Belle the Beast Tamer

by Pauline Creeden

  His worried eyes pleaded with me for understanding. “I should have told you sooner, but I knew your mother. Roseangela.”

  I blinked, unsure of whether to feel grateful or betrayed by this revelation. “You did?”

  Bastian nodded, reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “She was across the hall from me in a cage, just like mine. At night when I was scared and alone, or when I’d start crying after they had finished… hurting me… She’d always try comforting me by singing. I didn’t have anyone, and I was just a kid, but she’d talk to me. If it wasn’t for your mother, I… I don’t know what I would have done.”

  My mother was with him. Sang to him. Maybe even the same songs she used to sing to me when I was little. I wanted to say something, felt I needed to, but I wasn’t sure what to say. I wanted to ask if my mother was okay when he last saw her. If she had been hurt the way he had. If she might have escaped, too. What else did he know?

  Bastian continued, “When I found a way to escape, I went back for me her. I promise. But she wasn’t in the cage where she usually was. I looked everywhere for her, but couldn’t find her. I swear it.”

  I nodded, seeing the tears in his eyes. I wanted to comfort him, but all I could do was cry. Wrapping him in a tight hug, I held Bastian close until his tears and my own tears had subsided.

  Pulling away, Bastian gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. “We should get some sleep. We have a lot to do tomorrow.”

  I nodded and climbed under the blankets while he laid back down on his self-made bed. “By the way,” Bastian whispered from the floor. “Happy birthday.”

  Smiling, I laughed a little. “Thank you.”

  Exhausted, I soon fell asleep. Despite all the pain and fear, I felt safe and content, as if I somehow knew everything was going to be okay. I held tight to that feeling, even when the morning came. I didn’t want to let go of the sense of peace and serenity, something I hadn’t felt since my mother disappeared. I had always been looking over my shoulder, whether I was looking for my mother or the thing I imagined had taken her. I had nightmares for years, but eventually they became less frequent. I did my best to let go of the memories, and I thought, I let go of the hope of her return, too.

  Sun filtered in through the windows, and when I looked down, I saw Bastian still fast asleep on the floor. The sun brought out the pink undertones of his skin, the blanket hanging off his hips. I simply watched Bastian, wondering how he could look so peaceful sleeping when he had experienced so much pain. The mere idea of the torture he went through sent shivers down my spine, and part of me feared that if something went wrong—I could be the Guardians next victim. Shaking off that unpleasant thought, I climbed out bed.

  Leaning down over him, I shook his shoulder. “It’s time to get up, sleepy head.”

  Bastian groaned, turned around and opened his eyes. He blinked in the faint sunlight. “This early?”

  “We’re not giving up. Just because the police are looking for us, we’re not going to quit. We just have to be more careful. We have to get into that lab and prove that we are right. I know we’re right. I’m scared, I’m tired, and I know it’s going to be hard, but we will find justice for you and for my mother.”

  Bastian smiled and wrapped me in a hug, pulling me down on the floor with him. I squealed, and he laughed, but he didn’t let me go.

  “You’re amazing,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re strong and powerful, and if anyone can do this, it’s you.”

  His arms loosened and I pulled up to look down on him again. “It’s us. We’re in this together.”

  The words softened his eyes and he gave me a warm smile. I wanted those words to mean more. I wanted to tell him that he’d never be alone again. Even though we’d known each other for little more than a week, it felt like we’d already been through so much. When I looked in his eyes, I saw a future there, and I hoped he saw the same when he looked into mine.

  I went into the bathroom to dress while he changed in our room. Before we left I wrote in my journal, unsure if it would be the last time I’d do such a thing. I knew I might never come back, but my hope was stronger than the fear coursing through my veins.

