Page 57 of Vanish

The carriage that had been racing as quickly as the horses could travel along the winding dirt road through the heavily forested area rattled to a stop when the twisty path grew too narrow to safely navigate. Similar to the other mining areas, the village was accessed by a path just wide enough for single-horse mining carts, forcing us to continue the last short way on foot. The driver steered the horses a little ways off the path to a grassy patch where they could graze while we were gone.

Lucien took a moment to close his eyes, as if to brace his resolve. His respite was brief before he squared his shoulders and determinedly exited the carriage. I followed close behind; my invisible form now tangible enough I could no longer go through solid objects on a whim, my only victory against the curse these past several days. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I smiled as Lucien helped me down the steps, my not-quite-as-ethereal hand resting on his.

Evelyn led the way, following the magical trail left behind like invisible footprints. Lucien sucked in a harsh breath as the path opened up to the destruction that awaited us—manifested not in piles of rubble but a vacant landscape where a thriving town used to reside, the only evidence of its existence being occasional ruins that marred the landscape like scattered corpses. Despite the familiarity of the sight, my heart sank with dread.

“We were too late.” His breathless tone was weak with disbelief.

Heavy silence was his only response; we’d long since run out of empty condolences that did nothing to soothe the despair that deepened with each vanished village we encountered.

Lucien looked around with wide, vacant eyes before the rigid posture he’d been maintaining throughout the rushed journey drooped with a sigh.

“I’d hoped that this village farther from the vanishing devastation rendered upon the others would have a chance of being preserved…but it appears the curse’s reach has tainted every corner of the kingdom, leaving nothing untouched. I knew the curse had gotten worse, but it’s one thing to read the official reports and quite another to witness the destruction firsthand.”

He continued to stare, as if by looking long enough he could dispel the curse-tainted illusion and restore his kingdom through sheer will…but the vanishing effects remained, leaving nothing to salvage. I had no words to offer comfort, so I pushed through the reservation threatening to hold me back to rest my hand on his arm.

I’d been unable to offer more than a steadying presence during our tour of the destruction marring his kingdom, but by the way some of his tension relaxed at my touch, perhaps it was enough. Our fingers laced together in a now well-practiced movement no longer bound by the curse and our gazes met; though no words were exchanged, I sensed his unspoken gratitude.

Shortly after our arranged engagement, I’d begun imagining my future not only as his wife but embodying my new role as the crown princess of Brimoire, fantasies that not only offered me an escape from my dreary and lonely existence but reflected my desperation to find some sort of purpose…even if I had to make up the promise of obtaining one far into the future.

Part of these imaginings included one day accompanying my husband while we traveled my new kingdom to visit the people and places we would rule together, but I’d never thought those fancies would play out by journeying from one gravesite to another.

Despite the depressing nature of our tour, sharing in our mutual pain drew us closer, helping me realize that my quiet nature and my struggle to produce words for each situation was not a weakness in these situations in which idle chatter or even the sharing of deep thoughts was unhelpful. Perhaps I had more to offer to Lucien than I thought.

It was our usual pattern whenever we came upon a consumed village to search for survivors—efforts that always proved in vain, and this time was no exception. Lucien and I continued to hold hands as we wandered the barren landscape, drawing strength from each other while Evelyn searched for any potential lingering magical traces.

Ryland accompanied her, his worry not lessened by the protective shield she’d cast upon herself and their unborn child. Though her magic guarded her against the curse’s effects, it couldn’t protect her from the exhaustion from spending the past several days in constant travel, nor the emotional toil from witnessing the devastation rendered by the disappearing force; the constant drain of magic from sustaining the shield also rapidly depleted her. Even while leaning on her husband’s support her strength was quickly fading, only kept from falling with Ryland’s steadying arm around her waist.

Concern filled his soft gaze. “You should rest.”

She shook her head. “This is far more important than my own comfort.”

Tender admiration marred his exasperation, an emotion I shared—Evelyn was the crown princess of the Estorian throne, and though I would one day possess a similar title, she embodied hers in ways my previous insecurities had constantly prevented me from exploring.

Though Evelyn’s magic had offered invaluable support in each vanished village we investigated, her still underdeveloped powers caused her protective shield to consume most of her magical energy, resulting in her struggling to locate the places where the curse’s patches were thickest. Ryland was able to help by pointing out a cluster of mineral chips and recognizing the various types of stones to help track down the phanite in order to narrow down her search so she could conserve energy.

Lucien and I had completed what research we could, yielding no clues to further our understanding, and now stood near the edge of the village; he surveyed the destruction with a look of deep grief while I watched as Ryland attempted to keep a close eye on his wife while curiously examining a rock for any traces of the vanishing curse.

Lucien noticed my diverted attention and followed my gaze before casting me a questioning glance. I answered his unspoken question. “I want a relationship like theirs.”

“A husband knowledgeable about rocks?” He tried to sound teasing, but I recognized the vulnerability he tried to suppress.

“You don’t need a particular hobby to be interesting. I’m happy so long as I’m with you.” I studied the couple, trying to pinpoint the aspect of their relationship that had captured me. “I admire Evelyn’s dedication; she doesn’t allow anything to stop her, not even a tiring pregnancy or the fact that she’s still learning how to use her magic. Even with her limitations she’s able to contribute, and her husband works well with her, using his own strengths to compensate for her weaknesses.” Just as Lucien was beginning to do for me.

He smiled wryly. “It wasn’t always that way between them; in many ways their relationship began even more roughly than ours.” At my show of surprise, he lowered his voice, as if afraid the sound would drift across the empty landscape. “He married her for the sole purpose of exploiting her for her magic in an effort to save our cursed kingdom.”

I gasped and glanced over at the happy couple, but their loving interaction did nothing to betray such a dark history between them.

“While there is no excuse for it, desperation can lead one to make dishonorable choices that end only in regret. I’m no better—I treated you with an indifference I didn’t feel and failed to cherish you as you deserve. Both he and I are failures in love; I suppose we’re brothers after all.” His laugh was self-condemning, a hollow sound reflected in his bitter expression.

Once more I studied the couple, yet I could see no evidence of the painful mistakes he recounted. I didn’t have the words to describe the joy and adoration on plain display between them, emotions that must have grown through steadfast dedication despite the trials they’d undoubtedly endured together.

“That is anything but a failed relationship. They’ve created beauty from what might have been solely ashes to build something truly beautiful.” It nourished the hope I harbored that Lucien and I could still create something lasting and even more real.

“Ryland’s original intentions crumbled when he thought he’d mistakenly married a decoy instead,” Lucien continued. “But it was only when he believed Evelyn didn’t possess the magic he thought he needed that he was able to fall in love with her for who she was rather than what he hoped she could provide.”

Despite the difference in our own situation I recognized the truth of his observation—I’d only been able to draw closer to Lucien when I allowed the defenses I’d placed around my heart to crumble, my insecurities and vulnerabilities no longer an obstacle to falling in love.

I wanted to continue to explore this revelation, but with the end of the week marking Lucien’s deadline to break the invisibility upon me looming ever closer, time was too pressing to delay our investigations any further. Yet it was difficult knowing where to begin with the vast nothingness stretching around us. Even though we had yet to discover anything actionable, we began to wander across the vanished village again, accompanying Evelyn as she followed the fading traces of magic like a trail of enchanted bread crumbs in search of lingering pockets where the curse was thickest.

---