Chapter 21: Phantom Pain
Song Connection: "I'd Move the Stars"
In order to prevent any potential further damage to James, Cedric placed a protective spell over him, encasing him in more positive magic and effectively pausing whatever was going on internally. Cedric then pulled Sofia to the side to talk to her and discuss some possible options they might have, though nothing was guaranteed.
Amber refused to leave her twin's side. One hand held his own hand while her other one was stroking his hair, her tears never ceasing. She felt Desmond lower next to her, simply offering her some comfort by being there. "I'm sorry you have to see me like this, Desmond," she mumbled, her eyes never leaving her brother's face.
"Don't worry about that, Amber," Desmond insisted. "This isn't the time to be concerned with appearances. You're hurting, and I completely respect that."
She sighed, appreciating her husband's kindness. "James was the first person to get me to smile, you know… Daddy used to tell me stories about how I would cry a lot at night. He always thought that maybe I missed our mom, even though I never knew her. But there was probably a subconscious link, reminding me that she was gone… Anyway, Daddy said James would crawl over to me and give me hugs, even when we were babies. I would smile only after his hug. And as we got a little older, only his hugs would make me feel better if I was sick, or I got hurt."
"Huh. I guess James has always kind of been the light in the room." He reached out, stroking some of her hair. "He's your light too, isn't he?"
Amber frowned, her focus still on her fallen twin. "I love him, Desmond. I know everyone loves their brother or sister, but…it's different with us. We've never really been super alike except for a few things, but we're twins. We've had more in common than we wanted to believe, like our competitiveness, our stubbornness…" She smiled softly at the thought of James stamping his foot after losing a game when they were five years old. "He'd always get so mad when he lost to me. It was kind of cute though, because you know James. He doesn't really get mad…" She felt a welling within her, and a nagging voice reminding her that her brother was gone, and soon she'd have to start speaking in the past tense. She pushed the voice aside and continued talking to Desmond. "He's my best friend, and really he's the better half of me. He's always pushed me to be a better person, and I'm who I am mostly because of him." She couldn't stop the sharp sob that escaped her, and both of her hands left her twin's hand and hair and instead flew to her face. "I can't do this, Desmond… I can't! It's like a phantom pain—losing James is like losing a part of my own body, or soul… It hurts so much…"
Desmond moved closer to her, gently rubbing her back to calm her down. "Amber…"
"If I could trade places with him, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Losing him is so much worse than I ever thought it could be…"
Those words were concerning to the other prince, who frowned as he moved over to sit in front of her. "Amber… Regardless of what happens next, I don't think James would want you to trade places with him. He risked his life to protect you, because he loves you. You shouldn't feel like-"
She glared at him, feeling deflated. "Desmond, don't tell me how to feel. You have no idea what kind of connection he and I have shared, so don't you dare think you have any sort of clue the pain I'm in right now. I love you, but just don't…" Seeing Desmond lower his head and scoot backwards to give her some space, she sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Desmond… I'm just…" She shook her head, lowering her hands to her heart. "James and I have always disagreed on things. We've fought a lot, but we've loved each other through it. He's always been there for me, and… I'd do anything to keep him with me. I'd run to the end of the earth, I'd move the stars, I'd do the impossible… I can't… I can't lose him…"
Desmond caught his wife when she fell into his arms again, sobbing uncontrollably. He said nothing, but he kept her wrapped in his warm embrace, allowing her to cry openly.
Meanwhile, Cedric and Sofia were in a corner not too far from Amber and Desmond, talking softly about what to do. For once, Sofia was the one who appeared defeated, very close to giving up and resigning herself to the fact that her brother was gone.
"Don't give up, Sofia," Cedric whispered, cupping her cheek. "Dark magic attacks happen all the time, and we know that. Sometimes, they just need a counterattack."
"Light Magic?" she wondered as he lowered his hand. She glanced at her own hands, feeling the soft surge building in her palms. She looked over at James, who was still lying silent and unmoving on the floor. "Could I…?"
Cedric shook his head. "Even your magic isn't powerful enough to save him this time. Not after…" He paused, a thought popping into his mind. However, he sighed heavily, placing a hand to his head. "I have an idea… But…" He eyed her carefully as she wiped away some fresh tears. "You aren't going to like it."
