CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:

THE ENCHANTRESS'S SHADE

The first buds of spring came much too quickly.

New green grass erupted along the ground, and the trees sprouted little pink flowers and soft leaves. Water trickled in the fountains, and large puddles formed in every garden and courtyard.

The seven fairies had no qualms with water, apparently. One warm afternoon, Marinette and Cat Noir sat at their picnic spot underneath a willow tree and watched as their little friends had a little pool party in one of the fountains.

Wayzz floated on his back while Tikki, Nooroo, and Trixx played tag, ducking in and out of the water and making splashes everywhere. Poor Plagg decided to migrate up to the winged gargoyle at the top of the fountain to avoid getting wet. Duusu and Pollen had been the smart ones, having found a nice spot on the grass to sunbathe while keeping well away from the water.

Marinette felt warmer just by looking at them. Hearing them laugh and shriek, watching them shake water droplets everywhere… It reminded her of the hot summer days when she, Alya and Nino would try to cannonball each other in the lake right next door to Villeneuve. Marinette made a mental note to ask Alya about her leisurely plans during their next conversation in the magic mirror.

She leaned back on her palms and looked at Cat Noir, who was watching the fairies with a vacant trace of longing. "Want to go join them?" she asked.

He smiled weakly. "Nah – I don't want to ruin their fun."

Marinette cocked her head at him. "Why not? I'm sure they love to play with you." She grinned. "Or are you afraid of getting your pretty little ears wet?"

Cat Noir chuckled and lifted his chin proudly. "I'll have you know that I can swim better than all the fish in the ponds combined," he stated. "It's just… well, I'd rather sit here with you."

Marinette snorted. "Sounds like a pitiful waste of a good day."

This time, his smile was deep and genuine. "I wouldn't call it a waste."

Marinette blushed, and suddenly found the half-eaten slice of chocolate cake on her plate far more interesting.

"And you really think I have pretty ears?" Cat Noir asked, making those black tuffs wiggle on their own.

"Hmmm…" Marinette made a show of squinting her eyes at him like an artist looking over his sculpture for flaws. "Depends on the angle you look at them from."

She learned the hard way that she should've known better than to make the cat curious.

"So… if I was over here…" Cat Noir crawled behind Marinette and poked his head out to look at her beside her shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "Do they look better?"

Marinette turned her back to him, giggling. "Go away," she moaned.

But then he was directly in front her, crouching like a cat on the prowl. "How about now?" he asked enticingly.

She swatted at him playfully. "Cat!"

Marinette tried to roll away, but then her legs got tangled in her sunshine-coloured dress and she tumbled a bit down the hill with a shrill cry of alarm. At the same time, Cat Noir tried to catch her, but he tripped over himself and ending up colliding with her. Now, they were both rolling down the hill together, arms entangled and their laughter merging into a cacophony.

When they came to a breathless stop at the bottom, Marinette was right on top of Cat Noir, their chests crushing together. Their gazes locked, and Marinette swore her limbs had turned to water as she took him in.

His golden hair spread out like a crown around his head, and each strand glistened like rainbows in the sunlight. His face was a swirling mosaic of shimmering black fur and pale-peach skin, complete with a glowing smile.

He was… beautiful.

"How about this angle, Milady?" Cat Noir asked, flashing his fangs as he winked at Marinette.

That vacant moment of awe and ecstasy vanished in a heartbeat. Marinette made herself rise up… but not before flicking her friend's nose.

"Silly Kitty," she grumbled.

Cat Noir merely grinned, never once taking his own predatory eyes off her.

As Marinette stood up and brushed bits of grass off her dress, she remained fully aware that all seven fairies were observing the whole fiasco… and snickering under their breaths.


He was back in the forest this time.

It was always cold, always winter here.

His large feet would crunch the snow beneath them with a passion as he raced through the harrowing maze of forest, keeping his ears peeled for any sounds of danger; any cries for help.

But when a voice finally spoke up, it didn't belong to Marinette.

"What's the matter, kittycat? You seem lost."

He stopped dead in his tracks, baring his teeth at the shadows. He knew who had spoken to him; recognized that fluffy, overdramatic sweetness that hid sharp daggers underneath.

"Show yourself, witch," he snarled.

Each falling snowflake was a chorus of fleeting laughter that echoed around him.

Then, a furry white shape leapt in front of him, blocking his path.

This was no ordinary wolf, though. The eyes gave it away instantly – orange and gleaming bright, like twin orbs of swirling flame. They stared at him hungrily, but with a dark kind of hunger that made his claws extend.

