And he’d be coming back for it.
He’d be coming back for her.
She’d seen Avenant on TV when the Cinderella was carted off prison. Charming had stood there, with a healthy and awake Drusilla beaming by his side, and proclaimed that everyone who’d escaped from the WUB Club was pardoned. They could either stay in the Westlands and be treated as honored friends, or they could return to the Enchanted Forest with Scarlett and Marrok to help build a new kingdom based on equality. Either way, the future for Bad folk was suddenly wide opened. Nothing would be as it was before. Everything had changed.
Avenant has listened to the speech… and slowly smiled.
Belle drew her legs up to her chest and dropped her forehead to her knees. She knew that expression. He wore it whenever he was about to take their rivalry to a whole new level of Bad. Already, she could feel him plotting in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Nothing would stop him from…
The phone beside her bed rang and Belle jolted. Her eyes slowly traveled over to it, dread filling her. She didn’t recognize the number on the caller-ID, but she knew who it was. Insane as it was, she could feel him.
Reluctantly, she picked up the receiver and said one word. “Don’t.”
“Why shouldn’t I?” Avenant demanded from the other end. “Give me one reason not to.”
Her insides clenched at the deep sound of his voice. “Because we both went too far the last time and this time it’ll be even worse.”
“Worse than me rotting in that goddamn prison? I don’t see how that would be possible, even for someone with your penchant for treachery.”
“It wasn’t my fault you were sent there!”
“Bullshit!” His tone got even more incensed. “You wanted to play hardball, so fine. No more half-measures. I’m going to get my kingdom back, no matter what I have to do.”
“You could have a hundred other kingdoms.” She tried. “You could live in the Westlands. You could stay in the Enchanted Forest. You could go to another land and start over completely.”
“No.” The word was unequivocal.
“Damn it, if you come here…” She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stay calm. “Just don’t.”
“Give me. a reason. not to.” He repeated darkly, spacing the words for emphasis.
“They’ll be more fighting. More bloodshed. Hasn’t there been enough?”
“Well, that’s easily fixed. Surrender to me.”
Her teeth ground together. “I’m not going to surrender and you know it.”
“Then get ready for a war. I’ll have what’s mine, even if I have to melt the entire Northlands to claim it.”
“There’s nothing here that’s yours, Avenant.”
“Well, we’ll see about that, won’t we?” He slammed the phone down.
Belle winced at the sound. She slowly replaced the receiver and sat quietly in the dark. There would be no reasoning with him. Despite everything, he blamed her for what had happened. He had magical powers, a short fuse and he wanted vengeance. This would be their final competition and she had the horrible feeling that she wasn’t going to win.
The beast was coming for her.
Wicked Ugly Bad (A Kinda Fairytale) Page 27