Beauty's Beast- The Light

by Sebrena Merly

  Before Bella could open her mouth to speak, Kataros straightened and cleared his throat, giving her a glare that she returned. "You say that the rumors haven't gone further than the borders of the Light, yet you stand before us with knowledge of her...company." When she scoffed, he rolled his eyes and ignored her.

  "What I say is true," Malum said as he inspected his drink. Then he looked up at Kataros, gesturing to the glass in his hand. "This isn't poisoned, is it?"

  "Am I an idiot?" Kataros asked in return, causing Bella to let out a little snort, and his lips twisted as he gave her an irritated look.

  Malum grinned at the both of them, then took another drink. "It's probably just very old. I've never tasted one that was so sweet." He picked up the bottle, waving it towards Bella. "Would you like a glass?"

  "I'm sure she doesn't," Kataros said quickly, eyes wide.

  "Now, now," he said with a faint smile. "I believe it was the girl I spoke to, was it not?" He looked at her. "Come, come, we don't have all day. It is quite delectable if I may say so myself." He gave her a winning smile.

  Narrowing her eyes at the demon, yet knowing that it was probably best not to drink something unknown to her—and that her captor seemed concerned with—she shook her head. "No, thank you."

  "And she has manners," he said as he set the bottle back down and gave the demon a strange smile. "Excellent. I'm sure that a proper man such as yourself would admire such things." When the demon opened his mouth to speak, he only raised his voice a little. "It's a shame, really, that you would pass up such an incredible drink, but perhaps another time."

  "Have you come just for the beverage, or was there something else?" Kataros asked wearily as he strode over to the fireplace and it flared to life. He said it almost casually, as if he was hiding that he did, as a fact, know exactly why it was the faerie was there.

  "Well, your cellar's always been filled with quality delights, but I suppose that's not good enough a reason," he said as he swirled his glass around and took a drink. He looked at Kataros over the rim. "Even so, I'm sure we both know why I'm here today. Especially since I wasn't home when rumors started to spread."

  "Are you here because of the wolves?" Bella asked curiously, remembering how odd Thais and Kataros had been acting when they spoke about them; and that was also the time Malum was brought up, which made her wonder if he had anything to do with them. Kataros drew in a deep breath and glared at her, making her scowl at him and roll her eyes.

  Malum smiled up at her. "Yes, that is exactly why I'm here." He gave the demon an irritated look. "You know that the Northern wolves are not to be toyed with."

  "I wasn't toying with them," he complained. "I just...almost killed some of them." He cringed.

  "Katharos," Malum said with an air of warning, a word that sounded just as ancient as it did difficult to pronounce, head tilted as he made tsking noises and shook his head, as if he were scolding a child. "You know better than to do such things."

  "I had to," he argued insistently, looking at him with a frantic expression. "They were going to kill Bella."

  "So she is something to you," he said, almost as if he had just figured something out, and he gave Bella a look she couldn't read. He looked back at Kataros. "Nevertheless, she's a human, and her life means nothing when compared to the wolves of the North. Especially with the consequences."

  "I didn't kill any of them," he said through gritted teeth, lips curling. "If anything, they did most of the damage. The fight is over and done with now." Though he said this, he didn't look like he believed it one single bit.

  "I'm afraid not," Malum said, turning back to his drink. "You know how defensive those...beasts can be." His lips curled in distaste, and for a split second he looked a little like Kataros. Then he shrugged. "Just don't be shocked if they come after you."

  The demon snarled, making Bella jump in surprise, and strode over to where Malum sat, glowering ferociously as he growled. "Was that a threat?"

  Unfazed, he puckered his lips a little in amusement as he stared at his glass before meeting the demon's eyes, smiling. "Of course it was, but it most certainly wasn't from me. Think of it more as a warning. I'm just a friend who's trying to help."

  He chuckled harshly. "Friend? You're nothing more than a backstabbing traitor."

  Malum froze, staring thoughtfully at a spot past the glass in his hand. "Last I remember, I was only defending myself. And, technically, I'm not the one who did it."

  "Technical or not," Kataros said, "It’s still your fault." He spat at him. "You are an embarrassment to the family."

