November Storm & Albert Tempus

Chapter Seven

The next morning, Celeste, Albert and I ate breakfast together in the crystal gardens. We sipped tea and munched on soft, fluffy cakes beside a flowing fountain. The tranquility of the patio was a welcome break the nervous energy of the entire castle.

"What are we going to do?" Celeste asked Albert, her eyes already brimming with tears despite the early hour. "Everything feels hopeless."

"It's not hopeless. We will figure this out," I said, placing my hand over Celeste's and squeezing tight. She smiled weakly, but it didn't reach her eyes.

I looked over at Albert so he would back me up, but he kept his eyes fixed on the marble table, his head in his hands.

"Albert?"

"November, please," he said, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

I was silent for a moment as the heat travelled up my chest to my cheeks, the anger simmering in the pit of my stomach. I swallowed hard, but I knew I was going to explode any minute.

"You know what Albert? I'm sorry," I stood up, sending the chair flying behind me. "I'm sorry that you kidnapped me against my will and have been dragging me around the universe like some sad little dog. And I'm sorry that you're choosing to give up the fight before it's even started."

"November, please sit down. I'm sorry," Albert said. "The issue is more complex than you think."

"No, Albert. It's not complex. You have no problem telling other people they should believe in themselves, but when it comes down to it, you're just as scared as the rest of us."

Celeste's eyes widened in shock, her cheeks still damp with tears.

"I'm sorry about everything Celeste," I said before turning around and stalking through the gardens.

Albert ran after me, placing a hand lightly on my shoulder.

"Where are you going? You can't get anywhere without me," he said.

"You made damn sure of that, didn't you?" I said without turning around.

"November, stop!"

I did as he said, turning to face him with my arms crossed and my feet firmly planted on the ground. The clouds danced around us like ghosts, their wispy bodies encircling us in anticipation.

"Please, hear me out," Albert began, relaxing his shoulders as his arms fell at his sides. "You're a human, so this might be a little difficult for you to understand, but Liliander is our source, our lifeblood. This is devastating for all faeries, especially Celeste, who has lost her mate. But you're right about everything. We should be fighting back and looking for solutions instead of lying down. I think... I think it's difficult for me to see it your way because I've been so close to the problem for so long."

I softened a bit, lowering my arms to match his stance.

"It's alright. I can only imagine how difficult this would be for all of you," I said.

"Let's go say goodbye to Celeste. There's more work to be done," Albert said, taking hold of my hand and leading me back towards the castle.

We found Celeste in the same position we had left her, sitting at the table with eyes full of tears. Her breakfast still sat in front of her, untouched. Albert leaned in close to her and whispered something in her ear as the tears spilled out in earnest. She smiled weakly and flung her arms around his neck, then turned to me.

"Thank you for being here, November. I'm sorry you had to witness this," she said, reaching a slender hand over mine. "You didn't ask for any of this."