I blinked as he released my from his arms. My father. I needed to tell him. I nodded.
Bastian gave me a wide smile as he followed the policeman, and fear clawed at my insides. What if he was being taken away from me and this was how the Guardians were going to get him? What if I’d never see him again? Tears sprang to my eyes and I ran forward, hugging his back. He stiffened and then looked in my eyes while he turned back toward me.
“Are you okay?” His eyes searched mine again.
My throat tightened. I didn’t know how I could say everything to him that needed to be said. Finally I said it. “Guardians.”
Chapter Seventeen
“This is a Guardian hospital,” I choked out.
Panic flickered across Bastian’s face as his eyes went wide. Behind the police officer now stood two Guardians who I recognized immediately on sight. They were the two who had sent me on the journey to find Bastian in the first place.
Bastian’s body tensed beneath my hands as I still clung to his side. A rumble went through his chest as he growled, and the familiar iridescent sheen flickered across his skin.
“Bastian. Stop. You can’t. It’s a hospital.” I pulled him tighter to me, hugging him harder. “Breathe in deeply. Relax. Don’t do it.”
I felt him take each breath as he wrapped his arms tighter around my body. We were grounding each other and breathing together. Finally, his hands loosened their grip. “I’m okay, Belle.”
I nodded and pulled back, coming face to face with the two Guardians and the police officer.
“Belle, we finally found you and the dragon,” the shorter female guardian said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“He’s not ‘the dragon.’ His name is Bastian.”
The taller, male Guardian nodded. “Sebastian Fromm. We are well aware of his name.”
Bastian and I continued to cling to each other, as if we could hold in his dragon. But at the same time, I worried that we might need to fight in this situation. Would we be able to get past the Guardians and the policeman? What would happen to my mother?”
“We’d like to thank you both on the behalf of the White Queen,” the taller Guardian said as he began to bow. “You have saved the lives of many supernaturals today and helped overthrow an extremist group that we’ve been trying to locate for nearly a decade.”
I blinked, my heart twisting in my chest as blood drained from my face.
The female Guardian joined her colleague in the bow. “You have served the Guardians well today and helped us rescue our name, as the group of terrorists that you helped locate and overthrow was studying shifters to help them locate and kill them while simultaneously besmirching the Guardian name by claiming to be us. They were planning on ridding the world of all supernaturals, starting with shifters.”
I shook my head. Were we supposed to believe this? I had only just gotten used to the idea that the Guardians weren’t to be trusted, and now they are blaming the whole incident on a group that had disguised themselves as the Guardians?
“How do we know what you’re saying is true.” Bastian’s deep baritone rumbled through his chest. “I was held captive by this group for years. Belle’s mother was captive for even longer. The entire time, we understood them to be the Guardians. They even had your watermark on their paperwork.”
The shorter Guardian blinked and shook her head. “This is a travesty of the worst kind. Your trust of our governing body has been greatly damaged. We understand that and wish to begin repairing our relationship as soon as possible. The person who headed the extremist group was a former Guardian, so it was likely his plan to destroy our organization by using things like our symbol and watermarks. But we don’t expect you to just take our words for it.”
“No,” said the taller Guardian. “This facility is a Guardian hospital, and we will start by treating all of the shifters and patients that were once experimented on in the medical lab. We will work to return everyone to their families as soon as they are well enough to go. You both can feel free to oversee this transition and help them adjust. Additionally, the White Queen would like to meet with you both.”
I gasped. The queen didn’t meet with anyone. I’d never known anyone who had ever met with her. There were barely any pictures of her leaked to the press, even.
“The queen wants to meet with us?” Bastian asked, his body stiffening under my grip.
“We understand that one of the victims of the extremists is Belle’s mother. We don’t expect you to leave her to meet with the queen just yet. In a few days, she’ll send for you. In the meantime. Stay here at this hospital and see how the Guardians treat the shifters who were injured at the hands of that rogue organization. See for yourselves whether the guardians deserve your trust or not.” The taller Guardian bowed again.
Once they said their part, they began walking away, the policeman escorting them. Bastian called after them, “Do I still need to make a witness statement?”
The shorter Guardian turned about. “I’m sorry for the pretense. We wanted to meet with you in a safer environment than the hospital in case the dragon couldn’t control his shifting. When we saw the situation was unavoidable, we met with you here.”
I swallowed. Bastian remained tense in my arms.
The three government officials turned and left. Once they were out of sight, the muscles in my body began to relax. I released my hold on Bastian finally and then pulled away to look up at him. His eyes met mine, confusion coloring the dark blue. I chewed my lip a moment, then asked, “What do you think?”
He shook his head and then looked back down the hallway where they’d left. “I guess we’ll wait and see.”
Chapter Eighteen
Three days had passed, and I spent of my days beside my mother’s hospital bed. My father had arrived the first evening. Much to my surprise, Papa approached Bastian after his arrival, thanking him for not only protecting his daughter but bringing my mother back to me.
