Withering Rose (Once Upon a Curse Book 2) Page 6

  "Omorose?"

  The low growl washes over me, making me tremble. His voice is too easy to recognize. Even his soft tone is fueled with wild danger. In the back of my mind, I don't see a man on the other side of the door. I see a wolf on the hunt, lazily baring its teeth to a rabbit already caught in its trap.

  I'm the rabbit.

  "Go away," I plead, voice uneven.

  I don't want to talk to the beast. I don't want to see him.

  I've been hearing his savage laughter in my dreams. In the nightmare, he is little more than a figure made of shadows, not truly of this world. The thought of him once filled me with hope, but now it makes my blood run cold. Not a beast, but a monster.

  "I…" he starts and then trails off, ending with a sigh.

  Do I dare say he sounds apologetic? My ears must be deceiving me. I press them closer to the wood, confused.

  "Open the door," he commands, anger simmering.

  "No," I retort. There's no way I'm opening this door, not for him. I don't want to stare into the shadows of his face, wondering what savage beast hides within the darkness. I'm perfectly fine keeping a wall of wood between us.

  "I brought food."

  "I don't want it."

  "You need to eat."

  "No, I don't."

  "Omorose," he says gruffly, annoyed.

  My stomach rumbles, and I lick my lips. Maybe he does want to help.

  Maybe…

  "Open the door!" he shouts, slamming his fist into the wood, knocking it into my ear so hard it rings.

  I jump away, frightened. "Go away!"

  He growls angrily, snarling rather than speaking.

  I don't say anything.

  Neither does he.

  We both stay stubborn in our silence.

  "Fine, starve," he snaps after a few minutes, finally stomping away.

  I fall back against the door, sinking to the floor as my knees slowly give out. I know I've just achieved some sort of victory, but it tastes sour on my tongue. I came here for help. I came here because I thought I might have finally found someone who would understand me. I thought I might have finally found a place where I didn't have to live in fear. What happened to the stranger who caressed my face beneath the moonlight? The person who made me feel for a moment like I wasn't alone? Did I imagine him? There is no doubt in my mind that it couldn't have been this hooded beast with menace seeping from his pores.

  I should go home.

  I should return to my father.

  There is nothing for me here.

  But the idea of showing up empty-handed, of going through so much trouble just to see disappointment and despair darken my father's eyes once more, it physically pains me. I'm nauseous just picturing the reunion, just imagining the way his features would fall when I admitted that the miracle he'd been hoping for didn’t come true.

  But maybe this adventure doesn't have to be for nothing.

  Maybe there is something or someone here who will help.

  Maybe I don't need the beast. Maybe I just need his books. Or maps. Or scrolls. Anything with any sort of information about the magic. Anything that mentions another person who might be able to help. If I leave, I don't need to go home. Maybe there is another place I can go to seek out acceptance, to finally have a life free of fear.

  The idea churns, gaining momentum, gleaming brighter and brighter the more I consider it. Before I realize what I'm doing, magic pricks my fingertips as the vines are swept away from the door. I throw on the cloak I found in the armoire and slip into my sneakers before stepping into the empty hallway. Then I close my eyes, using the magic to extend my senses, hoping it will guide me toward answers.

  At first, I feel nothing aside from the usual pulse of nature.

  And then I feel it.

  A gentle tug on the edge of my magic, as though someone is tenderly urging me closer. I'm not afraid. I know there is no way the beast could be the source of that supernatural caress. I haven't felt his magic, but I don't need to. His power would be a tornado pulling me in, sweeping me up, overpowering me, wild and untamed. But the magic calling out to me now is the epitome of delicate control.

  Hope swells.

  I grin.

  Without hesitating, I follow the path the magic has laid out. Each step feels like it's in the right direction. Maybe I was supposed to come here after all. Maybe the fear was worth it.

  I march through the halls, not pausing to look at the rooms filtering by. Bedrooms and sitting rooms merge together, until I'm led to a central staircase I never noticed the last time I decided to explore. I take the steps two at a time, crossing over into a wing of the giant castle that I haven't been to before.

  The halls are dark.

  A forbidden aura permeates the air.

  I continue following the tug on my magic, trying not to notice how the eyes on the tapestries suddenly feel as though they're following me. Heat tickles the back of my neck, as though my own body is warning me not to walk any closer.

  But the lure of that foreign magic grows stronger each second, grows more enticing. I have to know what it is. I have to know if it can help me. So against all my instincts, I keep going. I don't stop until I see a faint golden glow seeping through the crack beneath a door at the end of a hallway. And then I'm sprinting as excitement punches through me.

  When I reach it, I rip the door open, searching for the source of the magic. I don't need to search for very long. My eyes are immediately drawn to a glowing woman resting peacefully on the bed.

  "Hello?" I whisper, too amazed to really speak.

  She doesn’t respond. Doesn’t stir. Doesn’t give any indication that she's heard me. But the aura surrounding her brightens as though thrilled. The foreign magic that had been tugging me closer grows warm and encouraging.

  I take a step toward her.

