Page 43 of Vanish

“Lisette?” Lucien’s gentle caress against my cheek accompanied my name.

I reluctantly tugged my thoughts away from the painful puzzle and managed a tight smile that felt insincere on my lips. “Forgive me, I was lost in thought.”

“About…what just happened between us?” Crimson tinged his cheeks, a bashfulness I found endearing even as I wondered whether it was another mask in this grand farce. “Did I upset you?”

I couldn’t bear to think of our kiss when so much uncertainty tainted that once magical moment, but I cared for him too much to make him anxious while I worked through this seemingly impossible riddle. “I welcome your affection, which is why I kissed you.” A kiss that even midst my current confusion I was certain he’d returned.

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but I couldn’t bear to continue this particular conversation, even as my resolve to uncover the truth about our current courtship made it so I wasn’t quite ready to part from him despite the heartache and uncertainty brought by his presence.

Yet despite these yearnings, my pain was too powerful a force to resist; it left me vulnerable to the curse that lurked in the shadows, waiting for the moment to lure me deeper into its void ofnothingness. The fragile hope I’d managed to cling to even midst the revelation of his deceit suddenly faltered; before I fully realized what was happening, my body lightened beyond my conscious control as the tangibility I’d worked so hard to retrieve began to fade.

Lucien’s eyes bulged in panic. “Lisette!” He seized hold of me, as if desperate to keep me there…but though I’d been previously tangible enough to kiss, the doubt created by his deceit caused his touch to slip through me and he gave a cry of despair. Without the trust that had previously bound us, helping me feel seen by him, he no longer had any hold over me; I felt myself slowly drift further into the invisible world that lay beyond, his entreaties growing fainter as I retreated.

I’m disappearing.

Similar to when I’d first succumbed I felt no fear, not when the vanished land where the curse beckoned me contained more promise than all that I was leaving behind after all the reasons I’d attempted to convince myself to stay had been consumed.

More importantly, the unknown awaiting me on the other side felt far more inviting than remaining in a place where I only knew pain. Retreating had defined my entire life, and this moment would be no exception. With an accepting sigh I allowed the nothingness pressing against me to enfold me in its comforting embrace.

CHAPTER19

Lucien

Iwatched in horror as Lisette’s form grew fainter—her body steadily becoming more translucent and the outline defining her form fuzzier—until she was as transparent as a ghost. I frantically reached for her hand but snatched nothing but air. She made no effort to reach for me in return as her indifferent expression took in my grasping fingers, as if she’d severed whatever thread bound us.

“Lisette!”

Her name wrenched from my emotion-clogged throat but she gave no indication that she’d heard me. I shouted her name again, but the force that slowly consumed my fiancée swallowed my frantic plea for her to remain with me, leaving me entirely powerless against the force taking her away from me.

Our eyes briefly met and my breath caught at the deep sorrow I saw reflected there. She spoke no words of accusation or fear—almost as if she accepted her disappearance, even welcomed it—a look that would haunt me forever.

Lisette faded until she’d entirely disappeared. I stared at the spot where she’d been but moments before, as if by looking hard enough my desperation would cause her to re-materialize. But the air remained empty, not just of her but the presence that I’d grown to rely on.

The first time she’d vanished in front of me had been like a cloud blocking out the sun—even though it was veiled from sight the sky wasn’t completely dark, allowing me to still experience its comforting warmth. This time it felt as if the sun had been completely extinguished, leaving not even the moon or stars to light up the total darkness that eclipsed my soul without her.

My legs grew weak from the shock and I collapsed onto my knees, my breath coming in heaving gasps. My ignorance of her inner demons she’d fought her entire life had prevented me from helping her before, and now I couldn’t protect her from the forces preying upon her very existence. Though deep down I knew I was no match for a force as formidable as a curse with the power to erase an entire kingdom, I still felt I’d failed in my duty as her fiancé.

What man couldn’t even protect the woman he loved?

The sweet memory of our kiss enfolded me, escalating my confusion at the sudden turn of events—one moment she’d been tangible enough to cradle in my arms, the next she’d faded away, impossibly out of reach. I’d dreamed of kissing my darling fiancée for years, a desire that had only deepened the closer we’d become. I never would have imagined that the relationship I was desperately trying to salvage would culminate so soon, nor that Lisette could vanish once our hearts had knitted closer than they’d ever been…especially when she’d been the one to initiate it.

Her disappearance seemed different than the first time I thought I’d lost her. The chasm created by her absence felt far more acute now that I had a relationship to lose rather than my previous mere hope of what could have been, a despair made more acute with my regret over my deceit tainting our time together.

I didn’t allow my despair to trap me for long before I was on my feet searching. I didn’t need a thorough search of the gallery to know Lisette was no longer nearby, so I shifted my efforts to the nearby rooms, rushing through the corridors and yanking open doors to scour each one, leaving a trail of bewildered guards and servants in my wake. But I no longer cared about my faltering image—I would sacrifice my royal reputation and more, if only I could find Lisette.

I hurried down a flight of stairs to the next floor and nearly knocked Ryland and Evelyn over just as they were ascending. He shielded his wife to brace the force of our impact, causing me to collide with his elbow, but I scarcely felt the pain compared to the much more intense anguish wrenching my heart.

Ryland’s eyes widened upon noticing my expression. “What is it? Has something happened to Lisette?” Only another in love could recognize my heartache.

This thought was enough to penetrate the desperation urging me forward, forcing me to pause. Unlike the first time I’d scoured the palace in search of my vanished fiancée, this time I didn’t need to embark on my frantic quest alone.

I could barely speak through my gasps of breath. “She—” I couldn’t voice what had transpired out loud, terrified doing so would make Lisette’s fate all the more real. Thankfully my brother understood my circumstances enough to grasp the situation.

His face became grave and his eyes flicked towards his wife, as though seeking her wisdom. While Lisette’s sudden disappearance had stolen the last of my fragile composure, thankfully the curse hadn’t deprived him of his own sense. “Do you remember what Lisette’s presence felt like when Lucien first informed us she was invisible?”

She nodded. “It was unlike any magical energy I’ve ever experienced, memorable enough that I’m certain I’ll be able to track it if she’s still within the palace.”

Ifshe was still within the palace…despite my relief that she might be able to help, the horrible possibility created by her uncertainty cinched my heart. The last of my strength left me, and I slumped against the railing, only kept upright by Ryland’s steadying hand on my shoulder.

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