Mirage

Rumbling echoed throughout the tavern, long and deep in its reverberations.

"I'm starving," Adelaide groaned. She flew from her perch on River's shoulder to hover in the air between her two companions. "Do we have enough for-"

Beast shook the group's nearly empty coin pouch in the air. The few silver they had left clanked together sadly.

"You could always send a message to your dad," River suggested. "You know he would love to help." Her smile, tainted with uncertainty, meant she already knew the answer she was going to get.

Adelaide crossed her arms. "No," she said stubbornly. "I don't need hand-outs. We'll earn our keep."

"Then, we just need a new commission," River said. Her grin was painfully optimistic considering the lack of success they'd had lately. They seemed to be the only treasure hunters around who hadn't found any treasure lately. "Have you looked at the request board today?"

Adelaide's brows furrowed together. "The only ones left are child's play."

"Better than nothing," River suggested with a shrug.

"Maybe if they paid more than 10 silver for such tedious work." Adelaide huffed. "That's barely enough for each of us to get a single meal."

"How can such a tiny being eat so much?" Beast muttered under his breath. Despite his lion-like appearance, the beastman's appetite was nothing compared to his fairy companion.

"Huuuh?!" Adelaide dragged out exaggeratedly. "Say that again!"

"Hey, hey," River interjected in a soothing tone, a hint of magic sprinkled within her words. "We'll figure this out. There's got to be something."

Beast's shoulders relaxed, and he let out a slow exhale before getting up from the table and walking over to the request board. Even though they primarily focused on treasure hunting, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Adelaide deflated and returned to sit on River's shoulder. "I hate when you use your siren influence on me."

River offered Adelaide an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry." She tapped her bare feet against the tavern floor. "My magic is only strong underwater. It's more like a gentle suggestion when I use it on land."

"Whatever," Adelaide grumbled without heat. "Promise you won't do that again." Taking a few of the shorter strands from River's otherwise long, blue hair, she started a small braid to keep herself busy. She briefly wondered if the pearls adorning River's hair would be worth selling but quickly shook the thought from her head. They would do this right.

"I promise," River said sincerely. She gave Adelaide a gentle nudge.

Adelaide huffed. "You know how I feel about promises. I'm holding you to that."

Suddenly, the front door slammed open with such force that a crack ran through the middle of the aged wood. In stumbled a group of five treasure hunters looking worse for wear. Two of them limped weakly with the support of the other members. Claw marks tore through the thick fabric of their clothes, and wounds littered their bodies. They hobbled over to the first available table and fell into the seats with groans and grunts.

"Hey," one of them snapped at River. He stabbed his dagger into the center of his table. "What're you looking at?"

River emitted a short squeaking sound.

"Oh no," Adelaide mumbled. She zipped up into the air, hovering in front of River's face with placating hands. "It's okay-" she started, but it was too late.

A large, flopping tail burst out of nowhere, replacing River's legs beneath her flowy dress. Thin fins grew where her ears had been and scales dotted her skin. Her tail slid to the side, tipping the chair dangerously. She fumbled to grab at the table, but the webbing between her fingers prevented her from grasping on tightly, and she tumbled gracelessly to the ground.

"Hey!" Adelaide shouted back at the group of men. Steam practically billowed from her ears. "Leave her alone!"

With a tired wave of his hand, the man returned to his table where drinks and food were arriving. They dove into their plates without looking up until each one was empty. Adelaide's stomach angrily protested her own lack of food.

Beast returned to the table, paper in hand, and surveilled the scene. Without preamble, he hoisted River off the floor and set her gently onto the bench he had been sitting on before righting her seat for himself.

"A job," he said simply, placing the piece of paper onto the table between them. Its edges were wrinkled and worn, darkened with age.

"Why hasn't anyone else taken it yet?" River wondered. "Usually, the good requests are completed by the larger groups before we get a chance to try them."

"A legendary relic?" Adelaide murmured as she began reading. Her eyes shot up at Beast upon completion. "Are you serious? No wonder no one else has succeeded in finishing this quest. It's impossible."

Beast merely pointed at the listed reward in response.

