Chapter Eight: Secret Meetings
1028 Words
Eric and I spent many nights traveling on the road. He had no problems traveling at night. Which is a good thing because I wasn't about to attempt trying to travel during the day.
As we rode, we talked. “Eric, do you live in the Southern Realm?”
“Yes, I was born and raised there. Well at least,” he started to say. I could tell he was hiding something from me.
“At least what?” I ask. I wanted to know, and I was determined to find out.
“Do you believe in people having more than one life?” He asked me.
I bit my lip and gave a light laugh. I glanced at him, “I would be lying if I said I didn't.”
He smiles and then continues, “Well when I turned a certain age, I got all these memories of a past life back. Crazy things too. Technically, I was born in what we would consider the eastern realm.”
I look at him, “The realm surrounded by the ocean?” He nods in reply.
I think for a few moments and then I laugh out loud. “What, let me get this straight? You're that Prince Eric?”
He looks down for a minute and then responds, “Yes.”
“The one who fell in love with Miss. Fishy?” I say with a grin. He smiles back.
“Guilty.” He says with a laugh. I shake my head. “Well this blows, I run into her true love and can't seem to find mine.”
“Is that whom you are looking for?” Eric asks me.
“Yes, I'm looking for my Florian. Wherever he may be.” I say looking off into the distance. I sigh and get quiet.
We stop for the day finding a cave in the mountainside. Eric checks it and makes sure it's okay before we make camp. He builds a fire and I sit there enjoying the warmth.
I look at Eric and say quietly, “What is your curse?”
“How did you know about my curse?” He asks his voice strained. I let out a sigh and say, “Well if you took the same deal, I did then you have a curse. Just like I do.”
We look at each other neither of us speaking for several minutes and then he finally tells me.
“I can't get into the water. If water touches me, I turn into a merman. If I get dry, I go back to being human. The catch is if I ever get in the ocean I will change permanently. What about you?”
I look at him, “I will never get old, all my senses are heightened, I have an allergy to the sun that makes me burn. The worst part of my curse is that I have to drink human blood to survive.”
His eyes get wide and he starts to fidget uncomfortably. I laugh and shake my head, “You don't have to worry. I won't eat you; I promise.”
He smiled, “Okay, I was getting a bit worried there. So all the Princesses have curses like you?”
“I don't know what their curses are. We were promised that they would all be unique. So whatever has befallen Miss. Fish I do not know.” I say with a warm smile.
“But, as soon as I find Florian, I will help you find her. We will break these curses.” I say more to myself than to Eric.
He lets out a sigh and then lays on his bed and goes to sleep. I get up and stand near the cave entrance looking at the light shining in, but making sure not to be in it.
I let out a sigh, as I am about to go lay down I hear voices. I can tell they are standing on the mountainside in one of the caves higher up. I shut my eyes and focus trying to listen in.
The voices sound familiar.
“Drista, is this necessary? Why are our other sisters not here?” The woman asks.
“Because Grida, they don't need to know about this. I have been watching the Princess Lilly these past few days. Her curse has indeed begun. But…” She says with hesitation in her voice.
The other woman makes an exasperated sound, “Yes? Tell me Drista.”
“Every time she feeds her powers grow stronger, and so do mine. It's as if she is feeding me magic.” Drista says her voice full of wonder.
“So? What is the problem with that, and why can't the others know?” Grita asks.
“Because I have a plan. They all did their special curses. What if we bound the other curses to ourselves? We would gain all of that power and could take over the coven.” Drista says her voice growing sinister.
“Well sister, I say we do it. We have been at the bottom of the barrel for too long. It's time we take our place at the top. Besides, it's not like any of them will manage to break their curses.” Grita says with a laugh.
“How so sister?”
“Come now Drista, you know that we have placed their princes in random realms. It could take them years to find them. Especially after what we did to them all.” Grita says laughing wickedly.
I keep listening, but they grow quiet. I listen as they leave the cave and head north away from us. I take a deep breath and let it out. Heaven only knows what they would have done to us had they found us there.
One thing becomes clear to me, “If all else fails, and I manage to find the witches, I can use this. It could be the one thing that helps me break my curse.”
I yawn and stretch for a moment then go to lay down, sleep overtaking me.
- Writer
