“Where did you learn?” he asked when she was finished.
A bit breathless, Isa sat down beside him. “I started dancing when I was very small. Too young, really. I would go to the smaller square and watch the Soudain dancers practice when I was four, and I would mimic them. Madame Nicolette saw me once, and decided that I had some talent.”
“I remember her,” Ever said. “She brought her students to the Fortress to perform at celebrations. I remember hearing that they performed at official city events as well.”
Isa nodded. “She took me under her wing, and I became her special pupil as I grew older.” Isa’s eyes took a far-off look. “I’m not sure if I was really as good as she claimed, or if it was simply all the extra instruction, but by the time I was eight, there was talk that I would–”
She stopped suddenly and shook her head at the ground. “It doesn’t matter now. That was a long time ago.”
The wistfulness in her voice made Ever suddenly uncomfortable. Still, for some morbid reason, he wanted to know. “Please tell me.”
After a moment, Isa spoke slowly. “There was talk that I would be her lead dancer by the time I was twelve.”
Ever sat quietly as the entire weight of his foolish boyhood action threatened to drown him. In addition to all the other things he had taken from her, this future had been stolen as well. As always, there was one more sin, one more piece of her life that he had stolen in his youthful foolishness and never sought to repair.
“I am sorry,” was all he could say. He didn’t dare to look into her eyes.
“I think that is the reason I was so angry for so many years.” When she spoke, however, Isa’s voice wasn’t tearful as he’d feared it might be, but thoughtful instead. “I felt like I’d been robbed of my purpose, like I had no other reason to survive, other than not to be a burden to my family. I needed to be needed.”
“You’re needed here.” An odd wave of boldness struck Ever, and he reached up and gently cupped her face in his hand, turning it so that she had to look into his eyes. As he touched her, he couldn’t help but notice the strange ripples of energy that it sent through him. Even more enthralling was that she simply gazed back at him, and to his delight, she didn’t pull away.
“Why?” she breathed. “Why do you need me?”
“In truth, I know not sure why the Fortress chose you,” he admitted, still touching her face. “But the Fortress doesn’t choose people by accident. What I do know is that we needed a light in the darkness of this curse, a beacon to follow in the night. You have been, and will continue to be that light.”
He let go of her chin, but ran his fingers lightly across her jawbone, and to his surprise, she smiled hesitantly. Gingerly, with a great deal of reluctance, he pulled his hand back before it decided to touch her again on its own accord. “Do you feel like you’re needed now?” he asked breathlessly.
She studied him for what felt like a long time before answering. “I’m beginning to.”
An idea hit him, and with it, a pang of guilt, but he acted upon it anyway. “Come with me. I need to show you something.”
Back in the Tower of Annals, he went to the wardrobe for the second time that day and opened up the case. “This is the Queen’s Ring. Every queen has worn this since the Fortress was created.”
“It’s lovely,” Isa whispered, staring wide-eyed at the silver ring. At its center, a flat, round blue crystal was surrounded by smaller white crystals that lay in silver vines that weaved in and out of one another. Still holding the ring, Ever led her over to the full-length oval mirror that stood near one of the window walls. Gently, he pressed the ring into her right palm.
“Now,” he pointed to mirror, “look.”
Isa gasped as she gazed into the glass. Her eyes flamed bright blue, and the ring threw bright streaks of its own light across the room as she held it.
“What’s happening?” she murmured.
“Your power has been maturing since you arrived. You just weren’t ready to see it yet. Until now.” Taking her by the shoulders, he pulled her away from the mirror to face him. “You are stronger than you think, Isabelle.”
“But…I don’t know what to do with it, or even how it works!” she protested, looking back into the mirror.
“I can teach you!” he insisted, hoping to quell her fears before she thought too long about them. “And the Fortress will give you what you need! Your power is still young, and yet, you cannot deny that you’ve brought the Fortress back to life!”
Isa frowned a bit. “You’re still not healed. And neither are the soldiers.”
