Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(103)

‘Do you know what was the first thing I thought when I met you at Elle’s house?’ Edward writes.

‘An idiot who couldn’t keep her mouth shut?’

‘A bold and brave girl, as charming as she is compassionate.’

I grin and take the pen from him. ‘Do you know what’s the first thing I thought when I met you?’

‘An arrogant man who could do nothing when encountering sickness and poverty?’

‘A man with devastating good looks who could never be interested in me.’

His response is to kiss the corner of my jaw. “How could I not?” he murmurs in my ear. “Even though, in the beginning, you made it clear you weren’t interested in me, I couldn’t help wanting to see you, talk to you, and make you be aware of my existence.”

We end up playing a game of tic-tac-toe, surprisingly. But at this moment, there really is nothing more that can be said or done. In my heart, I pray for some miracle that one day we can still be reunited.

The familiar popping sound. Krev appears in midair, above the fireplace. Edward jerks his head back, his eyes wide.

“Can you see him?”

Krev puts his hands on his hips. “I have chosen to show myself to make things easier.”

Edward gently sets me aside and goes over to face Krev. “Is there absolutely no way that she can survive in Athelia?”

Krev holds out his hands, palms up. “How will a fish and a bird live together?”

I cough at the same time, a cough so violent that bloodstains appear on my sleeve. Edward rushes to my side, his face ashen. “You must go,” he says tonelessly, but his face looks as if life has drained out of it. “You must get well. Get well, and don’t ever forget me.”

The book. Somehow, it has appeared and hovers in the air. There’s something strange about it—the title on the cover is different. I make out the words, Twice Upon a Time. Krev starts to chant some indecipherable words, and the book begins to spin. I should go to the goblin, but my feet refuse to budge. I don’t want to leave Edward. I turn and throw myself in his arms. I kiss him, and tears run down my face.

“Rather . . . die,” I croak. “Don’t . . . wanna . . . leave . . .”

“Kat.” Edward clamps his hands on my shoulders. “You cannot die. I would rather see you alive in another world than unable to survive in Athelia. Go.”

And he carries me, bridal style, toward Krev. I try to struggle—I try to move away from the book, but Edward keeps a firm grip on my body.

“That’s right, girlie,” Krev is saying. “Just a little bit farther . . . come along, you only have a few minutes left!”

“I love you,” Edward whispers in my ear. “I will always love you, Kat.”

I open my mouth, but no sound comes out. Nevertheless, I make my mouth form the words, “I love you too.”

The next second, the yellow-green glow from the book engulfs me. Edward’s face flashes before me for a moment. I want to reach out to him, but everything turns black.

Farewell, my love.





48





The goblin king surveyed his court with a heavy heart. Littered with broken rocks and debris, some of them smeared with blood, the once-magnificent royal dwelling was now a pathetic sight. Here the final battle with Borg took place—a long, drawn-out fight that claimed dozens of lives. He could still hear the sounds of magic sizzling as the two sides clashed and fought, the shrieks and screams of goblins when hit by powerful spells, and the ear-splitting explosions when entire pillars were split into half.

Finally it was all over…no, it wasn’t. Borg may be defeated, but there was a long list of things they had to do.

Barthelius raised his hand. The emerald green ring on his finger glittered and flashed. When Borg had received the ring from Pippi, he had stirred up a rebellion by using the magic contained within the ring—magic that was accumulated from several generations. Empowered by the ancient magic, Borg was able to challenge Barthelius and threaten him to step down. It took months of fighting, hundreds of casualties on both sides, until Barthelius finally prevailed.

But the damage was already done. Never in his life had Barthelius felt so helpless, so deprived of magic. If he were at the height of his powers—like when he created Athelia a hundred years ago—he could have sent Katherine Wilson back to her family. She wouldn’t have stayed long enough to break through the memory spell Morag put on her, and fallen hopelessly in love with Prince Edward—again. According to Krev, Kat had been close to a mental breakdown when she learned that her body wasn’t equipped to survive in Athelia.

But he was well past middle age for a goblin, and his powers had dwindled to a fraction of his peak. Like something they call an Olympic athlete in the human world—in his prime he could win a gold medal, but there was no way he could sprint or turn somersaults at his age now.

There was a popping sound; a female goblin appeared by his side, her wings flapping. Bruises and cuts marred her slender arms, and a white bandage was wrapped around her ankle.

“Just saw the remaining members of Borg’s gang expelled from the realm,” she said. “I’ve also ordered Grex and Zanok to strengthen the border lines and ensure none of the rebels have the power to enter our realm again.”

“Very good.” Barthelius didn’t turn around or look at her. His expression remained pensive as he stared at a pillar lying on the ground. “When Borg and I were mere weaklings, he used to jump out behind this pillar and laugh at me if I squealed in surprise. He used to call me the midget of the family, and he was always there to cheer me up when Father got mad at me. We were pals.” He gestured at the cracked stone floor. “Since Father chose me as the successor, our relationship has been fractured like this, until the point of no return.” He sank down on the floor, cross-legged and head bowed.