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CHAPTER TWENTY

M elora hated seeing Aurie like this. While thankful that he remained human, he seemed so dejected and defeated.

“Tell me what you have already tried,” she said the next morning at breakfast, trying to imbue her voice with more optimism than she felt. Reflecting his doubt would do no one any good.

He looked at her blankly. “Tried?”

“Yes. What have you tried to do to break the curse? You said that you’d tried several things.”

He carefully set his utensil down and leaned back, his expression resigned. “I did my best not to touch anything new for a week, which was difficult but fruitless.” He began counting his failed solutions off on his fingers. “Then I decided to prove I didn’t need gold by giving it away. I gave some to my servants and sent them off with various pieces to share with the villagers. It didn’t take long before I stopped that.”

She furrowed her brow. “Why? That seems like such a kind-hearted thing to do.”

“In theory, but not in reality. Unfortunately, it just started rumors, and people began trying to infiltrate the manor to steal and destroy things—including parts of my mother’s garden.” He swallowed and looked down at his hands. “At one point, the people were so frenzied with greed that I nearly lost my life.”

She gasped and pressed a hand to her mouth as her heart seemed to stop at his words.

“Besides, who knows what will become of the gold in the possession of others once the curse is broken? It’s all supposed to revert to its original state, but then, I don’t know if the laws of magic change once it no longer belongs to me…” He stared off in the distance, his hands pressed tightly together. A muscle ticked in his jaw.

He continued, “I was only just awakening to my dragon magic then, but I learned to create a magical barrier around Evermore, obscuring it from view. However, the damage was already done. People kept coming in search of treasure, fighting among themselves, ransacking and destroying everything in their reach. So, I began flying over the forest as a dragon, starting new rumors while setting up a wider boundary to keep unsavory people out. From then on, only people who carried an item of my gold, given by me, would be able to get through.”

She was stunned. Never had it occurred to her that such a kind and simple deed could blow up in his face so spectacularly. “I just can’t believe people would do that.”

“Money and greed can make people do unexpected things. I don’t blame people like Taren and his family for wanting more, especially in this economy, but it’s not good to tempt people with unfathomable amounts of wealth and gold. I learned why it is better for money to be earned.”

She could barely take it in. “What did you try next?”

He held up another finger. “I spent some time yelling at the Great Creator and the universe. As you can imagine, that didn’t help much. And why would I deserve mercy after all that I’ve done?

He touched another finger. “I’d heard of the Fountain of Hope and decided to give bathing there a try. I had just returned from that worthless journey when I met you—so… the journey wasn’t so worthless after all.”

He winked at her, making her cheeks burn. She looked away, a smile playing at her lips. Why did he always make her feel all fluttery inside?

“Anything else?” she managed to ask.

“By that point, I had other concerns and was running out of ideas. So, no.”

She pondered all he had said for a moment. “What if you personally helped others instead of delegating that task to your servants?”

“In the beginning, I personally helped hand out gold. However, after what I experienced, I’m afraid that only created more greed and entitlement. Dealing directly with people is dangerous—I might accidentally turn someone to gold again. I fear that giving away gold will make little difference to the curse. Besides, I cannot risk anyone else trying to come here, not when I have you to protect. Keeping the wolves out has been bad enough. The spell that was cast on them is powerful, forcing them to find you.”

“Me?” Her heart stuttered. “That can’t be right. Who would go to all that effort for me? Spells like that cost a lot of money.”

“Your father and your former fiancé.”

She inhaled sharply. “Sir Calix?”

His expression darkened, one fist clenching before hittinghis palm. “Is that his name? I’d like to teach him a lesson. I won’t let him have you. You aren’t some prize to be won. You are a woman of greater worth and intelligence than he’ll ever know.”

