The Curse of Ormshire (The Beast Within Book 2)

by S. L. Perrine

  “What do you mean?”

  “That monster you killed… He won’t rejuvenate as they did before. He is dead.”

  “Don’t you mean ‘it?’” Renee glared at Rosella, and her eyes turned flame red.

  “No. I mean ‘he.’ That beast was a person. He would not have been able to leave the confines of Ormshire, but you killed him anyway. Why? To send Ourobus a message?”

  “Yes, if you must know. He killed our mother! For that, I will end him!” she screamed with clenched fists.

  “You can, and you will. You’re destined to.” She reached out, taking Renee by the hand, then loosened her grip. “But you cannot do it alone, and the one person who could help you is almost at the point of fearing you.”

  “What are you talking about?” She softened, and her eyes returned to their normal shade of emerald.

  “Your link with Tyson. Half luce, you; half buio, him,” Rosella told her sister.

  “But Ty is not buio,” Renee protested.

  “Prophecies speak in riddle. He is the son of the self-proclaimed Buio King; a prince. You are a princess. Your link is there for a reason.” Rose reached out and pushed a stray ringlet behind Renee’s ear. “You need to step away from this dark path and back to what you were born to do.”

  “How can I do anything with him? He left her there. I knew it the minute I learned that she helped them. I knew somehow Ourobus had gotten his hands on mother, but Ty disagreed. He promised she was home; safe with father. All the while, his father was torturing her.” Hot tears stung her eyes and fell to her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand.

  “He only left her because she insisted. How was he to know that Malita had betrayed you all and brought her to Ourobus? He couldn’t have. Now, you need to wake up,” Rose said, poking Renee in the shoulder.

  Ty saw Renee’s eyes shoot open as the sun threatened to rise over the horizon.

  “You need to wake up.” Ty moved around the camp waking everyone. “We need to get moving before the sun gets too high. Mother, could you help Chris into the wagon?” He walked between them as they started to show signs of life.

  “Tabby, do you need a hand?” He bent over his sister. After the battle the night before, Sheree had found a large gash on Tabby’s back from the bits of wood she was thrown into.

  “I’ll give her a hand.” Nolan jumped up and rushed to Tabby.

  “Thanks, Nolan.”

  Ty wandered to Renee. Her eyes had opened, but she hadn’t moved, and he wanted to make sure she was okay. He was also very aware that she blamed him for the events of the previous morning.

  “Are you okay? Do you need a hand?” He leaned down and caressed her knuckles with his hand. The small contact on her skin seemed to calm her nerves, and just as he thought she was okay, her entire body tensed up. She pushed herself off the ground and grabbed her jacket, tying it around her waist.

  “Yeah, I’m good.” She bound over to the group and helped with the wagon.

  “My magia is strong here. I should be able to get this to Pylira,” Farlow offered. He concentrated on the front of the wagon and lifted it where the tongue would have been hooked to a bridle of horses.

  “Wait.” Ty put up a hand. “Renee, why don’t you ride a while?”

  “Thank you, but I’m okay walking for now,” she assured him.

  Farlow set to the task of pulling the wagon, letting it roll on its wheels while being pulled by and invisible force. Chase and Nolan took up the rear, keeping an eye on the wheels.

  Ty let Renee walk ahead of him, but she fell back and walked side by side with him for much of the morning. The bonnet covered those who rode in the wagon, keeping the heat of the sun off them. Every once in a while, Ty heard the murmurs of pain as the wagon hit rock and dips in the ground. They had agreed to stay away from the main road to Pylira, in case Ourobus had sent anything else to meet up with them. Once the terrain leveled off—and they were certain the hills were safely behind them—they changed direction, adding half a day to their journey, but hopefully throwing off anything that followed from behind.

  They traveled like that for most of the day. Once the sun was high in the sky, Renee climbed into the wagon next to Tabby. The wound on her back was not staying closed. Each time it ripped open, they stopped the wagon and Farlow or Ty tried to heal her, but it was no use.

