Chapter 15: Zane Finds Jesse

Chapter 15: Zane Finds Jesse

At the lake, Jaden and Aster began searching for Syrus and Jesse.

“No sign of them yet.” Jaden said.

“I hope that petty Syrus knows what he’s doing.” Aster said.

“Incoming!” Jaden yelled.

Syrus and Jesse arrived and Aster quickly lit up a stick from a firefly light and swung it about, signaling for them to land.

“Ha ha! There they are!” Syrus yelled, just as Zane arrived and stopped.

Meanwhile, Syrus and Jesse landed and Aster douses the stick.

“It’s almost time, Jesse.” Syrus said. “Look.”

The moon began to rise, which Jesse noticed, before she shook her head and said. “I can’t do it.”

“Well, you have to!” Syrus said.

“He’ll kill me, Syrus!” Jesse said.

“Oh… You don’t do it now, Jesse,” Syrus said, “you’ve lost your chance for life.”

Jesse turned to her friend, who nodded.  

“All right. I’ll do it.” Jesse said.

“Go!” Syrus ordered her.

Jesse descended down to the lake, catching Zane’s attention.

“What?” He said in confusion, wondering what was going on.

“All right, come on, come on…” Syrus mumbled.

Jesse landed in the water and moved towards the moonlight, only for it to disappear. She gasped in horror, before she turned and noticed that the moon is covered by clouds, before she turns nervously, realizing she's doomed.

“Gotcha!” Zane said, as he aimed at Jesse, only to get hit by Syrus.

Syrus squawked and Zane aimed at him, when he noticed Syrus staring at something behind him. Zane turned just in time and watched as the reflection of the moonlight glowed around Jesse. The water swirled around her and she changed back into a human. Zane stared at her in shock, wondering if he was dreaming.

“Hello, Zane.” Jesse said, with a smile.

Without a word, Zane dropped his bow and ran towards her. He hugged her and gave her a twirl, before they both kissed.

“Oh Zane,” Jesse said. “I’ve missed you so.”

“No one believed me,” Zane said, “but I knew.”

But then, Jesse remembered something, before she said. “You can’t stay.”

“Can’t stay?” Zane said. “No, I’ll never let you out of my sight again.”

He hugged her again and Jesse said. “Listen to me, Zane.”

But, before she could say anything else, she froze, as she heard Adrian call out. “Jesse!”

“Oh no!” Jesse groaned.

Now, Zane looked concerned, as he asked her. “Who is it? What’s going on?”

“It’s him!” Jesse said.

“Who?” Zane asked her.

“He has me under a spell.” Jesse answered.

“Who does?” Zane questioned.

“Jesse!” Adrian called out again.

“Let him come!” Zane said, getting ready to protect her from Adrian. “I’ll...”

“No,” Jesse said, “he has great power. You must go!”

“Then you’re coming with me.” Zane told her.

“I can’t!” Jesse said. “When the moon sets I’ll turn back into a swan. Please Zane, you have to trust me. Go!”

“There must be some way to break the spell.” Zane said.

“Oh, there is. You must make a vow of everlasting love...” Jesse told Zane.

“I make it? It’s all I’ve ever wanted.” Zane replied.

“You must prove it to the world.” Jesse said.

“How? How?” Zane questioned.

“I don’t know!” Jesse cried.

“Jesse!” Adrian called out again.

Jesse gasped and quickly pushed Zane away, as she said. “Go!”

“The ball!” Zane said. “Tomorrow night, come to the castle. Before the whole world I will make a vow of everlasting love.”

“Jesse!” Adrian yelled again.

“I’m coming!” Jesse called out, before she turned to Zane and said, desperately. “Go!”

“Tomorrow night.” Zane said, removing the locket.

“Yes.” Jesse said. “Tomorrow night. Now go.”

Zane tossed her the locket and Jesse caught it and smiled as she opened her hands and stared at the locket.

“Jesse!” Adrian called out, just as Zane left and Jesse spun around to see Adrian approaching her, while he was tapping its foot impatiently. “Didn’t you hear me calling?”

“I… I…” Jesse said, nervously.

“I thought I heard… voices.” Adrian said, pulling aside some bushes.

Aster yelped, when he saw Adrian, before they quickly got into the proper sitting position for frogs and croaked. “Jesse. Jesse.”

“Voices?” Jesse said.

“Yes? Voices.” Adrian said, glaring at her, suspiciously.

“Well, I — I…” Jesse replied nervously.

“You what?” Adrian asked.

“I’ve decided to become your queen.” Jesse said.

Jaden and Syrus gasped, while Aster.

“No! You mean…” Adrian said, before he smirked, while Adrian looked a bit surprised. “Hu-huh! Jesse, Jesse, you’ve made me so happy. I’ll be a good king, you’ll see,” he immediately realized what was going on, before it eagerly rubbed its hands, as Adrian said. “I’ll wear nice clothes. Oh, oh, you’ve made me so happy, Jesse, oh…” But then he smirked even more, as he said. “By the way, you wouldn’t happen to know who this belongs to, would you?”

Jesse gasped, realizing that the jig was up, while Syrus and Jaden gasped again and Aster fainted again.

“Ah!” Aster exclaimed.

““Come to the ball?”” Adrian said, repeating Zane’s words, while he mockingly shook its finger at Jesse, like she had done something naughty. ““I will make a vow of everlasting love…”” Adrian laughed, as Jesse first glared at him, as he added. “Thought you could fool Adrian, did you?”

Adrian tossed Zane’s bow into the lake.

“I will never be yours! You creature!” Jesse spat. “I will marry Prince Zane and you cannot stop me!”

She angrily backed away, as he approached her, but Adrian stepped up from behind her shadow and held it in place, as Jesse struggled uselessly against the invisible force holding her captive.

“Oh, I hate to tell you this, Jesse,” Adrian said, as he grabbed her wrist, forcing her hand open, and took the locket from her, “but you won’t be able to attend the big ball tomorrow night.”

Jesse’s eyes narrowed, once Adrian let go of her, as she said. “If you want to stop me, you’ll have to kill me.”

Adrian smirked, while he just shook its head in amusement at Jesse, as he said.  “No! I don’t think so. You see, you’ve forgotten one very important thing… Tomorrow night there is no moon.”

Jesse gasped, as she turned to look at the moon that was a crescent, before she collapsed onto her knees and began crying, as Adrian laughed evilly. Her one chance of going to tomorrow night's ball is lost.

It’s long, I’ll write chapter 16.