Chapter 17: I Wish

Ember was entranced by the tree glowing in front of her. For a moment, she forgot everything: why she was there, what she wanted, where she was… Strangely, her mind felt weightless, free from the burdens she'd carried, almost like a fleeting sense of peace she hadn't known in years. It only took a glance toward her brother to have it all flooding back to her. The heaviness returned, her purpose crystallizing once again. She looked back at the tree, pressing her hand to its warming trunk. She knew she'd have to be very careful and extremely specific to avoid wasting her wishes, not to mention all this distance and time traveling here. Her stomach tightened with nerves. If all went well, in a matter of minutes…

Elias stood with Isolde, watching Ember intently, something inside him gnawing at him. His heart thudded in his chest, and a knot of resentment twisted within him, growing tighter with every second. 'End it,' it whispered. It didn't even sound like his voice… 'She made a fool of you… She denied you… She's trying to save someone who did far worse than you… How can you let this happen?' He reached down as if scratching his leg, but while the others were distracted by the tree, he lowered his gloved hand into his boot.

Ember, none the wiser, took in a deep breath, mentally preparing herself as she thought about what she wanted to say. Carefully, she made her first wish: "I wish to safely, comfortably, and happily live here in Limboris with my twin brother Jaime, in a small but comfortable home, with both necessities to survive and activities to entertain us and help us learn new and useful skills to survive and thrive."

"A VERY SPECIFIC WISH," the tree complimented, glowing a little stronger. "I COMMEND YOU FOR THE EFFORT AND CONSIDERATION TAKEN FOR YOUR FIRST WISH—NOT JUST FOR YOURSELF, BUT FOR JAIME AS WELL. YOUR FIRST WISH IS GRANTED. DO YOU HAVE A SECOND WISH?"

James held onto Jaime, who was still in his typical state, but he did notice that his stature was a bit stronger now. There was a steadiness to him now, a subtle shift that seemed more alert. He couldn't quite explain it, but there was definitely something different about him. Perhaps it was being here, in the presence of the magical tree? He glanced toward Isolde, who stood silently back, watching the scene unfold. His eyes also drifted to Elias, who seemed to be scratching his leg. He didn't have time to ponder as Ember inhaled slowly, preparing herself.

Ember kept her hand on the soft bark, caressing it thoughtfully with the tips of her fingers, before announcing, "I do have a second wish… I wish—ahh!" She barely had time to react when she felt a sharp, painful jab on the side of her ribs. Something had jammed itself into her abdominal wall, causing her to double over in pain and struggle to scream. Her breath hitched as a choking sound escaped her lips, pain radiating through her body.

James reacted immediately, rushing toward Elias, who had just stabbed Ember with a stiletto blade. He tackled the man to the ground, although the dagger stayed lodged in Ember's side. Rage boiled in him, surging through his veins, driving him to press Elias harder into the ground.

"Ember!" Isolde hurried to the blonde woman, catching her before she could fall, noting that her hand still remained on the tree's surface. "Elias!" She jerked her head back toward her partner, her eyes filled with concern and betrayal. "How could you do that to her?! Why?!"

Elias tried to shove James off him, but it was no use. The well-trained knight was much stronger than he was. Frustration welled within him, blending with humiliation and anger. However, that didn't stop him from kicking and thrashing around. "She made me look like a fool!" he snarled, hitting at James's arm as the other man kept his hold on him tight. "She rejected and embarrassed me!"

"You have no right to her!" James yelled, his hold tightening. "She's a human with thoughts, feelings, and emotions!"

"James," Ember whispered, her form obviously weaker but her expression one of appreciation. Her voice trembled, the strength slipping away with each word she tried to utter.

James looked toward his sister's counterpart, offering her a brief smile, before he yelled out in pain at the feeling of a strong magic blast rushing through his veins. "Agh!" He fell over, wounded but not mortally hurt. He lifted his head as the other man rushed toward Ember, knocking Isolde out of the way in the process. "Elias, no!"

Elias thrust the dagger a bit farther into the helpless woman's body, smiling lewdly at the pained moans that came from her. The sound of her agony seemed to feed something dark inside him, giving him perverse satisfaction. "Just think," he whispered harshly to her as she struggled to catch her breath, "you could have been moaning for a much better reason if you'd only…let me in…"

"Elias, let her go!" Isolde demanded as she ignited a strong wave of magic in her palms, her eyes blazing as she glared at him. Her pulse pounded in her ears as anger overtook her, the betrayal of her partner's actions cutting deeper than any blade. "Or I won't hesitate to kill you on the spot!"

"Tsk, Isolde, I thought you were supposed to be my partner!" He grinned as the woman seethed, but his grin turned into a thin line as he threatened, "Make one wrong move or take any more steps toward her, and I'll stab her in more vital areas! I know you don't want to write up a death in addition to a 'rogue partner,' right?!"

James grunted as he pushed up on his knees, lifting his head to see Jaime standing in the same spot as before. 'At least he's safe,' he thought with a wince.

