Kat had imagined many times what breaking the curse would look like.

A golden glow would envelop Cage, lift him off the ground, and in a blinding flash of light, he would return as a normal man. Then, the effects of the curse would be lifted. The statues would come to life, and the fallen would rise and reclaim their lives.

None of that happened.

There was no glow, no joy, no absolution. 

Cage swayed on his feet for a second before falling to his back, the hilt of the dagger sticking out of his chest, his hands still wrapped around it. Blood stained what was left of his white shirt, spreading with alarming speed.

"No!" Kat dropped to her knees next to him.

There was nothing. No final breath, no last goodbye, no promise of happiness. No final declaration of love. His beautiful blue eyes were open, lifeless, looking beyond her, towards a world she was no longer a part of.

Cage was dead.

"No," she whimpered. 

This couldn't be happening. This was not how it was supposed to go. But the seconds ticked by and the only change was his final grip loosening and his arms falling alongside his body.

"No, no, no..." She took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his.

He was still warm, but it already felt different. And in a bleak world like theirs, true love's kiss held no power. As she pulled away and watched him between tears, the realization of what this meant hit her. He was dead. He'd never smile at her again, never hold her, never kiss her. Never talk to her.

Her vision blurred with tears as she pulled away, her back hitting the wall. She hugged her knees, trying to hold herself together, stop the monster inside her from clawing its way out of her chest. She couldn't breathe. Everything was black, muddled by the darkness of magic. People said it was beautiful and shining, but she knew better. It was bleak and soulless.

"Kat!"

Keleigh stood in the doorway, what looked like a soldier behind her, but Kat didn't care. She tore her weary gaze from them and focused on the body in front of her. Not body. Corpse.

Something seemed to explode inside her as agony took over. Her throat clogged with tears and hatred filled her veins, hot and all-consuming, just like her love for Cage had been. She yanked the dagger from his chest and stood, turning to Cecile.

"You did this," she said through gritted teeth.

The fae was focused on Cage, watching him with a mild frown as if she couldn't understand what had happened. When she raised her eyes to Kat, there was no discernible feeling behind them.

"He was right," she said, her voice even. "He did break the curse."

"Then why is he dead?" Kat yelled, waving the dagger in his direction.

"Kat, look," Keleigh said, pointing behind her.

Kat didn't want to look, didn't care to. Because Cage was at her feet, still not getting up, still dead. Whatever else happened was meaningless.

Cecile shook her head, her hair flowing like the waves of the ocean. "He was never meant to survive this."

Kill her. You have the dagger. Kill her now. She tore you two apart. Took your strength, your energy.

You need him. His power, his magic.

There was no more power, no more magic. No more love.

With a cry of pain, Kat shot forward, dagger ready to strike. Cecile frowned at her and Keleigh gasped as the fae raised her hand and every muscle in Kat's body screamed in agony. She didn't care. She only struggled to step forward, get to her, stab her evil heart.

"Stop struggling, you stupid girl," the fae said between her teeth. With a wave of her hand, Kat's body jerked and turned towards the window.

Her mouth fell open. The statues were gone. A group of terrified girls huddled on the balcony, their eyes wide, their hair wet from the pounding rain. Over their shoulders, thunderclouds gathered above the castle, their rumble singing Kat's misery.

Cage had really broken the curse, and once Kat turned towards the door again, she couldn't help but notice the hope on Keleigh's face. Even if she didn't look behind her, Cecile shook her head as if she could read Keleigh's mind.

"Nothing can raise people from the dead," she said. "Your beau knew this very well."

Joey shook his head in the portrait, his sorrow-filled eyes fixed on Cage's body.

The truth of it had Kat struggling against her magical bonds again. "Great. Then you'll stay dead once I'm done with you."

Cecile narrowed her eyes. "Why so angry? It was his choice."

"Why? You cursed him! You made him do this!"

She huffed and slammed Kat against the nearest wall. She fell to the floor with a loud thump, but she couldn't even feel the impact.

"He deserved it, the disappointment that he was."

"Disappointment? For rejecting you?" Kat pushed herself up on her hands, but every joint trembled.

"I had the biggest plans for him." Cecile lifted Kay up in the air and smashed her against the wall again. "He had so much potential. He was to be my champion. And instead, what do I find?"

She repeated the motion again, as if to drive the point home. Kat's bones rattled and she was convinced something had broken inside her. Not that it mattered anymore.

"A vain, blood-thirsty little womanizer," Cecile continued between her teeth. "And on top of that, he thought he was above me."

"He was above you!" Kat yelled. "He tried so hard to change, to be better. And then you waltzed in looking for a lay and punished him when he wouldn't give it to you."