  Renee ripped a piece of cloth at her mother’s feet, careful not to uncover her face. She wrapped it around Tabby’s midsection, tying off the wound to keep pressure on it.

  “Why can’t you heal her, like you did for Chase?” Chris asked at one point, but Renee didn’t answer.

  Ty watched her as she studied her ring; half red, half black. Like her heart, he suspected. He wondered if she gave her heart a chance to heal, would her ring heal too? If that could heal, would their link?

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Ormshire - Past

  The rooms smelled of roses and lilacs. Renella had no idea why it would smell of lilacs, as there weren’t any in sight. The wild white roses filled every room and every balcony around the castle. The crystals swung effortlessly from the middle of the room, and the light of the candles bounced off them to create a rainbow. Renella marveled at all the men in their white tuxedos and patent-leather, wing-tipped shoes. Some men wore tall-standing white hats, and they wrapped white ribbon around the canes they held for support. All the women wore satin, silk, or lace dresses, all in bright white that skirted the floors. She had always thought the bride was the only one to wear white on such an occasion, but since her dress was the slightest shade off, she suspected it was ivory. Dressed in the same fashion as her guests, she wore a satin and lace dress, which also flowed to the floor. The short sleeves were woven with ivory ribbon and each had a bow set at the hem. The ribbon hugged the hem at her neck as well, down the sloped neckline, and tied to a bow at the nape of her neck. The gown, she agreed, was beautiful, but it itched her all over. The front of her hair was pinned back, and the long locks splayed in ringlets down her back. The bright red looked well against the ivory dress. Sheree had thought of that when she chose the bride’s dress color.

  “Wow, you look stunning.” Tyson took Renella’s hand in his and spun her around to take a look at all of her. She felt her cheeks become warm and knew she blushed.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she said, and she noted his black tuxedo and ivory bowtie. “You will be easy to spot in the crowd.”

  “My mother has done a wonderful job. Everything looks amazing, including the bride to be.” He leaned into her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  They walked around for a while, hand in hand, buzzing from the power that surged between them. The dizzy spells had waned since the proposal, but the feeling of electricity flowing through them by way of their touching hands never dissipated.

  As they walked through the rooms and crowds of people, Tyson pointed out a few of the higher up men and women of the clan. She had not met any of Ourobus’ advisors. She knew a handful of guards by name and did not care at all to know that many. The people who greeted her that night, however, were a part of the clan that lived outside the castle walls. They meant her no harm, and even more, regarded her as the princess of the four realms. Only once, Renella had spotted Ourobus, and quickly detoured Tyson and herself in another direction. The evening’s events would mean they would see him at least once in an official manner, as he wished the couple well. This was not something Renella looked forward to, so she steered clear of him until that moment.

  They spent several hours greeting guests and drinking wine from beautifully etched crystal glasses. As they stepped onto the veranda, they spotted Queen Sheree talking amongst a couple of people—Tyson told her they were the town clerk and his wife—along with the constable and the magistrate. Sheree waved them to join her as the rest of her group left her side.

  “I was wondering if I may have a chat with the bride-to-be?” Sheree asked Tyson.

  “Sure, mother, j
ust steer clear of the tyrant for now.” He gave her a cautionary gaze.

  “Not to worry, Tyson, it’s just a friendly chat.” His mother winked at him.

  Tyson kissed Renella’s hand. “Just a few minutes. I will go find Tabitha. No doubt she’s hiding out in her room.”

  He walked from them without looking away. As the crowd moved, they closed around him and he was gone. Renella had not spoken to Sheree alone since before her sister was hurt in the square. To say she was nervous would have been an understatement.

  Renella looked at her in contemplation. It was then she noticed Sheree no longer wore the same white dress the rest were wearing, but a soft pale pink. Her dress skirted the floor and flowed as the breeze kissed it. Her ribbon-cuffed sleeves hugged her wrists, in the same manner as Renella’s, but there were no bows.

