Beauty's Beast- The Light

by Sebrena Merly

  The passage was there, locked in her mind somewhere. She just couldn't find it for reasons she didn't understand. And she knew that, no matter how hard she was trying, she was getting the words all wrong. None of it sounded right. Even testing them on her tongue they didn't feel right.

  She went back inside, frowning thoughtfully at the floor, hands claws in front of her, biting her lip. Then she stopped, hands held out in front of her, and she tried again. "The enemy came from-" She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's just one line."

  "Is this line more important than sleep?" someone in the room asked, startling her.

  Bella looked around, confused. She was still alone. Nothing but her and the furniture. She took a minute or two to look around, even peeking under the bed and checking the balcony. Even the wardrobe was empty.

  "You seem confused," the voice said again, originating from nowhere in particular.

  "You are correct," Bella told it—she was unable to decide whether it was a man or woman—as she gazed around. "Where are you?"

  "Ah," it said. She heard movement behind her, and turned to see a womanly figure step from the wardrobe, closing it behind her.

  Tilting her head, Bella pointed, eyes narrowed. "How-"

  "We Fae have our way," she told her as she tapped the side of her nose; then, she waved a dismissive hand and laughed "Ignore the rhyme. It's a small habit some of us pick up."

  "Like the children of the moon?" Bella asked, circling around the woman cautiously. She wasn't sure whether or not she should trust her, and so discreetly tried to walk over to the door.

  But the woman, who Bella couldn't see all too well, remained in place, standing at her spot a small distance from the wardrobe, which meant she was in the path towards the door. "Rhyming is rather handsome, if you catch my meaning," she told Bella casually. "The mixture of words that sound alike are rather attractive, and so melt quite well together." Her head tilted, and she took a sidestep that put her even more in front of the door, causing Bella to stop. "I see that you don't trust me."

  "I don't see you," Bella pointed out, wishing the growing light outside would seep into the room just a little more. All she could make out was an outline of the faerie and nothing more. What light had been lit only moments ago was gone. She didn't know when this happened, but she was sure it had something to do with Fae and their ability to distract humans.

  Light flared to life, flames appearing on the candles on the walls, and the figure Bella had been speaking to transformed into a fully detailed woman. Or, rather, faerie.

  She had black hair outlined with strange bursts of color that Bella had never seen before. Her eyes were a mixture of colors, and seemed to have no end, smiling brightly as if nothing could ruin her mood. In a way, she was almost as pale as Bella, but she was also quite dark, something that confused Bella since you were either one way or the other. Her fingers were unusual. It took Bella a minute or two to realize why.

  "You have twelve fingers," Bella stated, looking at the six on each of her hands.

  The woman's eyes rolled, and she held those strange hands out on either side of her. "Yes, yes, of course I do. You honestly think a person with gifts such as mine would have any less?" Before Bella could reply, she held out one of those hands. "I'm Janine."

  Bella stared at the hand for a second or two before giving in, slowly grasping it, and she gave it a brief and uncomfortable shake. "Bella."

  "Well, I already know that, silly," Janine said with a chuckle, and she went over to the wardrobe. "You are probably wondering why I occupy your closet, yes?" When Bella nodded, not quite sure what else to do, she explained, "It's my job to offer and fix your attire. Think of me as...your stylist." She opened the doors and rummaged through it, pulling out a familiar gown. "I do believe you left this for me on your first night here."

  Sure enough, it was her mother's gown. Only, instead of sporting the rips and tears it had before, it was back to the way it had originally been, like it never went through such damage. If Janine looked pleased when Bella gaped at it, she looked even more so when it was pulled from her strange hands.

  "How," Bella started as she looked it over, holding it up in front of her as she admired it. She tried again, lowering it and looking at the faerie. "How-"

  The faerie held up her hands, grinning. "Like I said; it's a gift of mine. I repair and make clothing. Ask and you shall receive." She tilted her head as she stared at the gown. "Rare fabric that is, and hard to get a hold of. Very interesting that you should have it in your company. Humans often don't. Don't ever lose it, and be careful with it because I'm not sure I'll be able to fix it again."