“Aurie.” She pressed her hands to her burning cheeks. “Stay on task.” Did he really believe she was all that clever? And of worth? No one had ever said such things to her before. With difficulty, she kept her own mind on solutions. “Now, have you tried touching things of greatest value to you and imagining them back in their natural form? Perhaps that would prove that you long for the golden touch to be gone more than you long for gold. Or what about your dragon magic? Have you tried breathing it onto the gold to change it back? If it could affect the wolves like it did, I don’t see why it can’t be powerful enough to affect the golden curse.”

“We could definitely try the first idea, and while the second one has merit… I’m afraid that—” He rubbed his hands nervously. “I don’t want to change back into a dragon anytime soon.”

“What do you mean? Why not?”

He shivered. “I feel less human every time, and that last time… I didn’t purposely stay away from you. I longed to return and explain myself so you would stop beating yourself up for my mistakes. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t change back.”

Melora leaned forward. “What do you mean? Don’t you have control over when you shift?” It hadn’t occurred to her that he might not.

“Not exactly. Turning into a dragon always feels easier. It tends to happen when I’m feeling disappointed or angry at myself. It also happens when I long to escape my reality or I feel worthless, something that seems to happen more and more often as of late. It can come on suddenly, like it did on our drive home from the village.”

She pressed a hand to her mouth, relief filling her as she suddenly saw the events in an entirely new light.

“It was all I could do to remain human for as long as I did. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it.”

“That’s why you ran?”

“Yes. More than anything, I wanted you to know that it had nothing to do with you. But of course, I could only explain so much as a dragon. And I felt like you deserved to hear the truth through my human lips.” Groaning, he hung his head in shame and covered his face with one hand. “I’m such a mess.”

She pushed her chair back and came round the table, getting as close to him as she dared. “Aurie, you are not a mess. You simply made a mistake. And together we are going to figure out a way out of this. We will break the curse!” She hit the table for emphasis.

He looked up at her, his blue eyes hopeful. “I hope so.”

* * *

A urie cried out in frustration.

It was all useless! They’d tried everything! He stomped around his room, struggling to pull himself together before he faced Melora again. He knew she was only trying to help, but he was a failure—wasting her time.

They’d already spent two days trying to break the curse, all to no avail. He should have known that their joint attempts would be just as futile as his had been. He ran his hands down his face, their failed efforts spinning through his mind. He’d touched item after item, trying to imagine each of them back into their original form—and nothing. They’d tried touching possessions with the most monetary wealth, like his glistening manor, and things that held sentimental value to him, like his mother’s rose garden. All ending in complete and utter failure just like him.

Now, Melora had convinced him to try the one thing he had been avoiding. His mother. He wasn’t sure he could do it. But for her, for her he could at least try. After several calming breaths, he straightened his tunic and opened the door to go and find Melora. It was time to face his demons.

* * *

T ogether, they traveled to the forbidden room. Sweet, wonderful Melora patiently waited beside him while he gathered his courage to enter the room he’d been avoiding since the incident occurred and his faithful servants moved her out of sight.

Aurie raked his hands through his hair as he remembered seeing his mother’s face again, frozen in the middle of their argument, her expression full of sorrow for the man he had become. It freshly brought to his mind how determined she’d been to leave him, and how, instead of allowing her the grace to leave, he’d turned her to gold. Keeping her forever just out of reach.

His fingers trembled as he reached out and brushed her arm, just as he had that fateful day, except this time he imagined her living and breathing once again, ready to argue with him about the curse. Even though he desperately longed to have his mother back, he feared that he was too late.

“Close your eyes and picture her as she was,” Melora gently coached him.

He did as she directed, remembering the good times with his mother, her love and acceptance of him, even when his father insisted he was worthless. The familiar tingling began in his fingers. Hope sparked within him once more, and he thought for one fleeting moment it might work. But just like that, his father’s words returned to him. “You’re useless, Aurie. How do you expect to amount to anything if you keep giving everything away! Let this be a lesson to you. Gold is might. Never be without it, boy, or you’ll be more useless than you are now.” How could he take care of his mother, or even Melora, if he lost everything?

