by MJ Haag
His companion moved slightly, calling my attention. She stood just behind him, her soft hand on his shoulder, much like Patrick’s hand on Sara’s shoulder. I found that odd, and I ignored her compassionate, soft expression as I focused on her hand. Something seemed so familiar about that hand.
As I stared, my eyes rounded. I looked up at the face. The wrinkles and yellowed teeth were gone but there was no doubt. Rose’s face. Aryana’s hand.
I looked back at the handsome, stern man, my gaze sweeping him from head to feet. Alec. Liege Lord of the North. The beast had broken the curse.
My heart leapt with joy, until I realized he made no move toward me. I looked at him questioningly, and he grimaced ever so slightly as he met my gaze. Inside, I shattered. I’d known he wouldn’t want me after he returned, but I hadn’t expected his complete abandonment. My heart broke.
Beaten, nearly raped, and cast aside by the one I loved, I’d suffered enough.
“I want to go home,” I whispered, averting my gaze from the pair. “My father’s home.”
“There is a carriage outside, waiting for you,” the Liege Lord said.
He stepped aside, and Aryana/Rose copied his movement. Betrayed by the woman I’d grown to care for more than my own sisters.
Walking stiffly from the room, I left the bakery with my head high. Several people stood in the store’s front room. I ignored them all.
Outside, a small, light carriage with a single horse waited; and the driver offered me a hand to step up. I sank into the plush leather seat and blankly stared at the man’s coat as he sat in the driver’s seat and encouraged the horse into a trot.
I saw little as we left Konrall. The devastation of my world blinded me. I’d lost the beast, the sisters I’d wanted, and the home I’d craved. What was left? I could think of nothing; and in my mind, the baker’s weight pressed down on me once more.
Authors Note
You survived Depravity’s cliffhanger ending...how about this one? :)
I hope you enjoyed Deceit, part 2 of the Beastly Tales. Your support keeps me writing, so please consider letting others know about this story by leaving a review on Goodreads or any of the retailer sites where this title is available.
Keep reading for an excerpt of Devastation, the conclusion to the Beastly Tales.
Happy reading!
Melissa
Sneak peek of
Devastation
Coming August 2015
The tattered remnants of the world I’d held so dear drifted from my mind. Anger and hate clouded my thoughts.
I shook fiercely but refused to give into the tears that so desperately wanted release. My stomach cramped from the recent abuse and the restraint to contain myself, and my face ached from the blows Tennen and the baker had delivered. Yet, the pain did not distract from the lingering feel of that grotesque, vile man as the carriage rumbled toward the Water. My skin crawled, and my lungs refused to work properly.
I remained so lost in the violent experience that I barely noticed when the carriage pulled before my father’s house.
The driver hopped down from his perch and offered a hand to help me down. I needed the help. The shaking in my legs had only grown worse.
Once I was on my feet, the driver turned to Father’s home and knocked on the door. Trembling in Mrs. Mendunge’s cloak and my nightgown, I stood behind the man.
Father opened the door, took one look at me, and ushered me in.
“Benella, what’s happened?” he said, wrapping an arm around me to steady me.
I could only shake my head. He tried quizzing the driver, but the man bowed and said to expect to hear from his master soon.
That penetrated my clouded mind. My stomach dropped. The returned Lord of the estate. The image of him standing so calmly burned my eyes; still, no moisture gathered.
As soon as the door closed, Father led me to a chair then quickly left to pull water from the well. When he returned, he dipped a cloth into the pail, wrung it out, and held it to my cheek. I flinched from the pain and the reminder of what had happened.
“I’ll fetch the physician,” he said, already turning away.
“No.” I caught his hand to stop him.
I wasn’t hurt so badly that I could justify what a physician would cost. I would recover. Yet, as Father faced me with concern, I knew he would insist unless I explained my abused appearance.
I averted my gaze as words spilled forth.
“I interrupted an attempted thievery at the beast’s estate,” I said, staring at the table. “The beast was...elsewhere. The thief carried me to the baker. The baker attempted to rape me. His grotesque belly saved me,” I said in a broken whisper. “I’m shaken and bruised. Nothing that won’t heal.”
“Oh, my girl.” Father knelt beside me and wrapped me in his arms. His compassion almost released the tears I struggled to withhold.
“I don’t want to go back,” I said in a tight, pained voice. “They all play cruel games. I thought Aryana a friend, but she’s the enchantress who has held the beast this whole time. They were both there at the baker’s.” I lifted my head and met my father’s agonized gaze. “Their presence stopped the baker, but they otherwise stood by indifferently.”
“I’m so sorry, Bini,” my father whispered with tears in his eyes. “I wish I knew how to fix this.”
I knew he meant more than the attack I’d suffered. He pulled me back into a comforting hug, trying to protect me as he had from Tennen’s bullying when he’d moved us to the Water. Yet, instead of Father making the sacrifice he’d intended, I’d been tricked into staying with the beast who I had thought would protect me as zealously as he’d protected his estate. Sadly, I had wrongly assumed his level of affection for me. The ache in my chest continued to grow but for Father’s sake, I withheld my tears.
Father pulled away and offered me the use of his room, along with some of his clothes. After I dressed, I sat on his bed with my elbows on my knees and stared at my folded hands.
All the advice Aryana had given or not given made more sense. She’d used me in her game with the beast. As Rose, she’d dissuaded me, steeling my determination to help. As Aryana, she’d given me the knowledge I’d needed to navigate a world I’d not understood. I recalled all the times she had said she worried about me. She had been sincere; I didn’t doubt it. Yet, it hadn’t been enough to stop her game.
Finally, tears fell hard and fast.
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