Cinderella: A Fractured Fairytale

Seventy-Two

Ethan's POV

Chapter 72

***

I knelt at Jovette's side, my whole body shaking as tears slipped down my cheeks. "Jovette."

Her eyes were half closed and she looked stunned. There was a black knife embedded in the space between her ribs.

Pain filled me at the sight. That knife was meant for me.

Jovette gave me a soft smile, her voice weak as she spoke. "I knew you wouldn't do it."

A sob shook me. "Jovette..."

She reached up to brush a tear away from my face. "Shhh. It's okay, Ethan."

How can she say that? She just gave her life for me!

I felt my hands trembling as I reached out towards her, focusing with all I had in me.

The magic didn't come.

"I... I can't heal you." Despair choked my words. "My magic's not strong enough."

"Shhh," she soothed again. "Don't cry."

The words made my tears flow faster. Grief and despair pulsed through me, and the physical pain that came along with it made me gasp. It was worse than ever before.

Could I even survive it?

Jovette took my hand in hers. Her grip was so weak. "Ethan..." she whispered. "I need to tell you..."

"Yes?" I bent closer, stroking her hair back with my other hand.

She coughed, fragile. Her hand was shaking in mine. "I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," I promised softly. Another tear slipped from my face and fell into hers.

Jovette met my eyes. "You need to let go," she murmured. "If you ever want to feel again, you'll have to let yourself. Take down the walls you've built."

I stared at her. "But..."

The barricades, the walls inside of me were the only things keeping me from more pain.

"Please," Jovette begged softly. "You have to trust me. I know it hurts. It will always hurt if you don't let it go."

"I..." My face twisted in pain.

She closed her eyes a moment. A few shudders wracked her body, then she opened her eyes again. "Listen to me. I think the reason you're hurting so much is because you've had a wall built inside you to hold back the emotions. When a little bit of emotion gets through, the rest of it wants to come out and it pushes at the wall and tries to break free. If you let it break free, the wall won't be there anymore."

She let go, and I grasped her hand again and held it tightly. "I'll try," I whispered. "I'll try."

For you.

I closed my eyes and turned inward, trying to let the emotions come out instead of blocking them off. The pain intensified degree by degree, and my airway choked up. I couldn't breathe.

I almost collapsed.

"I... can't... do it," I got out in breathless gasps. "It's so hard-- too painful."

"Try," Jovette pleaded. "Keep trying."

"You can do it," came a hesitantly encouraging voice from behind me. I jerked my head up and realized that Ana and Eric were standing at either side of me, watching.

"Save her," I begged Eric through tears of grief and pain.

Eric shook his head. His face was pale. "I already tried," he explained in a whisper. "I'm still too weak to work magic."

If I hadn't caused him an emotional breakdown...

"You were always the better of the two of us at magic," I choked out desperately. "You can do it."

He shook his head slowly. "You were better than me before Father did something to you."

"But I'm not!" I bent over her again. "Jovette, hold on."

"Only if you let go," she gasped out. Her face was etched with agony.

"I will!" My breathing started to come in short, quick gasps. "But stay alive. Stay here with me."

Jovette met my gaze. Now her own eyes had tears in them. "We both know that's not going to happen," she whispered. Her eyes were starting to rove and wander, becoming unfocused.

No! Stay with me!

"It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would," she said softly.

"Stop it!" I gripped her hand tighter, bringing it up close and pressing it to my lips. "You're not going to die. You're not going to die."

But now her eyes were glassy and unseeing. I touched her face. It was cold.

My face crumpled. "No," I whispered. "No."

My tears overcame me and I bent over her lifeless body, caressing her cheek with my fingertips. "Jovette." A sob shook my shoulders. Even the name felt empty now.

Then one last emotion trickled through, and in that moment I looked at her and saw everything in a new light. My lips barely moved as I whispered three words that hadn't left my mouth in nine years.

"I love you."

No sooner than the last word had left my mouth, the dam broke. A cascade of emotions swept through me, and a stab of agony pierced my body. It wasn't like the old pain, though. It was the pain that came from demolishing old barricades that had been in place for years.

I felt the walls inside me being washed away by an all-encompassing tide of emotion that hurt and cleansed at the same time.

Through the excruciating pain, I realized I could feel my magic again. It was there, right at the tips of my fingers.

If I'm going to die, at least I'll do one more thing before I do.

With my eyes narrowed to force away the pain, I gritted my teeth and focused harder than I ever had before. My heartstone glowed with a sudden flash of light, and suddenly, the knife embedded in her flesh was gone. There was no wound beneath, not even a tear in the fabric of her dress.

My heartstone was a sudden, pulsing blue, and strength rushed through me, filling me to the brim, then drained out even more quickly, leaving me gasping and breathless.

I collapsed back onto the floor, knowing I was likely dead and not even caring.