She blinked up at him, rubbing some of the moisture from her cheeks. "Just tell me, Cedric. It couldn't be worse than this…"
"It… could, actually." He sat her down on the floor and moved to sit next to her, tapping the bag that had been hanging on her arm. "Is the box still in there?"
She nodded, not looking. She sighed when Cedric reached into it, pulling Davie's Reliquary out, observing it carefully. "What, Cedric?"
"Most times when people are mortally wounded by dark magic, a sacrifice is needed to revive the one who's lost…" His fingers roved over the surface of the box, and his eyes darted to James. "Your brother may not even be gone. In fact, with some dark magic attacks, people are considered 'indefinitely catatonic' and have the appearance of death." He reviewed the language engraved on the side of the box and then turned back to the princess. "There's an option to bring him back, but it would be extremely dangerous and very deadly…"
Sofia turned to fully face him, her attention focused on him. "Tell me. Please…"
He sighed. "I could use this box, which holds all kinds of magic and mystical powers, given the nature of the hidden language. With it, I could magically transfer the lifeforce of someone else into James, kickstarting his heart. However… Only one person can volunteer to offer the lifeforce, and there is absolutely no guarantee that the volunteer, the victim, or both would survive. It's a slim chance, actually… I have never heard of it being completely successful, and there's almost always one death involved, even if the victim is rescued."
"I'll do it," Amber told them, tearfully looking at the couple as her husband gaped at her. She'd been listening to their conversation for several minutes, even though she knew they'd been trying to stay as quiet as possible. She'd still overheard them, and she was grateful she had. "James protected me and saved me from dying. The least I can do is repay the favor."
"No," Desmond stated clearly, frowning as Amber turned to him. "No, Amber, no! I'm not letting you die like that… We have two small children at home who need their Mommy."
"And James has a son who needs his Daddy," she countered, emotions high between herself and her husband. "We can't win with this, Desmond—don't you see? It's not fair, either way… But just allowing my brother to die and not even trying to save him? That's so incredibly selfish and horrible. I can't imagine how that would affect our parents, Vivian, Arnold, and everyone else who knows and loves him…" She lifted a hand to her heart, gripping the fabric of her dress there, sighing heavily. "How it's affecting me…"
"It's dangerous, Amber," Sofia warned her, wanting her to carefully consider her choice.
"So is living without him," Amber mumbled quietly. "I can't smile without it breaking my heart… He so often made that smile… He's half of my heart and soul, and without him, I don't think I'll be able to go on anyway." She felt a few more tears fall down her cheeks, but she made no move to stop them this time. "I'll forever be plagued with the guilt of knowing that I'm only alive…because he's not…"
Although it took several more minutes of back and forth between Amber and the others, weighing all the options and realities, she finally got through to the others that this was something she was going to do. Even if there was only a small chance, she had to take it. She kissed Desmond with an emotional sob, praying that it wasn't the last time she would get to hold him like she was doing then. Afterwards, she embraced both Cedric and Sofia, tearfully telling them how much she loved them and was grateful, honored, and blessed to have them in her life. There wasn't a dry eye around the room, nor should there be.
"Amber…" Sofia held her sister's hands once the hug ended, and she smiled sadly at her. "Whatever it takes, if this doesn't go right… I won't stop trying to have both of you with us… I just want you…to know that."
"I know you won't, Sofia." She hugged her sister tightly, feeling all the love she had to give her. "I love you. I hope you know that."
"I love you too, Amber…"
Amber released the princess and walked over to kneel beside James, holding his hands, feeling with dismay just how cold he was now. It severely bothered her since he'd always been so warm and full of life. Bracing herself, she looked up at Cedric. "I'm ready, Cedric…" Because she didn't know what would happen, and since she didn't want a possible voluntary death acceptance to be her final words, she told the others lovingly and sincerely, "Whatever happens to me, just know I dearly love all of you… I'll always be with you, just like you've always been with me." She closed her eyes, awaiting the impending ritual.
Cedric very carefully traced his hands over the box, muttering the ancient spell that would initiate the dark magic ritual. As he spoke, the box glowed white, and so did his eyes, and the rest of the room fell silent except for the strange whispers that seemed to be coming from the magic flowing from the box itself…
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Imagine That