Bri nodded. "I’m aware. Name it."
Sarah shook her head and sighed. "It’s not your price darling; it’s their price to be paid. All your good for here is the demand she be set free."
"What price?" Beast asked nearly choking on the words. His anger and hate was a roar in the hallway.
"A time limit, just like the story says." She watched them all, the look of confusion they had at her verbiage. "I see it all even from in here." She leveled her stare at Bri. "I too have unimaginable power."
"Get on with it then what’s the damn price!" Bri roared and slammed her hands against the cell glass again, only now the rainbow of color was so vibrant she was forced to shield her eyes, as was everyone else even Sarah. The power holding the cell had been amplified ten times what it was before which meant Pete was getting nervous watching from a monitor in his office.
Sarah laughed as the lights from the glass faded. "Temper temper little one. Time will only tell if he agrees."
"I agree. What’s the price?" Beast asked stepping closer to Bri in case she felt the need to temper tantrum it again. Annoyed he stepped directly in front of Bri to deal with Sarah.
"Such a disgrace you were Erych, turning a human."
"I may have been a disgrace in your eyes but here’s is the kicker, Wares turn humans every day, born Wares even. You are nothing but a bitter, selfish hag who I would pity before I attacked. My love for Belle is why you did as you did. I chose her and you punished us both for it."
His words were like a sucker punch as Bri, Winter and Ash all gasped in unison that that pretty little bomb of info.
"You... dated her?" Bri asked shocked to her core that he actually had something with Sarah long before Belle.
Sarah almost growled but stopped herself when Bri dropped one hell of a terrifying glare one her. "We were lovers...yes, until pretty little Belle came along."
Bri," he said looking at her then the girls. "Guys, what Sarah was to me back then doesn’t even register on radar for what I had, have with Belle. I’m sorry I never told you, but Belle never did so I said nothing when her memories came forward." he looked back to Sarah. "Memory lane ended about five feet back so get to the sacrifice."
Sarah laughed. "I'll need an agreement from Belle as well, this concerns her she should have a say."
"I'll go to her." Bri said looking at him as she spoke.
"Fine." Beast said and looked back at Sarah. "What will Bri be asking her?"
Sarah stepped as close as the glass would allow without touching it and looked Beast in the eye. "I would have given you anything you wanted had you chosen me..." She all but whispered. "By the light of the full moon on the last day of fall, she must love you with a full heart and be willing to accept you as her mate knowing full well what you are."
"She will accept that now Sarah and you know it. What’s the price?"
"See this is where it gets fun for me..." She chuckled. "She will have no memory of you, I will alter her mind to think she is nothing more than a Contaca Soul who works for the former and the new Arch demon. Her memories of the fairytale portrayed of her, the love you both shared, the sacrifice she made, all will be altered. She will simply think she is a human who, instead of meeting you, met Briar instead and accepted the life as a Contaca Soul."
"And?" Beast all but snarled.
"And she is never to be influenced by any of you. Her passion, her love for Erych will be no more it must happen naturally and on its own." She leveled her stare at Winter who had remained as silent as a mouse throughout the entire conversation. "She will come to you, as her dearest friend and fellow Contaca Soul, to you she will bare her soul if she chooses. You are to not mention him in any way that would sway her."
"But..." Winter said, her voice breaking. "But she would know something was wrong if I didn’t offer her advice."
"Offer away but do not interfere with what needs to come natural."
Meaning if Belle had so much as butterflies about Beast they couldn’t do more than crack a smile and nod.
"And if she chooses another mate?" Bri asked the one question that was scariest of all.
"Then by the end of winter, that final night he will cease to exist."
"What?" Ashess asked, her irritation with the woman growing by the damn second. "Why the hell, if she chooses another, would you give him an extra three months?"
Sarah looked at Erych for a long moment before closing her eyes. A look of understanding, sad understanding crossed Beasts face for just an instant but they all saw it.
"What?" The three of them asked as one.
Beast rubbed his hand along his forehead as if trying to stave off the memory. "Because on the night of the full moon, the last of autumn all those years ago I fell in love with Belle and told her so. It wasn’t until the final full moon of Winter that I confessed that love to Sarah." He shook his head and sighed before looking upon the woman he had broken all those centuries before. "She had known all along, watched as we were together until that full moon when I changed Belle."
"I assumed it was a fling. She was human." She said human like piece of shit and looked away from Beasts gaze. "I thought it was nothing until I watched as he turned her; bit her right above her collar bone." Seething she spat, "I could hear the scrape of your fangs as you bit down!"
Beast flinched at her words but kept his eyes locked on Sarah. "And I have paid as well as Belle."
"We will see, won’t we Erych? it’s your turn to try and make another love you as much as you love them never knowing if you will succeed. I dare say what I offer is fair!"
Beast, God bless him, didn’t hesitate. "We will see Sarah and you will see that what I hurt you over, no matter how bad I feel was worth it. She will choose me!" He snarled the last part.