  Her dark hair was swept on top of her head and neatly tucked within the confines of her crown. It was a simple gold crown, fixed with diamonds at two points, just as the throne Ourobus sat upon. Renella was sure it had been commissioned for Sheree by Ourobus himself.

  Renella gave a curtsy. “Your Majesty, to what do I owe the honor?” She behaved in the manner she was raised.

  “Please, Renella, no formalities. This is a temporary thing. I need to speak with you in private. Will you follow me to the courtyard pond?”

  “Yes,” Renella said as Sheree led the way to her favorite spot in the castle.

  They rounded the corners of each hall, only to find that the crowd had spread over the entire first floor of the castle. When they reached the courtyard, Renella was surprised to see it had been cleared of any guests. There were two guards posted; one on either side of the double-door entrance.

  “See that we are not disturbed,” Sheree said to the guards as they opened the doors for them to pass.

  The courtyard had also been decorated for the party. Little white lights hung from the top of the castle wall, which enclosed the little area and looked like a curtain. The gazebo surrounding the pond also had white lights wrapped around its pillars. A small, white stone bench had been placed on the backside of the pond. This is where Sheree led Renella.

  “You come here so often, I thought you might like somewhere to sit and read. I noticed you do read a lot.” She motioned to the bench.

  “My mother taught my sister and me to love and appreciate books. It’s become a favorite escape for me since I’ve been here.”

  “I’m sorry you’ve such a need to escape.” She looked at her hands as she spoke. “Things have not always been so difficult here,” she started. “There was a time when, although still distant, Ourobus wasn’t quite as power hungry as he has become of late. He prided himself as a good lord of this realm. Our clan flourished as the others do, and all the people within it were welcome within these walls on a regular basis. It was only a short while before you arrived that those practices became a thing of the past.” She looked to the sky, then to Renella, and she could see a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “It could be that way again.”

  “How?” Renella wanted to know.

  “With your help, we could have that again,” Sheree insisted.

  “My help? What could I do?”

  “Choose, Renella. You must choose between a life with Tyson now and a life with him in the future.”

  “You’re starting to sound like Oma. You’re speaking in riddle. What are you talking about?”

  “I’ve been to see your mother,” Sheree said.

  That peaked Renella’s interest. She had not seen nor heard from her mother in almost two years. It was a custom she despised, but it was supposed to make the child feel more at ease in her new surroundings, without missing the old.

  “How is she? I wish I could be with her.” She stood and paced. “I didn’t even get to be with them when they laid Rosella to rest.” Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to fall. She wiped them away and turned back to Sheree. “Is she okay?”

  “Your mother is holding her own at the moment, because she knows there is much to be done.”

  “Like what?” she asked, sitting back down on the cold stone.

  “Ourobus… He needs to be dealt with.”

  “How in the world am I to contribute any help to that cause?”

  “There is a plan set in motion, one which will bind Ourobus to this place and all that are within it.”

  “So, we would all be bound to Ormshire. For how long?” Renella trembled.

  “We do not know. However, there is a catch.” Sheree looked at Renella as tears started to fill her eyes.

  “What kind of catch?” Renella held Sheree’s hands in hers. The overwhelming sadness from the woman was alien to her. She had always known her to be so strong and assertive.

  “Ourobus will be bound to Ormshire Castle and stripped of his magia. The rest of the clan would be bound to the realm. With the Maga of the realm bound to this place, he will be able to use them as pawns to do his bidding. They cannot remain,” Sheree stated.

  “So, then we have them leave before they are bound.”

  “It just is not that simple. Too many are his followers and will alert him. We cannot allow this either.”

  “So, then what is to be done?”

  “It’s a curse, one which will bind him and perish all of the Maga in the realm.”

  “What… You mean they would all die, and you?”

  “Yes, and because you are here, you will too.”

  “I…”

  “Don’t fret. Like all curses, this one will be lifted. In a time when a great magia comes forth—one strong enough that it will destroy the bond he holds to his people—and destroys him. One power of both buio and luce.”

