Chapter 24
"KLO—" I catch myself before I can scream his name. I don't think that it would be wise for me now to scream the Unseelie Prince's name. The thrill of getting to see Steve—I mean, Klovis—just fills my entire body with a huge sense of relief and joy. I have been so worried for him that I didn't think I could eat properly.
Klovis laughs, but it is a very weak chuckle. Still, I can't seem to avert my gaze from him, because even with a haggard face, he still looks extremely beautiful. I believe that he is the most beautiful fairy that I have ever seen. Though his face and complexion is completely different from the version of him in my dreams, I still know that it is him.
"I rather you call me Steve. I'm more comfortable with that since talking to you with my real appearance still feels like a dream." As he says it, I start to see the bags under his eyes because of how shakily he says it.
My worry for him returns.
"Steve, how are you?" I start to ask.
The Unseelie Prince looks so drained behind the broken piece of mirror in my hands, and yet he is still trying to smile like he doesn't want me to worry. "I was feeling terrible."
"Was?" I raise a brow.
"Mhm-hmm." He grins wickedly before meeting my gaze. Despite how tired he looks behind the mirror, there was a spark of life in his eyes. "I feel a lot better after hearing you call for me."
I blushed at his words. Not only is it embarrassing because he said it, but it is also embarrassing because I know it is true because he cannot lie.
I have never really considered how sly Steve can be at times.
Thankfully, Jade takes that perfect moment to make his presence known by jumping on my lap and appearing in front of the mirror.
"Renegar!" Steve starts to pay attention to his emerald beast, much to my relief. "How have you been? Sorry I wasn't able to appear before you as often as I can."
"Wait, you appear in Jade's dreams too?" I start to wonder after overhearing their conversation.
"Not exactly in dreams." Steve explain to me. "It's more like I am appearing somewhere else...something reflective."
"Reflective?" I start to turn my attention toward the emerald beast on my lap. Suddenly, I start to remember the kind of obsessive behavior that I have noticed. "Steve, can you appear on reflective surfaces?" I guess my face seems more shocked than I want to show because Steve looks like he is trying not to laugh.
"Y-Yeah." He briefly turns to the side, like he is trying to compose himself, before turning to face me again. "He's pretty much giving me updates on your safety."
I can only stare at Jade in disbelief before I laugh as soon as the realization strikes me.
"You know, I really thought that Jade was just a narcissistic beast." I shake my head before pulling Jade close to me and readjusting my hold on the mirror. "Zhier does too. He thought that Jade is a weird emerald beast." Upon mentioning Zhier's name, I start to remember what happened earlier. I quickly shook my head.
There's no time for me to be worrying about Zhier or feeling sad at how much he has changed. Right now, I should focus on Prince Klovis.
"Steve," I quickly decide to change the subject. "You're stuck in the mirror, right? Can you tell me how to get you out?"
Steve's smile begins to fade, and his jaw begins to clench. "If I knew how, I would have asked Jade to let me out the moment I heard that you were taken to the fairy realm."
Silence falls between us while I try to think of another question to ask.
"Steve, you're stuck in a mirror, right? Specifically, the mirror with this broken piece?" Steve replies with a small nod, not even looking at me in the eyes when he answers. "Do you know where that mirror is?"
"No." If he can answer that clearly, it must mean that he's telling the truth.
"Can you at least try to check? Are you able to see through any reflective surface?"
"The place where I am hidden is dark. It's clear that the queen has covered the mirror."
So the real culprit really is the queen. I guess that my guess was right. I am only guessing that the warnings about mirrors in the palace were something that was spread by the queen.
Steve must have read something on my face because he suddenly looks alarmed. "Livia, I did not appear before you to ask you to free me." He quickly says. His brows were drawing closer to each other while he placed a hand on the invisible wall separating us.
"Then why did you appear?"
"Because..." He pauses and looks at the ground, not even continuing what he was about to say.
"Because what?" I insist.
"Because I worry for you..." He finally says. His head was cast downward, not allowing me to see his expression. "And also because I can no longer visit you in your dreams."
"Are you lonely?"
"You can say that. And also," He finally raises his head. Steve's face turns serious, making me wonder what he is going to say. "I believe that I have found a way for you to return to your world."
I raise a brow. "You're crazy if you think that I would go back without helping you get out of whatever prison you are in."
"And you are insane if you stay here for me." He says so bluntly. "You can't stay here, Livia. Your parents are looking for you."
"And I am looking for you!" I did not mean to, but my voice started to rise. Jade must have realized that staying on my lap was no longer worthwhile, because he begins to leave. "Do you really think that I would leave you alone? Look at you. You look terrible. You're dying, yet you still worry about others when you should be worrying about yourself. No offense, but you don't act like an unseelie fairy at all."
Steve looks at me with a baffled expression before he bursts out laughing. "Yes...yes we do, don't we?" Then, his expression starts to become solemn. "Nothing in this world seems to be the way that it is."
Something about what he said sounds suspiciously questionable in my ears.
What does he mean by that?
Before I get the chance to ask, he quickly adds, "Livia, do you still talk with Zhier?"
I shake my head. "Right now, I don't think that I am in the talking zone with him." To be honest, I don't want to talk to Zhier or even talk about him. I'm truly upset at what he's been doing lately. "It feels like he is a different person these days."
Steve slowly nods, like he is disappointed. "I see. I guess that you can ask Jade to take you to the Unseelie Court."
"Unseelie Court?"
"My home."
"Yes, I know that, but why do I have to go there?"
"In the throne room, there's a gem embedded in the seat. It has a bit of my magic left—I believe. It can take you back to your world. You just have to wish for it. It mostly activates for me, but since you have my mark, I am sure that it will activate for you as well."
I'll be honest, I don't have an ounce of thought about leaving just yet. Call me a martyr or an idiot, but I can't seem to find it in me to leave Steve(Klovis) to die.
Going to the Unseelie Court seems like a very bad idea, but from what Faragon told us before, it seems like Steve has found something that made him head to the Seelie Court. Whatever he found out must be in the Unseelie Court.
If I can find out what he found, maybe it will give me more clues on where and why the queen trapped him in the mirror.
I won't be heading to the Unseelie Court to stay. It's more like I need to see someone who can help me. I need to stay here so in case I figure out where he's hidden, I can get him out.
Of course, I have no intention of telling Steve my plans, but I figure that he will know about them sooner or later.
"Livia?"
I was so lost in the plan brewing in my head that I forgot to respond to Steve.
Thank the stars that I am a human and that I can freely lie—a fact that they always seem to forget.
I can no longer trust Zhier or any of the Seelie fairies here. I am not even so sure that I can trust Faragon. Which means that I only have the Unseelie fairies to rely on, and thankfully, I know one of them who seems willing to help if it is for the sake of their prince.
I nod my head in response to Steve. "Alright. I'll go. Tell me how to get there."
~*~*~*~*~*~END OF CHAPTER~*~*~*~*~*~