"Then by all means, go make sure she thinks you’re worth it." Sarah waved her hands in the air. "Not like I’m going anywhere."
With that Bri ran strait to Pete's office. Even the Arch demon needed a key to open a cell.
*
Bri had explained the scenario of what possibly lie ahead in the near future to Belle in grave, polished detail. The resounding No from Belle had dampened the entire plan.
"Why?" Bri asked trying desperately to not push too hard on this one. The decision was huge and one that even Bri would have trouble stomaching it, had this been about her and Fangs. The thought of never knowing him, knowing his touch or kiss or smile... she would have trouble choosing to forget he ever loved her.
"You know exactly why Bri." Belle said dragging her feet as Bri pushed and pulled her toward the cell that was holding Sarah. "What if one of you slip up and tell me he loves me, or what if I in turn begrudge you guys because of the whole...we are too busy right now Belle come ask us about Beast later thing. Let alone," her voice pitched as Bri continued to drag her now flailing arms as she continued to rampage about the choice. "I can’t know he's a beast so what a fun fucking shock that will be. Christ Bri I was there the first time and it scared the hell out of me."
"Yeah," Bri gasped as the struggle with Belle began to take its toll and she was quickly running out of breath. "But see, this time you will already know all the scary shit out there so he won’t be a shock."
Rounding the corner to where Bri had her secret weapon waiting she paused when all she saw was Winter and Ashess sitting on the floor between to cells watching Sarah and studiously ignoring each other. Beast however was nowhere to be found.
Belle stopped short and gasped when she saw them sitting there, the sound echoing in the long halls of Neverland they both looked up to see Belle for the first time in months.
Tears were already streaming down Winters cheeks when she ran to Belle and flung her arms around her neck spewing a long line of ‘oh my gods’ and ‘I can’t believe it’s’ all while Belle held her close as well, tears in her own eyes.
Bri found the moment to be sweet and heartwarming and extremely emotional but it was all curbed in the knowledge of Beasts absence. Walk
ing to Ash wanting info Ash was one step ahead of her thoughts. "He needed a walk he said. He should be back in a second."
Bri nodded and stood back, having already of had her moment, a few times with Belle and knowing the girls needed this. It was Belle who spoke up and looked at Bri through wet lashes. "You too Demon Queen get in here." Opening her arms to Bri , Ash stepped aside and wrapped her free arm around Bri as she came in for her hug.
Time was immeasurable while they stood there embracing one another, content with only a few minutes if that was all they had when footsteps sounded behind Bri. She turned and dropped her arm from Ash because the sound was behind her. It was Beast.
"Well what did she say?" He asked, his voice nothing less than a shout that held all the hope his big body could muster.
Bri said nothing, same as Ash and Winter but simply moved aside leaving Belle standing there, before Beast for the first time in centuries.
*
Chapter Twenty-nine
"Isabella?" He breathed as tears formed immediately in his eyes and rushed to her. It had been so long that Beast cursed his memory for not doing her the justice she deserved. In faded warn out denim jeans and a simple tank top Belle looked more breathtaking than he could have ever imagined seeing her before. Her feet were bare and polished in gold, her beautiful auburn hair tied in a messy knot atop her head.
"Oh my God..." Belle whispered her voice full of the most painful heart wrenching love he had ever heard. "Erych... Is it… really you?"
He rushed to her and pulled her into his embrace, the Beast inside of him roaring to be let out at the scent of his long lost mate, the man in him devastated by so many years of separation. "It’s me my love... Oh God how I love you."
His words echoed through the halls of Neverland and he saw the three faces of his Princesses with tears in their eyes for a second before he released Belle to look upon her face.
"I love you too Baby, so much." She cried and cupped his cheek in her palm. The move so simple and so completely full of meaning.
"So you accepted then?" He asked his voice thick with emotion...hope maybe.
Belle watched him close before turning away and glancing at Bri. Beast noticed immediately her change in emotion courtesy of their whole fabric thing and grasped her hand as she tried to step back. "Belle...?"
She shook her head no and looked again at Bri. " Bri take me back...okay." She choked on the words that were literally killing Beast.
"What?" He shouted and yanked her back into his embrace. "No Isabelle. I won’t let you stay here. I accepted the price, I will pay anything Love. Just accept it." He was pleading; the giant Beast with a heart like a lamb was breaking apart, begging, no pleading for her to accept the price, accept him-trust him!
"I can’t risk it. There is no guarantee that we would get the same reaction as before." He smiled even through the stress and the heartache he smiled because this was so his Belle. She would absolutely get technical and look at it from a different lens than any of them would have.
"There is Belle because I would remember everything. I would love you, even an hour from now if you don’t even remember my name. I would remember, I would bring you back to me."
