Beauty's Beast- The Light

by Sebrena Merly

  "Oh, please," she said, busying herself by grabbing a rag from the pile on the chair, careful to avoid looking at the demon as she did and drenching it in the warm water, trying her best to meet his eyes without flinching. "You're not a dog, are you?" When he gave her a look, one that involved raised eyebrows, she stared at him for a moment, then remembered that—not moments before—he had actually been some sort of wolf, and she huffed. "You know what I mean."

  "You are a very ignorant child," he said, clearly annoyed, which only infuriated Bella even further.

  "Well, I would say that you're a demonic idiot, but I think we all know that by now," Bella retorted. One side of her was fearful of the reaction that would possibly follow, but the other was completely oblivious to it, more interested in countering the demon's insults, as it was a child's way to do so, and she pursed her lips when the demon gave her the most vile expression she had ever received in her life, returning it with a smirk.

  "Out of the room," the demon said, directing his words to everyone but the girl sitting before him, who had taken to gently dabbing at his wounds as she glared at him, and he squirmed away—though there wasn't really anywhere to go—each time the wet rag touched his skin.

  "But," Thais started, empty vial held above the bowl of water and wet rag in hand as she looked at him with a frightened expression, glancing somewhat protectively at Bella.

  "Now," he snapped, causing some of the others to jump and race away, disappearing as they did.

  Thais did as she was told, but not before turning at the door and saying, "We need her." Then she turned and walked through the doorway with a frigid back.

  Bella frowned, looking at the demon. "And what, exactly, does she mean by that?"

  The demon ignored her, looking her over slowly, and carefully, before raising a brow and giving her an amused look. Before Bella could register this expression, it was wiped away with a roll of his eyes and a grumble. "You do know those wolves could've killed you."

  "I'm touched that you care," Bella replied flatly, pressing the rag at his wound again, and she sighed when he cringed back.

  "It was stupid of you to run off into the forest like that. You don't know what's out there," he continued, white eyes staring into hers.

  "Well it's not like I know what's in here either," she returned with a huff, reaching to clean the deep scratch on his arm, but he pulled back before she could even touch it.

  "You could've been killed!" he exclaimed, flinching when she gave him a cold look.

  "Is it any better than being held captive here, never to see my father or anyone else?" she demanded.

  He threw his arms into the air the best he could, which resulted in him flinching as pain filtered through his body, and he scowled at her. "If you would like to die, be my guest. Step right back out of those gates. I won't stop you." When she lowered her eyes, looking at the floor, he nodded. "That's what I thought."

  Furious, Bella wasn't so gentle this time, pressing the rag quickly to the demon's wound, as he squirmed, which made him roar.

  "That hurts!" he shouted at her, face leaning right in front of hers, expecting her to cringe back, but she only squinted her eyes and glared right back at him.

  "Maybe it wouldn't if you held still," she told him haughtily, pressing at the wound again, though this time not with as much force.

  "You need to learn some manners."

  "And you need to control your temper."

  The demon frowned, looking away from her, at the fireplace, deep in thought as Bella glared at him. After a few minutes of silence, and cleaning wounds, Bella finally spoke up.

  "The only reason I ran was because you scared me. You were very angry, and I'm pretty sure you were trying to kill me." She wasn't glaring at him, though; just looking at him like she was simply pointing out a fact.

  He snarled as he turned to her. "You were somewhere you weren't supposed to be. I specifically told you the East Wing was off limits!"

  "My curiosity got the better of me," she admitted with a nod. "But I wouldn't have been so curious if you told me your reason in the first place."

  The demon looked away again. "It was none of your business."

  "Last I checked, my father's wandering through the woods was none of your business either," Bella hissed. She bit her tongue quickly after that, glaring at the wounds she was cleaning.

  "It's your father's fault for trespassing," he replied with a wave of his hand, sounding bored and uninterested.

  Bella threw her rag down and stood, earning a bewildered and wide-eyed expression from him. "Don't you dare start on that! My father would never have even set foot in this place unless he was lost. And yet you treat him like some intruder and lock him up!"

  "It's what I do!" he shouted back, pulling himself onto his feet, flinching at the results of this. "Your father saw the beings that wander these halls. I couldn't risk their safety!"

  "Yet you were so willing to let him go when you threatened his life and exchanged it for me," Bella said quietly, almost a whisper, voice as dark as her eyes, which looked quite threatening for a young woman.

  He looked away, sitting back down. "That was for reasons of my own."

  "Which is precisely my point," Bella groaned, stepping up to the side of the chair and peering into his face. "What are you hiding?"

  The demon looked like he was going to tell her, looking into her eyes as she frowned down at him, and his mouth opened, the words beginning to form.

  The door opened with a clatter, and Thais strolled in, bandages in her hand, along with some more vials. "The wounds need to be covered to heal better, and to be sure the bleeding really stops." Behind her, a tray with a tea pot and a couple of glass cups were floating, held evenly in the air and following in her footsteps. She turned to that tray, nodding at it. "Set it at the table, please." As the dishes—or the Fae, whichever one it was she had spoken to—did as they were told, she glanced over at Bella and the demon, whose faces were merely inches apart as if they had been sharing trade secrets, and she frowned. "I haven't interrupted anything, have I?"