"Is that anyway to speak to an old friend?" the she-wolf said, grinning impishly. "I would have thought you'd be grateful for a little company. But I'll let that slide, only because we're getting so close to the deadline now… and I just can't wait to see you again… Adrien."

That name… He hadn't heard it in a long time. He didn't think it belonged to a creature like him anymore. "Is that why you're disturbing my sleep? Out of the two of us, I'd say you have the least bit of patience."

The she-wolf huffed at him, baring her jaws. Tongues of black smoke filtered through her teeth and into the air before her.

Dark magic, he realized.

"Is that valor I sense in you, little prince, or arrogance? Funny. You never showed any spine in the past year. I wonder… if it's because of that girl."

His blood ran cold.

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" the she-wolf giggled. As she did, the smoke in her mouth came out in bigger gusts and swirled around her whole body.

She stood up, taking the form of a young woman. Dark hair fell like a river past her waist, and she wore a gorgeous gown of white pearls and diamonds. But those leering, fiery eyes remained the same… and they remained fixed upon him.

"You think that pathetic little country bumpkin will save you?" she asked, her tone bordering on rage. "You think once my spell is broken, you'll finally be rid of me?" She laughed again, and the shadows laughed with her, wrapping themselves around her victim's arms and legs, trapping him in the snow.

He struggled. No… He wouldn't bow down to her… Not this time…

"You think that girl actually cares about you?" the enchantress snapped. "You can give her the entire castle and all its jewels, but she will never stop yearning to go home. Do you even know she's been talking to her human friends in the magic mirror, behind your back? How do you know she isn't calling for some brave, handsome hunter to come and rescue her; to defeat the beast holding her captive against her will?"

He glared at her, a growl forming at the back of his throat. "You talk too much."

The witch's smile was as cold as the winter chill, and it cut deep. "If you really love her, then why won't you let her go back to her family? Oh, I know. It's because you're afraid, Adrien. You're afraid that if you give her back her freedom, she will leave you all alone in your lonely little castle. Forever."

No… No, he wasn't…

"And even if by some miracle she declares any love for you before the last petal falls," the enchantress whispered, "you won't be able to protect her… just like you couldn't protect your dear mother."

He squirmed against the tendrils of darkness, and his voice became as sharp as thorns. "I swear to you, if you touch her, I won't be so courteous this time."

"Ahhh… There it is." The witch stroked his cheek with a finger. "The beast lurking within those gorgeous eyes. Didn't that little accident in the western courtyard teach you anything?"

Her words stung him, and she knew it.

She leaned in closer, and the tendrils moved with her. "This is who you are now, and what you always will be. But don't worry – once our little game is over, you will come to accept it. Maybe…" She sneered wickedly. "… enjoy it."

"No!"

The tendrils tightened around his body, his arms, his neck… squeezing him, suffocating him. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't fight back…

No… No… No…


"NO!"

Cat Noir practically flung himself out of bed, claws at the ready, his night-vision scanning the darkness for threats.

But there was no one there. The shadows staring back at him were not the remnants of the enchantress's power.

Cat Noir forced himself to swallow a gulp of air, taking deep breaths as he pulled himself out of the twisted sheets. He was breaking out into sweats, making his furry parts cling to his night clothes. He stepped out onto the cool floor, savouring the chill of the evening.

It wasn't real, he told himself mentally. It's just some hocus-pocus mind tricks. She's trying to throw me off course, make me doubt myself again.

Still, he couldn't ignore everything the enchantress had said… including that little tidbit about Marinette talking to her friends.

Did the mirror have more magic than he realized? If not, Cat Noir easily guessed that a certain someone had added one of her little spells into the mix. Probably to make Marinette more homesick. But then… why has Marinette never told me? Does she still not trust me?

Cat Noir growled and ran his hands through his hair several times, trying to scratch those thoughts out of his brain. Pull yourself together, Cat Noir. You've been holding back some things from her, too. Besides, that was probably before she got to know you better. Before you became friends.

But now, a more nerving question clouded his mind: would Marinette come to see him as more than a friend? And with so little time remaining?

Cat Noir went over to the enchanted rose.

Only four petals left – sad and wilting, and not as bright as they used to be. The rest of the petals lay piled up on the bottom in a carpet of purple shavings.

Four petals. Nine days left.

Cat Noir laid a hand against the glass dome. Still warm… but barely clinging to life. His brow furrowed. "I won't give up," he said. "I can't give up now." He gazed up through the windows of his balcony, now clear of frost and open to the celestial heavens above. "I'll make it right. Somehow."

And maybe it was high-time for him to put in a little more effort.


"A dance?" Marinette asked, cringing when she accidentally pricked herself on her pincushion.