  Confused, Bella nodded thoughtfully, wondering just what she had meant. "Thank you," she murmured as she continued to admire her mother's gown, smoothing a hand over the fabric. "This means a lot."

  "I appreciate your gratitude," Janine told her before stepping into the wardrobe. "I highly suggest you get into bed now, though. Something tells me that you have a lot coming your way." She closed the doors, giving Bella a wink before they completely shut.

  Head tilted, Bella walked up to the doors and put her ear against one of them, listening. She heard nothing.

  * * *

  Bella woke up sometime in the late night; later than she was growing used to. She supposed it was because she went to bed later in the morning. Either way, her bed time wasn't one of her many concerns.

  When she opened the wardrobe, curious about what she might see, she was disappointed to find only dresses and jewels; nothing more. She was going to just head out to the kitchen and get herself some breakfast—or whatever it was considered late at night—but, looking down at herself, she was stopped. For the past couple of days—or, rather, nights—she had been wearing either robes or night gowns, and she was starting to get tired of it. So she decided to finally get dressed.

  Looking through the closet once more, Bella found that she didn't very much care for any of the dresses. Actually, it wasn't the dresses she didn't care for, but rather wearing such things in the company of Kataros, whom she was sure she would come across. Some showed shoulders, some hardly went past the knees, and others had low necklines or no backs. Some even had a display of all the qualities.

  "Is there anything in here that doesn't show skin?" Bella wondered aloud, pursing her lips as she frowned over the colorful displays.

  "Then what would be the point of wearing anything at all?" Janine's voice asked, from nowhere in particular. "You may as well hide in this room, if you don't want anyone to see you."

  Bella crossed her arms as she gazed around the room, leaning against the wardrobe. "I just don't want a man I hardly know to see something deemed highly inappropriate."

  "Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but you don't strike me as someone who cares what's proper and improper to the rest of society." When Bella huffed and lowered her eyes, she chuckled. "Yes, I thought I would be right. Besides, I wouldn't really consider Kataros just any other man, and he's rather used to-"

  "I would rather not know what Kataros is or isn't used to," Bella said, straightening and blushing, sharply gazing around the room. "I just want something fitting for my-"

  "You're speaking to the one who makes the clothes," Janine reminded her. "And not just any tailor, if I may say so myself. I'm rather stubborn, in case you haven't noticed that already. Besides, there's absolutely nothing wrong with my clothing. If you would like to pout about it, you can just take yourself and that horrid gown you're in, and walk on out of this room."

  Scowling, Bella crossed her arms again, almost stomping a foot in complaint. "It's my room. And didn't you make this 'horrid' gown?"

  A bit of silence, then, "Yes, yes I did...but that's beside the point. Your complaining isn't helping in the matter either way. Get dressed and go about your business, or continue with this nonsense and wear that ghastly thing. Either way doesn't matter to me. Though, I would feel rather offended if you didn't wear any of my clothes."
/>   "Alright, alright."

  Bella grabbed one of the gowns, picking at random. It was blue and short, falling gently around her knees, strapless and unlike anything Bella had ever seen before. Definitely not something she ever would have worn, but she found that she liked it much better than the day and age's style. It was simply more comfortable, and she felt like she could actually breathe and move about; very much like a night gown.

  "Huh," Bella mused, looking down at herself thoughtfully.

  "It suits you very well," Janine remarked. "You ought to add some jewels—just for the added effect."

  "No," she said before she could get too carried away, forcing herself from the closet, where she found that her hands had already been reaching for the jewels. "I don't want to fancy myself up. I've got no reason."

  "Sure you do. Kataros is the master, after all, and you may come across him. But I see your meaning, since you're technically being held here against your will. Off you go, I suppose, though I would really appreciate it if you shut the doors to the wardrobe."

