Claire

by Lynda Behling

  Before she could touch it, Beast was out of his seat, one large black boot flew out, hitting the parasol and snapping it. "What are you-" Then Claire began, alarmed. Then she shrieked, her eyes transfixed on the wall.

  A large metal spider about the size of her palm crawled quickly out of her broken parasol and up the wall. It made a horrible clicking noise as it's sharp, thin legs moved swiftly over the smooth surface. It moved almost faster than her eyes could follow.

  Beast kicked out again, impossibly quick, and his boot crushed it. It fell, crumpled, onto the floor.

  "What is it?" Claire asked in a small voice. She shivered like a young tree caught in a sudden strong wind. "And what was it doing in my parasol?"

  Mrs. Kennie collected the pieces up into an unused spice container. She shook the pieces around, inspecting it under the light. "I've never seen anything like it before." She said.

  "It's a receiver." Beast said, his voice had taken on a dangerous edge. Claire looked at him, at the set of his body and a tremor of fear ran through her. "Someone was listening to Claire without her knowledge or permission."

  Mrs. Kennie's mouth thinned into a firm line. Something clicked into place behind her eyes. "Julius Cantor." She said quietly.

  Claire looked at her in confusion. How could she think Julius would do something like this? "Why would Julius put that... thing into my parasol?" She asked. "It doesn't make sense. He wouldn't do that." A panicky feeling began to well up in her chest. Beast and Mrs. Kennie exchanged a look. "He wouldn't!" Claire said loudly. "He's nice!" She glared at them. Why did they want to blame Julius for this? Why did they do it so easily?

  But... A little voice nagged her in the back of her mind. Who else had handled her parasol? Despite how much she liked him, how well did she really know Julius? She turned and ran up the stairs.

  Mrs. Kennie started to follow, concern on her face. Beast stepped in front of her, following Claire up the stairs. She decided to let them handle this on their own. She hadn't trusted Beast at first. But over the last few months she had seen something in him. And the conversation they had shared had revealed to her an inner determination.

  She couldn't really blame him for his lack of personality. He had obviously been through a lot in his life. She believed him when he had said that he would do whatever needed to be done for Claire's sake.

  She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping, and pocketed the metal spider. She had to get back to work. The restaurant would fall to pieces without her.

  *** The door was left open a crack. Beast stepped inside, closing the door with his foot. He was careful not to let the noise of the door closing be louder than the gentlest whisper. Claire was sitting on her little bed, bent over, her shoulders shaking. "You're crying." He said quietly.

  "I am not!" She yelled, looking up at him. Tears streamed down her face. "Shut up! Go away!" She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. It hit him in squarely on his flat stomach and fell to the floor. He barely noticed it, because he stared at her so intently.

  He walked over to Claire and sat on the bed next to her. Claire turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into his stomach. He sat there until she was cried out and hiccuping.

  She was spent, exhausted, she lay her head down on his thigh. "Julius is nice to me." She said stubbornly. "I like him a lot. Someone else must have done that. That spider must have come from someone else." She shivered at the memory. That horrible thing couldn't have come from Julius. Against their will, her eyes drifted shut.

  Beast looked at her silently. She couldn't see it, but there was a hard look in his eyes tawny eyes. He would have to watch Julius Cantor more closely. He recalled the scene in the garden. Claire hunched over and shaking while Julius held onto her shoulders. His body tensed at the memory.

  He knew without a doubt that Julius Cantor was a dangerous man. But, he could not think of any concrete, physical reason why. And, it wasn't just that the Regent was dangerous. He had to be, to hold the position he held. Beast was certain that he was a direct threat to Claire's wellbeing.

  Why was it though? Methodically, he sifted through the information he had gleaned of the Regent. Nothing jumped out at him.

  Next, he recalled everything he knew about Claire. Still nothing.

  It wasn't the two of them together then. It was something else. An outside force would serve as the catalyst between them, throwing Claire into danger.

