Heart of Thorns

by Nicolette Andrews

  Miss Ashton threw her head back and laughed as she and her partner drew close to Edward and Catherine. For the first time since the dance started, Edward's gaze was drawn from Catherine. Mr. Cedars looked confused by Miss Ashton's behavior.

  Catherine overheard him say as they passed, "Miss Ashton, what amuses you so?"

  She only shook her head and smiled at him. "It's a secret."

  They danced away from Miss Ashton and Mr. Cedars, and Edward's eyes followed Miss Ashton across the room. Catherine forced a smile and pretended not to notice. She saw Mrs. Bloom and Mrs. Lilac sitting at the edge of the dance floor, whispering in one another's ears. I feel as if I were on display. Everyone must see Edward staring at Miss Ashton. How could his attentions be so fickle? Is the love spell wearing off? Dr. Rowan and Mrs. Rowan joined the dance just then. It was time to switch partners, and Dr. Rowan stepped up to trade partners with Edward. Her husband spun Catherine towards the doctor. Edward was meant to dance with Mrs. Rowan, but instead he cut off Mr. Francis Rowan, who was trading partners with Miss Lilac and intended to dance with Miss Ashton while Mr. Cedars danced with Miss Lilac. Edward stepped across the line of dancers to take Miss Ashton's hand. He swung her down the line away from Catherine. Mrs. Rowan appeared to be mortified to have been left without a partner until her son gracefully stepped in to dance with her. Edward and Miss Ashton danced for a moment, their eyes locked together as if there were no one else in the world.

  "Mrs. Thornton, you're holding on too tight," Dr. Rowan said.

  She dropped his hand and blushed. He, unlike many of the others, did not regard her with contempt but pity. The entire neighborhood saw how her husband had abandoned her for Miss Ashton. They had not even completed their first dance. Fortunately, Mr. Rowan stepped in to help Catherine finish the dance when Edward seemed unwilling to let Miss Ashton go back to her original partner.

  "I hope you will oblige me, as I am a bit of a clumsy oaf," Mr. Rowan said with a smile.

  She knew he was trying to cheer her up, and she appreciated the gesture. She gave him a weak smile. "I am no better, sir. I have never attended a ball before now."

  They parted and sashayed to opposite sides and returned in the middle. "I am shocked!" he said dramatically. "A woman of your beauty and grace, you have been most cruel in keeping your countenance from the dance halls of England."

  She laughed at his jest. By then the song was over. They bowed to one another, and Catherine drifted off the dance floor. Edward realized he had abandoned his wife in the middle of the dance and found her at the edge of the dance floor. She felt lost at sea. The neighbors were surrounding her, but she had never felt more alone. Edward's cheeks were rosy, and he was beaming when he found her.

  "Darling, I lost you somewhere. I do not know what happened."

  You danced with the woman you really love, that's what happened. I was a fool to try to keep you.

  "It was a confusing dance. Mr. Rowan rescued me in the end, so no harm was done."

  Edward glanced over at the gentleman in question. He narrowed his eyes, watching Mr. Rowan, who was talking with Miss Alder. Edward placed a hand in the small of Catherine's back. "Come, let me make this right. I shall dance the next dance with you."

  Catherine spied Miss Ashton making her way to them through the crowd. He should be with her. They are suited to one another with their golden hair and light eyes. She had been selfish to try to keep him.

  "I will sit this next one out. I think I will get some punch," Catherine said.

  "Then let me summon one of the footmen for you." He scanned the crowd for the footmen, who were circulating with glasses of refreshment. Just then Miss Ashton appeared at his shoulder.

  "Lord Thornton, I lost you in the crowd." She was flushed prettily, her pink lips parted slightly.

  Edward turned to look at Miss Ashton, and it was as if he were seeing her for the first time.

  "Miss Ashton, my wife is not inclined to dance. Would you reserve the next dance for me?"

  She lowered her lashes in a demure way. "I would like that very much."

