Beauty's Beast- The Light

by Sebrena Merly

  What if they didn't want to go?

  "Oh, you bunch of petty children," Thais said from the middle of the crowd, making her way through it and up a few steps before turning to face them. "I'd say ten of us is enough to handle a single man, wouldn't you? He may be infected, but he's still human, which makes him a little less dangerous."

  "But what about the creatures that lay wait outside the borders?" someone demanded.

  "We've never even crossed our own gates!" someone else shouted, and the murmurs rose in volume.

  Kataros pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezing shut. "Bella, it'll take some convincing to get anyone to go, at this rate."

  She bit her lip nervously, watching Thais give her an annoyed look as everyone started shouting out complaints and excuses, and then she stepped down a few steps, raising her voice higher than the others. "You are the Fae, aren't you?" That gave her some more silence, and some of them actually stopped to listen while others continued muttering angrily. "You're stronger than you used to be, and you know this, don't you?" Some more silence. There was still anger, but at least they were listening. Bella looked over her shoulder at Kataros, who nodded at her encouragingly, his head tilted curiously. Then she turned back to the faeries. "You've taken to hating humans—as I'm sure you insult them. But you're afraid to leave home just like anyone else."

  "This would be more than leaving home," one of the Fae said, stepping forth, and Bella recognized him as one of the faeries that had accused Janine. His orange eyes pierced hers, smug. "You don't know what it's like North of the Light. You humans wouldn't last five minutes."

  "Then show me that you're no longer human," she replied, taking another step down, thrusting her chin out confidently. "Show me just how strong your kind really is."

  "What does it matter?" someone else asked. "Why should we risk our lives for some human?"

  "Because...because he's my father," Bella said uncertainly, looking at Thais, who clanked her teeth together nervously and shrugged.

  More shouts, along with a smug smile from the faerie who had stepped up. They all gave her irritated and angry looks, like she was the most pointless thing in the world.

  This only infuriated her.

  "Silence!" she shouted. Much to her own surprise, they all complied, and the room was silent in a matter of seconds. She glared at their startled and confused frowns. "Most of you used to be humans once, so I don't want to hear any more hypocritical remarks about how idiotic and worthless we are. You all know as well as I that everyone—no matter what their race—doesn't deserve to die. This man—my father—is innocent. He doesn't deserve anything that has happened to him, and I would die before anything more happens to him. So stop being so childish, all of you, and start acting like the people you're supposed to be—the people you once were. Otherwise, your lives are pointless—otherwise there's no reason for you to be here." She walked down a few steps more, her glare growing fiercer with each step. "There's a reason you're all here, like this, just like there's a reason I was dragged into your life. I saw my father, even if it was only a brief flash, and he needs us. So stop acting so gutless, get out there, and help him!"

  As some of them started murmuring to each other, Kataros walked down the stairs until he stood beside Bella. "I thought you didn't believe in fate."

  She scowled. "Oh, do shut up." When he grinned at her, she couldn't help but smile back before turning back to the others. "Do you think that they'll do it?"

  "Your chances are rather high," he told her. "There's the speech you just gave, and the fact that you basically just told them that you’re a Seer. Then there's the fact that you see them."

  She frowned. "What's that got to do with anything?"

  "I've always suspected," Thais told the demon, looking Bella over. "Especially since she adapted rather well with everything, and she hasn't eaten all that much—not to mention the fact that she hasn't needed all the privileges that other humans do."

  "What are you," Bella started, but one of the faeries stepped forth.

  "We'll do it," he said. "We'll prepare and leave as soon as possible."

  "Very good," Kataros said. "Be sure to wear the strongest armor. You don't want to take any chances."

  "And take plenty of the horses to pull the carriage," Eriq added from somewhere in the crowd. "You want to move quickly, so the trip will be a short one. And I imagine that the man will put up quite a fight."

  There were some nods, then orders were being thrown out, and everyone started to disperse. The faerie with the orange eyes gave Bella a reproachful look before turning and striding into the dining hall. Eriq joined Thais, Bella, and Kataros, smiling all the while.

  "I heard your conversation," he told them. "And you're quite right."

  Kataros grinned. "Out of the whole of us, I think you may have the best hearing yet."

  "Can you all stop being so avoidant, and just tell me what the hell you're talking about?" Bella complained, though she had the sinking feeling that she already knew.

  "You've completely surrendered yourself, Bella," Thais told her. "You're a faerie."

  Bella gaped at her for a moment. She wanted to tell her off, to say that it was impossible. Though she wanted to do so, she felt that she couldn't. And, deep down, she knew that she was right.

  All along, they had all been right, and that was what had made Bella so different from other women-other humans. She was a faerie, and she had been all along. In a way, she had always known. She just hadn't accepted it. Even now, she was still in a place of disbelief, though she knew it was the truth.

  The demon stepped in front of her, eyes gently smiling into hers. "Welcome to the world of Fae."