Adelaide threw her hands up. "Of course it's worth an insane amount!" She jabbed a finger at the fine print at the bottom that served as a warning for future adventurers. "It's been up for months and five teams have failed. What makes you think we'll succeed?"

"We can do anything those other groups can do," Beast said, expertly avoiding Adelaide's point.

"Barely," Adelaide argued. "We only beat out the other groups on that last commission because the strength-enhancing enchantment I put on your sword took them by surprise. Should I make it talk as a diversion next time?"

River interjected, "Maybe it's worth a try." She wrung her webbed hands together beneath the table. She purposefully avoided looking back at the wounded adventurers who had just returned, tallying the fifth failure.

"Exactly. I already accepted it on our behalf," Beast said.

Adelaide started, "But-"

Beast jingled their nearly full coin pouch between his black claws to silence any further protests. "It came with an advance."

Drool dripped from the corner of Adelaide's mouth.

"I guess it's settled," River said warmly. Her tail shrunk back into legs as her fins and webbing disappeared. "Let's have ourselves a nice feast before we set out tomorrow morning."

Adelaide couldn't bring herself to argue any further. Ignoring the second half of the fine print that recommended buying a new set of weapons before setting off, the team flagged down the waitress to start their feast.

—

"So," River started, cutting through the silence as she walked beside Beast with Adelaide fluttering by her shoulder, "we're looking for a legendary relic."

"One that probably doesn't even exist," Adelaide argued. "They didn't even give it a name!"

"Can you see what's ahead?" Beast asked. His armor shone with the sun's reflection. It looked incredibly heavy, but he walked with the confident stride of a seasoned warrior.

Adelaide zipped upward, rising higher in the air to scout out the path ahead. Rocks littered the dusty road. Spots of green dotted the landscape, but it was mostly shades of tan and brown as far as the eye could see. They'd been walking since dawn to get a head start before the sun rose, but the bright rays beat down on them, getting hotter and hotter with each step they took. Beast gulped down the last of his water before stuffing the pouch into the supply bag on his back.

Adelaide returned to River and settled onto her shoulder, using River's hair as a lifeline. "There's nothing but rocks for miles," she said, pulling River's hair over her head to shade her from the sun. Even light fairies could only handle so much direct sunlight. She felt like she was going to pass out from the heat.

"Based on the description, we should see something in a few hours," River replied, biting her lower lip and fisting her hands tightly in the fabric of her loose dress. Her skin ached for water and relief from the dry heat.

"Let's hope it meant a day's travel on foot," Adelaide said. "Though, I fear any sane person would be on horseback."

River shrugged, but her gentle smile returned. "It wasn't very specific. Hopefully, we'll find something soon."

Hours went by without any other signs of life or changes in scenery. River rambled on about random topics or recounted old adventures to keep their minds off their exhaustion. Beast listened silently while Adelaide chimed in every once in a while.

"And do you remember that time-" River stumbled on a rock, hissing with pain as she hopped forward on one foot.

"River!" Adelaide exclaimed. "Are you okay? What was that?"

Pain twisted the optimistic smile that River tried to maintain. "I'm okay," she said quickly. "Just stepped on a sharp rock."

"I keep telling you to wear shoes," Adelaide chastised.

River's bottom lip jutted out in a pout. "They're so stuffy. Besides, they kept ripping when I changed forms unexpectedly." Her voice dipped into an embarrassed whisper. "I'm still working on controlling that."

Beast stopped in front of River with his hand outstretched. Her pout deepened. He didn't move. They stood in a deadlock for a long, uncomfortable minute.

"Oh, fine," River huffed with a sigh. Defeated, she offered her own hand in return. Beast gripped her hand and hoisted her up onto his shoulder before continuing the journey at a faster pace. The trio moved in silence—a leaning tower of rookie treasure hunters charging headfirst into the unknown.

"There!" Adelaide called, pointing into the distance. "There's something ahead!"

River squinted to get a better look.

"An oasis," Beast breathed out in disbelief.

Heat waves danced through their vision as they took in as much of the sight as possible. Long, arching palm trees provided respite from the sun's brutal rays. Shimmering like diamonds was a large, clear pool in the middle of the thick circle of trees.

