The Beast Within (The Beast Withon Book 1)

by SL Perrine

  “That doesn’t make sense. How would they know to come here?” Chase asked.

  “I don’t know, but obviously my family knew I was here. Maybe Ourobus has someone from the four clans spying for him.” They all nod in agreement.

  “Okay, so if they are all just hanging out here at the line, how do we let them know it’s time to come in.” Chase asks.

  “Ty…” I held up my hand for him to take it. As he did our hands became engulfed in a small bright white light.

  “Wait, that’s what happened the other night?” Nolan asked, “Friday right? When you went to help with the protection spell?” He pointed to Ty.

  “Our magic linked. I don’t think anyone else in Pylira knows about that.” I said to Nolan and Chase, both. “Except one person, but she’s not in Pylira. She’s here. She would have felt it too.” I looked at Ty.

  Nolan and Chase look at us confused. “Linked? What does that even mean?” Chase finally asks.

  “Mother said it was a rare occurrence. That’s as much as I remember about it.” Ty says to them.

  “It means were soul mates.” I add and Nolan quickly produces a gagging sound. “Think what you will, but I remember being told I was a powerful maga, I remember my power. Now link that with a prince from another clan and what do you have? Your father knew what he was doing when he betrothed us. I just don’t know what he thought he would get out of it.”

  “Well, right now we have to keep on the problem at hand.” Ty motioned to the Welcome sign.

  “There is something keeping luce maga out. It would make sense that Ourobus found out about the passage would be closed, and sent some of buio maga here.” Ty looked around at our surroundings.

  “Doesn’t it make more sense that they were supposed to keep us from finding each other? They had a year to enact whatever plan they had.” I made an observation.

  “So then maybe they knew they couldn’t keep you two apart.” Nolan started.

  “Yeah, maybe they’re here to keep you both here.” Chase continued, “If your allies can’t reach you, then you can’t get the passage open.” He finished his thought.

  “He’s right. My father would have known there would have been no way to keep us apart. However, we are the only ones who know about our link. He has no idea how powerful we are.” Ty looked around again, “The question is how they would keep a large group of maga from getting into a city?”

  “They would have put a barrier around the town, so none of the luce maga would be able to get in, but they could.” Chase guessed. “That’s why we’ve been seeing them in town, but none of the others that should have also made it here.” As he says this, I’m sure he means all the new faces we have been seeing.

  “Yes, but they have not been bothering me.” Then it hits me. “They’re not doing anything because they’re keeping tabs on us, until they can figure out how to get the passage open and bring me back.” I say, “Your father wants to finish what he started. He’s going to try to kill me before we can break the curse.”

  “If you die in Pylira, you will not be reborn. That will also break the curse.” Ty grabs my hand. “That’s how he wins,” he looks into my eyes and fists his hands into my hair, “I will not let that happen.” His eyes burn into mine, and I feel the love we share. Oh how I’ve missed him.

  -24-

  The fog rolled in quickly, so quickly in fact, Chris couldn’t see where she was stepping. She held onto Tabby, who seemed to have a knack for walking blind, but Chris still managed to stumble three times and sprained her ankle.

  They had reached their destination, or at least got to a point that they could see their destination. The sign wasn’t so far away that they couldn’t see it, its big bold green letters were clear enough to read:

  Cherry Valley

  Est. 1810

  Population 9,856

  It was getting to the sign that became a problem. The more they walked the farther it felt. They had walked two more days since first finding the sign, and still did not look as if they were any closer.

  “It’s spelled. It has to be.” Chris was yelling while Farlow looked after her ankle. It seemed his specialty wasn’t just wise cracking jokes; he was a healing fairy as well. As far as Tabby was concerned, he was just an annoying traveling companion. She really did not like all his chatter.

  “Talking keeps the mind off of more pressing matters.” He said after the first full day of walking to know where.

  “…Says the man who seems to have a philosophy for everything.” Tabby snapped.

  As far as Chris was concerned, he could have talked for a month straight and she wouldn’t care. She liked being distracted, especially with their current situation.

  “So how long are we going to walk, before we give up and agree were not getting any closer?” Chris asked.

  “Your still limping, does it hurt?” Farlow asked Chris as they made their way through the fog.

  “Just feels a bit bruised.” She stopped walking for a minute to rub at her calf muscle.

  “Here, lean on me.” He pulled her close to him and wrapped and arm around her waist. Chris let him take most of her weight as they continued through the field.

  “I swear it doesn’t look any closer. Isn’t there a way to find out if there is a spell at work?” Tabby’s mood began to mimic that of a small child. Her tone was more of a whine.

  “Yes, but we would need someone with exceptional skills to find such magic.” Farlow answered.

  “Why’s that?” Chris asked.

  “If this is a spell, then it must have been a powerful maga, not a novice. We would need someone equally powerful to overcome it.” Farlow held on a bit tighter.

  “You’re a fairy prince.” Tabby pointed out the obvious.

  “Yes, but fairies are not nearly as powerful as maga, we simply have a different kind of magia than you do.” He looked into Chris’ eyes and she felt warmth were she had been cold from the damp evening.

  “Well, if they are here it could be the entire group, you know, to protect themselves.” Tabby insisted.

  “Yes, but they wouldn’t make it so it would work on maga, would they? I mean they have to know more of us are on our way, but if it works on maga, then it would work on them too, wouldn’t it? I mean, after all, they’re maga too, just the bad kind.” Chris asked between steps.

  “You would think so.” Farlow gave her a quick grin. “There would be a way for them to spell it so they would be able to pass through.”

  “Wait,” Tabby put her hand out in front of them, “is that them?” She asked pointing off to the right of the sign, which still wasn’t any closer.

  They stopped walking and all had to squint against the falling light of the sun. IT took a minute to make it out, but now they could see a small bright white light, which appeared to be growing in size and illumination.

  “I think so.” Chris looked at Farlow, who winked and let her go.

  “Be right back.” And like that he was in the air. His wings turned a new shade of blue with each flap until they were the most vibrant blue Chris had ever seen.

  “What is that?” Nolan pointed to the sky.

  “From this distance it looks like a hawk, but I’m gonna bet it’s our fairy friend.” Ty answered.

  “Fairy friend?” I ask.

  “Yeah, Hogarth said they had a friend helping. One who can get and give messages without the passage. I bet its Farlow.” He said pointing to the blue wings flapping in the air.

  “Hold on.” Ty grabs my hand, and the light illuminates from them. We both raise our clenched hands to the sky and a white light beams to the heavens and strikes something. “Draw from nature Renee.” The light falls around them as if it were breaking down an invisible barrier surrounding Cherry Valley.

  “It is Farlow. The elders do have someone in their pocket.” Nolan exclaims, as Farlow touches down in from of them.

  “Your highness’, it’s unbelievably nice to see the two of you.” Farlow greets them as
two more figures walking from the field are now coming up behind them. “I was just saying we needed some big magia players on our side.”

  “Welcome to the game,” Nolan says to Farlow.

  “Forgive me, where are my manners.” Farlow stepped forward and bowed, and when he stood back up I saw her. I did not recognize her face first; I only had to see the silver locket around her neck.

  “Tabitha!” I yell and run to her and without hesitating throw my arms around my dearest friend. “It worked, you’re here.”

  “Oh my… It is so good to see you!” Tabby exclaimed. Then she looked up. “Hello Tyson.”

  Ty looked stunned for a minute, and then regained his composer. “Hello… little sister.”