He spoke with such assurance knowing he would and could absolutely win her heart. They were meant to be, the only fairytale that was truly a happy ending even if they were apart. they were Beauty and the Beast, happily ever after even if not side by side. How could she even fathom the idea that they wouldn’t make it?
"There are no guarantees Erych and it’s your life, your existence that hangs in the balance." She choked on her own sobs as she spoke. "Let alone this is Sarah we are talking about, who knows what she has up her sleeve?"
"I don’t care!" He roared and dropped her hand to pace in a circle, coming face to face with a cell that he had no idea who occupied it and slammed his giant fists against the glass. everyone ducked and shielded their eyes from the massive rainbow of light that was sure to come but didn’t, all of them realizing that it was a human inside the cell.
"I don’t care Belle." He said calmly though his shaking hands said he was ready to explode.
"I care!" Belle yelled returning his anger shout for shout. She had never been afraid of him, never backed down when he was concerned. It was one of the many, many reasons he loved her.
"You don’t get it Belle. My life has no meaning without you in it. Should you choose another... I would gladly disappear." His voice deepened as he spoke, then softened towards the end, barely a whisper.
"How do I risk that, knowing now doesn’t matter?" She cried and tucked herself into his massive chest demanding he hold her.
They said nothing and simply held one another until Erych sighed and kissed the top of her head. "You have to trust me. Trust that I will make you love me. I will woo you, sweep you off your feet. I’ll give you the best damn orgasms ever; I’ll always make sure I am in the front of your mind even if I’m not there. I swear it!"
She said nothing, not even at the orgasm comment he was certain she would balk at. Knowing how deeply she feared this he had to ask. "Do you think you could ever love someone more than me Belle?"
"Never!" She spoke so fast, her tone absolutely certain that he had to smile.
"Then trust me Belle because that’s all we need."
Belle closed her eyes and nodded pulling him close, he went willingly.
"Well then the choice is made." Sarah said from behind her glass cell and Beast felt Belle stiffen at her voice. She tried to turn but he held her in place, looking into her eyes. "I'll give you sixty seconds to say goodbye, no more no less."
Beast nodded and looked at Belle, his Belle his Beauty and kissed her softly on the lips.
She shook her head no. "There’s not enough time Erych." Her voice was panicked and she gripped him closer to her digging her nails in and crying desperately.
"We'll be fine Belle. I love you, always you." He told her as his tears mixed with hers as they held one another so close, forehead to forehead and heart to heart.
"I won’t forget you Erych, I swear I won’t." She spoke so certain of her heart that he wanted to scream at the unfairness.
"I’ll bring you back." He promised again and again as the time flew by. At the stoke of sixty seconds he released her and pushed her towards Bri who caught a crying and seriously confused Belle.
Beast unable to stand it disappeared from the hallway as fast as he could, running as far from Belle as he could get in hopes of confusing her less. He had to reassure himself time and time again that he would see her very shortly and needed to get a grip on himself.
As he ran her final words drifted through his mind as if she were still promising them in his ear. "I will not forget you Erych, I won’t!"
God he hoped he pulled through because as of now, Isabelle didn’t know who he was.
*
Release me dear we had an agreement." Sarah’s voice came through the pain of tears that the girls were all sniffling through after watching what had to be the hardest goodbye EVER! Bri looked at her through hooded eyes and removed the key that Pete gave her. After all she did make a deal.
"Who is that?" She heard Belle ask and Bri felt such a relief at knowing even though her perception was skewed, they had Belle back.
"We will explain later." Later being the drive back to Winters where they would tell her that Sarah trapped Belle in Neverland when she was there investigating a missing person. So against demon policy but they seemed to be breaking all the rules anyhow.
"I’ll need to know how to contact you." Bri said as she sprung the lock, the sound echoing and making Bri’s stomach flip. She did not relish letting this woman out. That alone should have been price enough, she was soon to be yet another problem in Bri's shopping cart of shit.
"For what? We have nothing to keep in contact for."
"For when it’s over...springtime I mean." Bri said keeping her voice low enough that only Sarah heard her.
"No need
child. What was done was done. I can’t stop the hand of their fate anymore than the hourglass of said fate. it’s in their hands now."
Her tone pissed Bri off. Not only was she loud about the whole thing but she also made it seem like it was no big deal. A man may lose his entire being literally and she acted like it was just another day in the life of a crazy old Warewitch.
"Jesus, you are one sick and sadistic bitch!" Bri spat wanting to hit her....desperately.
"Witch dear get it right. Jesus has absolutely nothing to do with this." She smiled a hateful smile at Bri. "Freedom to go ...wherever please."
Bri didn’t think, didn’t hesitate as she swelled all of the hate for this woman, all the hate inside of this woman and slammed her into oblivion, literally with one slap. Sparks flew as if she were stomping out the flame on an old piece of paper, floating through the air and landing as they pleased. Every last piece of her, obliterated in less than a second.
Awakened (A Fairy Tales Novel) Page 30