Then and now, he felt that uselessness more deeply than ever.

The tingling stopped, even as his body shook from the emotional effort. He opened his eyes to find his mother exactly as she’d been, frozen by his own worthlessness and folly. A tear slipped down his cheek. His heart was too corrupt to ever reverse the damage he’d done—and he couldn’t change it. When Melora tried to console him, it was more than he could bear. She’d been patient and kind, but he was the beast who had killed his own mother.

“Leave me,” he whispered.

He ground his teeth. He hated to send Melora away. It wasn’t her fault he was like this, and he hated to hurt her once more. Yet he wasn’t ready to face her again.

It was all too much. With his curse he was a monster. Without it, he was nothing.

A urie struggled mightily that night to calm himself enough to remain human and eventually fell into a fitful sleep.

The next day, Melora roused him from bed, refusing to give up. “You can’t let this get you down, Aurie. Every success begins with failure. There must be some way to break this curse, and we are going to find it. I’ve been thinking of some other options. I know you don’t want to change back into a dragon, but do you think you could access your dragon powers as a human?”

He sighed, focusing on her compassionate expression. Though he barely believed change was possible for him, he was willing to try again—for her sake. He must believe it was possible. He must resurrect his hope—the hope that had weakened as the months passed and his mother remained the same, as his curse worsened and the flame over his heart grew larger and larger. Perhaps with Melora’s support he could do this, just as he’d compelled himself to turn back into a human. “I’ve never tried before, but we might as well see if it is possible.”

Several hours of strain and frustration followed. It turned out that dragon magic could not be accessed by his human form. They then tried another of Melora’s ideas—various ways of symbolically letting go of the golden touch. He took golden pieces that were of great value, trying to reject them: he’d sent one away, buried another in the ground, even going so far as trying to break another.

But that effort only left him with bent and ruined gold pieces and ruined hope. Anger twisted his gut. Anger at the dragon for giving him this blasted curse, and anger at himself for being unable to let go of his love of the cold metal enough to finally escape its grasp. What if the dragon lied about the ability to change back? How much time was left before the flame completely consumed his heart? He could feel its heat rising in his chest. What if he was already out of time and all their efforts had been in vain?

Aurie was on the verge of emotional collapse when Melora held out a hand. “Stop, Aurie. I think it’s time for a break. You can’t keep pushing yourself like this.”

His breath heaved as he glanced desperately at the bent and deformed pieces glinting around him, mocking him, as deformed and ruined as his own soul. Would he ever be whole again, or would the golden touch and the dragon ruin him forever?

“Come on, Aurie. Let’s leave all this and do something fun.” She reached toward him, then, seeming to remember herself, dropped her hand.

“Fun?” His eyes lingered on her hand. He didn’t want to always have her nearby without ever being able to touch her. This beautiful woman deserved to be treasured and held—something that—he reminded himself with clenched hands—he could never do. And yet, she was encouraging him to have fun. Hadn’t he been doing the same for her not long ago? He looked up at her, seeking… he didn’t know what.

“Yes, fun! Look, I have an idea.” Her eyes glowed as she pressed her hands together in excitement. “How about you go spend some time painting while I prepare a surprise for you?”

“I’m not sure I can paint… but I’ll definitely look forward to a surprise from you.”

“Sure you can. Just put paint onto the canvas. It doesn’t need to be pretty. Life is messy sometimes. Let all your emotions out. You don’t even have to show it to me. Then, once the surprise is ready, I’ll send Galen to let you know.”

He smiled. “How did I get to be so lucky?” Just watching her enthusiasm warmed him. “What do I need to do to get ready for this big surprise?”

The more they spoke of it, the more excited he became.

“Get all that pent-up emotion out through your painting,” she said. “Then dress in something elegant for dinner. Although, with all your golden attire, I’m certain anything you wear will be perfect.” She winked.

“Does this mean I’ll get to see you all dressed up?”

