Page 22 of Sugar Plum Fae
“Leave me, sweeties,” she said. “You’ve done well.”
“What shall we do now?”
“I’m not sure. But rest and recharge your powers.”
“Thank you.” They all buzzed off in different directions.
Candace paced the length of her chambers, thoughts churning. Had it all been a ruse, Roderick worming his way past her defenses with artificial charm? She recalled his smirks, his cutting remarks that had slowly given way to playful banter, even flashes of vulnerability. Had it been nothing but a façade?
Yet she could not deny the authentic moments between them, the understanding that had blossomed. The way he had gently kissed her. His devotion to the town that, while different from her methods, was just as valid.
No, her instincts whispered, their connection ran deeper than any potion's influence. But doubt lingered. A shadow had fallen over her heart. She had opened herself to Roderick, only to face the possibility it had all been a carefully orchestrated lie. The hurt of it stung deeper than she cared to admit.
She needed to see him before they were summoned back to the well. She wanted answers and hoped he could reassure her.She followed the path to the edge of her realm and Roderick’s, where the vibrant hues of her land gave way to the monochrome world of nightmares. Shivering, she stepped forward, crossing the boundary. The transition was jarring, the warmth and light of her land giving way to cold shadows and an eerie silence that tasted metallic.
"Ugh, how does he live like this?" she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself for comfort.
As she ventured deeper into the dark realm, Candace's thoughts raced, her mind a whirlwind of uncertainty. Had Roderick truly manipulated her feelings? Or was there something genuine beneath his gruff exterior?
"Roderick," Candace called out, her voice echoing through the cavernous space. "We need to talk."
Her heart raced as she awaited his response, the silence stretching on for what felt like an eternity. And then, finally, Roderick emerged from the shadows, his expression unreadable.
"Talk?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About this." Candace held up one of the empty potion bottles, her hand trembling slightly. “These are mind control potions. Found in the townspeople of Whitlock’s trash. Is this another one of your cheats? Did you put one of these potions in my coffee?”
Roderick's eyes, usually a stormy gray, now shimmered with pain as he stared at Candace, disbelief etched across his handsome features. "Candace," he whispered, the hurt evident in his voice. "I would never—I couldn't even fathom using such a potion on you or anyone else. Is this what you really think of me? That I would stoop so low as to manipulate your emotions?"
"How can I trust my feelings if I’m being manipulated by magic?"
"Trust me because of who we are. Look at everything we've been through together, every moment we've shared. Can you honestly say you felt nothing genuine between us?"
"Show me that my love for you isn't a lie."
“Love?”
Oops. She hadn’t meant to say that. Not yet anyway. Not here and not now.
The eerie silence that followed hung in the air like a thick fog, obscuring any semblance of certainty. Candace's breaths were shallow and rapid as she studied Roderick's tormented expression. His once-impenetrable mask had crumbled before her eyes, revealing an ocean of vulnerability beneath the stormy surface.
"Can't you see?" Roderick's voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. "I would never do anything to hurt you. Is it so hard to believe that maybe, just maybe, our connection goes beyond some twisted magic potion? That perhaps there's something real between us?"
"I don’t want to believe it. But the vials are the same as yours. Can I trust you, Roderick?" Her voice trembled, a single tear slipping down her cheek.
"Only you can answer that." He reached out, wiping away the tear with his thumb, his touch gentle and tender.
It felt like she was being torn in two, this doubt. If this wasn’t real, she wasn’t sure that she would survive. But if it was real, then she was being an asshole who was wrecking the best thing in her world.
“I can’t. Not right now.”
She left before she lost control and started sobbing.
RODERICK
She left a hole in his heart when she faded back into her own realm. She loved him. A sunsidhe loving a moonsidhe. The Sugar Plum Fairy loving Krampus. It was impossible. If he hadn’t made the energy tincture himself, perhaps he would have thought they had been mind controlled. But it hadn’t been him. That meant that someone was making mind control potions in Whitlock, and he had a feeling that he knew just who it was.
He should get Ben to help him with this, but first he had to be sure. The twisted maze of Zenaida's dreamscape enveloped Roderick in shadow. He saw her standing on a platform in the town square, addressing the citizens of Whitlock. Her eyes gleamed with ambition as she spoke passionately about her plans to become mayor.