It was just that Cat Noir's offer had surprised her. Here she was, pinning some sleeves onto one of her latest new dresses – a turquoise mermaid-style gown with sewn pearls, to be precise – and then her cat friend comes strolling in, asking her if she wanted to go dancing with him later this evening.

Dancing. In the castle ballroom. With Cat Noir.

Tikki, Pollen and Duusu floated beside her, all three of them gasping with excitement. They had decided to help Marinette out with her work today. By the looks on their faces, they were glad they had been here to see this.

Cat Noir seemed just as surprised as Marinette was, and he was the one who had asked her the question. In fact, he looked like he was breaking a sweat. "Well… yeah. I just thought… you know… we've never actually did something nice together, and I thought… maybe… since we both love music and what not…" He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I had a whole explanation prepared, and now suddenly I'm flying by the end of my tail." He cleared his throat and straightened up. "What I'm trying to say is…"

"Okay."

"… I mean, you're not obligated to say yes or anything. It's not a big deal. It's just…" Cat Noir blinked, his face going slack. "Say again?"

Marinette chuckled under her breath before speaking up. "I said… I would love to join you for dancing tonight." She beamed. "In fact, I just finished one of my newest gowns that I've been meaning to wear. So… yeah. I think it'll be fun!"

Pollen starting buzzing, and Tikki shushed her.

Cat Noir gaped at Marinette for a split second before a dopey-eyed smile spread across his face. "Really?!" He shook off the expression and cleared his throat, his ears flattening shyly. "I mean… great. All right, then. I'll see you tonight, Milady." He backed away with a gentlemanly bow… and almost knocked over one of the mannequins.

Marinette and the fairies laughed as Cat Noir caught the thing before it fell and then headed out with an awkward smile. "See you tonight, Kitty," the blunette called with a wave.

He waved back, looked like he was about to say something, but then waved again and scurried out of the textile room.

Marinette turned away towards the window, her bluebell eyes going glossy with astonishment.

Only then did the fairies squeal in unison. "Eeeeeeeeee!"

"She said yes!" Tikki cheered, pirouetting in mid-air and letting out a barrage of miniature pink fireworks.

"C'est magnifique!" Duusu exclaimed, her tail feathers spreading out like fingers. "Ce sera si romantique! Oh, quelle chance!"

"This is excellent news!" Pollen decreed like a proud queen. "We must inform the others and make the necessary preparations at once!"

"Oooh, this is going to be great!" Tikki said, flying over to her stunned human friend. That's when she paused with confusion. "Marinette, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Marinette blinked and realized she was being spoken to. "Oh, right… yes. I'm fine. It's just…" She smiled and rubbed one of her arms nervously. "I've haven't danced with anyone in a long time. In fact, I've never danced at all. What if I screw up?"

"Nonsense," Duusu huffed in her thick French accent. "Dancing is like sewing pieces of movements together. Each step is a seam, each twirl is a pattern…" She did a little spin and flip to demonstrate.

"You shall be the belle of the ball, my lady," Pollen said. "Just let the music – and that charming cat of yours – sweep you off your feet."

Tikki nodded in agreement. "In other words, just be yourself, Marinette. What else can Cat Noir ask for?"

Marinette smiled at their words of encouragement.

When Theo Barbot had asked her to marry him so long ago, he had tried to drown her with compliments and promises just to get her to accept him. Now, Cat Noir had asked her to dance with him – no praises, no flattery, no begging. He never once forced anything on her, or tried to make himself look good (unless he was joking around). It was always Marinette's choice with him.

Except for the fact that he won't let me leave.

Marinette's insides went a shade colder. Why did she suddenly think like that? It wasn't as though Cat Noir was forcefully keeping her locked up in this castle. The binding spell wouldn't allow her. She had learned that the hard way.

Then again, the deal could be undone. All Cat Noir had to do was say so.

So… what wasn't he? Did he simply forget, or did he just not care? Or maybe he did care and he was determined to keep Marinette away from the dangers of the outside world.

Marinette sighed heavily. She shouldn't be so judgmental on Cat Noir again. He wasn't purposefully being cruel – she knew that. And a deal was a deal. She had accepted that the moment she set foot outside her parents' bakery for the last time.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" Tikki asked.

The blunette smiled and shook her head. "Nothing. Let's get back to work." The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could get her special new dress ready for tonight.

And the idea of holding Cat Noir's hand… being so close to him… letting him take her in his arms, like he did a few times already…

Don't be ridiculous. It's just dancing, Marinette told herself as she hurried up with the final stitches on the mermaid dress. Dancing between friends.

And yet, as she let her heart wonder, she couldn't help but imagine it as something more.