She giggled. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. You’ll just have to wait.” Her eyes sparkled, and for the first time in days, he felt like he could breathe. “Now go get that beastly emotion out. I have tasks to do.”

He laughed as she shooed him away.

* * *

A s it turned out, throwing paint at the canvas was more cathartic than Aurie would ever have guessed. Painting allowed him to feel and to let go in ways that he’d never expected, especially when he wasn’t worried about what the end result looked like.

After smearing the canvas with color for a time, he began thinking about Melora, her face emerging from the swirl of colors. It felt somehow appropriate, since she had brought color back into his life after it became a monochrome. Without the contrast of other colors, gold had lost its shine. But Melora made everything bright again.

He painted the beauty she couldn’t hold back, no matter how hard she tried. It was a simple and elegant beauty, deep inside. A smile that constantly danced at her lips despite her circumstance. His brush caressed her cheek, longing to touch the real thing… but such a wish was impossible right now.

A knock sounded at his door, and Galen poked his head in. His usually stoic expression looked bright with happiness. “Your maiden awaits and has sent me to prepare you for dinner. Trust me, you don’t want to be late for this.”

“She told you the surprise, but not me?”

“You didn’t expect her to do everything on her own, did you?”

“Definitely not, though I wouldn’t be shocked if she tried.” Aurie chuckled to himself, thinking about her determination as he began cleaning his supplies, unwilling to miss the big surprise. That woman could do anything! “I’m glad she asked for your help.”

“It’s good to hear you laugh again, sir. If I may be so bold.”

Aurie paused. Galen was correct. Not only had Melora brought light back into his life, she had restored the laughter. Perhaps change was more possible than he’d thought. It seemed he was making all kinds of changes for her.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Aurie quickly cleaned up and shaved, taking the time to look his best, smoothing oil over his tight curls. He always kept his hair cropped short and easy to manage, though now he wondered if she preferred it longer. Oh well. He hardly had time to grow it out. As he put on his jerkin, he couldn’t help but think of petite Melora wearing the one he’d given her—of course, she looked better in it than he did, never mind if it swallowed her. He grinned to himself, eager to see what she had planned for them.

He was ready before anyone sent for him. After an agonizing wait of a few moments, Lyra knocked on his door.

“Is she ready?” he asked, his insides dancing.

She nodded, a grin spreading across her lips. “You are going to love it! She looks so beautiful.” She clasped her hands together, her eyes going misty.

“Shall I go get her, then?” He stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind himself.

“Oh no! That would ruin the entire effect.”

“Is that so?” he asked with half a laugh.

“You must meet her in the grand hall. It has that epic staircase so she can make an entrance. You are simply going to love it!” She led him down the hall, practically skipping with excitement.

“Ah yes. We wouldn’t want to deny her an epic entrance.”

Nearly as soon as he entered the grand hall, the delicate strains of a violin filled the room. Something drew his eyes to the top of the stairs.

His breath caught. Lyra was correct. Standing at the top of the stairs, resplendent in an exquisite white gown, Melora made a glorious entrance. Her whole being glowed as she floated down the stairs, her skirts billowing behind her.

Aurie’s mouth went dry. He could hardly breathe. His heart felt as if it would beat only for her, informing his mind of what he already knew: he was in love with this woman. How could he make certain that she would remain in his life forever?

He watched every graceful movement as she descended. Her long, dark hair was piled on top of her head in an alluring fashion with strands flowing and curling around her face and down her back. He longed to pull down those thick, tantalizing locks and tangle his fingers in them, to cradle her head in his hands and touch her enchanting lips with his…

He exhaled, clenching his hands against his trousers, afraid of what they might try to do if he wasn’t careful. He must remember not to touch her, no matter how tempted he might be. Despite their efforts, he remained cursed.

When she descended the last stair, he bowed, wishing he could hold out his hand and escort her, like a true gentleman.