  He held out his arm to her, and Miss Ashton linked arms with Edward, and the pair made their way to the dance floor. She held back her bitter tears. Those would be better shed later on when she was alone once more. This is for the best, she tried to tell herself, but no matter how she spun it, she could not deny that, no matter what Edward's feelings were, she loved him. No matter the love spell, it could not override Edward's true feelings. She had seen the signs the day she met Miss Ashton, but she had ignored them. I should have removed the spell when I had the chance. She watched her Edward smile at Miss Ashton as they queued up to dance. He brushed a stray lock behind Miss Ashton's ear. Just seeing them together twisted her stomach with jealousy. It's not too late to undo the spell. I just have to speak the words, and he and Miss Ashton can be together and I will forget it all. Oblivion sounded divine. The villagers for the most part hated her, including the staff, and her husband's love was manufactured. It would be better to believe herself mad than to continue living like this.

  A prickling sensation danced across the back of her neck. Her head shot up in time to see Mr. Thorn sliding through the crowd. She considered turning the other way to avoid him. She was angry at him for his interference in her life, and she did not want him to witness her vulnerable moment. Her chance slipped away as he went around Mr. Mapleton to come and stand before her, effectively blocking off her view of the dance floor. If she were not already cross with him, she might have thanked him for the distraction.

  "Mr. Thorn, what a pleasant surprise," she said with just a touch of sarcasm. He seemed to bring out a bit of a tart in her.

  "Is it? You summoned me," he said. He nodded and smiled at Lydia, who was creeping closer to them with the Bloom sisters hot on her heels.

  Catherine laughed as if Mr. Thorn had said something very amusing and looked away from her sister-in-law. She hoped Lydia would not come over and ask too many questions. How would she explain her husband's staff coming into the ball and rubbing elbows with his guests? "I think that is your own wishful thinking, Mr. Thorn. I was merely watching my guests enjoy the party."

  "But you were thinking about me," he said.

  Catherine colored at his insinuation but hid it behind her decorative fan. "I presume you would enjoy that if I were."

  He laughed uproariously, and a few guests stared at the pair of them askance. Lydia was upon them now, and Catherine could not avoid the meeting that was about to occur.

  "Catherine, everything is magnificent, and you were beautiful as you danced with Edward."

  Catherine flinched, and Ray's gaze flickered at her in question. She shook her head slightly in response.

  Lydia continued onward, not noticing their silent exchange. "I do not believe I have made your companion's acquaintance." She fluttered her eyelashes at Mr. Thorn.

  Catherine wondered if she was lying or if she really did not recognize her brother's gardener. Ray bowed deeply and took Lydia's hand. "I am Mr. Thorn." He kissed her hand.

  The Bloom sisters tittered behind Lydia. "And how do you know our dear Catherine?" Lydia said a bit breathlessly.

  Catherine hid her smirk behind her fan. She had never seen Lydia speechless; it was a sight worth seeing. Hot on the heels of her amusement was the terrifying realization that Mr. Thorn would most likely say something embarrassing. She grabbed his sleeve as a warning. He smiled down at Catherine in a way that would have made many other women's knees weak. She was immune to his charm, however. She glowered up at him. He smirked in response.

  "I am her cousin on her mother's side," he said and left it at that.

  Catherine could tell from Lydia's and the Bloom sisters' adoring expressions they were hoping they would hear more about Mr. Thorn.

  Mr. Thorn could see that as well. "I would love to talk more, ladies, but I have promised my next dance to my cousin, if you'll excuse us." He gave them an elegant bow. Catherine was shocked they did n
ot swoon. He grabbed Catherine by the hand and led her onto the dance floor. Dancers had already begun to line up. At the far end of the line, she saw Edward and Miss Ashton were sharing another dance. He does not even care what a scene he's making. He's shared two dances in a row with her while I stood aside. She shook herself. It did not matter; after tonight, it would not be her problem. She had resigned herself to casting the spell as soon as the night was over.

  "Are you ready, cousin?" Mr. Thorn said with a crooked smile.

  She did not feel much like smiling, but something about Mr. Thorn's smiles were contagious.

  "I am only dancing this one dance with you. I don't want the neighbors to talk."

  He laughed and the music began. They drew close at the center for the first step. They were supposed to clasp hands, turn, and promenade down the line. But Mr. Thorn held her close for a moment, their hands clasped and their eyes locked.

