"What happened?" she asked.
Her mouth opened, but then it clanked shut, and she stopped, staring straight ahead with a nervous expression. Bella stopped as well, turning to see what it was that stopped her. Yasandre was standing mere feet away, staring at them with harsh eyes.
"I-I'm sorry," Lylan said, eyes wide, glancing between the floor and her eyes, as if unsure of whether to avoid her cold gaze or keep staring. "I was just..."
"It's not her fault," Bella offered, earning an appreciative glance from Lylan. She smiled weakly at Yasandre, who was studying her like she was some sort of scientific experiment. "I wanted to know."
"It is best to ask me personally," Yasandre replied. "The facts are more solid from those with the experience." Her eyes hardened a little more, and she stared at her feet for a second before meeting Bella's frowning face. "He died, if that's what you wanted to know."
Bella's jaw dropped, hanging slightly ajar, and she stuttered about. "Uh-I-" She shook her head, cheeks flushing in shame. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault," Yasandre told her, this time seeming to concentrate her anger on an image only she could see. When she turned, she called over her shoulder, "We're almost there."
Xana jumped down from the trees, holding up her hands, and everyone stopped where they were. She walked up to Bella, getting closer than she was comfortable with. "Are you sure you're willing to do this?" Her green-yellow eyes zeroed in on her brown ones. "Do you want to abandon who you're after, or are you willing to surrender your soul to the demon that holds him?"
Everything was silent, as if waiting for Bella's answer.
She thought about home, about the safe little house that was waiting her return, and the land and animals with it. She thought about the town she had always known, and the people that were in it. She thought of every story she had ever read; whether they be horror, adventure, romance, or a mix of them all. And, above all those, she thought about her father, whom she didn't even know if he was alive or dead.
She thought of all these things, but she held her head high. "I came here to find my father, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
* * *
"Almost there" to Yasandre must have meant another hour, because that was how much time passed before everyone started getting antsy. They could sense the dangers of the place, though they were confident they wouldn't be killed. They just knew what trouble lurked, and they didn't want to bother with the irritation of it all, or the horrors that possibly awaited to take them. But none were as frightened as Bella was. The human side of her told her to run for her life and forget about all this.
But her spirit told her otherwise.
"We're here," Yasandre said, holding up a fist as they neared the edge of the trees, and they all stopped.
What stood before them was a large clearing of dead grass and shriveled plants. Ahead of that was a wall about fifty men tall, and an even bigger castle behind it.
So much for a house.
"This is the Light?" Bella asked.
Yasandre stared at her. "We entered the Light further back. The forest behind us is a part of it for several miles."
Bella considered this, nearly feeling like an idiot with the stares she was getting, but she refused to let her wisdom feel so intimidated while she was still so new to this world. "How am I supposed to get inside?" she asked in disbelief. More importantly, how was she supposed to find her father? She had been hoping to sneak around so she wasn't spotted by the demon, but there was no way she could do that if she got lost.
"There's an open gate just around the corner up there," Yasandre told her, slender finger pointing, and Bella wondered how she would know such a thing if her kind wasn't even allowed to step foot past the place they were in. Then it occurred to her that she was human once.
But what reasons could a human possibly have to lurk around this cursed place?
Bella wondered right then if this sort of thing had happened to anyone else before her, and wondered if they ever succeeded. Hell knew, she would be lucky if she did.
"Well, good luck," one of the girls said as she raced off into the trees, giggling, a few of the others following after her in a similar manner.
"They don't think you'll make it out," Lylan told her, which didn't raise her confidence one bit. Then she waved, walking back into the trees, and said, "Good knowing you."
Bella blanched, eyelashes batting over her round eyes repetitively.
"If Silina's right about you," Xana said, tilting her head as she looked the human over, "and that's a big if...then, good luck." It was a little better of a goodbye, especially since it came from her, and Bella was sure she hated her; but, she was still scared out of her mind.
Yasandre smiled, the last one to stick around, only the smile was more hopeful than polite. "I hope you prove me wrong. I really, truly, do." Then, she sighed. "Try not to get yourself killed."
"Somehow I don't think trying will get me anywhere in this place," was all Bella said.
She nodded, this time grinning, unsettling teeth flashing out. "I suppose your logic will take you places. Keep thinking like that, and you might actually live."
When she turned to go, Bella stepped towards her. "Will I get help if I need it?"
Yasandre smiled sadly. "Unfortunately, you are a stranger to us, so your life will not be worth a few of ours. I'm sorry, but the only help you can get is from yourself. If you die...it's a horrible event, yes. But it is life, and if you are meant to live then you will." Her eyes glazed over, as if she had just remembered something, then she had that smile once more. "Goodbye, Bella."
And just like that, she was gone.
"Well then," Bella said to the empty air before her, huffing. Nervous as she was, it almost angered her that the creatures were able to abandon her so easily. But she also understood that she was, indeed, a stranger to them, so they would rather have their kind safe instead of risking their lives for her own. After all, one life was better than several.