Ever wished briefly that he hadn’t told her about the stone army that still stood on the back lawn. “You will be capable of even more very soon. Trust me.” The words tasted sour as he spoke them.
As he took the ring back, it immediately dulled at his touch. She eyed him suspiciously, but he ignored it, gently taking her by the hand and leading her to the door. “I will see you tonight. We will have much to discuss, but you need to rest first. Last night was a long one.”
She gave him a funny look, but finally nodded before beginning down the steps.
As she left, Garin walked up. “Sire,” he gave Ever a long, dissatisfied look up and down, “you should be resting.”
“I take it then that you’ve heard.”
“The servants can speak of nothing else.” Garin frowned as he poured a glass of the nectar tea he’d brought with him, and handed it to Ever. “I thought Nevina might try something while I was gone, but I didn’t think she would be so bold. However, I see that the night’s events haven’t frightened Isabelle off completely.”
“She is ready, Garin.” Ever had taken the ring out again, unable to keep it locked away this morning, it seemed, and was turning the silver band over in his hands once more.
Garin frowned again, even more deeply this time, the thin lines on his forehead wrinkling in disapproval. “If that is so, then why do you look so guilty?” When Ever didn’t answer, his expression softened a bit. “You love her, don’t you?”
Ever still couldn’t answer. His mentor, however, was too familiar with his ways to be fooled.
“You know you could heal her now.”
“I would if I could!” Ever threw his hands up in frustration. “But if I used that kind of power now, my flame would be extinguished.” He shook his head and walked over to the window wall to stare at the great valley below him.
“I will pay her back one day. I’ll make it right. One day, she’ll understand…” His voice trailed off. He wasn’t even convincing himself, let alone the steward.
“Or,” Garin interjected, “she will be unprepared and vulnerable, and she won’t be able to heal you. You will die, and she’ll be left to rule a cursed castle without a guide or companion.” He shook his head. “What kind of life is that for the woman you love?”
“What choice do I have?” Ever exploded. He dropped into a chair and buried his head in his hands. “Either way I die. Either way, I lose her.”
Garin’s voice was kinder this time as he softly called the prince by the nickname he’d given him as a small boy. “Ever, has it crossed your mind that perhaps the Fortress hasn’t done all of this simply to spite you? That perhaps, there is a lesson to be learned?”
Ever looked at him miserably, so Garin continued. “If she was truly ready, she wouldn’t have trembled so as she ran down those steps just now. Gigi says we nearly lost her last night. Just as you weren’t ready when you were seven, I’m telling you, she is not ready now. Trust the Fortress! You weren’t born with your strength by accident, and she wasn’t brought here by chance. There’s a purpose in all of this, I promise! The Fortress never forsakes its chosen! The fact that it brought Isa to you should be proof enough for that.”
But Ever shook his head. “Unfortunately, , as much as I would like to, I have seen too much to hold onto such a childish hope as that.”
And with that, he slipped the ring into his pocket. After last n
ight’s assault, it was clear that the Fortress no longer cared what befell them inside its own walls. He would have to do this on his own.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Best Laid Plans
As soon as she returned to her chambers, Gigi fussed at Isa until she agreed to lie down and rest before dinner. But it was hard to sleep. The memory of last night’s terror still lingered fresh in her mind. Even stronger than the memory of the terror though, was the foreign excitement she felt in her body and soul as she tried to close her eyes.
How odd to think that just at the end of last summer, she had been abandoned and directionless. Now, at the dawn of this spring, she had both a purpose and, she hoped, someone who cared as much about her as much as she did him. The way he had looked at her that morning sent shivers up her spine, the fervor of his protection last night through her terrors, how he somehow believed in her even when she couldn’t believe in herself were all pieces of a dream she could not have imagined last year.
And in the rose garden, when he had touched her face so softly, a strange desire within her had awakened, one that filled her with a kind of longing she hadn’t felt for anyone before, not even Raoul. For Gigi’s sake, she pretended to sleep, but really, all Isa could do was think of Ever.
