Page 75 of The Frog Prince

“Are you saying he doesn’t know how to stop this anymore?”

“I think he’s gone too far. It’s out of his control and he can’t fix it. It’s why he was desperate for me to find a cure. It’s why he’s been desperate to find you.”

“Saving a whole village of people on the brink of death is certainly a tale that would spread his name.”

“Yes.”

Alwin sat there for a moment, thinking. “I should confront him.”

“What?!”

“I can offer him what he wants. A deal, for the source of the sickness.”

“Alwin, you can’t. I want nothing more than to help people, but you don’t make deals with people like him. You said so yourself.”

“People’s lives are at stake,” Alwin said. “I can’t ignore it.”

“I know. I can’t either.” Otto’s voice shook before he visibly steeled himself. “Which is why I’m going to cure them.”

Alwin fully believed him.

“What do you need? I’ll give it to you.”

“A place to work and equipment. Henne must have found something in the forest. He wasn’t able to bargain with you, and he’s made no long trips since this first started. That means I can find what he used right here, I just need the tools.”

Alwin got up from his seat. “Follow me.”

He led them to another broken room, laying a hand on the wall and feeling the thrum of magic through its center. He closed hiseyes and whispered to the power that lived inside him, feeling the shape of how much he would need to pour into the well.

He only had one thing of significance left.

Another small piece of me for it.

It was sealed with the sound of the well echoing back.

He heard Otto’s gasp behind him and felt the weakness and rigidity as part of him solidified into this form. Never to be changed. Not even with the breaking of a curse.

He couldn’t mourn it as he opened his weary eyes and saw Otto’s wonderous expression at the workstation that had formed in front of his eyes. It was made from the forest itself, the magic taking parts of nature and reforming them to fit Otto’s needs.

There was a sturdy table with winding legs made from twisted branches and vines. The same materials made cradles that protruded from the table itself to cup all manner of alchemical equipment. Vials, beakers, alembics, and retorts, all lined up perfectly.

Otto ran his hands over every inch of it before turning back to Alwin with stars in his eyes. “This is amazing.”

Alwin smiled weakly and held himself up by the wall. “Good.”

His smile fell. “But what did you bargain?”

Alwin shook his head. “Nothing I wasn’t willing to give.”

“Alwin—” He took a step forward.

“Please.” Alwin held up a hand. “This is the only way I could think to help. We came here because of me. We can’t let them suffer.”

Otto paused, looking like he wanted to argue before sighing and accepting Alwin’s choice.

“There’s one more thing I have for you,” Alwin said. “The room we prepared for you.”

“Prepared?”