  "No," the demon said quickly, straightening up in his chair, pulling away. Bella did this as well, fully standing up, though not before narrowing her eyes at him. But he was looking at Thais now, who was steadily wrapping his wounds and dabbing the contents of all the vials on the wounds that were small enough not to be covered. After a minute or two of silence, he said, "They were the wolves of the North."

  Thais's hands froze, and she looked deep into his eyes, almost as if having a silent conversation with him, and she gently set everything down. "You're sure?"

  "They certainly didn't look like any other wild beast," he told her, straight-faced, as if this didn't interest him as much as he knew it to be dangerous.

  Bella came around and stood in front of them curiously. "What's bad about the Northern wolves?" Besides the fact that they were big, mean, and scary.

  Thais ignored her, still concentrated on the demon. "You know what this means, don't you?"

  He nodded solemnly. "Yes."

  "I still don't understand," Bella said.

  "They're not ones to be trifled with," he told her, though it didn't fully answer her question. He stood then, which made her blush and look away, having had forgotten he wasn't dressed.

  "But what's so bad about them?" she pressed, face turned away from him.

  "They're very dangerous," he replied, again not answering her question. Then he chuckled. "Strange that you should be so shy when you have no room to speak." This time she did look at him, though being sure to keep her eyes on his, and gave him a questioning look, which he returned with a gesture at her body. "Your robe is still open."

  Bella looked down at herself and realized, much to her shock and embarrassment, that he was right. She had completely forgotten that her robe had been torn open when she was out in the woods with the wolves, and had gone through the rest of her time with it hanging open, revealing everything. Cheeks flushing ferocio
usly, she yanked at the tie, pinning the cloth around her.

  "Nobody mentioned it before," she muttered, glaring at the ground.

  "That's because it doesn't matter to our kind," he replied. "Perhaps you ought to bath and get another meal. I'm sure you're quite hungry, and you're looking rather filthy."

  "As if you have any room to speak," she scoffed. Then she realized what he was doing, and she scowled. "You're trying to change the subject! Do you really think I'm that big of an idiot?"

  "Obviously not big enough," he sighed. "But the matter is not yours to worry over. I suggest you do as you're told." He nodded to the tray on the table. "And take a cup of tea while you're at it."

  "But-"

  "Now." He watched her with leveled eyes, daring her to argue with him.

  As much as she wanted to, she poured herself a cup of tea, adding some sugar and cream to it, then turned and left the room. As soon as she closed the door, however, she lingered, trying to listen to the conversation. It was quite difficult to pick up sound, since the door was so thick and the room was so big, which meant they were a ways from that door, but she managed, catching bits and pieces.

  "-he should be here any day," came the demon's voice, floating over, gentle but audible.

  "...really wise?...dangerous...the girl?"

  Bella frowned, pressing her ear even more to the door. Was it possible they were talking about her? And what about this so-called dangerous stranger that was supposed to show up? Who was he?

  "..no choice...my control."

  There was a clatter, and Bella could hear Thais's voice clearly. "He deserves to die!"

  Bella realized too late that Thais was right behind the door, and barely had time to stumble back before she burst through with the tray and all the supplies. When she saw the girl, she only stopped for a moment to look at her, then continued on without saying a word.

  The demon was a few feet away, watching Thais storm off. When he saw Bella, he merely rolled his eyes before turning and walking towards the fireplace, which was brightly lit.

  Bella ignored his annoyed expression, shoving at the door when it tried to close, and she followed after him, determined for answers. "What's going on?" she asked. "What were you two talking about?"

  "That's none of your business," he said quietly, looking into the fire as he came to a stop.

  She peered down at the tea in her hands, considering dumping its contents on him, but then decided it was best to keep trying, and she stood next to him, eyes boring into his, though they remained on the flames. "It is if my life's in danger because of it." When he glanced over at her, she faltered. "It is, isn't it?"

  "Not because of Malum."

  "What's that?" she asked.

  He sighed, though looked slightly amused. "He is one of my kind. Or, rather, one of many. He's the one we spoke of in our conversation, which you not only rudely listened in on but also did so incorrectly." This time he did look at her, eyes meeting hers. "He'll be here soon."

  "Will I meet him?" she asked curiously.

  "It is like I said; he will be here soon." When she only scowled, he sighed. "He may be here during daylight hours, so I suggest that you begin sleeping during the night. After you've eaten and bathed, perhaps you should consider going to bed." When Bella only frowned, feeling that there was something off about what he was telling her, he sighed again. "He might not be here until three days’ time, then you could meet him." When she grinned, he narrowed his eyes. "You are a very strange girl, wanting to meet someone who's very dangerous—and you even know it."

  "I want to know what's going on," she replied, "and why you're so upset about those wolves. They're gone now, aren't they?" When he looked back at the fireplace, she crossed her arms the best she could, keeping a firm grip on her tea. "You see what I mean? Since you won't tell me what's going on, maybe this...Malum will."

  His face contorted into something Bella couldn't understand, and he smirked down at her. "You're very stubborn."