"That's not possible," Beast murmured, but his words fell on deaf ears as River hopped from his shoulder and bolted for the water.

"How did anyone miss this place?!" River cried joyfully. "It's so beautiful!"

"River, wait-" Adelaide started. She fluttered quickly behind, zipping around River's head. "Something's not right here! Stop-"

River dove straight into the pool-

-only to be met with a faceful of dirt and sand.

The mirage melted into nothingness. Earth cracked in geometric formations from months without sufficient rain. The coarse sand felt as though it had never seen a day of precipitation. There were no trees. Not for miles.

Tears pooled in River's eyes and spilled over like waterfalls, finally giving the desert sand a taste of hydration. Adelaide rested gently atop her head, patting her hair in soothing waves.

"Save your tears," Beast said, coming to stand beside them. "We don't have water to waste."

Scrubbing her sadness away, River looked up at Beast with dirt streaks staining her skin. A bright flush had blossomed in her cheeks, though not from the sun this time. "What are we doing?" she asked weakly. "You know how sensitive I am to magic. If there were anything nearby, I would have felt it by now. We have no idea where we need to go."

"We do," Beast corrected her. He pointed straight ahead at a large rock formation that was just visible on the horizon. River could have sworn it wasn't there a moment ago.

Glimmers of hope sparkled in her eyes as she pushed herself to stand. "That's our destination?" she asked with a desperate longing that had Adelaide clenching her fists. She would fight anyone to keep River safe, but there was nothing she could do at that moment.

"We're going to make it," Adelaide said firmly. "I promise."

Magic tingled over River's skin like a shiver despite the heat. Adelaide had made her a promise. They were going to survive this desert.

Beast took on the heavy lifting once again. Carrying River (and Adelaide) for the next two hours seemed like an arduous task, but he took it in stride with only his sweat-dampened fur as evidence of the strain.

By the time they reached the large rocky outcrop, the sun had dipped below the horizon, cooling the sweat on their skin into uneven patches of sticky discomfort. The natural formation looming above them looked like it belonged to a mountain range, but it spanned less than a mile and appeared to have popped up out of nowhere.

Beast set River down and began investigating to the left, so River and Adelaide turned to the right. They searched up and down the rocky barrier for any signs of- Well, anything. Magical remnants. Cave openings. Anything other than plain old, solid rock.

"There's too much of it," Adelaide complained. She raised her arms out in front of her and focused her gaze on the mountainous structure. A golden glow emitted from her palms and eyes. Small sprinkles of glittering light emanated from them as she muttered an incantation in Old Fae.

"Be careful," River warned, worry creasing her brows. "Don't use too much of your strength. We don't know what else awaits us."

Adelaide ignored her and finished the spell despite the heavy fatigue settling in her bones. If she had any sweat left, it would be pouring down her face. The light from her magic dimmed. Her wings froze and stuttered as she tried to hover in the air. Luckily, River reached out a quick hand and guided Adelaide into her palm. As Adelaide scanned the rocky terrain once more, a bright spot of light stood out to her further to the right. In the last bits of sunlight, it was even easier to see.

"That way," she said, trying to keep her voice strong despite the weakness overtaking her small form. She needed a moment to heal—and a large meal. She swallowed roughly against the ash coating her throat. Finding water was the most important thing right now, but their hopes looked bleak.

River waved Beast over and the three of them nearly knocked their heads together peering at the spot that Adelaide had pointed out. A gentle breeze blew in their direction from what appeared to be solid rock. Beast reached out to knock on the stone, but his knuckles didn't connect with anything. His hand disappeared into the formation, further and further, until his entire arm was submerged in the stone.

"A glamour," Beast noted, pulling his arm back out. It was unscathed.

"How far does it go?" Adelaide wondered under her breath. Louder, she said, "Just give me a minute to rest, and I'll scout it out."

Beast fearlessly thrust his arms through the illusion, waving them up and down to get an idea of the size of the opening.

"Careful!" River warned, reaching out toward Beast. "You don't know what's in there. There could be-"

Beast stepped through the stone wall and disappeared.

"-aaand he's gone."

Adelaide made a 'tsk' sound and shook her head. "All brawn, no brains."