Her act of sleeping must have looked real enough, because the servants began to speak to one another in the next room over. Not quite ready to get up yet, she lay there quietly, and Isa soon found herself drawn into their conversation. She knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but their discussion was taking a turn she couldn’t ignore.
“Do you think it is true? That the prince will propose tonight?” The younger servant’s voice was full of excitement and intrigue.
“Gigi says we must not talk about such things. It’s not our place.” Cerise’s voice was less enthusiastic. She lowered it to add, “I will admit though, I’m worried. I don’t think she’s ready. I just wish he would give her more time.”
“But he doesn’t have time!” the younger one argued. “His fire burns duller with each day! At least, that’s what Solomon says.”
“Then I’m afraid he might be too late.” Cerise sighed. “Perhaps Prince Everard was never meant to be king. Perhaps he was meant to prepare the way for her. At least…” She paused. “At least, if we must lose him, we would have someone to follow in his place.”
There was sadness in Cerise’s voice. She spoke so softly now that Isa had to strain to hear, the deafening beat of her heart making it nearly impossible to listen in.
“But the curse demands that she heal him, or the rest of its requirements will never be fulfilled! And the more I ponder it, the worse I feel about tonight.”
Isa’s mouth fell open in horror. The curse demanded? Ever had never told her the curse had specific demands! Panic hit her. How was she supposed to heal Ever, especially if he was as close to death now as they made it sound?
The younger servant spoke again, this time in a comforting voice. “Perhaps she is ready. Every time she’s on the crystal floor it shines more brightly. And she’s brought back most of the Fortress! She brought us back!”
“I think we should be done talking of such things now.” Cerise’s voice was cross. “And I think that no matter what we say or do or think, he will be proposing soon. That was his plan from the start, so we’d better be ready.”
As their conversation turned in a different direction, Isa lay in a miserable daze, wishing that this was a nightmare Ever or Garin could pull her from. She had known at the beginning of her stay at the Fortress that Ever’s designs were self-serving. How could they not be? He had blackmailed Ansel with the lives of his family to get Isa to the Fortress. Then, when she had arrived, he’d given her such looks of cold disdain and hatred that she had wondered why he’d summoned her in the first place.
But then he had begun to change. Isa had been sure he had. The gentle words he spoke to her, the way he looked at her, the confidence he’d shown about her abilities, the trembling in his fingers every time he reached for her hand or her face. He certainly wasn’t the same man she had met last autumn.
Or perhaps, the cruel voice of reason whispered, just perhaps, he was a very good actor.
The woman’s words came back to her from the night before. For power he sold his soul, and you along with it.
He had lied by failing to tell her of the curse’s requirement that she heal him, and he’d failed to mention his approaching death. And now, he was apparently pushing her towards an end the servants didn’t think she was ready for, whatever it was.
Not long after this revelation, Gigi and her hoard of handmaidens arrived to prepare Isa for supper as they always did. Isa allowed them to dress her in whatever they wanted in whatever way they wished to do it. For weeks now, the bathwater had been clean, and the clothes had been fresh. Not that she cared now.
Tonight, they were more than meticulous as they readied her. Gigi ran around, shaking her head at everything the younger women did, clucking her tongue and demanding they do it again. She, too, seemed on edge.
That night’s gown was more exquisite than any Isa had ever laid eyes on. It was a deep blue velvet. Ribbons wove through the bodice, beaded with pearls and diamonds, and the arms were draped with silver lace. The blue parted at the bottom to reveal skirts of cream colored silk. Without a word Isa allowed them to pull the thick skirts over her head, and fuss with it to their hearts’ desires.
Isa caught Gigi’s eye while the servants put the finishing touches on her gown, and as they looked at one another, she nearly began to cry.
