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Felix
Felix felt a draw to the people on the island. He couldn’t explain whether it was a deep-rooted curiosity or whether it was something more, but there was something pulling him close to them, tugging at his heartstrings. He wanted to know who they were and what they were going to do next, but first, he had to make sure that Tabitha was going to be safe.
“I need to talk to them,” he said. “You need to stay here.”
He knew, even as he looked at her, that he wouldn’t be able to keep her away from whatever was happening. Tabitha was a good witch, but she was also very, very curious. She wasn’t the type of person who was just going to let Felix go off and leave her behind on an adventure.
They were in this together, he knew. No matter what happened next in their lives, the two of them were inexplicably linked. That was part of the entire “fated mates” thing. He was sure of it.
“You can’t go alone,” Tabitha said.
“I need to,” Felix said. “I know the island inside and out.”
“And I know magic,” she said.
She wasn’t being argumentative or rude. She was right, in any case. He knew that. She knew things that he didn’t. She could do things that he couldn’t. As much as Felix wanted to handle this on his own and protect Tabitha, she did know magic. He could show the new inhabitants of the island all of the different ways they could get off this rock, but if there was to be any sort of fight or conflict, Tabitha was the one who would be able to protect them.
During their time together, her powers had only seemed to grow stronger. She could do even more incredible magic than when she’d first arrived, and Felix often wondered whether it had to do with her being close to her mate, or whether it was something Ursula had left behind.
Had the powers and magic of the island infected Tabitha?
Or had being close to her been the reason she’d managed to channel her energies so much better?
Sometimes he wondered if there was a way for Tabitha to break the curse that bound him to the island. He was tired of this place. Every day, he was reminded of everything he’d lost. Each morning when he woke up, he was greeted by Tabitha, which was wonderful, but then he looked past her to see that he was still on the island.
Still on the rock.
Still caged like the animal Ursula always thought he was.
Ursula had stolen everything from him.
Even in death, she’d managed to damage him. She’d created this chaotic place where nothing else mattered, and where it seemed like he would be trapped for all of eternity unless he and Tabitha managed to figure something out. Felix knew that Ursula had never counted on him finding a mate, though. She’d never counted on him finding someone who loved him or who could help him.
And now he had something else.
He had hope.
If the other victims of Ursula’s crimes were coming back to life, then maybe he could, too. The people who had been turned into animals were being freed. Their spells were cracking.
Could he be next?
“Okay,” he agreed. “You know magic.”
“And you know the island, so I’ll follow your lead.”
Felix grabbed her and kissed her. She always seemed to know exactly what to say. He wasn’t going to screw up this moment by doubting her. He was scared, yeah, and he was nervous, but he was going to be just fine.
They both were.
After all, what was the worst that could happen?
With only the slightest amount of trepidation, the two of them started walking. Felix was naked, but he didn’t mind stepping on the ground barefoot. His feet were calloused, and he’d spent many days walking around barefoot during his time on the island. He’d also found that since he’d started shifting to his dragon form and back again that he’d seemed to be able to do a lot more when it came to the physical side of his life. He’d had more energy, and he’d felt stronger.
There was something strange, though.
Despite his newfound strength, he found that he’d been growing tired more easily. He’d have huge bouts of strength but then feel weakened for hours after. He hadn’t mentioned this to Tabitha. He didn’t want her to worry or to feel scared. He knew perfectly well that she’d do anything for him.
She didn’t need to add worrying to the mix.
“The castle is really big.”
“I’m aware.”
“I know that we don’t go here often,” he continued.
“I won’t get lost, Felix.”
“What I’m trying to get at is that there may still be traps,” he said.
“I’m ready.”
She produced a little blue energy ball and bounced it around in her hands. She threw it into the air and caught it easily. Then she shrugged.
“I’m ready,” she repeated.
“I know.”
As they neared the castle grounds, they could hear voices. Felix motioned for her to remain quiet as they got closer to the crumbling walls. It was incredible how much the island had fallen apart since Ursula’s death. In some ways, it looked fresher and wilder. The vines had gone crazy, and the grass was out of control. In other ways, it looked like it was going to implode at any moment.