Darkness descended around them while they waited. A chill ran over their arms now that the heat that had been suffocating them all day had vanished. One minute turned into two. Then five. Ten.

"Do you think he's okay?" River said softly as if speaking any louder would bring unwanted attention from the unknown. "He's okay, right? Yeah, he's probably fine."

Adelaide opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Beast poking his head out through the rock. "Come," he said simply. "I cleared the way." Then, he was swallowed up by the rock once more.

Despite the quiver in River's fingers, she reached out to the false rock and allowed her hand to pass through. She closed her eyes and took one quick leap through the barrier.

Adelaide whistled appreciatively. "Nice work."

When River opened her eyes, they were in a wide tunnel. Stalactites hung overhead like stone icicles. Disembodied skeletons, broken gear, and loose pieces of chainmail littered the rocky ground along with various arrows and disabled traps.

"Watch your step," Beast advised, already scooping River up onto his shoulder as her tail poofed into existence. She gripped his mane with white knuckles and swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. Beast moved forward through the tunnel, crushing the old bones underfoot. He tapped a claw against the hilt of his enchanted sword where it rested in his belt.

Light flickered to life in the distance.

"It's a sign," River said through chattering teeth. "Maybe this is all an illusion and those skeletons are ours. Or maybe we never made it through the desert in the first place."

Beast winced as she yanked on his mane to keep herself from falling off of his shoulder as fear gripped her by the shoulders, tension freezing each muscle.

"I do not think the light at the end of the tunnel is so literal," Beast said in an attempt to soothe her worries, but River only squeaked in response. He continued walking forward despite River's weak attempts to convince them otherwise. Adelaide squinted through the darkness but couldn't see what was beyond the light. It grew and grew until they realized they were approaching an opening. Beast's pace quickened—nearly running as he got closer and closer—until he burst through the light and skidded to a stop in a lush garden.

They'd made it through.

Hues of green and gold surrounded them. A path made of small, smooth stones led them through the small forest of bright yellow ginkgo trees. Little pink fruits dotted the ground beneath each tree like sweet offerings. At the end of the path was a large pond. Lily pads floated on the tranquil surface. The garden was surrounded by the mountainous rock like a naturally-barricaded oasis. Even though it was night when they entered the rocky tunnel, the sun was shining high above this paradise.

Adelaide stared at the fallen fruits, salivating and swallowing in a never-ending cycle. With renewed strength, she darted from River's shoulder toward a pile of perfectly ripe fruit. She giggled gleefully and opened her mouth to take a giant bite, but Beast snatched the delectable morsel out of her hands. Freeing his sword from his belt, he stabbed the fruit into the ground.

Adelaide screeched in frustration, but her protests died when a sharp, rotten smell reached her nostrils. She gagged and covered both her mouth and nose to avoid it at all costs.

"Poison," Beast explained. He wiped the tip of his sword against the grass to clean it before returning it to its sheath.

Adelaide grit her teeth and fought against the tears threatening to well in her eyes. Breathe in, breathe out. After a moment, calm washed over her. They just needed to find this relic and get out of here. Then, she could eat her fill.

As Adelaide flew to where Beast had deposited River at the edge of the pond, she was stopped by a handful of bright purple berries that appeared in front of her. Beast looked down at her silently with his hand outstretched. She looked up at Beast, then down at the fruit. Angels sang in her mind as she snatched the berries from his hand, stuffing them into her mouth until it was so full, she could hardly chew. She sighed blissfully and gathered up the rest of the berries in her arms as if they were going to disappear at any moment. Instantly, the aching pains in her stomach settled.

Meanwhile, River dipped the end of her tail into the water to make sure it was real—not another oasis mirage. Her scales soaked it up the moment they touched the water. With a wide grin, she squealed and threw off her dress before sliding into the pond. Fresh water filled her gills and washed the salty sweat from her skin. Glancing up, she watched from below as Beast and Adelaide dipped their hands into the water, scooping up handfuls to drink their fill.

The pond was large enough for River to stretch her muscles by swimming a few small laps. As she did, a glint of light captured her attention from below. She slowed to a stop and swam further down. Now that she wasn't so focused on the aching pains she'd been feeling on the journey, she noticed a familiar tingle across her skin. There was magic nearby.