  "Speaking of," Bella said, glancing around. "Where are you?"

  "I can't say, exactly," Janine told her. "I am here, but I am there. The only way I can get there, though, is if the doors to the wardrobe are shut, otherwise I'm just stuck over here."

  Bella wanted to press into the matter some more, to ask questions, but she found that she really didn't want to feel any more confused than she already was, so she merely shrugged and shut both of the doors. Then, gathering up some forgotten courage, she strode over to the door and stepped out into the hallway. Before she shut the door behind her, she saw Janine step out of the closet and pick up the night gown she had left on the floor.

  It was strangely quiet as she walked down the hall. It was always quiet, but she normally felt that presence that never seemed to leave her side. Now it was elsewhere, and the castle seemed to give off an aura, something that told her something important was happening.

  Dismissing this thought, Bella walked into the dining room, where a meal had been set for—she was assuming—her. She had decided to avoid the underground halls since they gave her chills. That, and there was something off about them—something threatening—and she was sure that they were more than they appeared to be. One part of her was suspicious, curious, and wanted to explore even though her memory told her that there was nothing there. But another part told her to ignore the feeling and keep out of trouble.

  She couldn't tell which part was stronger.

  Hesitant, Bella looked at the meal seated before the head of the table, wondering if she should risk digging in without knowing if it had actually been put out for her. It could be Kataros's, though she hadn't seen him eat yet, or someone else's. Did the Fae even eat?

  "It's for you," Thais said from a spot in front of the kitchen door, grinning at her while she gestured at the food, "if that's what you're wondering."

  Bella smiled at her before sitting down. "I just wanted to be sure."

  She nodded and went over to a chair further down the table, leaning back in it and putting her feet on the table as she studied Bella. "We don't get hungry. Of course, that doesn't stop us from craving certain things. Mostly, we prefer fruits and vegetables. It's only certain ones that enjoy the...flesh."

  Looking down at the display of fruit and bread, Bella tilted her head. "Is that why I haven't been given meat?" She looked back up at the faerie.

  She pursed her lips as she stared at her feet, then she smiled back at Bella. "I suppose. The Fae are sometimes very sensitive about the life of all natural things, and so we tend to avoid hunting animals and so forth. Though, we do bring in...meat, occasionally, for the master."

  "Kataros," Bella said thoughtfully, picking up a piece of fruit and examining it absently. "Is it because he's..."

  "A beast?" Thais asked. When Bella guiltily blushed and put the fruit in her mouth, she chuckled and waved a hand. "It's not rude to think so. Technically he is. Though, if you think about it, we all are. He's a specific sort, though."

  "Fenrir," Bella stated, and added, "Half Fenrir."

  Uncertainly, Thais smiled, crossing one ankle over another as she examined her feet again. "An incubus too." She said this quietly, almost too quietly for anyone to hear.

  That didn't stop Bella from figuring it out.

  She dropped a piece of fruit she had picked up, gaping at Thais. "Did you just say he was an incubus?"

  Biting her lip, Thais uncrossed her ankles and met Bella's wide eyes. "He is of Fae, after all, and most like him are of the sort-"

  "But, an incubus?" Bella asked incredulously. She threw her arms into the air. "You know what they do, don't you?" The mere thought of it made her never want to sleep again, and she found herself shuddering and crossing her arms in response. "They torment humans; especially women. And do you know what they do to women?"

  Thais shook her head, pulling her feet from the table and straightening. "Not this one; not Kataros." When Bella shook her head in disbelief, she sighed. "Bella, you must remain calm. Kataros doesn't want to harm you; much less touch you."

  "Yes, and why doesn't he?" Bella demanded, leaping to her feet, hardly bothering to flinch when Thais did the same in response. She glowered at the faerie, letting the irritation fuel her anger for everything that had happened to both her and her father. "Why is he keeping me here? I'm of no use to him. I'm nothing to him. So why is he keeping me? Why did he even save me?" She took a step towards Thais, fists clenched at her sides. "Well?"