  Part Two

  Aberration

  "Change your thoughts, and you change your world." -Norman Vincent Peale

  14

  Several days had passed without word of the group that had gone to collect Johnathon. During this time, Bella had taken to wandering around silently. Ever since news of what she was, she had hardly spoken, and she had ignored eating and sleeping. Since she now knew what she was, she realized that she was no longer hungry, nor tired, nor anything else she had been as a human.

  She healed quickly. The bruises on her back had disappeared in a matter of hours, and her weariness had transformed into a ferocious thoughtfulness. And though the Fae could not hide from each other, she managed to blend into the shadows well, and so was never seen except on the rare occasion, which unsettled the occupants of the castle.

  No one attacked her while she was like this. Those that wanted to knew better, as they were all nervous about what might happen if they did. Her intentions to survive were quite clear, and her being one of them added to that strong stubbornness. All they felt radiating from her was tension, furious awe, and acceptance, which only made her more considerate.

  Though new to this world, her body was already taken to it.

  The castle fed deeply off of this, becoming a part of her as much as she was becoming a part of it. The two were connected, very much like Videns, which she hadn't gone near since her first vision. It could feel the power burning deep inside her, the power trying to force its way out, and it pulled at it, drawing it out little by little.

  The demon was aware of all of this, along with those whom were also well connected with the castle. They knew how different she was, though they didn't know how it could be. They only knew that, though she was of their kind, she was much different.

  The demon wanted to speak with her; he had for days now, but he had stepped back to give her space, and ordered that the others do the same as well. He wanted to find out more about her, and he was sure that she was still intent on finding out the secrets that had so long been unspoken of.

  The days passed slowly, and they were beginning to become too much for Bella. She had no idea if anyone had been killed, or her father captured. And this only added to the fire building inside of her.

  Very gradually, she was growing danger
ous.

  * * *

  Bella sat at the fountain she had last spoken with Yasandre at. In a way, she had been hoping the woman would show up with news—rumors, at least. She wanted more than anything to leave the gates that surrounded the castle, but she knew she shouldn't—to be safe. If she was killed, there was no telling what would happen to her father, and she wouldn't be able to help him.

  She didn't know, exactly, how she was going to help him. It wasn't like there was a cure for the infection at hand, and she didn't even know if any such cures existed. There was the possibility, however, that she had a way of relieving her father of such a curse, since she was supposedly going to help the demon rid himself of his. That, or she would just have to find another way.

  That other way included finding the witch that cursed Kataros in the first place. If she turned him into the beast now, then maybe she could turn him back. And if she can do that, then maybe she could turn her father as well. The trouble was how she would get the witch to help, since she didn't sound like a decent person. From the sounds of it, she was evil. Unless she just had something against her son and that was that.

  That fountain was where Bella stayed most times. Many of the times, faeries would unknowingly pass by her, gossiping about the things that had went on in the castle since the day she arrived. They considered handing her over to the wolves, or even having a public execution. Bella didn't worry about such talks, because she knew that they wouldn't actually do anything.

  They were like any other simple minded townsfolk—all talk, nothing more.

  Since the day she had started seeing the Fae, she had spotted them everywhere. She hadn't thought there would be so many, but it was like a whole town lived in the castle. They wandered about everywhere at every hour. The only place they avoided was the East Wing, and it was almost nearly impossible for Bella to hide from them.

  Her eyes were adjusting to the Fae. Of course, the fact that they mostly looked like beautiful, strange people was helpful, and her being one of them helped as well. Like most other people, they all looked different from one another. Similar attributes, of course, but still very different. A variety of colors, mostly, when it came to nails, eyes, hair, and skin. Their teeth were perfectly white, though also ranged in size and number. But then, all their features varied in the sort of thing.

  Each day that passed, Bella noticed something new about herself. Since she finally knew what she was, she was beginning to look the part. Her hair seemed darker and less thin, taking on a form of its own, and flowing about. Her brown eyes were brighter and more full of life, and gold seemed to swim in them. Even her pale skin began looking flawless, smooth and rich, and sometimes she held a pink blush about her cheeks.

  It was as if she had been brought back from the dead.

  Waiting for Yasandre hadn't been all she was up to. She had been trying to piece together everyone's story, connecting everything she had heard. She even went back to the East Wing to take a closer look at the picture, now that she was noticing details she hadn't before, and she had realized why the girl in it had looked so awfully familiar.

  The Princess was Yasandre.

  This made her wonder about Kataros. He led the attack against the castle, didn't he? If so, maybe it was his fault that Yasandre's brother was gone. But, if that was the case, why did the two of them seem so fond of each other? Every time they mentioned each other—or someone else did—they seemed all flustered and thoughtful, very much as if they loved one another.

  But how could that be?

  "I thought I would find you here," Thais said, startling Bella from her thoughts, and she turned to see her standing in front of one of the hedges that hid the fountain from sight. Her arms were crossed over her chest, violet eyes flashing brightly, white hair dancing in the breeze. She was in her usual wear: dark colors and trousers, the loose blouse a deep red that reminded Bella of a sky caught on fire.

  "How could you think that, when I've been wandering about?" Bella asked her, brows raised.