  Gently setting his glass down, Malum stood up calmly, holding an air that scared Bella more than his haughty confidence, no expression upon his face. "Tell me...how is dear little sister doing? Mother still treating her like she's one of her little pets?"

  Bella frowned, confused. Were they brothers? And they had a sister? She wanted to ask them, but she was too afraid to interrupt, especially when Kataros gave Malum a murderous look.

  "We all saw what became of you in the near future," he said, earning a bewildered look from Bella, but he didn't see this and merely sneered at Malum. "You're tainted. Why else do you think you were given such a name?"

  "Last I checked," he said, stepping closer to him, "I wasn't the only one with a meaningful name. And I'm sure we both know that you are not even what comes close to pure." He stood closer, till they were only a foot apart, just barely an inch taller than him. "And we all very well know that the future can change. Look at Yasandre, for example. She was supposed to be spending her days happily with the love of her life in here." He waved his arms around. "You see her anywhere?"

  "You leave her out of this!" the demon roared, slamming a hand on the table beside them, making the bottle and glasses rattle in their spots. His eyes flickered, and fur slowly pushed to the surface before disappearing, switching back and forth between the beast and the demon, and he clenched his fists at his sides as he turned away from the faerie, setting his hands on the table. He drew in one deep breath after the other, gritting his teeth as he fought to control himself.

  Bella watched him with wide eyes, thinking of the beast that had tried to kill her in the East Wing. Even though it was the beast that had saved her in the forest, she was sure that he wouldn't be thinking of her safety.

  Especially now.

  Malum chuckled, stepping back, and he grabbed his glass again as he studied Bella's terrified expression and Kataros's empty one. "You may want to save the argument for another time, if you wish to keep your little pet alive for much longer."

  "What's wrong, Malum?" he asked, sneering as he looked over at him. "Are you afraid of a fight?"

  "I never tire of one," he said with a shrug. "I'm rather bored these days, though I have to admit that they're getting more interesting. As much as I would enjoy a round with you, I have this clear...sense that you wish this one to live."

  "And what gives you that idea?" he demanded, hardly glancing Bella's way.

  His lips puckered, and he smiled. "Tuition." Then he sighed and set his glass down. "I'm afraid I should be going. I'm already late, and I've given you the warning."

  Bella cleared her throat, remembering why she had wanted to speak with Malum in the first place, earning a small smile from him. "What is so dangerous about the Northern wolves?"

  "They're the closest to the Fenrir there is," he told her. "Our closest link to them, so they are not to be fooled with. They are rather revengeful, and are known for starting trouble to right whatever wrongs they believed were done."

  "So they're going to come after us?" she asked, glancing over at Kataros. But he didn't even look at her, only staring blankly at the table as he listened to them, frowning deeply.

  He raised his eyebrows, glancing over at the demon. "My, you haven't told this poor creature a thing, have you?"

  "Save it," he snapped.

  Chuckling, he looked back at Bella. "Yes, they will come. And when they come, they will come in
numbers. There's no telling when they'll hit, but it will be unexpected, and they will do just about anything to put you off guard, so do not trust any rumors you hear of them." He sighed. "It's a shame, really, since this might possibly be the last time I ever see you. I was truly hoping to find out why Kataros is so infatuated with you."

  "What makes you say that?" she asked. When he gave her a sad smile, she felt a small flutter of panic, and her blood ran cold. "You think they're going to kill me." She looked over at the demon, wanting him to tell her she would be fine, that she was wrong.

  He merely avoided her gaze.

  "Oh, no, I don't think, Bella," Malum said cheerily. "I know. A human life is nothing to the Fae of the Light, especially when contrasted with another of the Fae—and a Fenris, at that. The Fenris would be rather upset, should any of the Northern wolves be killed. Just killing one of them is a crime. Imagine what killing the whole existence of them would do." He shuddered dramatically, and grinned. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but you won't last long. Only a fool would choose you over them."

  "What happens if you kill them?" she asked. "What happens if I'm saved; if the Fae defend me?"