  Running a hand through her short hair, the faerie sighed. Then she looked up at Bella with a familiar expression. "We've all got our stories." Then, she disappeared.

  Arms thrown into the air again, Bella threw her head around the room, stuttering as she looked for any signs of life. "What is that even supposed to mean?" Just as she suspected, she got no reply, and reverted to ignoring what was left of her meal, deciding that she was no longer hungry. Instead, she decided that she wanted to have a chat with the demon, even if she had only grown more fearful of him.

  It was her own fear that her anger fed itself off of. Being scared was beginning to make her angry, and she would rather be absolutely furious than terrified. She knew that this could be a bad thing that led to bad decisions, but she would rather make a fateful mistake than be driven mad looking for answers. So she figured that she would press her luck with the beast once more.

  She didn't know where he was. Not for sure, anyways. But her feet ended up leading her to the room with the large fireplace, the same place where Kataros was set to mend, where she had first noticed the connection he seemed to have with Yasandre, by the way he said her name. Some sort of connection she didn't understand. At the moment, that didn't stand out to her. What did, however, was the man she found standing in the room with Kataros.

  Like Desiree and Thais and many others, as Bella was sure, this man had white hair. It fell around his face with no sort of order, cutting across his forehead. Nearly hidden beneath this mess were the palest blue eyes Bella had ever seen, as bright as they were faded, all ice and fire. His skin was nearly as white as his hair; flawless save for a scar just on the right corner of his mouth—small, yet noticeable. Aside from these chilling features, he nearly looked like any other man.

  "Ah," he said when he noticed her, smiling, "you must be Bella."

  "I am," she said, narrowing her eyes as she glanced over at Kataros, who was glaring at her, and she looked back at him. "Who are you?"

  "I'm disappointed you don't already know," he said, throwing a look at Kataros, whose lips twisted, and he gave her a charming smile. "I am Malum."

  10

  "Malum," Bella said, pursing her lips as he took one of her hands and gently pressed his lips to it. She tilted her head at Kataros. "Interesting. I heard that you wouldn't be here for another few days."

  She looked back at Malum, strangely finding that his presence didn't unsettle her in the least bit; nor the fact that he wasn't human. But she noticed
something hidden behind the sadistic look in his eyes, something she couldn't quite read, and she was unable to tell whether or not that something was dangerous. Though, she did remember Kataros saying that he was dangerous, but that didn't mean he hadn't lied about that too.

  "Is that so?" Malum asked, giving the demon a smug look. "I wonder how that is." He smiled at Bella. "Nevertheless, I am here now. And it's a pleasure to finally meet you, since I've heard so much about you."

  Bella shook her head, more to clear it, and smiled back. "I'm sorry, I think I heard you wrong. It sounded like you said you've heard of me."

  "Oh, you heard right," Malum told her with a nod, grinning at Kataros, who was gritting his teeth as he watched them. "You're famous. Or, rather, your sacrifice is. Our kind love those who are strong enough to give up their will for someone else's."

  She glanced over at the demon, frowning. "So everyone knows me because I gave my life for my father's?"

  "Of course not," Malum said, finally letting go of her hand and sitting in one of the chairs. He plucked a glass from the table, pouring an unknown substance into it as he spoke. "Saying everyone knows of you is absolutely ludicrous. They know of you, though. And rumors of your willing little sacrifice haven't gone further than the borders of the Light." He lounged back on the chair, throwing one arm across the back while the other brought the glass to his lips, staining them with something that looked a mix between red and black.

  "You should be in bed," Kataros said as he strode up to Bella, giving her a warning look.

  She returned the look with a grim smile. "And you should learn how to tell better lies." She leaned in closer, lowering her voice as he stared at her with narrowed, confused eyes. "I could see right through them."

  "Now isn't that interesting," Malum said as he looked back and forth at the two of them. "A human who can see straight through a faerie's lies. I'm just...baffled." He took another drink.