  She pursed her lips. "Oh, be all snide. That's the answer, isn't it?" She waved her arms around her. "You think hiding is going to get you anywhere?"

  Bella shrugged. "I'm not going anywhere."

  "That's for certain," Thais said, nodding. "So why don't you stop all this nonsense and actually communicate with us. We've given you plenty of time to collect your thoughts."

  "You think I want any of this?" she asked, standing up with a sigh. "I can't just automatically be used to it, Thais. I've been a human for over sixteen years, and a Fae for only—what—five days?"

  "Six," she corrected. "And besides that, there's no way you can be a faerie so quickly without already having been one to begin with."

  "But how's that possible?" Bella demanded. She fisted her hands and took a deep breath. "None of this makes sense. I can't just be a human, but different, and then suddenly become one of you. It just doesn't add up." They stood there a moment in silence, then she met Thais's eyes. "What does Kataros think?"

  "He thinks that you need time," she told her. "But I don't think we have time."

  Bella frowned. "And why's that?"

  "We have word of the wolves," she told her.

  She rolled her eyes and sat back down. "You can't rely on rumors." This was somewhat hypocritical for her to say, since she had deliberately been waiting for Yasandre for news. She sighed and looked up at Thais. "I thought we already covered that."

  "These aren't rumors," she told her. "And you can't trust Malum—no matter what. Bad things happen when you do." She sat down beside her "I've sent a message to Silina-"

  "You've spoken with her?" Bella asked, leaping to her feet. "What of Yasandre?" She cast an eager glance around their surroundings, peeking through the hedges. "I want to speak with her."

  "She's not here," Thais snapped. "Now let me speak. Silina sent some of her girls over the land of the Light. They collected information from several different areas, and—though there's plenty said—there's a few things they have in common."

  "What is it?" she asked, slowly sitting back down.

  "All of the packs have grouped together. Nobody's sure when they'll attack, but it's said to be in two days—maybe even one."

  Bella leapt back onto her feet, eyes wide. "Are you saying they might attack by morning?" Then she glowered at her. "Why wasn't I told this?"

  She glowered right back. "In case you haven't noticed, you've been avoiding everyone. Yes, we could have shouted it out to you, but we thought such news needed to be taken lightly with someone so frail as yourself."

  She sighed calmly, smoothing out the dark gown she was wearing, and ignored her being called frail—of all things. "And, exactly, how many wolves are there?"

  "We can't say, 'exactly'," she told her. "There are many different packs all over the Light. At best, I would say there were about five—maybe six—hundred."

  "Six hundred?" Bella gaped at her, staring up at the castle. "How many of us are there?"

  "Two hundred—at most," she told her, placing her hands on her knees as she looked up at her cautiously.

  "We need to bring in more then," she said. She walked towards the castle. "We'll just have Kataros go and-"

  "It's not that easy," Thais said, stopping Bella.

  She turned around. "What's so difficult about it? He is the Prince, isn't he?"

  "Bella," she said, shaking her head with a sigh. "He can't just call out to the others and expect them to come running. As I'm sure you remember, he's not the only one of royalty in the Light. There are others just as powerful, and some even more so. Not to mention, he's unable to pass the gates."

  "Well, that's ridiculous," Bella told her. "He saved my life when the wolves attacked. You saw Nocte bring him in."

  She smiled grimly. "What I saw was his wolf form, which is his only way to even leave this place. As an incubus, he's stuck here. It's part of his curse. The wolf just allows him freedom." Bella was reminded of Lylan right then, who she remembered
telling her that the demon was supposedly stuck in his own lair. Seemed she was right. Mostly, anyway.

  "Then he can transform into the beast," she replied, continuing even as Thais started shaking her head again, determined. "He can go out and try to convince the others to help us."

  "The beast can't just arrive on command," Thais told her. "Not all the time, anyway. And he's hard to control. Kataros loses himself when he's the wolf, as he would lose himself without it."

  "What about when he saved me?" Bella demanded.

  "He was able to concentrate, since you were being attacked," she replied. "He realized who the danger truly was, and managed to interpret things from there." She looked down at her knees, then back at Bella. "You're lucky he recognized you, since he basically can't see you."

  Baffled, Bella held a hand to her chest, staring over at the castle. "He's blind?"

  "Mostly," Thais said, confusing her, and she explained, sighing in a light sort of frustration before she did. "He can see your outline—but everything is blurred. Ever since he became what he is..." When Bella looked over at her, she was gazing at the castle as well. "As a wolf, he can see, but images are different for him since he's an animal. Though, his sense of smell has always been one of his strengths."

  "He never told me," Bella murmured, thinking of the first time she had come across him, when he admitted to having troubles with the dark.

  Thais smiled sadly. "You never asked."

  There was a crash somewhere in the gardens, and someone shouted, "They're here! The-" They cut off as another crash sounded.

  Bella had a hold of her dress, picking it up slightly, unsure whether to run towards the ruckus or away. She glanced at the Fae in her company uncertainly, trying to determine what it was she should do, or if she would even be any help at all.