Ember cried out when Elias pushed the dagger into her abdomen a bit deeper as he used his free hand to yank her hair, pulling her head backwards as he sneered down at her. Pain coursed through her body in relentless waves, leaving her helpless.

"Your next wish belongs to me," he growled. "Wish to give your love to me and be mine and only mine." Isolde was far beyond his reach now… Not that he cared… Not that he'd ever cared… 'Didn't you?' something within him taunted. 'Is that the lie you're going with now?' "NOW!"

She knew it was risky, but Ember groaned in pain as she pressed her hand more firmly against the tree. Her vision was swimming, but she had to do this… Her breathing was ragged, each breath feeling harder to catch than the next. "I wish…" She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, as she frowned. "I wish…to be able to honestly, truly, and sincerely…give, receive, and feel love…"

Elias growled, twisting the stiletto, making Ember cry out again. Her scream echoed in his ears, sending a sick shiver of satisfaction through him. "Retract it!"

"Th-The same kind of love my twin brother Jaime…always expressed for me…"

"CONSIDER IT DONE."

"What?! No!" Elias withdrew the dagger from Ember's side, hovering it over her heart instead. "You stupid shrew!"

Ember's body trembled, teetering on the edge of consciousness, but she held on—barely.

"Elias, stop!" Isolde risked the danger and used her magic, twisting her partner's arm behind his back, narrowing her eyes as she heard a snap. She knew she'd broken it, especially as he cried out in agony. The dagger clattered to the ground as a result, allowing Ember to fall to her knees. She used another stream of magic to fully restrain the man she'd once found adorably annoying, but she refused to show any emotion as she magically removed him from the tree's vicinity and had him hovering midair near her. "You are under arrest, Elias. The Conjuror's Board will deal with you for your acts of violence, attempted murder, and insubordination." Before he could hurl any further curses or insults, she used one last stream of magic to silence him, which only angered him more as he wildly convulsed in the air. Isolde managed to use the magic connection to carry Elias back down the pathway to the carriage, locking him inside with a powerful spell upon arrival.

James, the effects of the magic blast having lessened, quickly hurried to Ember to cradle her as she fell into his arms. Her body was limp, fragile in his grasp. He could have cried seeing her. Blood was everywhere, and she was so weak… "Ember," he whispered, patting her cheek. He could see that she was conscious, but just barely so. James ripped part of his shirt, tearing a significant strip of fabric, and tying it as a makeshift bandage around the young woman's abdomen. He managed to stop the bleeding. "You're okay," he murmured quietly. "Just take it easy."

"I…" She stared at him calmly before continuing, "I have to…make my last wish…"

The prince paused, realizing she was right. She'd wished for a place for Jaime and her to live, the ability to feel and express love, and now… He glanced over his shoulder toward Jaime, who stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead. "R-Right…" This whole journey had been about this moment, after all, so he carefully helped her to her feet.

"Get Jaime," she whispered, reaching out and clinging to the tree for support. She smiled weakly when James gave her a concerned look. "I'll be okay, James. Please…"

"Okay… Hang on." He walked over to Jaime, gently grasping his arm, leading him over to the tree next to his sister. He watched as Ember reached out and took Jaime's hand, some of her own blood smearing on his skin, which made him flinch at the sight.

Ember pressed her free hand to the tree's trunk once more. Taking in a shaky breath, she made her final wish in a slow, deliberate request: "I wish for my brother Jaime to have his senses, abilities (including speech, thought, and mobility), emotions, feelings, and entire essence restored…not just to what they once were, but to progress into something…more mature, meaningful, and true to who he is as a person. I want my twin back, but…I want him to be the best version of himself that he can be…"

"AN HONORABLE WISH, FORMER QUEEN EMBER… CONSIDER IT GRANTED." The tree glowed powerfully, its leaves shaking as a swirl of rainbow light surrounded it, and within a few seconds, it slowly faded into obscurity. Ember's wishes were spent, so it was no longer needed.

The young woman closed her eyes, breathing heavily as she clung to Jaime, feeling overwhelmed with strange emotions and obvious concerns—worries about not properly utilizing the wishes, fear that they didn't come true… There was no immediate home. She didn't know enough about love to know if she could feel or express it. And Jaime… He hadn't… She looked up at him, seeing the distance still in his face, his arms still hanging by his side. Had she failed? Was this all for nothing? Brokenhearted, she lowered her face to his chest, sobbing wretchedly as her tears soaked his shirt. She'd failed… All over again… She should have known— She gasped when she felt familiar fingers brushing through her hair, and as she slowly lifted her head, she saw Jaime…looking at her. "J-Jaime…?"

James stared in surprise at the twins before him as Isolde made her way back over to him, standing next to him.

Jaime, having more control over his body than he'd had in six months, reached up to his twin's face. He used his thumbs to gently brush away her tears. Then, he smiled tenderly at her for the first time in a long time. "Hey, Ember…"

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Modified