Page 60 of Vanish

Terror cinched my chest at the all-too-likely possibility. I didn’t mean to dismiss Lucien’s concerns; I simply feared their potential to dissuade me from my chosen course, one that for all its risks I knew to be the right one, as if the magic behind the curse had been leading me to this moment of finally being able to do something worthwhile, to contribute in a way I’d failed to do ever since my invisibility had descended upon me.

I succumbed to the temptation to peek at his frantic expression and was unprepared for the worry etched into every line and the concern filling his eyes as he looked at me. My breath caught at the raw emotion on his usually serious countenance, a level of care and longing that no one had ever shown me before.

“You love me.” I’d done my best to trust the feelings I yearned to be true, even midst the small pinpricks of lingering doubt, but it wasn’t until this moment that I realized the full breadth of his sincerity.

He hands enfolded mine. “I do, so much. So please don’t put my heart in danger by undertaking such a risk.”

The warmth of his words enfolded me in its gentle embrace. “What of our people? Do you love them as well?”

His brow furrowed. “Of course I—”

His gaze followed as I gestured towards our empty surroundings. His pain deepened as he took in the nothingness that was all that was left behind of what had once been a thriving village, only one of the countless victims of the curse ravaging the land.

“For years you have searched for a cure for the curse and now we are on the brink of finally discovering one. Exploring the land of the vanished is the only path we haven’t tried in our efforts to break the curse. Despite its risks, as Brimoire’s future sovereigns we have a duty to your people—toourpeople—to do all we can for them.”

“But you’ve taught me that I’m more than a crown prince: I am Lucien first and foremost, making you the most important person to me.”

His words were the fulfillment of my most heartfelt wish that during my years of loneliness I never would have imagined coming true. I caressed his cheek, marveling at how much of his dear face I could now feel beneath my fingertips. “As you are to me, which is why your wish to rescue your people is so important to me. Just as you want to do your best to fulfill your role as crown prince, I want to become a good queen.”

He draped his hand over mine and leaned against my touch. “You don’t need to prove it to me; I already know you’ll be a remarkable ruler.” His earnest gaze seeped into mine, testifying of his sincerity.

I searched deep within myself and couldn’t deny the part of me I discovered that still felt the need to prove my worth to myself in an effort to fight off the shackles of insecurity that had bound me for so long.

“I might not take such a drastic risk if I hadn’t created my own unobtainable expectations to live up to,” I admitted. “But more than that: I’ve finally found the purpose I’ve spent my entire life searching for. It cannot be a coincidence that the future queen of a vanishing kingdom has the power to go between worlds. I cannot waste the opportunity to help not only the people we will one day rule together, but the man I care for who has already sacrificed so much for their benefit.”

He searched my expression a long moment before his resistance shifted to determination. “Then I will accompany you.”

My heart lurched. “No, you couldn’t possibly—”

“I can, and I will. Wherever you go I will follow. You’re not alone anymore.” Earnestness filled his determined gaze, robbing me of the much-needed sense that would be my only power to dissuade him…though I no longer wanted to, strengthened to press forward by his devoted presence.

Ryland and Evelyn were watching our exchange from a discreet distance, but at Lucien’s declaration, Ryland urgently stepped forward. “Do you mean to purposefully contract the vanishing curse? As the crown prince you cannot possibly take such a risk.”

“Should anything happen to me, I trust the kingdom to your capable hands.”

Ryland shook his head. “But I’m no longer just the spare—with my wife in line to inherit her own throne, my new title upon my marriage is the future Consort of Estoria.”

Lucien frowned but his resolve didn’t waver. “Should it come to that, I have no doubt you’ll find a way to make it work, but I’m determined for there to be no need. My greatest dream is to live a long—visible—life with Lisette, and I will do anything to make that desire a reality…both for me and for my people.”

Ryland shook his head. “But—” He stopped abruptly as a gasp from Evelyn drew our attention. She gestured, wide-eyed.

“The magic doorway is shrinking. It must only last for a short while after the curse is cast.”

I anxiously edged towards it. “We have to go before it closes.”

Lucien nodded at me before resting a reassuring hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I can do this.”

The two stared at one another a long moment before Ryland sighed in acquiescence. He rested a hand on his brother’s shoulder and stared evenly at him, his expression gravely serious. “Promise me you’ll return.”

“I promise.”

They clasped one another’s arms a moment longer before Ryland finally nodded once and turned to me. “You must promise to return as well, Lisette.”

Evelyn took my hand in agreement. “I know we’ve only just begun to develop our friendship, but already you feel like more of a sister than a mere fellow royal. I couldn’t bear to lose you before we’ve had a chance to truly get to know each other; I have a feeling we have much in common…and I could use some female companionship when a certain someone gets too interested in rocks.” She finished with a playful glance towards her husband that dispelled some of the tension surrounding us.

My heart twinged and I pressed my hand to it, marveling that their concern didn’t just extend to Lucien’s well-being but also my own. My existence was no longer only viewed with indifference; I now had people who cared for me. Each relationship created more than the single connection that had initially bound me to the visible world, but an unbreakable tether that gave me greater incentive to return after completing our mission.

Ease relaxed the apprehension tightening my shoulders as I reached for Lucien’s hand to lace our fingers together in our now familiar hold. After exchanging looks of reassurance we faced the section of magic acting as a glistening portal to the land of the vanished. Whatever happened once we crossed that threshold into the unknown, love and determination would see us through.

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