Whose better than a human they cared nothing for?
Heart pounding heavier than ever, and fierceness growing even more so, Bella started down the dead path that led to the demon's castle.
5
Within the castle lay secrets; secrets kept hidden away time enough for one to lose their mind, whomever such a person should be. Blood was saved and spilt here. Horrors passed through, just as much as stayed. No matter what happened, secrets were kept. These secrets were only safe, however, with those who knew how to keep them. And those who would be known not to keep them were always killed, tortured, or imprisoned. Even those who would keep the secrets since their lives depended on it were looked over suspiciously.
The demon trusted no one.
Johnathon was lucky. Or, rather, in a sense he was lucky. When he had come across the castle, unaware of what lay inside, he took a look around. After all, he had lost Mudo at their second stop, which wasn't a very good one either. He had taken a nasty turn with some wolves, and so had turned to the castle for safety and help.
A deep cut ran across the man's chest, the cause of his distress.
To anyone, the wolves of the North woods appeared perfectly normal. Some of them really were. But, there was a certain breed that related to the Fenrir, and Johnathon was unlucky enough to come across this breed. When they had caught scent of Johnathon and the horse, they had ran after it until they caught up. Johnathon had been off of the horse, studying the stars and trying to make sure he was on the path he had written on the map he lost a hold of, when Mudo gave a start and took off. Somehow, the horse was able to pull from the ties that connected him to the small carriage.
Then the wolves had attacked Johnathon.
Luckily, the only thing they gave him was that single scratch on the chest. Unluckily, it could be fatal if not carefully looked after.
Johnathon, who had not been prepared for any sort of attack, despite all the stories he had heard, had tried his best to race off, and he had managed t
o climb up a tree. The wolves couldn't follow, but they were smart enough to wait for him. After all, he had to come down eventually.
But something else caught their attention.
Another wolf had appeared, pacing around the edge of their vision, just on the edge of safety, to catch their attention. Once he was spotted, they all eagerly ran after him, and he led them all away. It seemed that they thought him a more important kill than a defenseless human.
Once this happened, Johnathon had climbed down from the tree. He had been chased from the path, and the stars were difficult to see, so he didn't know where he was. Deciding running until he came across help was better than just sitting and waiting for the wolves—or something far worse—to come back, he ran all the way to a castle.
And this castle just happened to be the demon's.
No one can really say who the demon is. There are many stories about where he came from, or even how he came to be the way he is, but not all of them are accurate. Only those who had experienced everything, and those who had heard from those people, knew everything. But many of these things were kept secret, or even purposely twisted to fit into different stories.
And those secrets were what kept the demon alive.
Johnathon didn't have much else to do, and so ignored the state of the castle's surroundings, deciding that it was best to look for help. Though, help wasn't what he would find in there.
The castle was in pretty good shape. For one that supposedly only held a demon. And this was because it wasn't just the demon that occupied it. Not only that, but the castle seemed to have a life of its own, since so many strong emotions had been so carelessly flailed about there, which was why some people thought it was haunted, and others thought it was blessed.
Because this castle was that of the Prince of Fae.
* * *
The first step was simple: get to the entrance of the wall. As Yasandre promised, it was right around the corner and hanging wide open—a spiky gate protruding from the top—along with a path that led from it and back into the forest. Nothing ran into the clearing to attack Bella, even despite how vulnerable she felt out in the open. Nothing stopped her.
She didn't know whether that was good or bad.
For once, she didn't feel so threatened. Not personally, anyways. In general, there was a strong feeling that, since nothing came to her, there was something far worse in the castle. Some sort of horror awaited her, even if it didn't know it itself. In a way, it was expecting her.
The land behind the wall was alive, and even seemed to breathe along with the absolute stillness of the air. Large bushes created shapes of creatures that looked vaguely familiar, along with monsters far more treacherous than anything Bella had ever seen, though she was sure such beings would look even more horrible were they real. Every once in a while, some sort of fountain would be sitting off to the side, lonely and often dry of water. But, mostly, it was all in ruins and perfectly silent.
"Papa?" Bella whispered when there was a rustling off in one of the bushes. She bit down on her tongue, cursing herself for being so foolish. She couldn't risk drawing attention from anything unwanted. In this case, the only thing she wanted was her father, but there was no way of getting him back if she was caught.
Deciding to ignore the noise, she cautiously picked herself around the spot it had originated from, keeping her eyes on it. When she had passed, she quickly turned and fled as silently as her feet would allow.
She felt eyes watching her. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was sure that there was someone, or something, there with her. Maybe even more than just one. Maybe several. Either way, she was being watched carefully. Why they didn't confront her, she didn't know. It was like they were against the idea.
Or they knew she would be caught.
Confidence, Bella said to herself, gripping the edge of her cloak anxiously. Keep your confidence.
