Mal POV
Jay had disappeared for the longest time during the ball and I didn't know where he went. Evie and Carlos had dates but they were still checking in every so often to make sure I hadn't made a fool of myself in front of all the dignitaries from the kingdoms.
The fireworks were going off and I used the distraction to look around the plaza from the balcony. I spotted Evie and Doug and Carlos and Jane and smiled to myself. But my smile soon faded when I finally saw Jay.
He was currently in a loving embrace with y/n. I exhaled angrily and was going to go to them when I got a better idea.
I told you not to mess with me y/n. Now you're going to feel my wrath...
The next Monday....(3 days to the Solstice)
Y/n POV
"You've been in a good mood ever since the ball. Did you actually get your happily ever after moment?" Celia asked while wiggling her eyebrows. I smiled a bit and Uma cut in.
"She's happy because we are 3 days and 18 hours away from ruling all the known kingdoms," Uma said. Harry nodded, gesturing grandly.
"She's happy because it's no longer that sickening sunny weather outside, but rather there's a pleasant chill in the air," he suggested. I laughed at all their ideas until Zanmi appeared in front of us.
"You're all partially correct. She's happy because Jay finally confessed to her and they kissed under the moonlight and exploding fireworks," she said. The others paused and looked at me. Celia snapped out of it first and squealed.
"Oh my genie is that true?" She asked already hugging me. I giggled.
"Mostly, but the kiss came before the fireworks," I corrected which made Zanmi roll her eyes. Harry wasn't smiling at all.
"Are you sure that you want to do this?" He asked me seriously. I nodded and smiled.
"I understand the risk and I appreciate you worrying about me, but I can't live my whole in fear. He swore he wouldn't hurt me and I'm going to trust him," I said confident in my answer. Harry sighed and put a hand around my shoulder.
"If he hurts you, I'm killing him," he told me and I chuckled but I was appreciative. We continued walking on campus and I saw my love from across the way. I was going to go see him but I hesitated.
He was walking with Mal, Evie, and Carlos and laughing a little too joyously. I'm not a crazy jealous person, it's just that he's acting different from before. I walked over to him smiling cautiously.
"Hey Carlos, hey Jay, how are you doing?" I asked them, ignoring that Mal and Evie were there. Carlos looked on edge too but Jay just smiled.
"I'm fine but I need to talk to you. You got a minute?" He asked and turned to walk off. I smiled and nodded, letting him lead me a little away.
"So what's up? You've been harder to find than a long sleeve shirt for Harry," I said giggling. He didn't laugh—which kind of hurt—and his face was strangely blank. I tilted my head to the side. "Jay what's wrong—"
"Y/n we can't be together," he interrupted me. I paused and then shook my head. I didn't hear that right, that's all. There's no way... "It's just I realized that my place is...w-with M-mal. So I c-can't be w-with you and I don't....." He trailed off and he seemed to be struggling. I'm struggling not to cry.
"So you lied to me? After we promised to trust each other?" I spoke quietly so he wouldn't hear my voice crack. I searched his eyes for something, anything, that told me he was playing a sick joke. He stared at me but his eyes were devoid of the admiration that used to be there.
Before he could formulate another soul crushing statement, Mal called him over and he ran to her like a dog runs to a bone.
He's a dog alright. I should've known, trust is for fools....
Later......
"Damn it, Uma give me my sword," Harry said while he was staring down Uma from across the table. We were all back in my dorm room and I had told them what happened.
"Harry you think you wanna kill him more than I do? But if we do that now, the plan goes out the window. The solstice is in three days. We will publicly torture and kill him as soon as y/n sits on the throne."
I winced at her harsh tone. Of course I wasn't going to lose my resolve for power because of him, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't deeply hurt. Celia pat my back.
"Are you going to be ok?" She whispered to me while Uma and Harry continued to argue. I took a deep breath, thinking about the answer.
"He couldn't even say it. Fucking coward couldn't even say the words that he lied to me and didn't love me," I said quietly, feeling my stomach twist. Zanmi appeared before me.
"He stuttered and flinched a lot, like he wasn't confident in what he was saying, like he wasn't sure or he was hurting," Zanmi pointed out. I lifted my head to look at her. Harry came over.
"It's like y/n said. The lad is a coward and he'll be really hurting when I'm done with him," he seethed. Uma walked over, sat next to me, and put her arm around my shoulder in addition to Celia's.
"Do you think he was lying?" Uma asked. I shook my head.
"Jay is a better liar than that," I said and that coupled with what Zanmi said made me think. I've never heard Jay stutter before in my life. That boy can lie through his teeth but he has tells, and he didn't show any when he was talking to me.
Jay, what the hell is going on? Was it really to good to be true....?
The next day.... (2 days to the Solstice)
Carlos POV
Something about how both Jay and Mal were acting was throwing me off. First of all, I know Jay confessed to y/n at the ball, so him avoiding her for the past two days is out of the ordinary.