  "Let them talk."

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Everything was going well. His guests seemed to be enjoying themselves. He wished Catherine would dance with him, but he did not want to pressure her. She had been in delicate health as of late, and he feared any extra strain would cause another fit. He was fortunate Miss Ashton was a willing partner. They were well matched when it came to dancing. He assumed that was because they had shared more than a few throughout their youth. Miss Ashton smiled at him from a few feet away. They had traded partners, and Dr. Rowan spun her around before she swung back towards him. He had to admit she was a vision. Her blonde hair haloed her head, turned golden by the chandeliers hanging above. From the moment she entered the ballroom, he found it difficult to tear his eyes away from her. Why did I never notice her beauty before?

  She watched him, a glimmer in her eye. It was a familiar look, but not one he related to Miss Ashton. It reminded him of someone, but it was difficult to pin it down while dancing. He was focused on executing his dance steps. Miss Ashton sashayed over to him, and he let the thought escape. They met once more, clasping hands for a moment, as the dance required, when he felt a sting as if something had struck him at the base of his skull. He rubbed at the tender spot and glanced around to see what had struck him.

  As his eyes crossed the floor, he saw Catherine dancing at the other end of the dance hall. She was smiling, which was a relief. His relief was short lived as jealousy coursed through him. He would need to have words with Mr. Rowan. The last he had seen his friend's son, he had still been a boy. Mr. Rowan needed to learn his place. A gentleman did not flirt with another gentleman's wife. If she wanted to dance, why did she turn me away? Then Edward saw Catherine's partner. It was not Mr. Rowan but Mr. Thorn. He stared at the pair of them as they danced. The world blurred around him as he focused entirely on his wife and the man he had sworn to kill.

  Mr. Thorn leaned in as Catherine passed him by in their shared dance. She smiled and ducked her head while his hand lingered too long against hers. The beast inside Edward roared with anger. How dare she? She refused to dance with Edward, but now she was cavorting with Mr. Thorn while the neighbors all looked on. Has she been making a fool of me this entire time? I thought Mr. Thorn kidnapped her; now I wonder if she went away with him of her own free will. Apparently my wife has been unfaithful. How dare she flaunt her infidelity in front of me.

  "Edward?" Miss Ashton touched his arm, but he had forgotten all about her. His entire focus was upon Catherine and Mr. Thorn.

  Mr. Thorn watched Catherine's every move. His eyes were drinking her in. It was much too intimate. He looked at her as if he wanted to devour Catherine. When the dance led them back together, every touch of their fingertips and every glance they shared seemed to shoot through Edward tenfold. The dancers near Edward were weaving around him as he stood locked in place, paralyzed by his rage. Then one by one, the dancers came to a halt, rippling out from Edward and down the line to Mr. Thorn and Catherine, who were still too lost in one another to notice. When the last dancers stopped and stared, Edward's temper snapped.

  "How dare you!" Edward shouted. His voice rang out across the hall, and silence fell in its wake.

  Mr. Thorn had his hand on Catherine's waist. She spun in place, and her eyes locked on her husband. Her mouth dropped open. The guests moved back, leaving Edward, Miss Ashton, Mr. Thorn and Catherine in the center of a circle.

  "Edward--" Catherine started to speak, but he held his hand up.

  "That man is a murderer! You brought him into my house and now flaunt your illicit relationship before the entire neighborhood."

  Catherine blanched as she shook her head. She was too ashamed to even attempt to defend herself.

  Edward took a step towards them. "I thought you were faithful to me. I wanted to pretend like none of this ugly business happened, that you did not go missing, not once but twice. I can see you were playing me for a fool."

  "Edward, it's not what you think--"

  "Silence!" He stalked over to them, intent on pulling Catherine away to continue their talk in private. I love her; how could she do this to me!

  Mr. Thorn stepped in front of Catherine, throwing out his arm to shield Catherine from Edward. "Stand down, guardian. You are making a scene," he said.

  Edward's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He had faced humiliation at Mr. Thorn's hand before; he was not going to do it again.

  "I may have let you escape, but you have crossed me for the last time," Edward spat.