With a few quick slaps of her tail, she blew away the loose sand around the strange light, revealing a smattering of gold coins at the bottom of the pond. They'd been reflecting the sunlight but didn't look magical themselves.

Bubbles rose to the surface as River screamed with delight. She scooped up as many coins as she could fit in two hands and darted up to the surface. Her hands broke through the surface first as she exclaimed, "Gold!"

Adelaide jumped back, stifling her scream. Beast and Adelaide's eyes widened in unison as they registered River's offering.

"Gold," Adelaide breathed. "That's enough for like… 20 feasts." Drool dripped from her lips once more.

"The legendary relic must be real if there's all this treasure here!" River exclaimed.

Beast hummed thoughtfully and stood, slowly scanning the area. "Let's take a look around."

Adelaide fluttered around the garden searching for any clues while Beast walked the perimeter for any other tunnels or secret openings in the surrounding rock. He tapped the rock periodically just in case his hand slipped through an illusion or the sound indicated a hollow space.

River watched her teammates explore the garden. She leaned on her arms at the edge of the pond and flapped her tail against the crystal-clear water. Rainbows were cast over the garden when the sunlight reflected off of her iridescent scales.

Each time her tail dipped below the water, she felt a strange sensation at the tip of her fin. It was like something was trying to tug her down. She'd been so excited about the gold that she hadn't paid much attention to it before. But now, lounging and waiting, it was all she could feel.

River slid off the bank and swam down as if an invisible force were guiding her under. Toward the edge of the pool, two boulders sat side by side. She watched as her cerulean hair was sucked into the small space between the rocks. There was a small amount of magic in the current. It didn't feel natural. There was something here.

Her companions were waiting for her by the pond when she resurfaced.

"There's something here!" she exclaimed, waving her arms around as she spoke. Beast shook out his fur to remove the water droplets she'd flung in her excitement. "There are a few rocks in the way. If you can blast them with magic, I can go check it out!"

"We need to be smart about this." Adelaide crossed her arms. "We don't know what other monsters or traps could be around here. Why risk it when we've already found more gold than any commission has paid us in the last year?"

"But we're so close," River argued. "You can just-"

"No," Adelaide said firmly. "Let's take the gold and go."

"I just-"

"River."

"Stop it!" River shouted, slamming her fists into the water. Her siren song bubbled in her throat, begging to be released, desperate to calm Adelaide and force her magic from her hand. Pushing her song back down, River swallowed hard against the thorns clawing up in its place. Tears blurred her vision no matter how many times she tried to blink them away.

"You're always protecting me, even when I don't need it." River's voice came out weak and scratchy. "Why don't you think I can do this?"

Adelaide opened her mouth, but no words formed. She tried again only to stumble over them as they suddenly came flooding out. "I don't- It's not that I- I just-"

"I want to do this. For us." River's webbed fingers gripped at the edge of the pond forcefully enough to break off loose bits of dirt into the water. "Let me do this."

Beast raised a brow at Adelaide. She let out a slow sigh and raised her hand. A ray of magic sparkled like diamonds as it shot through the water and surrounded the boulders River had pointed out. With ease, she yanked the rocks from their position and tossed them off into the garden.

"I know you can do this," Adelaide said softly. "Just- Be careful. Whatever's down there… We can't follow you."

River grinned and wiped away the last of her tears. "That's okay," she said. "I can do it. I'm doing it."

With Adelaide and Beast looking on, River swam a lap around the surface. "I'm doing it," she repeated. Her head dipped under the surface before popping back up for one more lap. "Gonna-"

Adelaide crossed her arms, biting back a smile. "Are you doing it or not?"

"I'm nervous!" River cried despite the forced grin on her face. "But I'm doing it!"

Before she could convince herself otherwise, River dove down under the water and allowed the current to pull her through the small, dark tunnel that had been unveiled. Goosebumps rose on her arms as the magic in the water grew more concentrated the further she went. Her hands grazed gently across the slick tunnel walls until it expanded into a large opening.