The fae's eyes narrowed. "You stupid humans never understand, never appreciate our gifts. I made him better!" And she dropped Kat to the floor.

She didn't care. All she wanted was to get to Cecile and twist the dagger into her heart, see the magic slip out of her and laugh. It seemed like her thoughts showed on her face because the fae squinted at her.

"You are tainted by magic, but I can't tell what kind. Or whose."

The magic binding Kat's body became stronger, squeezing the life out of her. "Let me go!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" And Cecile lifted her off the floor again.

Suspended in midair, her entire body in tatters, Kat finally succumbed to her grief. Joey had been right. Killing Cecile wouldn't bring Cage back. And he'd done the right thing. All the petrified girls were free. Even now, Keleigh gathered them from the balcony and around Cecile, leading them to safety. The sea siren didn't seem to care at all. Her glowing eyes were fixed on Kat, probing her as if she wanted to rip the energy out of her.

"Why did you love him?" she suddenly asked. "His looks? His status? His wealth?"

"No," Kat whimpered, watching her blood and tears trickle to the floor in a hypnotic dance. "I loved him because he made me better. Because he believed in me when no one else would. Because he did his best to take the hand he was dealt and change the world."

The floor came closer, but this time the fae lowered her with gentleness instead of violence. Once she touched the stone, Kat reached out her hand and took Cage's. Still warm, still soft, but no longer alive. The iron ring on her finger felt like it was burning her flesh. She wished she could somehow give him some of her life force, share it with him.

Cecile sighed in defeat. "Blazing hell. Fine. I guess I did make a mistake."

Kat lifted her eyes from Cage. "What?"

"I have spoken to him since placing him under the curse." Cecile glanced over her shoulder at Donnie and Keleigh who were still there.

With a flick of the wrist, both of them flew out the door and into the hall. Joey's portrait followed seconds after. Then the door slammed and Kat was truly alone with the fae and the body of the man she loved.

"This will be for your ears only," the fae muttered. "I do not wish to recount my errors to peasants." She let out another heavy sigh. "You know who he really is."

Kat wasn't sure which part Cecile meant, but she nodded anyway, because she did know who Cage was, every last bit of him.

"That is why I sought him. He is the true heir of Iride. And it was only fitting that he would find the heir of Endir and end them."

"Wait, you wanted Cage to find the heir of Endir?"

Cecile nodded. "I wanted him to be my champion, my protégé. I was, as I mentioned, disappointed."

"But he is--"

"I know that now," Cecile snarled. "And it was this curse that made him grow most. And you. The effort he had to put into not killing you. You have no idea how much it shaped him. But..."

It was so strange to see such a perfect being looking so disgruntled.

"When I cursed him, I didn't think he was worth it. I wanted to punish him, not better him. And that was my mistake."

Kat's heart beat so hard, it hurt her ribs. None of this sounded promising. "Can't you undo it? Bring him back?"

"There has been so much magic inside him for so long, his body can't be torn from it. By breaking his bond with magic, he broke his bond with life." Cecile walked over and took Cage's free hand, then closed her eyes.

A bluish glow enveloped her. Cage's hand warmed, the heat spreading through Kat as well. She sat up and gawked at how his entire body glowed with the same blue light.

"You must keep in mid that this comes with a price," the fae said, her voice strained. She reached out her other hand towards Kat and sudden cold froze her insides. "And it's only possible because you have some form of magic within yourself as well."

"What are you doing?" Kat asked, her teeth clattering. "I thought you said there's no bringing people back from the dead."

"There is not. But he wasn't gone. His magic was tied to mine and I hadn't severed the bond. Not yet." She frowned, as if in pain. "Now the only way to undo this is to tie him to you instead. But if I do... As I said, there will be consequences."

Kat took Cecile's outstretched hand. "I don't care. Do it!"

Cecile opened one eye, seeming a bit confused with her determined answer.

"You must never bargain with fairies without asking for the price."

The concept was giving her a headache, but it faded once the cold in her veins intensified. For a moment, Kat was sure her blood vessels would break and she'd end up dead next to Cage. The thought faded the moment he took in a deep breath and sat up. The wound in his chest was closing before their very eyes. And with it, the cold in Kat's veins slipped away as if it had never been there. As if none of this had happened and she and Cage had both just fallen over.

Cecile let them go and stepped back, her breathing heavy. It took Kat another few seconds to come to terms with what just happened.

With a shriek of joy, she threw herself in his arms. He caught her and hugged her tightly. He was alive! Truly alive again!

He detached her from him and kissed her lips. Before Kat could rejoice in the feel of him, he pulled back, his eyes narrowed, and he analyzed her face.