  Afterward, I grabbed Bastian’s hand and we headed outside—the same adrenaline rushing through me as the day I left the halls of Wonderland. That day I thought it was the first day of the rest of my life, and in a way, it had been so far. Today, I realized, might be my last. It was a frightening thought, but the benefits outweighed the risk. It as a sacrifice I was willing to make for my new friend, for my family, and for anyone else on that stupid list. The names of people long since gone, people dead from the torture and tests the Guardians performed on them. I was never much for vengeance, but this was different. This wasn’t vengeance, this was justice.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The lab was busy, and I had to lead Bastian to the side of the building. Once we arrived, his hands began shaking and he kept closing his eyes, taking a deep breath each time a scale showed up on his skin.

  “It’ll all be okay,” I whispered, but I wondered if I was making a mistake. Perhaps I should go in alone. What if I was leading him back not only to painful memories he had clearly blocked out for a reason, but to be abused once again. Though I suspected that he would be able to escape in his dragon form, I knew I would fight to the death to keep him safe. “It’ll be okay,” I whispered again, mostly to myself.

  “What if this goes wrong?” Bastian asked. “What if they capture you?”

  “Well, I’m on a roll then. Second time being held captive.” I smiled, but he didn’t seem to appreciate the joke. I didn’t blame him. “Act casual,” I said and we slipped around the corner and into the courtyard entrance of the building.

  As soon as we slipped into the open, two tall men in lab coats stood before us in the courtyard. Their eyes wide. For a moment, we stared at them, like a deer caught in the headlights, deciding what to do next.

  Then the spell was broken by the first one’s shout, “Intruders!”

  “Get them!” the other man shouted.

  Bastian stepped forward, pulling me behind him, but his hands quickly turned into talons and scales covered his arm. He had to calm down. He couldn’t fight like this. I shoved him to the side and jumped ahead, using a quick scissor sweep and knocked the first one to the ground. His head hit the slate walkway with a solid thwack, and he was out cold. As I jumped back up, I allowed the tiger to come through part way, giving me the musculature and strength to knock the other one out with a chop to the back of his neck.

  “Where the heck did that come from?” Bastian stared at me with wide eyes, but I was happy to see that his talons and scales had disappeared.

  “Wonderland Academy taught us combat techniques, including partial shifting to get more strength.” I smiled. “It was my favorite class.”

  “I can see that.” He smirked. “You’ll have to teach me.”

  “Of course I will.” I said, leaning over and stealing the badges of the men’s unconscious bodies. We pushed the two men into the bushes and took their lab coats as well. After taking a deep breath, I lead Bastian into the building, using the badge I had like a keycard on the door. A guard sat at a desk just inside, but he barely glanced up, nodded a greeting and then went back to watching the tennis match on the television behind the counter.

  Breathing a sigh of relief, I and Bastian walked past and started wandering through the halls. “Do you have any idea where we should go?”

  Bastian shook his head. “Coming in the back way made the place look like a maze. I don’t recognize anything.”

  I nodded and we continued.

  We passed by locked doors, and I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps, my mother was behind one of them. At the end of the hall, we entered a room filled with needles and x-ray images—shifters in their form, x-rayed. I saw an x-ray of what appeared to be an amphibian and couldn’t help but wonder if it was an image of the Count. I wanted to walk closer to read the na
me on it and the other images, but I knew but I didn’t want to dally in one spot for too long.

  As we continued to roam, and passed through two large doors, we reached a hall with several directional signs on the corners. One sign read Cells 100-141. We followed the sign, but instead of finding the cell block, we ended up in a lobby area filled with chairs and a woman sitting at the front desk. It reminded me of a hospital waiting area.

  I started to turn around, but I ran into Bastian, who stood there frozen. His gaze was fixed on something far away.

  “Belle,” he breathed. “I remember this place. They led me through here from my sell to the caves underground where it was large enough for me to shift. They’d shock me until I’d shift…”

  He was shaking. I put a hand on his arm to help steady him. His eyes met mine, but they were the eyes of the lost child again.

  Shouts came from the lobby, and I turned back to find the receptionist on the phone, looking at us My heart sank toward my stomach. And guards started heading our way. Bastian grabbed my hand and pulled me back through the halls and towards the cells

  “Where are we going?” I asked as I ran with him.

  “I remember now,” was all he said.

