Page 59 of Vanish

I didn’t need to exert any effort to remain invisible to soldiers from the kingdom who’d brought me nothing but pain, making it impossible for me to want to be seen by them. Even so I crept forward quietly, pausing the moment I was within earshot but still far enough away that should the curse unexpectedly wear off, they wouldn’t immediately notice my presence.

My proximity allowed me to better watch them—they appeared to be mining the barren earth, even though at first glance there didn’t appear to be anything to findThey seemed to be following a magical device that had likely also been stolen; it reacted to areas of high concentration, allowing them to occasionally excavate a chunk of the reddish-orange mineral that matched the stone in my pendant and put it in the mine cart they’d brought with them. Each also carried a shimmery shield bearing the Estorian crest that cast a similar protective force around them similar to Evelyn’s current spell. By her flash of fury upon seeing them, the artifacts had likely been stolen from the magical kingdom.

One paused to stretch his aching limbs. “There isn’t much to find,” he grumbled. “The curse has taken nearly everything. All this effort for just a small amount of phanite.”

Another soldier sighed. “What a troublesome resource—causing itself and everything around it to disappear when taken by force, only leaving behind traces to mine.”

“Thistroublesome resourceis worth more than its weight in gold; vast magical power resides in a single ounce. The more we mine for our king, the greater Thorndale’s influence. Soon nothing will stop our nation from taking over the surrounding kingdoms as is His Majesty’s ambition.”

Trepidation knotted my stomach, making me ill—a sensation I might have welcomed as evidence of the curse’s lessening hold over me if not for this appalling discovery. Now it was clear why Thorndale was going to great lengths to obtain such a precious mineral—even illegal means that resulted in such a devastating curse for the kingdom they were exploiting with no thought for the myriads they were so horrifically affecting.

I listened longer, but the soldiers didn’t seem inclined to discuss anything else pertinent to the curse amongst themselves, as if they subconsciously sensed their conversation was being overheard. When they finished excavating whatever they could find and packed up their supplies to make the long trek back to Thorndale along with their stolen materials, I crept back to where the others waited.

Dread filled my every step and choked the air after I returned to wait for the soldiers to depart. The moment the last soldier disappeared beneath the cover of trees on the other side of the empty clearing, everyone spun on me for the findings of my espionage.

Despite the importance of my discovery, I hesitated. The closer Lucien and I became, the more I had to lose should he ever break the engagement. However, this unexpected development helped me realize that there were matters far more important than my insecurities, meaning I needed to give him all the information I could.

I took a wavering breath. “Castiel informed me that Thorndale is responsible for the curse.” I imparted everything my brother had confided to me in a hasty whisper, as if to make up for lost time when I should have told Lucien something this important much sooner. “I’m so sorry. I planned on telling you, but hadn’t yet found the courage to…”

My voice trailed off and I braced himself for his disappointment, but he simply squeezed my hand. “Thank you for telling me, Lisette.” No hint of condemnation filled his tone.

I gaped at him in disbelief, ashamed of the part of me still accustoming myself to the idea that Lucien’s love was too sincere to hold this delayed conversation or my nation’s actions against me. This knowledge gave me the courage to tentatively share every detail of the conversation I’d overheard from the soldiers.

Tension riddled the silence following my conclusion, broken first by Evelyn. “I’ve studied many magical elements that contain enchantments to protect their power, but I’ve never heard of one that makes itself and all it touches disappear; it seems contradictory to a typical safeguard and seems much too dangerous to be mined as a resource.”

We all considered the puzzle before an idea that had been half-formed throughout my sojourn with my invisibility began to gradually take shape in my mind. “What if it isn’t contradictory? Not only have I been trapped in what feels like a realm in between the seen and unseen worlds, I’ve interacted with my handmaiden even after she vanished and often sense people beyond my sight. Perhaps the curse doesn’t erase anyone from existence…but merelyhidesthem.”

Lucien considered my theory. “The fact that Thorndale is excavating phanite even after its vanishing effects have done their work means there must be a way to harvest the magic. If only we could uncover more information so we better understand how to break the curse.”

I bit my lips as I stared in the direction the soldiers had ridden, wondering what information they concealed. I slowly turned back to gaze at the barren village, my eyes resting on the unsightly gashes where the soldiers had carelessly gathered the mineral-laden earth.

As urgently as we needed to learn more, there seemed to be nothing else for us to find here, leaving me to wonder if all the clues on how to fight against the curse had been consumed along with everything else and now resided beyond our reach.

The thought caused me to move closer for a better look. To my surprise I noticed something strange: at the last place the soldiers had mined, the air seemed to vibrate with silent energy, as though the magic there was stronger. I moved closer; the nearer I drew, the more I felt an odd tugging sensation, as though the magic was luring me towards it.

I reached a hand experimentally towards the ground and gasped as I was jerked forward. I heard a shout of alarm and Lucien’s hand closed over my other wrist, yanking me back.

We stared at one another, wide-eyed and speechless, for a moment before I turned my head back to look at the area that still shimmered, though it seemed to be slowly shrinking. An unexpected idea grazed my mind—if there was no evidence to be found in the visible world, then perhaps the only solution would be to purposefully allow the curse to pull me into the unseen world to uncover the secrets the disappearing force was desperate to keep hidden.

CHAPTER25

“You can’t do this, Lisette. It’s too risky.”

I ignored the earnest pleas Lucien gave ad nauseam. He still clung to my wrist as though afraid I’d disappear any moment, despite the fact that we’d stepped back several paces.

Ryland and Evelyn hurried over to us. “Are you alright, Lisette? The curse nearly took you.” Evelyn anxiously took in my body, as if to assure herself I was still present.

We all turned to gaze at the seemingly empty section of land residing at the heart where the vanished hamlet once stood. The air still shimmered slightly, evidence of the curse’s presence I’d become intimately familiar with these past several weeks.

Evelyn pointed towards the trembling air. “That’s magic. I’ve never felt the curse so strongly before.”

I took a hesitant step towards it, feeling as if I was approaching a doorway with an entire world residing just on the other side, one filled with the souls and villages that had been erased from the visible world. Once more I felt the insistent tug, though not as strong from this distance. I advanced another cautious step.

Lucien tugged me to a stop. “Please, Lisette.” Fear hitched his voice, lending strength to his urgent warning. As touching as his concern was, my determination couldn’t be shaken.

“I have to do this. I can feel several vanished souls waiting just on the other side…and I’m the only one who can help them.”

“But if you fully succumb to the vanishing curse and cross into the land of the nothing, what if you’re unable to return? I couldn’t bear to lose you again.”

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