  He tilted his head, still maintaining that polite smile of his. "You start a war." He grabbed his glass again, despite the fact that he had been about ready to leave, though he had probably decided he was already late in the first place so it didn't matter, and he took another drink from it. When he pulled it from his lips, he narrowed his eyes and pointed at her. "You don't actually think that you can survive, do you?"

  She hadn't actually put any thought into it. In fact, it had just been an instinctual question, but now she really was giving it some thought, and she wondered if they actually could survive. After all, why not? There were still a lot of the Fae roaming the castle, and the Light sounded rather large, and so would be filled with Fae of all sorts, all of whom could help them. That, and the pack she had a run in with hadn't looked very big.

  They could win the war easily.

  "Why not?" she asked. "It would be a short war—and a small one at that." Not that she was, exactly, the sort to go to war.

  He laughed. He looked uncertain, but he still did, staring at her and waiting for her to admit she had been joking, but she didn't falter once. He frowned, taking another gulp of his drink before setting it back down. "Surely you jest?"

  "Why would I?" she asked, throwing her arms into the air. "There are more of us than there are of them. We could beat them; easy as that." She snapped her fingers at him for added effect, feeling more and more confident as she thought it over.

  He laughed again. "Oh, Bella, you misunderstand. First off, there are several different packs of them, and they are gathering as we speak. Something about you has them on edge, and it's making them persistent upon your death. Secondly, the war wouldn't be with them—that would hardly even pass as a meeting compared to the consequences. The war would be with the whole of Fenrir, who will—and I promise you this—avenge their brothers' deaths. It's them you have to worry about, and what will happen after." He grinned, almost victoriously. "Everyone will be out for blood."

  "Save your words," Kataros snapped, "for another time. They're being wasted here, and your stay is overdue."

  "Is what he said true?" Bella demanded. When he ignored her, she raised her voice into a shout. "Is it?"

  "Yes," he snapped at her. He glowered, baring his teeth. "Are you happy now?"

  "Am I..." She strode up to him, meeting his furious gaze with her own, refusing to be frightened off with such a simple look, no matter how intense. "You think I wanted this? Did I ask for this? It's your fault I'm even here in the first place!"

  "The fault is your own," he said, waving her off.

  "Don't you excuse me like I'm some sort of unamusing entertainment!" she shouted, making him blink in surprise. She stepped even closer. "My father would've happily left without speaking another word for the rest of his life if that's what it took. But instead you imprison him like some sort of-of-criminal! And then I have to come here and offer my services to you, which you obviously don't even need in the first place! Why am I here? I should be at home! I should be worrying about marriage, and about Jared, and about Ash, and-and-" She stopped, panting, and started waving a hand at her face, which was burning hotter than she had ever felt it burn up before. The world, in a sense to her, was spinning-

  And she couldn't quite keep up with it.

  Malum watched the both of them, an amused expression displayed across his face, back in the chair he had occupied earlier, glass in hand as he regarded the both of them. When they glanced his way, he quickly brought the glass to his lips and glanced casually away.

  "Better?" Kataros asked Bella gently when she looked back at him.

  "Not until you tell me why you want me here so bad," she replied, sighing and pulling her hair from the back of her neck, which was starting to get sweaty, and she continued waving at her face.

  He nodded. "Yes, I figured I would have to tell you some time." When she frowned at him, he continued. "When I was cursed, the witch told me that there was only one who would be able to save me. She said that a girl would come into my life, a girl unlike any other, and she would save me from my curse."

  She stopped fanning herself, confused. "Wait...are you telling me that the witch that cursed you told you how to get rid of your curse?"

  "Not really how to get rid of it," he told her. "And it's all very confusing, so I would rather not get into detail."

  "I don't need details," she told him. "Just specifics." Then she shook her head. "So, you think that I'm this girl she was talking about?" When he gave her a small, uncertain smile, she shook her head again, taking a step back. "No, I can't be."

  "Bella," he started.

  "No," she repeated. "Kataros, I'm serious. I can't be this girl, whoever she's supposed to be. I'm just a human; that's it. There's nothing special about me. I would love to help you, I really would, but I'm just...me. I'm perfectly normal."