No light permeated this far deep. It was impossible to tell how large the area was or what was down there. Magic filled the space, so River couldn't pinpoint the source. Waves of water rippled against her skin. She spun around despite her unseeing eyes, turning her head left and right to no avail.

With a deep breath through her gills, she opened her mouth and sang. Her voice echoed off the cavern walls, showing her how large and spacious the cavern was. Unfortunately, she got no more details than that. She imbued gentle magic into her voice, calling forth any other creatures that might aid her in her quest and warning those who would do her harm to stand down. Too much magic, and all nearby lifeforms would be helpless to do anything but obey her commands like mindless zombies. She wouldn't let that happen again.

As her song came to an end, River slowly reached a hand out in front of her in offering. It only took a moment for a small group of fish to approach, swimming circles around her and gently brushing against her hand to let her know they were there. Suction cups wrapped around her wrist as an octopus made itself comfortable on her other arm.

"Hello," River greeted with a nervous giggle. "I'm looking for a legendary relic. Something down here is magical, but I can't see it well like you deep sea folk."

Bubbles rose around her as the school of fish responded excitedly, chattering over each other simultaneously.

"Things are here."

"There are things."

"A relic?"

"Is there a relic?"

"Magic is here."

"There is magic."

"I feel magic."

"You are magic."

"What relic?"

"Oh, magic thing."

"Bad thing!"

"Um- It-" River's mouth flapped opened and closed, unable to get a word in between them. The soft tentacles around her arm popped off, leaving her surrounded by the growing school of fish. They nearly started a whirlpool around her with how fast they were swimming anxious circles.

A heavy weight pressed against River's chest, falling like a rock into her stomach. The lack of light and the oppressive feeling of an unknown magic gripped her heart and squeezed painfully. She allowed herself to sink downward, feeling around the ground for anything that felt like a magic relic or led her to the source.

Sucking in a breath, River belted out a siren song loud enough to drown out the school's incessant yapping. She released a minimal amount of magic. Just enough to relax them. All sounds ceased. The whirlpool around her died as the fish slowed and began separating, drifting off into the darkness once more. A few continued to hover nearby, but they remained quiet.

She swam along the bottom of the cavern and sifted her hands through the sand for anything that felt like it didn't belong. Pieces of shells and rocks were scooped up by the webbing between her fingers, but she let them fall back down like an old gold miner.

Something tugged at her arm. The familiar sensation of suction cups clinging to her skin made her pause.

"Hello again," River said to the octopus.

In lieu of responding, the octopus gave her arm a gentle tug. Its other tentacles walked along the ground, kicking up sand behind it as it led her forward. When it stopped, so did she. It gave her wrist a short pull, and she reached out in front of her.

Ice ran through her body the moment her fingertip made contact with something. She wasn't just cold—it was as if all of the warmth in her body had been stolen away. Screams of pain echoed in her mind, threatening to deafen her. Electricity ran through every muscle in her body like she'd touched a bolt of lightning. Yanking her hand away, she curled it into her chest and clenched it tightly as if it had just been burned. She'd been touched by evil.

There was no legendary relic here. This object was cursed.

"Take it away," a small voice whispered in the emptiness. "Free us from the dark presence."

The octopus hooked a loose, fabric satchel over her arm. Sand tickled River's tail as it skittered behind her, using her as a shield between it and the item.

"Take it."

Not willing to leave that thing down here with these innocent creatures, River slapped her tail fiercely against the sandy bottom to dislodge the item a few feet above. She threw open the satchel and stuck it out in front of her, guesstimating where the item would land. Luckily, she was right. The satchel bowed beneath the weight of the sins it now held as if stretching to get away from it.

The current that had guided her into the deep had vanished. She swam with a fervor, desperate to get rid of the item. When she wasn't touching it directly, all she felt was the pulse of neutral magic radiating from it. The fact that magic so malevolent could hide from her meant it had been masked on purpose by someone much stronger than her. But the longer it stayed here, the more likely it was that the magic would fade, and its evil would poison the residents of the oasis. They had to destroy it.

Light finally pierced through the darkness as River ascended. Aches radiated through the muscles in her tail from how hard she was pushing herself. She had to get to the surface. Sunlight filled her vision. A watery sky awaited her. Two silhouettes hovered at the pond's edge.