Her smile widened as she curtsied. “Thank you for coming, Aurelius.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it, words escaping him. He cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t miss it for all of Vilastoria. You… you look stunning, but then you always do. You could be in rags, and you’d still steal my heart.”

Her copper cheeks pinked, kindling a fire in the pit of his stomach. A sense of pride filled him. He’d brought that glow to her face, and he longed to do it again and again.

“You really think so?” She looked down at the dress, twirling the skirt back and forth shyly.

“I know so.”

She pressed a hand to her stomach. “I made it myself.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised. You are quite a talented woman. I’m looking forward to discovering the delightful evening you have planned, but I doubt any of it can compare to seeing you thus.”

She laughed and swatted his comment away before pressing her hands to her burning cheeks. “Stop. Now you are just being ridiculous.”

He shook his head, laughing inwardly, “Never!”

A tantalizing smile played at her lips. “Okay Mr.-I-Think-I’m-So-Charming, let’s go have dinner now.”

He sputtered a laugh and followed, happy to spend every moment with her.

She led him to a table set for two, draped with a glittering tablecloth. Flickering candles stood in its center, adding to the enchanting ambiance of the grand hall.

He pulled out her chair and released it before she sat down, determined to be gentlemanly and to act with the utmost care.

Once he sat, Lyra entered with their meal on a platter, all while the violin’s soft strains continued. A few mistakes here and there were hardly noticeable, he was so enamored with the woman before him. “Where is the violin music coming from? I don’t recall any musicians nearby.”

Her expression glowed with delight. “Galen told me he plays.”

“Galen? I never knew.” He gazed at her in awe. Never would he have thought to ask Galen if he could play the violin, of all things. “I cannot imagine how that conversation even came up.”

Her laugh added to the trilling music. Nothing could ever sound quite so captivating.

“I merely told the staff I wanted to plan a romantic evening with you and asked if anyone could play an instrument. Galen confessed that he could play the violin. Though he felt inadequate, I convinced him to play for us.” She leaned forward to whisper. “Between you and me, I think he severely underestimates his talent, much like you do.”

His nod froze, turning into a shake. While he could agree that Galen had some untapped talent, he just couldn’t accept his own.

“Yes, you do, Aurie. Your paintings are exquisite. They fit right in with the masters. I’m hoping you’ll show me what you were working on earlier. And don’t tell me you didn’t paint, or that it is of little consequence. Galen already ratted you out.”

A chuckle bubbled out. He was thankful for his dark skin, hopeful it would hide the blush he felt burning in his cheeks at her praise. “I’m afraid you’ve set the entire staff against me.”

“Not against you, quite the opposite. You just don’t always know what you need.” She winked.

He laughed again. How he loved this woman. From the moment he met her, he knew his life would forever be changed.

Mrs. Calla had prepared his favorite dinner combined with some of Melora’s favorites, making it that much better. Laughter and smiles flowed freely as the evening continued. Aurie loved seeing her like this, confident and radiant. He enjoyed getting to know her better and sharing more about himself.

Once they had eaten their fill, the bewitching strains of the violin changed into the chiming of a piano.

He grinned at Melora, shaking his head in wonder. “Don’t tell me Galen plays the piano, too. If so, he is quite accomplished.”

“If he does, he did not confess to me. That is Lyra.” She laid her napkin down and bit her lip before standing, her hand beckoning. “Come, we mustn’t let all of this lovely music go to waste.”

His heart sank. He looked up at her, longing to do as she bid, to hold her in his arms and dance as he’d never danced before—only he couldn’t. Perhaps in her excitement, it hadn’t occurred to her that he would be unable to dance.

“Melora, much as I long to dance with you, I cannot for fear of turning you to gold.”

“Oh! Of course. But it is possible to dance without touching. You’ll see! It will be a lot of fun! I’ve never had a handsome would-be-rescuer to dance with before.”

He barely suppressed a grin at the reminder of their first meeting even as his stomach sank. The temptation to give into his desire to dance with her was strong, though he couldn’t see what plan she could have that would make it possible.