“I’ll never be able to thank you enough,” Maurizio had said. I watched in the distance with a smile on my face.
Now my mother seemed more aware and awake than before. She told her stories, ones that I knew were watered down, of what happened and promised that she was okay.
“The doctors say I’ll make a great recovery.” She sat up and smiled in the bed, her color was returning as the IV took away her dehydration issues.
“You’re a fighter,” my father said, patting his wife on the shoulder. She flinched but masked the pain before he saw. I noticed though.
“You and Bastian are alike in that,” I said. I love you both, I nearly said but caught myself. It was a bold statement, and one that took even me by surprise.
“Where is Bastian? I’d like to see him.”
Happy with my mother’s change in subject, I smiled and said, “Bastian is just down the hallway, actually. I’ll go look for him.”
I wanted to allow my parents time alone to discuss the things I knew my mother needed to talk about but would never say in front of me. I stepped out of the room and found him a few rooms down with some shifter children who were in a room together recovering from their injuries in a play area. He was on all fours on the ground letting three children ride on his back.
When he saw me, he collapsed to the ground. “Oh no, the dragon’s tired and can’t carry you any farther.”
They giggled, and one little girl said, “But we haven’t made it home yet.”
He smiled and told her, “Soon. You’ll all go home soon. I promise.”
The three children ran off toward the rest of the kids and began sorting through the plethora of toys there. Bastian stood and made his way to me. I’d never seen him so relaxed and happy. His whole demeaner had changed for the better. We were both starting to feel as though we were in a safe place and that the Guardians truly were who they said they were. He drew up to me, the smile on his face pulling out my own.
I held out my hand. “My mom’s been asking about you.
Do you have time to come see her?”
“Of course,” he agreed, and I led the way in.
Soft sunlight filtered into the room from the window on the side. My father had brought my mother’s favorite votive candles, so the room was filled with my mother’s favorite scents of vanilla and cinnamon. My mother’s comfort was paramount to us as her family, and the staff seemed to bend over backward to make all of the shifters as comfortable as possible.
“Roseangela!” Bastian walked over to my mother’s bed and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I am so glad you are on the mend. You grow lovelier every day.”
“When did you become such a charmer, Bastian?” she asked with a bright smile. Then she leaned in toward him. “I’m glad to see you listened to me when I told you to never give up.”
They exchanged a knowing look—and I realized that Bastian understood a part of my mother that I never would. I wished I could wipe both their minds clean of that terrible time, but though I could shift my body, I could not shift anyone’s mind to be a new, clean slate.
“Thank you for protecting my daughter,” she said.
“It was my pleasure. Belle is as wonderful, smart and kind as you used to tell me.”
“It’s a blessing you two even met. Oh, how things have worked out!” Roseangela smiled and then looked at me. “See, I always told you things work out for the best.”
I couldn’t agree that the path that led us here was the best route, but I knew I was happy with the outcome. Not only did I have my mother back, but I had met Bastian and for that I wouldn’t trade a single moment of it. Not even the fear as I raced through that hall in my tiger form or the fear I felt when I stumbled into Bastian’s cabin, discovering the list, and being chained to a wall. Each moment led my to finding my mother, and as much as I still hated the Guardians for judging Bastian as evil and sending my out to find him, I was grateful they chose me.
*
We walked hand-in-hand through an elaborate room filled with marble statues and wooden floors shining so bright Bastian and I could see our reflections. A great gold throne sat at the end of the hall and in it sat a tiny woman, pale as a ghost, her long, sliver-blonde hair wrapping around her like a scarf.
“You may take a seat,” the White Queen said, waving her hand out for them.
We both sat in tall wooden chairs that each might resemble a throne had her throne not been three times the size. Guardians stood at either side of the White Queen, sober looks on their faces. Nerves fluttered in my stomach, and my heart pounded in my chest.
I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say. Wonderland Academy prepared me for a plethora of scenarios but never what to do when you met the queen. I figured they never thought anyone would.
“I want to start by saying that what you have done, both of you, is deplorable. Belle, you should have reported immediately to the Guardians once you found Bastian.”
My heart sank. I glanced over at Bastian whose fists were clenched at his sides.
“Bastian, you should have known better than to think we would ever harm shifters. Not without reason. Not even dragons. That being said, I understand why you both did what you did. It doesn’t make it excusable, but given the results and the lives you saved, I will grant you both a full pardon. You will not be receiving any sort of punishment, but please do learn from this.”
Bastian and I both nodded silently. The muscles in his grip seemed to loosen a bit.
“Bastian, I’d like to personally apologize for our bias against your kind. You have proven to us that dragon shifters are not to be feared but revered for their strength and courage. I would like to extend an offer to you, if you are willing to accept it.”
“Of course,” Bastian said. The queen had an air about her that made me feel I couldn’t disagree with her. It seemed Bastian felt the same way, too.