Breaking through the surface, River flung the bag haphazardly. It knocked against a tree, landing helplessly atop a small pile of poisonous berries.

"It's cursed!" River shouted, waving her arms wildly. "Don't touch it!"

Beast turned toward the bag, cautiously touching the hilt of his sword in preparation.

"Slow down," Adelaide said, looking between River and the bag. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," River assured her. "Whatever's in that bag is what we came for. There's a powerful seal over it, so I didn't know what it was until I touched it, but it's… It's dark magic."

"It must have been hidden here," Beast wondered aloud. "Perhaps rumors twisted it into a legendary artifact instead of a cursed object. Or… someone wants to get their hands on it and is willing to sacrifice a lowly pawn to do it."

"Let me see," Adelaide said, flying over to the bag. At River's wide eyes, she quickly added, "I won't touch it!"

River sank back into the water just enough to peer over the edge and watch her companions approach the satchel. Hovering a foot above it, Adelaide reached out her hand and let her magic sparkle down around it. She hummed, eyebrows pinching together.

"I can tell something's not right," Adelaide murmured, "but I can't feel much else."

Unsheathing his sword, Beast prodded at the satchel until the item fell out. An ornate tiara glittered in the sun where it rested innocently on the ground. Layers of diamonds, sapphires, and emeralds nearly blinded the trio. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The perfect tool to whisper thoughts of suffering and evil directly into one's mind.

"How did you get here?" River murmured to it under her breath.

Without preamble, Beast raised his sword high over his head and slammed it down on the tiara. Even if the gems were hard enough to survive the blow, surely the thin metal frame wouldn't be. And yet, there it sat. Perfectly unmarred. Beast swung again. Again. Again. Adelaide joined in with a few powerful blasts of magic. By the time the smoke cleared, the ground was charred and the grass had been blown away from that spot. Only the tiara remained.

"We need someone a lot more powerful to handle this," Beast breathed out, sending Adelaide a knowing look. Before sheathing his sword, he used it to knock the tiara back into the satchel.

With a sigh, Adelaide made a scrying circle in the air with her magic, setting up a line of communication directly to the Fae King.

"Hi, Dad."

"Adelaide!" The plump face of an older man filled the circle hanging in the air. "When are you coming home? It's been so long!"

Her lips tilted downward. "It's only been a decade," she said. "But, luckily for you, we're stopping by soon. We found a cursed object that needs destroying."

"Oh, how fun!" The king clapped his jeweled hands, rings on every finger. He leaned his face into the frame. One eye took up the entire circle. "Are Beast and River there? I can't see them." He moved from side to side, one eye to the other. "Hello? Beast? River? Is River waving?"

River waved from the pool with a grin, trying not to laugh.

"Yes, Dad." Adelaide's lips quirked up into a smile. "We have a lot of stories for you."

"I can't wait!" Returning to a more comfortable position, the king settled back onto his throne. He raised an index finger as if an ingenious thought had just occurred to him. "Well, as it happens, I do have a lead on another cursed object-"

Shimmering sparks of magic fluttered to the ground before fizzling out as Adelaide abruptly cut their communication.

River and Beast stared at her expectantly.

"No," Adelaide said, throwing her arms into an "X" shape. "No. No no. We are not doing this again. We got our money. Let's go back to normal treasure hunting like normal treasure hunters."

"But he needs us!" River clasped her hands by her face and whined with a saccharine grin, "Pleeease?"

"You know I hate when you do that," Adelaide grumbled, crossing her arms. Her wings fluttered in double time.

"I didn't use my song!" River exclaimed. "I promised."

"That's not what she's talking about," Beast said. Without further explanation, he turned to Adelaide and nodded. "Let's do it."

Adelaide groaned and flew to her perch on River's shoulder. She fought against—and lost to—the smile pulling at her cheeks as she listened to River's excited chattering. Beast grabbed the satchel, closing it securely and tying it to his belt. It dangled like a hostage next to their earnings. Nearly bursting at the seams, the coin pouch jangled like a fortuitous tune with each step they took as they made their way out of the oasis and onto their next adventure.