Her breath rattled gently through her chest, catching every so often in her throat, her heartbeat speeding at every shadow that moved and every whisper of wind. The grip on her cloak tightened further, and one of her hands instinctively grabbed the belt that was holding the knife against her. Her gown flowed with the cloak, the bottom fluttering around with the wind.
Two doors to the ridiculously large castle appeared, all gnarled and twisted as much as they were delicate and beautiful. Bella couldn't decide if they were oak or ash—perhaps willow. It seemed to be a mix of all, yet so separately unique. There were brass knockers with sneering faces, and large knobs that were rusted.
Deciding that it was still in her best interest not to get caught, Bella reached for one of the knobs, avoiding the harsh gazes of the knockers.
The door swung open before her fingers even brushed the knob.
The girl stood there, shuddering, grip on her cloak tightening as she peered into the gloominess of the entrance. She could barely make out any shapes. It was a rather large room, and looked quite empty, save random tables that sat in the corners, and empty lamps on the walls that looked more vacant than ever.
She took a step back, suddenly forgetting why she was there, and thinking that she should just turn around and run as far away as her feet would carry her. But then Johnathon's face resurfaced in her mind, stopping her. She couldn't run. Not when she was this far—this close.
I don't want to lose you, Bella could remember telling her father nearly two mornings before. It seemed so long ago she had said that. More of years than hours.
You won't, he had told her.
It looked like she was going to have to keep his word for him.
Taking a deep breath, Bella stepped into the castle.
The inside of that castle was well kept, though still dark and gloomy. It was almost too...hollow. Like it was void of emotion. But that was always how it appeared to a person at first. Slowly, the emotions would fill in every crack and crevice of the building. Sometimes it would be easy to withstand.
Mostly, it was unbearable.
Bella had already roamed the great hall she had first stepped into, and one of the dining rooms next to it when she felt the first slip of long ago feelings. It was like the house had sucked up all the pain and grief from the souls of the very people that had dwelled there.
Or whatever else had dwelled.
Sudden tears appeared out of nowhere, and she had to cover her mouth to hide a cry that wanted to break loose. She was overcome with sorrow, so strong she felt the sudden will to climb to one of the castle's highest towers and throw herself out the window.
I can't do this, she thought to herself, nearly choking on the cry that wanted so desperately to break loose. I can't free him—I never will. He's lost; forever. I can't do this. I'll never be able to free him.
It seemed perfectly logical to believe that these were Bella's thoughts, but there was another presence in them. They were her own just as much as they weren't.
Stop this nonsense, another thought said. Bella straightened, pulling her hand from her mouth, and she wiped the tears away. You can't find Papa like this. You have to be strong. Get a hold of yourself. If you don't, you may as well walk out this dreadful place and go back home.
She took in a slow, deep breath and continued.
All that was in the dining room was a large table that was easily big enough to seat just a little more than thirty people. An enormous chandelier hung right above it, all crystal and silver; so light and beautiful. Aside from those two things, the room was empty. Every window was covered with large curtains. There was only the door Bella had entered from, and one other. So, she went to that other door.
Inside was the largest kitchen Bella had ever seen. It was about as big as the entrance, which was pointlessly large. Several stoves, several cleaning sinks, shelves, carts, dishes, cases, cupboards. This could easily host a party of a few hundred. Maybe more.
Bella wanted so badly to run her fingers along the edge of everything. She had never seen so many of the things that were in there. But somet
hing told her that she should keep her hands to herself. Something bad could happen when you let yourself wander too much.
There was one other door, which led to a wine cellar. Several shelves were stocked with bottles of a variety of wine, and piles of barrels sat in a corner. The whole room smelled like rotten fruit, all sweet and sour in one. Though, Bella was sure that it was all still safe to drink, because things such as wine could last a very long time.
Bella was about to turn around and walk back out into the kitchen, but something stopped her. Just off in one corner, a part of the ground was lifted. One end was raised just barely an inch above the ground, gradually melting into it. When Bella went over to it and pulled at the lifted edge, it slid up to reveal a staircase leading down into darkness.
Don't do it, one part of her said, voice scared, in warning. You won't be able to see a bloody thing. Who knows what's down there.
That's the point, said another. You'll never know unless you find out. Maybe Papa's somewhere down there. You need to find him, don't you?
Bella supposed that, yes, she did. There was no doubt about it, so she descended, squinting into the pitch black as she did. She couldn't see a thing.
I'll never be able to find him like this, she thought to herself, squeezing her eyes shut several times. But, no matter how many times she blinked, the darkness wouldn't lighten. It's simply much too dark.
A sudden light appeared, flashing much to quickly for Bella to comprehend, and the figure carrying it raced off around a corner at the end of the hall before she could get a good look at it. It was clear that whatever, or whoever, it was had seen her. After all, why else would it race off like that?
Taken aback, and wondering why the person, or creature, hadn't confronted or attacked her, she chased after it, running up to the corner in time to see the figure running for another corner up ahead. "Wait!" she called, picking up her cloak as she ran, trying not to trip over anything.
Beauty's Beast- The Light Page 7