Gently, Gigi laid a soft hand on Isa’s cheek and gave her a sad smile. “You look like a princess, my dear.” Isa wanted to weep. Instead of weeping, however, she stepped into her boots and let the others finish fixing her hair. Finally, she heard the dreaded knock at the door. It was time.
When the door opened, Isa’s heart flopped in her chest. He was holding a single rose, looking as nervous as she felt. Instead of his black hood, he wore a deep blue coat and what had once been fitted black trousers. His boots were polished so that they reflected the light of the fire in her hearth.
He trembled a bit as he stood there, and his face looked thinner than ever. His hunch was so deep now that she stood a bit taller than he. And yet, she wanted him so badly it made her heart ache.
The fire in his eyes flamed brighter for a moment when he saw her. Finally, he cleared his throat. “My lady, would you join me?”
Nodding, she accepted his arm. Neither of them spoke as they slowly made their way to the dining hall. Isa was sure he could hear her heart trying to beat out of her chest, and she didn’t dare meet his eyes until he had walked them right through the dining hall and directly out onto the balcony. Sitting her down on one of the dozens of stone benches that surrounded the crystalline floor, he lowered himself beside her, taking her hands in his gloved ones.
“I can honestly say I never thought it would be this way,” he finally said.
Isa watched him, but said nothing.
“When you arrived,” he continued, “I thought I was gaining one more person to help solve the puzzle. But I never expected you to change so many things.” He swallowed hard. “For years, the memory of you tormented me, and I hated you even more when you appeared in my home. But there was nothing I could do. You were here, and I had to use any means I could to break the curse.
“But you!” He was suddenly staring into her eyes with that pleading, disarming look of his. “You began to teach me that there is healing in love. I think I began to love you without even being aware of it. The night you ran out…” he shook his head and his jaw clenched a bit at the memory. “I thought I had lost you. I hadn’t realized how much I needed you before that.” He took a deep breath.
“That fool from Soudain didn’t deserve you, and I’m glad he ran like a coward. You are too rare a creature to belong to someone like him.”
Isa’s heart cracked a little more with each word he spoke. She wanted so desperately
to believe him, but with each confession of love, he also failed to confess his secrets. He was still lying to her, even now as he moved stiffly from the bench to drop down on one knee.
“I love you, Isabelle Marchand. Will you marry me?”
Isa’s heart plunged and soared as he spoke the words. Conflicting desires raged within her as she stared at the ring he pulled from his pocket.
She wanted to desperately to say yes, for she loved him deeply. In a way, her heart already was and would always be his. And yet, angry tears threatened to fall as she knew he still hadn’t told her the truth.
Her decision was made, however, as Cerise’s words echoed in her mind, while she gazed miserably at his expression of hope. Lies or truth aside, he would die if he wasn’t healed soon.
She couldn’t let him die.
Without a word, she stretched out her hand. Perhaps she could make herself ready. She had to.
Her hand shook as he slipped the Queen’s Ring onto her finger. As he did so, the air around them began to quiver.
A column of blue fire shot up into the air to the heavens, engulfing them. Isa screamed as she saw the true power of the Fortress for the first time. She felt the weight of new burdens settling on her shoulders. Destin’s well-being and the faces of its citizens began to flash before her eyes. A familiar heat beat at her back, and she recognized the scorch of the evil fire that had nearly consumed her the night before.
Isa struggled to stay upright as the burdens and enemies began to settle upon her shoulders, piling one atop another. She tried to steel herself, to face the evil that challenged the light. People’s faces flashed before her, and she tried to memorize them. They needed someone to lead them. For hers was a burden, it seemed, that no one else could bear. If she couldn’t heal the prince now, it would all come crashing down.
Isa clenched her jaw and looked at the young man before her. Reaching out with trembling fingers, she tried to touch him, to heal his wounds. Before she could reach him, however, she felt her strength slipping way. It all began to collapse around her. The evil advanced, and the cry of innocent blood echoed in her ears as she failed to hold it all up.
Before Beauty Page 16