His gaze shot to Cecile. "What happened? What did you do to her?"

The fae rolled her eyes. "This is the thanks I get for pulling you off the edge. Stupid humans. Don't worry, she's fine. Well, as long as you are."

"What did you do to us?" Kat asked.

"I bonded you together. His magic to yours, your life to his." Cecile shrugged as if she hadn't just performed complicated spells. "He's lucky you're actually blessed. Or cursed. I can't tell."

"Shit, I knew it," Cage muttered.

Kat pulled away gawking at him. "You knew?"

He nodded, looking miserable. "There were so many signs. You suffocating in the dungeon, this exchange of energy that seemed to be going on between us, my being able to heal you..."

Her breath caught in her throat. The voices inside her head. Everything fell into place, but it was so confusing. Magic had ended her mother's life. Could Kat have been to blame for that?

"Did it work?" Cage asked, drawing her attention back to him. "Did I break the curse?" He glanced over his shoulder and smiled once he saw the statues were no longer there.

"Yes, you also killed yourself," Kat said, punching his shoulder. "Cecile brought you back."

"Yes, yes," Cecile said with a wave of her hand. "You figured it out and sacrificed your life to protect others and blah, blah, blah. Listen to me! I only did it because I was mistaken about you. If you would have been as bad as I saw you, it would've been impossible for you to break the curse. So yes, I misjudged. It happens to the best of us."

"Best of us?" Kat snapped. "You're a fae!"

"I beg your pardon!" Cecile put her hand on her chest, looking truly affronted. "I am not a fae. I am a fairy!"

"But fairies don't go around cursing people," Kat argued.

"You know nothing of our rules. Regardless, I was wrong. So I brought him back. But pay attention because this is very important." She took in a deep breath. "The only reason you're alive, is because there's still magic in you. Your human body can no longer function without it. It is, let's call it, your life force. But I had to tie it to something living, so I tied it to her magic."

Kat just shrugged as an answer to Cage's questioning gaze.

"This means that you only live as long as she does. If she dies, you die. If you die, you take her magic and half of her life force with you, so she dies."

"So basically we either both live, or we both die," Cage said. "Yeah, okay."

Cecile and Kat both looked at him as if he were mad. He just shrugged and flashed them that charming smile of his.

"What? I can now say that I literally can't live without you. And I don't mind. As long as I stop hurting people."

"Stupid human, do you not listen?" Cecile said. "There's still magic in you. Your magic was your curse."

Kat gawked while Cage stiffened next to her. "Um, what?"

"It is, however greatly reduced, so I morphed it into a blessing and left the good parts of it in," Cecile continued. "Increased force, fast healing... a mild trace of the beast."

"Mild trace," Cage said blankly.

"Yes. It's still there, but you should be able to control it with no trouble. And given that your heart is not made of stone, obviously, you will no longer petrify others." Cecile looked might proud of herself as she said this.

"That's great, I guess," Cage said, wrapping his arm around Kat's shoulder. "So I can step out into the world again?"

"Oh, yes," Cecile said, her intense gaze boring into him. "We will have much to discuss. Because you owe me for this. But, for the time being, I believe you have a great mess downstairs."

Cage just gave a curt nod then leaned his forehead against her temple and squeezes her against him. Kat basked in his strength and his warmth, aware there was much to discuss and figure out. But for now, she was just happy to have him back and not have to worry about the beast.

"Ugh, you two are sickeningly sweet," the fairy said, making a face.

A small slither of jealousy grabbed Kat once she realized why Cage had been so entranced by her. Cecile had a sense of humor and similar mannerisms. He just laughed, holding Kat tighter against him.

"You really are a fairy," he said. "And you've done me the greatest service. Which means it's my obligation to invite you to my wedding."

"Oh no," Cecile said, raising her hands. "Don't you know you don't invite exes to weddings? We will discuss later."

And in a puff of grey smoke, she was gone.

There was indeed a lot to clean up. Fortunately, none of the townspeople had been killed or seriously wounded. Unfortunately, there was the matter of Cage being outed as a witch, so a visit from the castle was only a matter of time.

For now, everyone settled for avoiding Kat like the plague when she rode into town to fetch her father and Keleigh and take them to the castle.

Even with the lack of superstitious peasants, the castle wasn't empty. The soldier accompanying Keleigh was no other than Malcom, and with his return came the other people in the portraits. The ones that were still alive at least. So a flurry of rebellious soldiers and nobles constantly lined outside Cage's study, asking for his advice on state matters.

Kat felt a little dizzy. She couldn't even get used to the idea that Cage was still alive before she was swallowed by the crowd. Joey insisted they organized a ball to celebrate breaking the curse and announce the engagement of the Duke to Kat, and even if Cage told him to shove it, he unfortunately used the other living people to go forth with his plan.