  “Okay, what about the Maga?”

  “The curse will be set so when the power we need is here and beginning to flourish, the maga will be reborn to an outside world. Once Ourobus is destroyed, they will be able to return. We will be able to return.”

  “What choice? You said I had a choice to make.”

  “The choice goes with this.” Sheree produced a silver locket from her pocket. It was on a thin chain and opened to display two pictures; one of Renella and one of Tyson.

  “This locket has been cast on with buio magia. If you wear this locket on the eve of your wedding, you will awaken the next morn at Hearthstone, but you may never again have contact with Tyson. If you come to Ormshire, it would surely mean your death.

  “If you choose not to wear this on the eve of your wedding, you will be reborn in a new world, to await the demise of my husband. Once it is safe, you can return to Tyson and live your happily-ever-after, safe from the beast within these walls.” She continued to look at Renella, studying her, searching for her decision.

  Renella felt the weight of what Sheree told her. She could live without Tyson, or she could live with Tyson when his father had been dealt with once and for all. Forever.

  “What about Tyson? What would happen to him? How long would this be for?” She looked around the courtyard as if an outside source would be able to give her answers.

  “We do not know.”

  Renella had to sit, as she felt a fist tighten around her windpipe. She felt lightheaded as the air got harder and harder to take in. Sheree rubbed her back to help her calm her nerves, but the tightening continued.

  “I’m so sorry, Renella. I know this is difficult to decide. You should speak to Tyson. He should know what is to come.”

  Renella stood and started to leave. Sheree took her hand and closed it around the locket before she could walk off, then gave her a half smile.

  Renella left the courtyard, struggling for air. She pulled at the lace and ribbon around her neck as she searched the crowds for Tyson. She spotted him in the center of a small crowd that was forming around him and another. Renella could not see who the other person was, but she heard his voice as she entered the room.

  “There is your bride. Now we can toast the happy couple.” Ourobus stood in the middle of a vast circle of peopl
e, and he too was dressed in a black tuxedo, but wore a pale pink bowtie to match his queen. He waved his champagne glass to and fro, spilling the contents. He was clearly over his limit and made no attempt to hide it.

  “Father, maybe now is not a good time for this,” Tyson said, regarding the crowd around them. Renella stepped into the clearing to be by Tyson’s side, and Sheree entered the room behind her.

  “Nonsense, nonsense. A toast is for happy occasions. Is that not what this is; a happy occasion?” The king struggled to form his words.

  “Husband, maybe another happy occasion. You must save a toast for the wedding.” Sheree tried to rein him in. She placed her hands affectionately on his shoulders to bring him to a chair.

  “Don’t touch me, woman. I know you two were off conspiring against me. Don’t coddle me.” Ourobus pulled himself free of her.

  Tabitha came behind Tyson and held his hand, as Renella had a tight hold on the other.

  “What’s going on?” Tabitha whispered so only Tyson and Renella could hear.

  “Father has had too much to drink,” Tyson told his sister.

  “I can see that,” she piped back.

  “What are you whispering about over there? Is that my daughter hiding behind my son?” Ourobus waved his glass at Tabitha. “Come, daughter, help me with my toast.”

  “I was not aware you had a daughter.” Tabitha instantly regretted saying it, even as it left her lips, for a wave of Ourobus’ hand sent her flying.

  “Father!” Tyson yelled, and Renella helped Tabitha to her feet. The crowd decreased in size as the clan members all looked for easy exits from the dining hall.

  “Your little powerless bride has befriended your powerless sister. How quaint.” Ourobus chuckled. “You will not marry that powerless twit. She is no longer needed. Do you hear me?” He spun around and waved his glass about, letting it fly to the wall. The glass shattered, but before it could reach the clan’s people standing nearby, Renella stood. With a look in her eyes, she stopped the glass in its tracks, and just as fast as it shattered, it was whole again and in Renella’s hand.