  She only returned the expression. "I try." Then, sipping her tea, she left the room, leaving him to ponder over his thoughts as he watched her leave.

  * * *

  After pacing the entrance and finishing her tea, Bella finally decided that she was hungry. The door to the room she had left hadn't moved, so she guessed that the demon was just going to sulk in there for the rest of the early morning. Judging by how dark it was, aside from all the candles on the walls, it was most likely well past midnight and strolling well beyond those hours. And, aside from annoyance and a burned tongue, Bella was feeling rather hungry; so she walked into the dining room, and was about halfway across when she slammed to a stop.

  It wasn't anything physical that stopped her, but, rather, something really quite emotionally mental. It was very much like the overwhelming feelings she had gotten the first time she set foot in this room, but nearly the same thing happened.

  He's gone, an intrusive voice said in the back of Bella's mind, and she choked, trying to hold back the tears that started streaming down her face. He's gone, and I'll never get him back.

  "Bella," Eriq's voice interrupted, making her jump against one of the chairs, which she immediately grabbed a hold of to keep from falling over. He hesitantly stepped towards her, hands held out as if ready to steady her, and he frowned. "Are you alright?"

  "It's this room," she said, not sure how to explain it.

  He thought for a moment, then nodded, seeming to understand. "The remains of the past. Many things have happened in this castle. Most of the feelings originate from the Princess."

  She tilted her head, not quite sure what he meant. "So, these thoughts...?"

  He nodded. "They're not yours." Then he hesitated. "Well, actually, they can be. Sometimes you can relate the feelings, and thoughts, to what you're feeling or thinking. But, whatever it is, it mostly comes from the past, which is very far away in human years. For my kind, however, it's merely the blink of an eye."

  Bella nodded thoughtfully. So, though the feelings and thoughts may be hers as well, they were someone else's once. Obviously someone who lost someone close to them, and that made Bella wonder just who this Princess was.

  When she remembered the picture she had seen in the East Wing, she nearly kicked herself. There Eriq said, making it so obvious as to who it was by pointing out that it was a Princess from so long ago. And who it was she could've lost, Bella thought it may have been the Prince she saw with her, and she wondered how it happened, and what it was that happened so long ago. Did the demon kill him? Did he kill her as well? Is that why the emotions were trapped; because her spirit dwells? Perhaps he was the reason why the East Wing was destroyed.

  If so, why did he seem to regret it?

  "How can you deal with it?" was all she asked, shaking despite the heat, trying to swipe away all the thoughts. It was almost becoming too much.

  "The Fae can handle emotions much better than humans," he told her. When she frowned and stared at her feet, thinking, he moved closer to her. "Would you like to know a secret?" When she looked up at him, unable to help herself, he said, "Our emotions are far stronger than any human's."

  That wasn't what Bella had heard. She had heard that many of them were heartless and cold. She also heard tales where they were cheerful and lived a peaceful life, laughing and dancing. Though, she was sure that those were just tales for children. But, it seemed that all the tales she had ever heard had suddenly come to life—or, rather, always had been.

  She frowned. "Is that so?"

  He nodded. "It sure is. We can just control them better. Actually, we grow to be able to control them. Some can't, so they're deemed wild and dangerous. Most prefer to shut out what they feel."

  "Why's that?" she asked curiously.

  He shrugged. "I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. You'll just have to wait until you meet someone like that." Then he turned, heading for the kitchen. "Let's get you something to eat."

  * * *

  The kitchen had been em
pty when Eriq got Bella something to eat. Or, rather, it had seemed that way. She was sure that she heard footsteps every now and then, and when she asked Eriq if the Fae made themselves heard when they wanted to be, he nodded. Apparently the Fae preferred to be quiet, though they sometimes liked to mess around and make noises to confuse people. He didn't ask her why she asked, but simply watched her eat with his head tilted, as if he were listening to something or was fascinated with her little bird bites. She was sure, however, that he heard the others too. He just didn't make any note of it.

  Like before, the meal consisted of fruits and the sort, though there were also cheeses. It wasn't as wild and large as her last meal, but it was still as amazing. Bella wondered then if the tales about the food of Fae were true. Some said that no human could ever leave their territory unless released if they had so much as a taste of Fae food. Others said that such a person who ate food offered from the Fae would never crave normal food again. Though the food seemed harmless, it was still better than anything Bella had ever had.

  Afterwards, Eriq left Bella to herself, saying that others were still curious about her, so not to panic if she heard strange noises wherever she wandered. They would probably try to scare her, but most were more likely to just follow her around and see what she was up to. Then he walked out of the kitchen without another word.

  Her first stop was the West Wing. She wanted to take a bath, as highly suggested, and so decided to go the shorter way instead of wandering through the cellar's long halls and the everlasting staircase in the tower. She wasn't quite sure where this shortcut was, but she decided to follow her instincts, which were back into the entrance, up the large stairs in the back, to the right, and around the corner at the end of the hall. After a few more minutes of some more turning, Bella found that her instincts had been correct. Just down the hall she was in, she could see that other staircase, her room across from it, and the tower room just further down.