The White Queen laughed. “Allow me to first tell you what the offer is. You didn’t have the privilege of attending school like the others,” I gestured toward Belle. “But I know you will benefit from attending school at Wonderland. It’ll be a wonderful experience for you, though difficult. You must understand that not everyone will come to accept you the way we have. Some will remain ignorant, for that is what humans do. However, I hope you consider this offer and continue your education. We will work with your on controlling your shifting abilities as well, though I see Belle has taught you many of our techniques.”
I smiled proudly. After a moment of silence, I asked, “Was there anything else?”
“No, that is all. You may be excused.”
The moment we stood, our hands reached for each other. It was becoming a normal occurrence now. When we got outside of the queen’s chambers, Bastian looked down at me. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“It was a bit intimidating,” I admitted with a raised eyebrow.
He led me toward the door. And back out into the bright sunlight of Vienna. He took a deep breath. “I’ve definitely been through worse.”
I frowned. “I know. I hope one day, those memories will be replaced with good ones.”
“You’re already making that happen.”
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
He pulled back and looked deeply into my eyes. “I, what are your plans now? Are you going to go back to Italy with your family? I mean, once your mother is released that is.”
“I’ll be visiting my mother a lot, yes. I already have a few trips booked, but I was thinking about going to back to Virginia and finishing up the school year. After all, there’s a certain guy there I’d like to see.”
“Oh?” he asked, fear filling his eyes.
I smiled and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “You. Bastian, it’s you.”
He let out a breath then replaced his frown with a smirk. “How was I supposed to know you don’t have a boyfriend back home? We’ve never even talked about your school life.”
“Oh, even if I did, no one could live up to you, Bastian.” I laughed. “Holding me hostage, chained to a wall and all, in a cabin in the middle of nowhere… well, I can’t say that about any guy.”
“Hey, you broke into my place first, remember?”
“Yeah, because it looked abandoned!”
We continued to bicker lightly, the mood gentle and fun. I was relieved that he no longer got angry at my flirtatious teasing. Bastian was adjusting not just to me but the world around him. For a moment, I felt the way I imagined my parents did when I took my first steps or said my first words, or even read my first book. I was filled with such a sense of pride for how far he had come, and though I knew I had a big hand in this new development, it didn’t escape me the effort he himself had to put in to achieve this level of confidence and peace with himself. I was glad, grateful even, that he continued to trust me.
“Well,” he said matching my tone, “It’s not every girl that’ll go fight an army of extremists that want to eradicate her kind. You’re so brave, Belle. I can’t get over how strong you are. Anyway, I hope you forgive me for our less than pleasant first meeting. I’ll have to make it up to you. Maybe we can go on a date?” His voice was shy, but he kept his smirk in place.
“It better be a darn good date! What do you have in mind? Wait, don’t tell me.” I furrowed my brow in thought.
His face grew serious, and his eyes searched mine. “What’s wrong?”
“I can never repay you for what you’ve done for me. You found my mother. I have my family back, and that’s something I would never have had if it wasn’t for you. My mother would be dead if it wasn’t for you helping me find her in time.”
“If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be living in that abandoned-looking cabin.” He pulled my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I am eternally grateful for your mother, Belle. And you. Your whole family, even your dad who still doesn’t quite seem to like me as much as I’d hope. I am glad I was able to rescue her with the others. If it wasn’t for your mother, I would have given up back at that lab.
”
“Shh,” I whispered. “Let’s talk about happy things, shall we? No more monsters in lab coats or fake Guardians. We have so much we can do now. I mean, we’re alive! Do you know how amazing that is? We could have died out there, but we didn’t… so let’s make the best of it. Do new things, go on less scary adventures, anything we want.”
“Like what? Kissing in the halls of Wonderland, flying around the woods that surround the campus, taking you up to my secret getaway, watching you run fast as a tiger,” he suggested with a wide grin.
I blushed a little as I smiled. “All of those things and more.”
He pulled me to his chest, wrapping me into a tight hug. “You think I saved your life, but you saved mine.”
I smiled up at him when he loosened his hold on me. His dark eyes looked deeply into mine then he leaned in and kissed me. I closed my eyes and let my body conform to his. Playfully I nibbled on his bottom lip as he pulled away. His eyes flashed with surprise. I pushed him away as he tried to come in for another and then ran ahead of him toward the car.
I didn’t tell him, but that was another reason why I wanted to be there at school with him. I wanted to keep him safe, just as he kept my safe. The world could be cruel, even if there were no extremist groups in it. People were cruel and full of prejudice. I didn’t want him to face that alone. He got into the back seat of the car just as the driver started the engine.
Bastian’s hand gripped mine as we sat together in the back seat. Kissing him on the cheek one more time, I was ready to take on the world with Bastian. No matter who the enemy might be ahead of is, it wouldn’t matter. We’d defeated them once, and together, we’d defeat them all.
###
The End
Belle the Beast Tamer Page 10