It wasn't a big thing, since Cage didn't want word to reach Valona about his sudden reappearance, but it was still Kat's first ball with real people. She hadn't done too well last time, not with her and Cage almost behaving very improperly on the table.

"It will be alright, sweetheart," he assured her as he led her to the ballroom. "These are the kind of people you can be yourself around."

"Still scared. Still not sure I can dance," she mumbled.

"You'll be just fine."

And his smile, his reassurance meant everything. So when she entered the room filled with friendly, familiar faces, her own smile was honest.

"Introducing the duke and duchess," Joey called from his frame.

"Future duchess," Kat corrected him before she could help herself.

No one froze, no one looked at her strangely for speaking her mind. Cage had been right. She was safe, she could indeed be herself. Besides, she already knew these people, had argued with most of them.

But none of that mattered when Cage took her hand and led her to the dance floor. She felt like she was flying.

"What now?" she asked as they spun in large circles.

"Oh, we have a lot to do," he said with a mischievous grin. "From finding Fer to seeing what Cecile wants and changing kingdom policy regarding magic, there are many adventures before us."

Her eyes sparkled at the thought. "You're going to take me on adventures?"

"Of course. You were born for them. And I promise you this. You will never get bored again."

She laughed as he planted a kiss behind her ear, her happiness complete. Because even if they were bonded by some magic she couldn't fully understand and there were still so many things they had to figure out, there was nothing she would rather do with her life than make a difference. And having the man of her dreams by her side, someone who freed her and always challenged her to be better, was nothing but a plus.

"You know what?" she said. "I now realize one thing. I agreed to marry you and I don't even know your name."

"Oh, that again." He actually looked a little nervous.

"Come on, why won't you tell me? I know it starts with a K."

"I don't like it. I never have. I don't even think of myself that way."

"Then why did you sign all your letters with your initial?"

"Because as silly as it sounds, I don't like C as an initial. K looks better."

Kay tried her best not to start laughing at him. "You're such a letter snob!"

"I just don't want you to call me by another name than Cage," he said, dipping her. Fortunately, or unfortunately, this time he didn't run his lips all over her.

"I don't think I'll be able to anyway. It fits you too well."

"Ironically," he replied, pulling her against him.

"I still want you to tell me."

"Maybe I will some day." He kissed her cheek, next to her ear.

"On our wedding night," she whispered back.

He pulled back and looked at her, a mix of surprise, amusement and pride in his eyes. Then, he put on that smile she liked best. "Done deal. Now let's finish this ball and get to some adventuring."

He didn't let her answer, just kissed her full on the mouth, in front of everyone. She swung her arms around his neck and kissed him back, because after almost losing him, every second they spent together, every breath they took, was sacred. Especially when she was no longer afraid he'd grow claws and tear her apart.

When they finally pulled apart, smiling at each other, she knew there was nowhere else in the world she'd rather be. No other beast she'd rather spend the rest of her life with.

And the rest of her life would be everything she'd ever dreamed.

The End... For Now

Yes, this time I can confirm that there will be a sequel. Because there are many things left unsaid.

I chose to give this book a happy ending, even if our heroes are a bit oblivious right now. Needless to say, the next book will obviously come with complications because there's an obvious bounty on Cage's head right now.

Hope you enjoyed this final twist and how Cecile chose to redeem herself. Now, it's the matter of what she wants in return.

And also this whole heir thing that might make things interesting 😁

Stick around for more funsises (and an author's note before this book is over).

It came without a warning, this ending, didn't it? I didn't mention this would be the last chapter. I honestly wasn't sure how it would turn out because that last bit with the bond came totally out of nowhere. I wasn't planning it to end like this.

In my mind, it was the whole glowy bit and his curse would be lifted. Pffft. Boring. Give way to new, better curse.

Thank you all for reading my first completed fantasy story and my first ever retelling. I had fun, and I enjoyed fast writing these last few chapters. I hope you found it an original retelling and enjoyed the twists.

Since this is the last author note, I will of course want you to answer some questions because I like tormenting faithful readers. So here we go:

1) Did you enjoy the characters?

2) Was the love story believable? (I know it was a fairy tale and those never make sense but I want at least some realism, lol).

3) Did you find the twists from the original tale predictable?

4) Most important, did you have fun?

So, I really hope you enjoyed this story. There will also be a glossary explaining the tie ins between HoS, Disney and RIFOY, as well as some fun stuff regarding the plot.

Hit the star and thank you once more for joining me on this amusing fantastical adventure.

Stef🌟