  On both sides of the hallway we entered were bars and thick plexiglass. The walls were tall and thick and the ceilings were high enough to accommodate a full grown dragon.

  “Find your mother!” Bastian commanded, just before he allowed himself to shift. Scales crawled across his skin, creating a beautiful pattern that stunned me. His talons came into shape as the rest of his body bent and shifted into place. He was stunning—his dark blue-green scales spread across his skin and his eyes settled into a glowing bright blue. He eyed me, and without a moment’s hesitation he began ripping apart the cells with his claws.

  A shiver ran down my spine, but I knew I needed to do as Bastian said. Ducking beneath his large form, I made my way through the cages, looking for my mother. Could she really still be alive? The thought kept my going. There was no turning back now, but I was terrified I might not find her. If I didn’t, I knew I had to at least save the other shifters being held captive here today. I couldn’t help but notice their wide, hopeful eyes at the sight of Bastian tearing apart their cages. Some had already escaped, banding together to run away from this terrible place, scars and blood shining bright on their skin. Some even shifted into animal form the moment they had escaped. I saw wolves, lions, bears, cats, dogs, and even snakes and other reptiles and amphibians. I’d yet to see another dragon take form, but silently I hoped I might. They could use another strong fighter in this battle. It was a beautiful sight to behold, but I had to keep my focus. So far, I had not seen my mother.

  I knew I could not stay in my human form, so I focused, allowing the burn to course through my body as it shifted into its tiger state. I ran down the corridor, taking in my sights faster than before. I smelled a familiar scent, but I couldn’t quite place it. I ran farther and farther until finally something caught my eye. It was my mother, sitting in the corner, shaking, looking as vulnerable as a lost child—the same look that Bastian would get.

  I shifted back to my human form, my clothes torn awkwardly on my body. I walked up to the cage, and placed my hand on the plexiglass. “Mother,” I whispered. Tears blurring my vision. I swiped them away, and turned back toward the hallway, yelling. “Bastian, over here! Hurry!” I shouted.

  Bastian’s dragon came running toward me, knocking out a few guards to the side with his tail. He snaked through the area with his wings tucked into his side, careful not to harm any of the other shifters as he went.

  His head came down to my level and his eye narrowed on the cage. Then he gripped it with his talons and pulled the wall of my mother’s cage down and tossed it to an empty area.

  Her frail body was not more than a skeleton with a pale layer of skin, her eyes fearful and wide. She was covered in scars and sores, her eyes hollow and sunken in. If I hadn’t scented her as a tiger, would I have recognized her at all on sight?

  She seemed as she stood on shaky legs. I reached out to her. I decided it was too much yet to tell her who I was. “Roseangela, trust me. We’re here to free you.”

  With sunken eyes, she blinked at me, but accepted my touch, and I guided my mother out of the cell. Bastian scooped her up into his arms and my mother let him without more than the slightest whimper. Then he leaned his head all the way to the ground for me, inviting me to climb up onto his back. He set a hand to his side to help guide me up, then I clung to his neck as he stood once more and bolted through the hallway.

  I clung to his cold scales as he ripped through the building, tearing open the rest of the cells in his wake and knocking out any guards in his way. When we tore through the lobby area, I had to duck because the ceiling was much lower. Then he ripped through the front entrance and leapt into the air. I clung to him harder, wishing I had something to hang onto, worried that I might fall.

  The building grew smaller as we slipped farther away. I looked back and wondered if the other shifters were going to make it. I sent out a silent prayer and gripped tightly to Bastian’s back. Sirens shined in the background, and police run into the building. I hoped the truth would come out now.

  We landed in a clearing a few miles away from all the excitement. As soon as Bastian touched down, I slid from his shoulder. He still cradled my mother in his arms. She shook, her eyes closed, and tears streaming down her face.

  I swallowed and placed a hand on her shoulder. “We’re safe now, Roseangela. You can open your eyes now.”

  She opened her eyes. I smiled at her as Bastian slowly put her back on her feet. As I pulled my hand from her shoulder she reached out and grabbed it, holding my arm with more strength than I thought possible with her small frame. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at my hand.

