“How much longer now?”Linnea fanned out her wings as she laid on her stomach, absorbing what heat she could from the sun. Her hand sought out Oleander’s and he grasped it tightly.

A few days, perhaps a week at most.” He pointed up at the sky. “That one looks like a duck.”

Linnea looked at the cloud he was pointing at. It didn’t look all that much like a duck. “When was the last time you have seen a duck?” She had never seen one within the grove before.

“They often fly overhead, much like how clouds do,” he said with a pout. “Does it not look like a duck?”

She shook her head. “The sun is setting soon.” Linnea pulled him to a stand as she rose up. “Trust me. There is something that I want to show you.”

Her magic had gotten stronger. Not only from her feedings, but from her practice as well. Will-o-wisps surrounded the pair, and they began to float up in the air. Maybe he could not leave his grove, but the space above it was fine. She took them higher and higher, until he could see past the tops of the trees that had always obscured his vision.

Oleander was at a loss for words. He could finally see what the true sunset was like. A golden orb swallowed up by hues of pink and blue. From here, he could see the whole of the forest, the river, and even the distant smoke rising from villages as people prepared their dinners.

“Has the world always been this beautiful?” His only regret was that he had no way to remember this. No way to carry this image to all the other flowers that would be born from his tree.

“No. Every sunset is a little different.” Linnea kept her eyes on him. His smile was all that mattered to her. “In autumn, the leaves are lit up like fire, and in winter, it looks like the world is painted in gold.”

“There is a… A fluttering in my chest that has nowhere to go, yet it’s fighting to burst out. My skin wishes to sing, my mind is a mess when it comes to what words I wish to speak, and my very being feels like it’s being twisted back and forth by an invisible force.” He glanced at her bashfully. “I believe I understand you now. Love truly is a happiness like no other.

Linnea laughed at his words. “I can think of no better romance than one where a flower falls in love with the sun.”

Her laugh made him stammer for a moment before he found his words again. “Linnea, where will you go after I die?”

“I thought I would stay and see what the next flower was like, but I’ve decided to travel past the borders of these lands. I’ve taught the will-o-wisps enough to know that the next one will not be left wanting.” She pointed a claw past the dark miasma that laid in the distance. “But I desire to know of the world past this one. There is much I wish to see.” And magic she wished to feast on.

“Linnea.” The nymph repeated in a softer tone. “If I vow to become human so that I may stay by your side, will you give your heart to me?”

“Oleander?” She shook her head. “I could never ask that of you. After all, you were the one who said that you cannot imagine ever being anything but what you are now.”

“I also cannot imagine leaving you alone in the world, not as you are.” The ground below them lit up like stars as the will-o-wisps began to dance, and the two of them began to slowly float back down to join them. “As stunning as the sun can be, it will never be as beautiful as you. I do believe that I love you, Linnea.”

Their feet gently landed in the grass, and a sinking feeling had filled Linnea’s chest as well. “I would tell you that I feel the same, but I have no right to say as much.”

The blossoms of the tree were once again dripping nectar, forming dozens of golden waterfalls. Oleander tightened his grip about Linnea’s hand and guided her to his tree. “I have had weeks to think about it, and this is the decision that I have made. Tonight is the night that we leave this grove forever, but you must vow to give me your heart.”

“Yes! Of course!” She flung her arms about him. Hot tears were streaming from her eyes as her voice began to waver. “You may have my heart! You may have as much of me and more! Anything you ask for, I will give it to you!”

Oleander let out a sigh of relief. He pressed his lips against her neck, and soon enough, they met together in a kiss. It didn’t leave Linnea nauseous as it had before. His skin felt warm and welcoming. Every loving word was returned in kind, and every gentle touch was matched with passion.

They twisted together in a sacred dance, and the will-o-wisps were every singing. The nectar flowed about them, the stars shined high above, and Linnea could never imagine a more beautiful night. Still wrapped about the other, they fell into a deep slumber, and she felt herself wishing that there would be many more nights such as this one in their future.

It was the dry crunch of leaves that woke Linnea up the next day. Linnea sat up, and the bleariness left from the night before still clogged her mind. Her hands groped about, seeking the warmth that had comforted her the night before, but all she felt was a pile of dried petals. Suddenly her mind was much clearer as she looked about, and she could find no signs of her precious Oleander.

Her eyes fell upon the oleander tree. It was dead. The leaves and flowers had withered and fallen, and the wood was left dry and crack. Linnea stood up, crying out as loudly as she could. She tried to fan out her wings, in order to fly out and find him with her magic, but they, like the flowers, had shriveled up and fallen off.

She studied her hands more closely, and her claws were gone. Her horns were missing, and her tail was also gone, leaving nothing but a scar behind. Not knowing where else to go, she ran back to the castle and stumbled up the stairs. The dust was wiped away from the mirror, and she stared in shock at her human appearance. All that remained was a faint lilac hue that stained her left eye, and all other magic was gone.

What had Oleander done? Why was he no longer with her? What had happened to her body? She pulled on a dress as quickly as she could, and raced back down the stairs. Mother was waiting for her. The horse that had abandoned Linnea so long ago had been coaxed into returning by the wolf.

A brief thank you was given, and Linnea rode as quickly as she could away from these woods. Not to her castle, but to the edge of the border. For days she rode, allowing only as much rest as was needed to prevent her horse from dropping dead. She ate little and slept even less, being driven on to find her answers.

When she arrived, she was horrified to see that the miasma was gone. What had replaced it was a ring of oleander trees that knitted together in an impenetrable barrier. When Linnea held up her hand in an attempt to touch it, an invisible force pressed back. She didn’t know what to make of it. She couldn’t understand why Oleander had done this after he had promised to stay by her side.

With no place to return to, Linnea made her way back to her home. Nothing made her feel better. Not the news of her father making a full recovery, or the celebration of her successful return. Her father had sent soldiers to find her, but the only news that they had returned with was that Nicolaos was gone and a demon had taken his place. They were thrilled to know that she had come home safely.

Linnea was told that something wondrous had happened. On the night when she and Oleander vowed their love, the rivers throughout the kingdom flowed gold. The skies had lit up with lights, the miasma had been banished from the border, and the wall of oleanders had taken its place.

After all was said and done, Linnea had no energy to tell them the truth of her own story. She said that Nicolaos had needed her help to ensure that he would no longer be needed to help monitor the border. Together, they found a different solution, and the dragon’s last request before leaving these lands is that his forest remains a refuge for all fae.

Linnea spent a long time after that wishing to be left alone in her chambers. She had no energy anymore and found herself trapped in thoughts of what she had done wrong, or what she could have done differently. All she knew was that Oleander had somehow sacrificed himself for her. He had taken his sins away and had lost his life in the process.

It was for that reason that for the coming weeks, and even years to come, Linnea would struggle to keep her eyes dry of tears.