Twice Upon A Time (Unfinished Fairy Tales #2)(96)
I think my jaw must have dropped on the floor. It takes a moment before I’m able to speak. “But when I was in Athelia the first time, you never told me anything about the oxygen not being the same. You didn’t seem to care if I was trapped in the book forever.”
“Because the first time you ripped up the book and were transported into Athelia, it was your soul taking possession of Katriona Bradshaw’s body. But the second time around, since he couldn’t force you to rip the book again, Borg used an illegal spell to snatch you while you were in your own body. He banished Katriona Bradshaw to Moryn by force.”
“Who’s Borg?”
“The king’s no-good brother who always wanted the throne. He made a deal with Barthelius’s daughter, who’s sympathetic to you and Edward, and promised he’d send you back to Athelia if she would steal Barthelius’s ring for him. The ring contained enough magic that would allow him to challenge the king. But there was a loophole in the deal—he never promised how long you could stay in Athelia. So, he put a spell on you that would allow your body to have a limited supply of oxygen. Once it is used up, you will die.”
My hand goes to the mark on my shoulder. “Is this the spell? Are you telling me that the last time you came, you were giving me a supply of oxygen so I could survive longer in Athelia?”
“Correct. Doing this spell requires us to travel to your world to gather the oxygen, compress it, and use an enchanted container to preserve it for you. But the elements used to produce the container have been destroyed by the war, so we can no longer perform the spell for you. Besides, it’s also extremely risky. You’ve been lucky so far, but if there was a tiny flaw in the spell, you could lose all the oxygen and die. Anyway, considering the amount I gave you last time…” He ticks off his fingers. “I would say you have only a few days to live.”
“No way.” My feet slip on the floor, and I grab onto the sink to prevent myself from falling. “This can’t be true. Tell me it’s a big joke and I’ll even forgive you.”
Krev sighs heavily and sits cross-legged on one of the taps. “Since you came to Athelia, have you not experienced bouts of dizziness? Especially when you engage in strenuous exercise or when there is a crowd in an enclosed space?”
Realization sinks in. True, I was easily out of breath when I practiced dancing, even though I was perfectly healthy and fit. I fainted at the ball held for the Moryn emperor, and also at the courtroom. “Why would I experience dizziness under those circumstances?”
“Because when you are exercising or when there are too many people in the same room, your body requires more oxygen than usual, and the spell couldn’t keep up a steady supply. Hence, you felt dizzy or even fainted because the spell failed to deliver enough oxygen in time. When your body no longer required that much, you would return to consciousness.”
I wish I were in a dream. A nightmare. I wish I could pretend that Krev didn’t show up, didn’t tell me this. Because as much as I don’t want to believe it, there is no reason for Krev to lie to me. And his explanation has offered a good reason why I could easily faint or run out of breath, despite being perfectly healthy.
“Did you say I only have a few days to live?”
“If I don’t take you back in three days, you will use up all the oxygen in the spell. Without the oxygen, you won’t survive.”
“So my only options are either I die in Athelia or you send me back to Portland?”
Krev sighs again. “Frankly speaking, after all this time, I don’t want to see you dead. I would rather send you back to your own world. I’m sorry about Eddie, but you know he was prepared to let you go the first time.”
“But he didn’t deserve this!” I can no longer control my emotions. My voice rises into a shriek, and I don’t bother to wipe away the tears running down my face. “He already had to suffer the first time, and now that we’re finally together, he has to deal with this as well?” I can’t believe that I have to leave Edward again—all because my body can’t adapt to Athelia. No matter what choice I make, we will only have a few days together. It’s too cruel.
Krev flies a bit closer and lays a tiny hand on my cheek. There’s nothing but sympathy on his squashed face. “Make a choice, girlie. I will be back at midnight in three days.”
Then he vanishes in a puff of smoke.
* * *
I am not sure how long I’ve been in the bathroom, slumped against the wall, sitting with my arms draped limply on my sides. Add a bottle of pills, and you could take me for a person contemplating suicide. I’ve never felt this depressed. My life wasn’t completely smooth-sailing, especially when Dad deserted us, but whatever difficulties I experienced were nothing compared to this.
I have to leave Edward. Again.
I didn’t even hear Edward coming in until his voice, filled with concern, reaches me. “Kat! Why are you sitting on the floor?”
I look at him, but I can’t move. There are so many things I want to say, but all the words seem stuck in my throat. I don’t know how I’m going to tell him. But somehow, even though I can’t lift a limb, tears flow down my cheeks again.
“You’ve been crying.” Gently, he wipes away my tears with his thumb. “Kat, are you devastated by what happened today at court? Bianca won’t succeed. She might be planning to bring more witnesses and try to prove that you are not her sister, but Mr. Davenport will find a way to block her efforts. Don’t you worry, love. It’s not the end of the world.”