  She touched the ring on my finger and gasped. “Bella?”

  Tears spring to my eyes, and a knot lodged in my throat. I nodded, unable to speak. But I was so relieved to hear my mother finally say something.

  “You’re so… grown up,” she managed to whisper. Tears filled her eyes and she pulled on my arm so that I was forced to take a step toward her, then she wrapped me in a hug. I wanted to hug her back just as hard as she hugged me but was too afraid that I’d hurt her. I hugged her lightly, feeling her bones through her thin skin. She was so frail.

  Through tears I finally was able to say, “It’s been a while, Mama.”

  She pulled back a little, her eyes searching my face. She placed a hand on each of m cheeks. “Is this really happening? Are you really here?”

  “Yes, Mama. I’m really here. Papa is waiting for you, too. Just a little while longer and everything will be okay. I promise.”

  She nodded, and her knees buckled. She was too weak to stand any longer. Bastian caught her, and scooped her back into his arms.

  I rested a hand on his scaled forearm. “We need to get her to the hospital. She needs an IV, something. They must have been starving her.”

  He nodded and lowered his head again. I hopped back onto his shoulders and he took off, a little faster this time. There was barely anything I could do but just hold on tight and keep my eyes closed. When the wind died down a bit, I opened my eyes to find that Bastian was landing on the helipad at the hospital. I climbed off, as he put my mother down. She leaned on me as we turned to allow Bastian the privacy to shift back to human form and adjust his clothing. Then Bastian lifted my mother again and carried her into the hospital, where staff was already waiting to help.

  “We are overwhelmed with the shifts that are coming in. Wounds we have never seen before,” the nurse explained, gesturing toward a cot. “We’ll get to you as soon as we can.”

  I blinked. They knew about shifters? I looked around and thought I saw the Guardian symbol on one of the walls. “Bastian…” I whispered.

  “Bastian?” Roseangela managed as he was placing her on a gurney. “Is that you?”

  Once she w
as lying on the gurney, Bastian took her hand in his. “Yes, it’s me. I came back. Belle found me and we came back for you and the others.”

  “You were always so kind,” she said gently, her voice strained. Then she closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.

  “Excuse me,” a deep voice asked from behind me. I turned and found a doctor and a nurse stepping up and taking my mother’s vitals.

  The nurse eyed both me and Bastian. “Are either of you family?”

  “I am.” I swallowed back tears while I watched the doctor wake my mother and help assess her further.

  “Can I ask you to come this way. We need to fill out some forms.”

  I looked back at Bastian. Had he noticed yet that we were in a Guardian hospital? Could we trust them to take care of my mother? I returned my gaze to the nurse and shook my head. “Could I please fill the forms out here, I don’t want to leave my mother.”

  The nurse offered a kind smile. “Sure thing. Here’s a clipboard and a pen. I’ll be right back. With the rest of the papers.”

  On the clipboard, the symbol for the Guardians stood out again. My heart sank deeper in my stomach. I knew that no one could take care of shifters better than the Guardians could, but could we trust them? Did we just break my mother free to put her back into a cell again? I didn’t know what to do. I turned to Bastian who still sat with my mother, watching everything the doctors did to her as if she was his own mother.

  A police officer stepped up to us. “Hello, I’m Officer Giovanni. I understand that you two were witnesses to the situation that happened today at the Lab. Could you both come with me down to the station and make a witness report?”

  Bastian stood, his eyes meeting mine. Then they steeled as he looked back at the policeman again. “I’ll come with you, but Belle needs to stay here with her mother. Could she make a statement later?”

  I blinked. Was he really willing to go alone with the police? Would he be able to handle the situation without shifting again? Would he be better if I went with him. Bastain’s eyes met mine again, and he seemed to read my mind. He came closer to me and wrapped his arms around me in a hug. “Don’t panic, Belle. Everything is going to be okay. We’re safe now and your mother is going to get the best possible care. You stay here and I’ll take care of this. I won’t be long and I’ll come right back. Call your father, too.”