  He knew then what it was. Himself. He would be the catalyst. His very presence in Claire's life put her in danger. He didn't know why, but he knew then with an absolute certainty that for Claire's sake, Julius Cantor should never know about him.

  He sat there for the rest of the night, watching her sleep. One thought circled through his mind, spiraling round and round doggedly: What would he do without Claire?

  *** Meanwhile, Julius set his glass down on his desk hard. He swore under his breath. The light screen before him bore flashing red letters: Disconnected...

  He stood up and paced across the study. That was too fast, much too fast. Not even top spies could detect his spider units unless he wanted them to. It was based off an old design of his father's, only perfected beyond compare.

  There was no way a nine year old child could have discovered it and disabled it in such a short time. Even if she had found it, it was programmed to escape and return to base. They were amazingly swift runners as well, and could fold their legs to fit in any space.

  If all else failed, they could self destruct themselves if they sensed they could not escape. A nine year old child could not have reflexes fast enough to detect it and then disable it before it self destructed.

  Something was not right here. He would have to keep a more careful eye out. He had many enemies, as all important political figures did. Perhaps he should post a sentry at The Sword and the Rose. He had already committed himself, in his mind, to her. He couldn't let something endanger one of his investments. He paused in his pacing. This required more thought.

  He sat at his desk, pulling a silver pen from his inside front jacket pocket. He touched it to a large black square set into his desk. A pointer appeared on the light screen. He scrawled for a bit and a recording began to play.

  "Sit with me. I missed you."

  "What did you do today while I was gone?"

  "I had a lot of fun today."

  He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, listening

  to that tiny, musical voice. As he listened, taking in every sound on the flawless recording, he wondered who she was talking to, and why they didn't speak.

  Chapter VIII – Snowfall Beast lay stretched out on the rooftop. Dawn would be approaching soon and the sky lay blank and expansive above him. No clouds, no birds, nothing. He recalled that a very long time ago, there had been things that occupied the sky. Now, they were no more.

  He watched the sun rise on the horizon, throwing out weak tendrils of light over the landscape. It was dimmer than it used to be. He recalled when the sun was so fierce that it would burn the eyes and skin. Now it shone brightly only at it's peak, and then only an hour. Dawn and Eve stretched on and on, casting the city forever in twilight.

  The only clouds that crossed the sky were large, rolling, dark masses. They poured water over the city in sheets. The rainwater they carried was becoming more tainted. Water was the source of life, and it was slowly being drained away.

  In the very distance there was a white glow, opposite the sun. The shining light of the Crystal Palace. Even if you could not see the building itself, the glow could be seen from all over the city. A constant reminder of The High Empress' absolute rule. Beast narrowed his eyes at that glow.

  A city of shadows, caught out of time, walled in as effectively as if you closed your fist around it. That's what you wanted, wasn't it, Empress?

  Where had that thought come from? It was just a tiny thread, separating from the seething mass of confusion that was his memory and consciousness.

 
He watched as dark clouds grew around the Palace. Snowfall had dawned, and the High Empress was calling the elements to her. The clouds swirled around the Palace slowly, till they grew bloated and heavy with moisture. Then they began to spread outwards, darkening the Diamond District, moving out to the Gold and Steel Districts.

  When had she started this, he wondered. Covering the city with ice and snow for a single day. What reason did she have for it?

  Her people chose this remarkable day to celebrate their Empress, and each other. Because none of them would be here if not for her. They saw the snow as a reminder of how powerful their ruler was, and still is.

  But, if it was a mere display of power, he did not think the Empress would have chosen something so... sad.

  He could feel it, that deep sadness, that frozen heart anguishing. Pouring out it's icy rage and hurt.

  How did he know that with such certainty?

  Had something truly terrible happened to her on this day? He knew only one thing for certain. Things couldn't go on

  this way. Change was happening all around.

  He could feel the undercurrents of the city. Unrest.