Felix held his breath, trying to hear what was being said. His hearing was always good, but now that he was able to shift into his dragon form, he felt like it was even better. Words that would normally be faint or indiscernible were now much clearer.
Tabitha produced a clear little orb and raised it into the air. It amplified the sound of the conversation, so Tabitha could hear it perfectly, too, even with her non-shifter ears.
“How long has it been?”
“I don’t know.”
“What were you?”
“A frog, I think...”
“I was a bird. A bird! Can you believe it?”
“Could you fly?”
“I’m sure I could, but it’s harder than it looks.”
“So, you were a bird who couldn’t fly?”
“It’s not my fault! It was a curse. It’s not like I was actually a bird.”
“Sounds like you were actually a bird...”
Tabitha let the clear orb fade away and she looked at Felix. She shook her head, as though she was disappointed in the conversation they’d just overheard.
“They’re arguing about who was the cooler animal? How lame!”
“Nothing beats a dragon,” Felix shrugged.
“Do you recognize their voices?”
He thought for a moment, but then shook his head. The orb had definitely made it even easier to hear them, and he felt like the voices were distinct enough that he should be able to tell who they were, yet he couldn’t. No, he didn’t recognize their voices.
“Ursula trapped a lot of people,” he said slowly.
“Well, be careful,” Tabitha whispered. “You might not recognize them, but they could recognize you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ursula had a lot of enemies, Fe. You don’t want them trying to get revenge on her prized pet.”
Felix stilled.
Was she right?
He didn’t like the idea that they might try to hurt him or capture him. He didn’t like the idea that the people who were now freed from a curse could try to cause problems.
“We should talk to them,” he finally said, shaking his head.
“I don’t think so,” she said quietly.
“We have to let them know they’re free to leave.”
“Maybe they aren’t,” Tabitha pointed out. “What if she cursed them the way that she cursed you?”
“Then we’re about to have a lot of company,” he sighed.
Steeling himself, he stood up straight. He wasn’t going to hide. The understanding that these people might want to hurt him was sobering, to say the least, but he wasn’t about to hide himself any longer.
He’d been hiding in the darkness for a million years, it seemed like.
At the very least, these people might be able to give him some insight into Ursula’s past. Maybe if he learned more about the witch, he’d discover more about his future. Maybe...
“Oh, whatever,” Tabitha glared at him and started marching toward the people. Felix scurried to keep up, surprised she moved so fast. As they rounded a corner, they saw two men standing there talking. They were both naked, of course. Animals didn’t wear clothes.
“Oi!” One of the men looked at Tabitha. “Who’re you?”
“Your informant,” Tabitha glared at him. She didn’t seem to notice his lack of clothes, nor his companion’s.
“Informant?”
“I think that means she wants to kill us,” the second man said.
“I don’t feel like killing anyone right now,” Tabitha clarified. She looked from one man to the next. Felix stood there, casually leaning against the crumbling castle wall. He, too, was naked. He’d just been in his dragon form. Tabitha was the only one with clothing on, which made it a bit of a strange situation.
“Then what do you want?”
“You were turned into animals by the witch. Is that right?”
Instantly, the two men were on high alert. They rushed toward Tabitha but stopped before they reached her. That was a good thing. Felix knew she could use an energy jolt and push them back at any moment, but he didn’t want her to have to.
Ideally, these men would never find out about her powers. If they did, she’d be in danger. He was quite certain about that. The Mages of Kunzite had an incredible reputation and now that Tabitha was the last one left, she was a rare commodity. If the wrong person managed to catch themselves a witch, they might be unstoppable.
“Woah,” Tabitha held up a hand. The men had already stopped, but the gesture let them clearly know that further advancements were not welcome. “Close enough, boys.”
“What do you know of the witch?”
“Do you work for her?”
“Are you friends?”
“Where is she?”
“I’ll kill her!”
Tabitha shook her head and looked over at Felix.
“Want to help me out here?”
Of course, he did.
Felix stepped closer. The other men hadn’t even seemed to have noticed him.
“Don’t worry, gentlemen,” he said. “The witch you seek is already dead.”