She pulled out a length of fabric and held it toward him. “I know you cannot touch me, but I believe you may safely grasp this.”

The echo of the words he’d spoken to her during their first meeting raised his hopes. He stood. Perhaps it was possible.

“Though I was offended at the time—because I didn’t know about your curse—you are the one who gave me the idea. If we keep this ribbon between us at all times, I think we can make it work.”

Without a second thought, he reached out and snagged the cloth. Magic shimmered and hummed, glowing as it traveled down the fabric, changing it from the pristine white that matched her dress into gold.

Melora gasped in wonder. “I knew that your touch would turn things to gold, but it’s quite different seeing it in action.” She gazed up at him, her warm doe-like brown eyes wide with wonder.

“It’s a magical experience, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

The awe in her voice warmed him deep within. He longed for her to always hold him in such awe.

“Was this part of your dress?”

“Oh yes, I made it specifically for this purpose. Which reminds me, I have another one so we can hold one in each hand.”

Stepping closer, he reached out and grasped the second ribbon, eliciting a gasp of pleasure. He’d turn the entire world to gold to bring such a response from Melora. Then he shook his head, dampening that thought. He needed to rid himself of the curse so he could finally be with her without this blasted distance.

They stood gazing into one another’s eyes for a moment, clinging to each ribbon as the piano rang a beautiful melody. The music shifted into a waltz, accompanied by the violin. Aurie grinned. “Lyra and Galen have outdone themselves. Shall we honor their efforts with an actual dance?”

Her laugh fanned the fire inside him.

He carefully led her to the center of the dance floor and counted the beats out loud before beginning. He simply couldn’t risk either of them making an error—the consequences were too high.

Melora gracefully moved with him in time to the music, though he felt like she was so far away. She followed his lead as he lifted his arm to twirl her carefully under the ribbon. It was mesmerizing to watch her glide through each movement, radiating happiness. One dance faded into another. They danced easily together with only a few missteps because of the distance between them and the awkwardness of holding and releasing the ribbon instead of hands. However, she recovered quickly and glided effortlessly across the floor once more.

His heart pulsed to the sound of the music, the sound of her, until he longed to hold her closer.

When the song ended, he paused their dance.

“I have an idea.” Tugging the ribbon from her fingers, he wound the ends together in a firm knot. “There.” He grasped the end and offered her the length of the fabric. “Now take that end and wrap it around your waist, then hand me the other end. Hopefully, this will allow us to dance a bit more appropriately, but we still needn’t touch.”

“Are you certain?” The hopeful look in her eyes confirmed that she wanted to try it as much as he did.

“You can trust me,” he whispered.

She bit her lip and nodded, wrapping the length of the ribbon around herself and holding the end out toward him.

He grasped the string and tugged her closer. Energy coursed between them. They mirrored each other, each holding one hand up as if clasping palms and keeping the other down at their sides. This time it was easier to lead her through the steps; however, the risk of mistakes was higher.

Her skirt billowed like a cloud as he spun her in a tight circle. Their feet moved in a more intricate dance. She twisted around him and under his arm before coming back to him. Her sweet scent wafted around him. He could almost feel her against his skin. The movement was perfect, like a scene from a fairytale— his fairytale. Though he wasn’t entirely certain that he deserved such happiness.

After turning her around in an elegant promenade, he reached for the fabric of the ribbon he’d released. Except, instead of grasping the string, his fingers accidentally brushed against the silk of her full skirt.

“No!” His breath hitched, feeling a visceral pain as if a talon had pierced his heart. Instinctively, he stepped away from her, watching helplessly as magic sparked where his fingers had so carelessly grazed, staining the pure white of her dress, rippling and traveling across the length of her gown and up her chest.

Agony consumed him, causing his whole body to tense inward as his hands groped uselessly. But there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable transformation. Soon she would be nothing but a golden statue, tainted by his curse—like his mother.