The Kiss: An Anthology About Love and Other Close Encounters(3)

Lily turned even whiter than before. “A fireball?” She flipped faster. “A fireball. Ok, I think I can—”

Ella unstrapped the shield on her back and shoved Lily aside. “Oh, you are so utterly useless.”

The tree-man gave a deep, thrumming howl. It swiped its arms at Sir Giles.

“From the darkness, death!” Dirk emerged from between Lily and Ella. He dove past Sir Giles, tumbled around the side of the tree-man, then drove his dagger up to the hilt in the trunk of the creature. “Ha!” he shouted triumphantly. He took a step back and struck a dramatic pose. “One with the shado—”

The tree-man whirled and whipped his spindly arm across Dirk’s face.

Dirk gave howling cry. He stumbled backwards, his hands over his nose, then crashed into the wall and fell to the floor.

Ella rolled her eyes. “You can’t backstab a tree, Dirk.”

Dirk wailed. He rolled back and forth on the steps.

Sir Giles thrust his torch forward. The fire raked across the tree-man’s outstretched branch arm.

The leaves on the tree-man’s hands smoldered and burned. The creature gave a pitiful cry. It shrank back towards the shimmering blue field of magical energy.

“It doesn’t seem to like fire!” Sir Giles yelled triumphantly.

“Fancy a tree not liking fire,” Ella mumbled. She gave Lily a cutting glance. “Now if only we had a fireball—”

Lily thrust the open book towards the Elf. “You think it’s so easy? Why don’t you cast it then?”

“My nose!” Dirk screamed. “Oh gods, it broke my nose!”

“Have at thee, foul tree-thing!” Sir Giles slammed the fiery end of his torch straight into the tree-man’s trunk.

With a strange warbling scream, the tree-man stumbled backwards, trailing smoke and embers. It crashed into the shifting field of magical energy.

There was a horrible screeching sound, followed by a blue flash that was brighter than the sun. A smell of burnt ozone filled the stairwell.

Sir Giles lowered the arm that he had thrown in front of his face. “Well. I say. Good job, Lily.”

Lily rubbed her eyes, coughing from the drifting smoke that hung in the air. She peered up the stairwell.

The shimmering blue field of energy was gone. In front of it lay the burnt and charred corpse of the tree-man.

Sir Giles prodded the blackened remains with his foot. “Not very…traditional. But it gets the job done, I suppose.”

Ella lowered her mace. “You’re giving her credit for that? Pearls, she had no blinking idea what she was doing.”

Sir Giles retrieved his sword with a grimace. He tried his best to rub the ashes and soot off the handle of the weapon. “Come now, Ella. No need for pettiness.” He raised his weapon. “Onwards!”

Ella glared at Lily.

Lily shut her spellbook. She gave an apologetic shrug.

“Oh, my nose.” Dirk stood up. His hands were still cupped over his nose, muffling his voice. “I need healing, Ella.”

The Elf cleric strapped her shield on her back again. She glanced up at Dirk. “Yeah, that’s going to happen.”

Sir Giles led the way up the stairs.

Ella and Lily followed dutifully behind him.

Dirk just slouched against the wall and sobbed softly.

The stairs of the tower opened into a large room. There was one small, barred window, which let in a stream of moonlight. Spiderwebs and dust hung heavy and thick, covering the sparse furniture. In only one place had no dust gathered.

In the direct center of the room was a large altar-like bed, draped in white silk. On it laid a beautiful young woman. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, her hands folded serenely on her breast. Golden hair fell over the pillow under her head, curled and radiant. The blue dress she wore was of silk, undimmed and unfaded by the obvious passage of time around her. Her eyes were closed. She showed no signs of life.

Ella wrinkled her nose. “Is she…dead?”

Sir Giles shook his head. His eyes were fastened on the beautiful creature in front of him. “Nay, dear Ella. She but sleeps a sleep as deep as death, waiting to be awakened.”

“Is that all?” Lily pushed forward and grabbed the woman’s foot. She shook it fiercely. “Hey! Wake up.”

Sir Giles laughed. “Sweet, ignorant Lily. This maiden can only be awakened by a kiss from her true love.”

Ella closed her eyes. “Please, tell me this isn’t the reason why we climbed up all those stairs.”

Sir Giles turned with a frown. “I am a knight of the realm, fair Ella, lest you may have forgotten.”

Ella sighed. “How could I?”

If Sir Giles heard, he didn’t show it. “It is my duty to rescue those who are in peril. To defend the weak and innocent. To be the savior of those who are in evil’s grip.”

Lily peered at the sleeping woman’s face. “Especially if they’re young and beautiful, I suppose?”

Sir Giles cleared his throat. “That…is one of the benefits of the job, yes.”

Lily gave Giles a cold glance. “And I suppose that you are this woman’s true love?”

Sir Giles shuffled uncomfortably. “I…well, I suppose that I could well be.” He lowered his voice. “I think it’s the kiss that’s the really important thing.”