  Unease. Discontent.

  As many as there were those who loved the Empress, were

  as many people that were leaving the city, joining the rebels on

  the outside. War was escalating. All they wanted was the chance

  to expand, grow in population as well as territory. That was the

  nature of humans, to explore and spread. The Empress denied

  them those things, keeping them tightly contained within her city

  walls. Where she could watch over them.

  The massive black clouds soon hung over the entire city,

  blocking out the sun's feeble rays altogether. Beast rose to his

  feet and drifted silently down into the restaurant.

  Feelings were building, spiraling upward. On both sides.

  Soon they would reach the breaking point, where the only way

  was down.

  Without a sound, the first tiny snowflakes fell.

  *** Claire stepped out into a white covered city. She wore a heavy over coat two sizes too big for her, with the sleeves rolled up several times, and mis-matched mittens, one red and one blue.

  She shivered in the cold. “Brrrr, it's like the freezer out here.” The Sword and the Rose had a giant walk-in freezer behind the kitchens. Claire had only been in there once, but it was enough to convince her not to go back inside.

  She reached out a mittened hand, watching the gentle snowflakes drift down onto it. They didn't melt, and Claire could see all of the intricate lines they were formed from. “It's pretty...” She wrinkled her nose. “But, too cold to make a big fuss over.”

  Beast watched from the doorway. His tawny eyes did not like the bright landscape, where something as dark as he was would not be hidden even in the shadows. He watched Claire turn to him. “Come on out.” She reached her blue mitten out for him, smiling.

  He hung back, hesitating. There was a feeling deep inside of him, all the was to his core, that made him cautious. “The snow doesn't melt.” He said softly. It was not natural snow, he knew that, and it did not behave like natural snow. It did not turn into water. It only piled up higher and higher, suffocating.

  Claire knelt in the snow, piling some up into her mittens. “If you drink rainwater, do you eat snow?”

  “I would never eat that.” He answered firmly. His voice was also slightly louder than his usual dull tone.

  Claire looked at him curiously. This was the most feeling she had seen in him. “Is anything wrong?” She dropped her little snow pile and walked over to him.

  He backed up a step, away from the glaring white of outside. She reached a hand out to him. “No, don't-” He began, then stopped abruptly.

  Claire's hand brushed his stomach. The unmelting snow that clung to her mitten touched his shirt, then melted, going through the shirt, sinking into his skin. His body stiffened, and his eyes widened.

  Cold, unbearable freezing ice was flooding through his veins. Spreading quickly from the contact point. He couldn't move, he was being paralyzed by it.

  Fear, sorrow, malice. They were carried in that snow, as well as an all-consuming icy wrath. It fed on the energy inside of him, sucking away the last vestiges of warmth and caring that Claire had begun to revive.

  He staggered backwards. This was the first time Claire had seen him clumsy. He hit the wall behind him, the back of his head cracking on the white plaster. His body was freezing up, from the inside out.

  “Beast!” Claire cried. She had seen the snow melt into his skin, and felt a chill that was not from the cold. She ripped off the mittens and her coat, rushing to him. His body slumped and he slid to the floor. “Mary!” Claire's voice was shrill with panic as she ran into the main hall.

  Beast could only stare blankly as the ice crackled through his veins. His eyes looked out the still open door, at that evil snow, pristine and white. It was a relief when everything finally sank into blackness.

  *** “He's not moving, and he feels really, really cold.” Claire said worriedly.

  Mrs Kennie hissed between her teeth. “He's like ice, child. And he's not breathing.”

  “The not breathing is normal.” Mumbled Claire. She pushed a lank lock of hair from Beast's face. He was by no means a beauty, (Claire's definition of beauty was slightly biased towards Julius, though not undeservedly) but he was hers to look after and she was growing incredibly fond of him. And this was all her fault, even if she had meant no harm to him. She looked in his face now and only wished for him to open his eyes. “What should I do?”