  "You can't be," he insisted, eyes flickering to Malum nervously before meeting Bella's. "What I saw when you were in the East Wing-"

  "You mean the crystal ball?" she asked, making Malum sit up curiously in his spot. She ignored the faerie and shook her head. "I don't know what that was, and I'm sure you don't either. So how do we even know that means anything?"

  "Well, Kataros," Malum said with a slight purr as he regarded Bella thoughtfully, looking her over thoroughly. "You never said anything about Videns." When Kataros only stared down at the floor, drawing in a slow breath, he clicked his tongue at him. "Little brother, you should know better than to keep things from me." He looked at Bella. "What did you see?"

  "Nothing," Kataros said quickly, looking over at him. "She saw nothing."

  "I was speaking to the girl," he told him patiently. He looked back at her, smiling cheerfully.

  She exchanged a look with Kataros, who looked at her nervously with his head ducked, trying to make the look discreet, and she shrugged as she turned back to Malum. "I don't know. He came out of nowhere, and he frightened me before I could get a clear glimpse."

  He studied her for a moment, as if judging whether or not she was lying, and seemed to decide that she was telling the truth. "Right then. If this ever happens again, and Videns responds, you'll let me know." It wasn't a question, but a statement, one that held a threat. Then he stood, setting his glass on the table before striding past the both of them. When he reached the door, he turned to the both of them. "Beauty and the beast...It's rather fitting, don't you think?" When they gave him a questioning look, he waved a hand. "Oh, don't mind me; just thinking to myself. But, Bella is Spanish for beauty, if I remember correctly. It has certainly been a long time since I spoke such a language."

  "Are you Spanish?" Bella asked curiously. He didn't look like it. If anything, his accent sounded more on the English side, with a flare of the North, but nothing about him striked Bella as a Spaniard.

  But then, nothing about
him struck her as anything other than something inhumane.

  He smiled. "Aren't we all?" Then he bowed his head at Kataros. "Give the family my love." He turned around and strode out, head held high, the door closing gently behind him.

  "He was...charming," Bella said, sighing gently, after Malum had left both her and the beast to themselves. "As soon as you get past the immature cockiness and strange personality, that is." She turned to the demon, who was giving her an equally strange look, and frowned. "What?"

  "You, Bella; you are something," he said thoughtfully.

  She gave that some thought, then shook her head. "We're not going to go through this again. I'm a human, Kataros; human. I'm nothing special; especially not something that's supposed to get rid of this...curse." She shook her head again, thinking about the wolves, and sighed. "What am I supposed to do?"

  "You are something," he groaned, sounding and looking more human than she had ever seen him as he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Videns is the name of the orb. It hasn't worked in several years. More than a hundred! You charged it, and no one can do that—not even the Fae. Once an orb is dead, it's dead. It never works again. Several have been thrown out and lost because of this."

  "If it wasn't working," she said, "then why did you still have it?"

  "Because I was hoping to find a way," he told her. "I was hoping that it would come back to life; that it would tell me what I was supposed to do. It didn't do anything until you touched it. Don't you realize what this means?"

  She hesitated, then shook her head. "Personally, I don't want to. I'm not this girl, Kataros, I'm sorry. It was just coi-"

  "Don't say coincidence," he told her, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You don't believe in it. I know you don't."

  "But you don't know me," she groaned, fisting her hands in her hair in frustration. "You know nothing about me. Don't you see? I'm just some silly girl who wanted to rescue her father, and I ended up getting stuck here in the process." She heaved a sigh, rubbing her eyes wearily. "I just want to go home."

  "I know," he said gently, far more gentle than she was used to, and she forced her watery eyes to meet his concerned ones. "But you can't go, Bella. Not only would that put your life in even more danger, but your father's as well, and everyone else you love. If you leave the Light, others will be in danger as well. The wolves will stop at nothing until they have what they want." He stepped closer to her. "And I know you don't believe in coincidence because I can hear the doubt in your voice when you say it; I can see it in your eyes. We met for a reason. Your father came across my castle for a reason." His eyes settled on hers, filled with desperation and something else she couldn't quite pinpoint.