  Mr. Thorn smirked. "You are overconfident in your abilities. It was I who let you scamper away with your pathetic life. Now stand down, and I will not be forced to embarrass you in front of your guests." He swept his arm towards the guests, who were looking on with mixed expressions of concern and rapt attention. Nothing this exciting had happened in Thornwood in a very long time.

  "Do not let him speak to you that way," Miss Ashton whispered into Edward's ear. Her breath was warm against his neck. She pressed in close to him, molding her body against his. "Use your gift to defeat him. All of the Thorn Dwellers fear what you can become."

  He turned to look at her. How did Miss Ashton know about the transformation? He had told no one, not even Catherine. She smiled and tilted her head. Her smile was different than he remembered, much more cunning. She's right. He was defeated as a man, but as a monster...

  He looked back to Mr. Thorn. "You leave me with no choice." He shed his evening coat and loosened his cravat. He stripped until nothing of his clothes remained but his pants. The neighbors whispered upon seeing him undress. Their voices were like a hive of hornets inside his skull. He pressed his palms to his ears to block out the sound. The pain of the transformation seared into his flesh. His bones snapped and reformed. Hair grew from every follicle. His hands enlarged and were tipped with claws. He fell to his knees as his spine twisted and elongated. His guests screamed and ran for the exits. Their exit was a blessing; in the absence of all their warm bodies, he could focus on the task at hand--killing Mr. Thorn at last. His sense of smell heightened. He could smell the stench of fear on Catherine, and a hint of it on Mr. Thorn as well. Good, he fears me.

  The transformation complete, Edward stood to his full height and roared. He felt powerful, invincible, and he thirsted for flesh.

  "Edward! What has happened to you?" Catherine screamed. Her fear was like a perfume. His sense of purpose was muddled in his monstrous form. He turned to his wife, but he no longer saw her as such. Now she was prey.

  He pulled back his lips and snarled at her. She stood behind Mr. Thorn. Even in his monster form he knew he could not get past Mr. Thorn, not with a direct attack. He would need to separate Catherine from Mr. Thorn. He lunged at the pair of them, and as he expected, she ran. He gave her a head start because he loved the chase. Miss Ashton screamed at him to stop, but he could not hear past the sound of Catherine's pounding heart. It was music to his ears. The hunt was upon him, and he needed to tear her to pieces.

  He chased her out of the ballroom and through the halls. The scent of human fear
was everywhere, but hers was bright as a beacon. She stumbled, he sped up to close the gap between them; the game was over. He snapped his jaws, nearly clamping down on her ankle, but at the same time something rammed into him from the side. He was thrown off course. He twisted around and fell back, baring his teeth at the attacker. He found another monster like him hunched over and snarling, saliva dripping from his jaws.

  Edward tried to go around him towards Catherine, who was cowering on the ground. The monster stopped him by nipping at Edward's neck. He yelped involuntarily and took a step back. The animal instinct to obey his alpha was suppressing the bloodlust, if for the moment. He growled at the other creature.

  "Patience, nephew," said a familiar, husky voice.

  Edward turned, prepared to attack the woman who dared approach him.

  His aunt Isobel strode in wearing the same gown Miss Ashton had been wearing. Catherine gave a small gasp. He looked over and found Mr. Thorn kneeling beside Catherine, glaring daggers at his aunt. Mr. Thorn had a hand resting on Catherine's shoulder. The moment's reflection brought his human mind to the forefront. He remembered what he was supposed to do now. I have to kill Mr. Thorn.

  "You have no control over your impulses," his aunt said conversationally. "I cannot let you harm Catherine. She is precious to me."

  "Mrs. Rosewood, get away from him. He's not in his right mind; he's dangerous!" Catherine cried. Leave it to Catherine to try to rationalize his transformation from man to beast as a form of madness.

  Isobel laughed, a hollow mocking sound. "Oh, my dear, you are just as innocent as you seem. Edward will not hurt me because I made him, just as I made Johnathan. She sauntered over to the other beast. It lowered its wolflike head for her to scratch behind the ears. She was a petite woman, but despite that, she gave off an aura of authority. She was in complete control of the situation. "He was a terrible husband, but he has made a wonderful pet."