  “I'm not sure, child.” Mary Kennie answered her. “I would call an ambulance, but I fear the hospitals in the city are illequipped for someone like Beast.”

  “Oh, Beast, please wake up...” Claire said sadly. Her small palms were pressed against his freezing chest. Tears swam into her eyes. Impulsively, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her warm body against his cold one.

  It was like hugging a block of ice. The shock of it went through her and she froze. Goosebumps broke out all over and she shivered violently. The cold was a grasping, sucking one, draining her of warmth. She whimpered, pulling away. But Beast's eyes were open. “Thank you, Claire.” His voice was low, tired.

  “Will you be all right?” Mary Kennie asked him. Her dark eyebrows were knitted together in concern.

  “I should be.” He answered. “Though, I can't move very quickly right now.” He sat up, like a human would, leaning against the wall.

  Claire put an arm behind his back and helped him to his feet. He got up mostly by himself, Claire was there just in case. “You should lay down.” She told him.

  He looked down at her. “All right.”

  Claire was looking ahead as they made their way up the stairs to her room. “And, next Snowfall, you are staying inside.”

  Beast nodded. “Yes.”

  *** Mrs. Kennie had baked a huge cake for Snowfall. It was tall, made from three layers, and covered with white icing half an inch thick. She had meticulously piped blue and white snowflakes all over it. At the top was a large crystalline snowflake, perfectly crafted from candy glass.

  Claire's mouth was open in a wide O as soon as she saw it. When Mrs. Kennie set it in the middle of the round table, she clapped happily. Beast sat at the table as well. The candlelight reflecting off his eyes, giving them a warm glow.

  They had the entire main hall to themselves. Mrs. Kennie couldn't keep customers out of the restaurant altogether on this the most important holiday of the year, but she had them confined to the upstairs rooms.

  All of the lights in the main hall were out. The tables were all pushed to the sides of the walls, the chairs were stacked up on top. Their table sat in a sea of darkness. Countless heatless candles had been placed on the floor all around, their flickering yellow light the only illumination.

  Claire tried to
feed Beast some cake, but he was absolutely no help to her and she got white icing all over his mouth instead.

  Mrs. Kennie and Claire both started laughing. Beast just stared at her with as much dignity as he could, till she grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth for him. Still giggling, She sat with her knees on his lap and tried to feed him again. He was still a little chilly from his contact with the snow earlier. Didn't he generate any body heat of his own? “I won't give up.” She told him, trying her hardest to look stern. This time, he opened his mouth reluctantly.

  "It's good, right?" She asked him, licking some frosting off of her thumb.

  "It's sugar." He said flatly.

  Claire giggled. "Is there something wrong with sugar?" She tilted her head to one side.

  Beast was quiet for a moment. "A little is fine." He paused. "As long as it's only a little."

  She put a hand on his chest. "Hey! You're warming up."

  "My body is burning off the sugar."

  "Huh..." Claire said, staring at his chest. "Weird..." She grabbed another forkful of cake. “Have some more.”

  Mrs. Kennie rose from the table and walked into the dark corner. Soon, Claire could hear piano music floating across the hall. After making sure Beast ate an entire piece of cake, she slid off of his lap, her tiny shoes touching the smooth floor lightly. "Dance with me, Beast." She smiled at him, her sapphire eyes twinkling.

  "I don't know how." He said, looking at her from the corner of his eye. He looked better now, there was an almost amused expression on his face.

  Claire gave him a sly look, her smile broadened. He wouldn't get out of it that easily. "Then, I'll teach you." She ran behind his chair, punching the buckle of his cloak with the heel of her palm. The cloak fell from his back, and heaped on the floor. Slowly, Beast rose from his chair. The candlelight reflected off of his skinny frame. His waist was so thin that if she wanted to, Claire could circle her arms around it and grasp her wrists. His chest was wide, but against his long and thin frame, it looked slim. His ribs stuck out against the fabric of his skin-tight shirt.