Secondly, Mal looks like she won some type of contest. Jay sticks by her a lot and Mal leads him around like a lap dog. Evie won't tell me anything and Jane thinks I'm being delusional, but I know something is up.
I was walking to the girls' room, intending to question them a bit more, when I heard their voices. I hid by the corner and listened.
"Mal you didn't," Evie said. I listened intently, knowing a confession was coming.
"I had to Evie. If I didn't spell him he would've joined y/n and whatever she's plotting. I couldn't just let that happen," Mal explained.
"You don't have any real proof that she's doing anything to you. But now you've probably gone and broken the heart of the Ice Queen and Shadow Man's daughter. And you used magic to do something evil. If she or anyone else finds out, Mal..." Evie trailed off and I didn't hear Mal jumping to defend herself so I left. I gotta let Jay know.
I ran to his room and opened the door to find him banging his head on the wall. I ran over to him and pulled him away from the wall.
"Woah Jay what's wrong?" I asked him as he shook his head. He grumbled in frustration
"This stupid spell is making my head want to explode," he said and I gasped.
"Wait you know you're under a spell?" He groaned and nodded.
"I felt it as soon as I walked over to y/n to talk to her. My whole body burnt and I felt like I was being pulled the other direction, back towards Mal. The spell made me say what I said and it felt like I was watching my body from the inside with no control. It hurt so much just to talk to her and I knew it was part of a spell."
"Do you have any idea how to break it?" I asked him. He shook his head.
"But I have to find a way to let y/n know that I didn't mean what I said. Maybe if I get far enough from Mal, the effect will be weakened," he suggested. I nodded and agreed to help him.
Y/n POV
I was walking to the library with Harry to meet with Uma to go over everything once again before the coup. I was heartbroken but what could I do? Harry noticed my fallen face and put his hand around my shoulder.
"I'm sorry y/n. As much as I hate him, I know how much he meant to you," Harry said quietly. I took a deep breath before giving him a small smile.
"Thanks Harry, I appreciate you being here for me," I told him truthfully. He pat my head and I let out a small giggle.
"Y/n, thank the gods I found you," Carlos said as he ran over to me and Harry. We stopped to listen to him. "Look Jay is out in the tourney field by the forest. He's under a spell and he needs to talk to you," Carlos explained. Harry stepped in front of me and glared at the smaller boy.
"He's got some nerve, doesn't he? Tell him he can shove his talk up his—" I put a hand on Harry's shoulder and he paused.
"I'll go and hear what he has to say. Thank you for letting me know Carlos," I said with a nod of acknowledgment. Carlos nodded and left and Harry looked at me concerned and surprised. I shook my head. "Maybe hearing the explanation will make me feel better. Don't worry I'll be fine." He sighed and nodded, letting me go.
I walked to the tourney field, enjoying the cool wind that blew through the trees. I saw him pacing the edge of the forest and walked towards him. Once he saw me getting closer he flinched in pain. I stopped and looked at him.
"What you can't even stand to be near me anymore?" I said in hurt sarcasm. He shook his head furiously and walked closer to me, though it seemed to cause him a lot of pain.
"Look y/n. Mal spelled me so that she can control what I say and the spell causes me physical pain to be near you but I have to let you know I wasn't lying when I said I loved you. I know the timing was horrible and I bet Mal planned it that way, but y/n I—" he doubled over and groaned.
I tried to take a step toward him but he held up a hand. He took a few deep breaths and looked up at me.
"Y/n I love you. Please believe me. I promised I wouldn't break your heart and I know I went back on that, but it wasn't of my own free will. Please, y/n, I need to know that you know I love you," he begged. I exhaled and thought.
"I believe you Jay. Only because I can see you in pain and it is something Mal would do. But also because I refuse to believe you could lie to me like that," I told him. He smiled but soon he fell to his knees and groaned loudly. I couldn't stop myself from going over to him and I wrapped my arms around him.
"You really are the best thing I never knew I needed. Hell, this hurts but being pressed up against your chest is making it better," he said with a strained laughed. I rolled my eyes but held him closer.
"We gotta figure out how to break this spell," I said to no one in particular. Zanmi slithered out of my shadow and looked at me with her arms crossed.
"Chile, are you dumb? True love's kiss ringing a bell? Mal isn't a strong enough spell caster for this spell to be immune to that," she said slightly annoyed. I raised my eyebrow and she looked at me as if to say "you know I'm right".
I tilted Jay's head up and looked into his pain stricken face. I wasted no time in pressing my lips to his. After a moment his hand came up to cup my face and he sat up without breaking our lip contact. When I pulled away for air, he smiled at me.
"I love you y/n. Thank you for trusting me," he said. I smiled and nodded, holding back tears of relief, knowing that the spell was broken.
"I love you too, Jay."
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