissing him full on the lips.

And I’m not sure what is better- the kiss, or knowing that I am going to make it past my eighteenth birthday without having to kill any more kings.