  And another, crossing the room until I am standing over her motionless body, looking down upon the most beautiful face I've ever seen. Despite the darkness of the room, her skin holds a perfect summer tan. Honey-colored hair gleams against the pillows, creating a path my eye follows to the long and lean arms crossed over her chest. Her face holds a pixie shape, narrow with high-defined cheekbones and pink lips that look shiny with gloss. I couldn't guess how old she is even if I tried. A translucent film encases her entire body, and for a moment I think there are wrinkles around the corners of her closed eyes, but a second later they disappear. The golden light filling the room radiates from within her, as though she is a star that has fallen down to Earth.

  I'm mesmerized.

  My fingers reach for her skin, to feel if she's real. Surely someone so perfect can't truly exist.

  What is her magic?

  Who is she?

  Why is she here?

  And more importantly, why did she lead me to her?

  "Don't move another inch."

  The snarl catches me off-guard. My heart leaps into my throat as I snatch my hand away and turn around all in one quick motion.

  The beast is watching from the doorway, wearing the same midnight cloak from the day before. But with the golden glow filling the room, I can just see the bottom edge of his lip and the strong curve of his masculine chin. For some reason, the sight comforts more than scares me. He's a man, after all. His face is a normal face. But in my mind, I still imagine his eyes are red and glowing, feral. The gaze I cannot see shifts, and he turns his head slightly to the side. But it's enough for me to notice the edge of a faint scar marring the otherwise unblemished ivory skin to the left of his lips.

  He takes a step closer.

  Too close.

  He towers over me, at least a foot taller and maybe twice as wide. I've never felt so small, so frail, in my entire life.

  "What are you doing in here?" he growls deeply, simmering with anger.

  I keep my shoulders straight, rigid. I'm done cowering before him. "I was tired of sitting in my room. I needed to get out for a little while."

  He snorts. "That'
s funny. When I stopped by this morning, you seemed perfectly content to stay in there forever."

  "Of course I did, when the other option was going anywhere with you." The retort rolls off my lips with surprising ease. I clench my jaw to keep it from dropping.

  The muscles around the beast's jaw clench too, but his hands tighten into fists, covering unspoken rage.

  A satisfied feeling settles over me. I got to him. Take that.

  The feeling dissipates a moment later when he leans intimidatingly forward, making the space between us taut and tense. "What are you doing in here?"

  I take a step back, looking over my shoulder at the woman. "I felt the magic. I just wanted to see where it was coming from."

  He inhales sharply. "Don’t go any closer."

  I focus my attention back into the shadows shrouding his face. "Who is she?"

  "None of your business."

  "She's beautiful," I murmur, wondering if she's special to him, if a beast is capable of love.

  "I said, none of your business. Now step away."

  But I don't want to step away. Something about her magic is magnetic, pulling for me, as though I've slipped into a spinning vortex and there's no choice but to get sucked inside.

  My fingers reach back, pressing against the bed. So close.

  "Stop!" he barks. "I won't tell you again."

  But I feel outside of myself, as though I have no control over my movements. My mind grows fuzzy and disjointed the farther back my fingers slide. Magic sizzles on my skin, my magic yearning to connect with hers. My arm continues to stretch toward her while my gaze stays on the beast. He's trembling as though his body is fighting with his mind for control. I wonder if I should feel afraid. But my emotions are so far away. My mind is distant. My whole body bends back toward the woman, until…

  We connect.

  My eyes go wide as the gentle pull on my magic becomes a furious yank, and my whole body jerks toward her, throwing me off-balance as I tumble over, landing on the bed. My magic leeches into her, and I'm so utterly confused, I can't catch up with what's happening. My magic doesn’t affect people. I can't heal a dying woman. The only thing I can give life to is plants. So why is she absorbing my power like a tree in the desert, thirsty with starvation?

  My gaze shifts to the beast.

  Does he feel it?

  Does he know what it means?

  But when my eyes land upon him, he is not a man anymore. The body beneath the cloak is rippling, expanding, growing higher and larger. The pale color of his hands is darkening as his nails elongate and fur pushes through translucent skin. His fingers change shape. His body bends over, landing on all fours against the floor. And suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the cloak covering him disappears and a snarling black bear stands before me, revealing sharp canines. He roars, rearing up on hind legs and slashing jagged claws toward my face.

  I scream.

  A high-pitched, terrified sound.

  The horror is enough of a distraction that I forget about the woman and the magic and the questions I was about to ask. I forget my vow not to hide anymore. I forget my promise to be brave. I forget everything.

  All I know is the door is open, and in the time it takes for the beast to release another bloodcurdling roar, I'm already sprinting through it.

  I'm blinded by fear as I race through the castle halls. All I can think is, go! Get away! Run! Quickly!

  So I do.

  Across the halls. Down the staircase. Through the front door.

  I'm outside before I even realize it, racing down the front steps of the castle and diving into the main stretch of the town. I've gazed at these streets from above for the past few days, so I know if I follow this road it will lead me to a gate, it will lead me away. And that's where I have to go. Away. Home. To another city. Anywhere but here in this castle with that monster.

  My eyes stay straight ahead. I don't allow them to focus on the wolves and bears watching me as I dash by. The animals become little more than dark shadows in my peripheral. My vision tunnels on the open iron gate just visible at the end of the street. And once I'm through it, my world is washed in white. Snow covers every inch of the land. I pass by icy trees as my feet sink deeper with each step. My breath grows short as my muscles scream at me with exertion. But I don't stop. The mountains begin to incline, but still I keep going.

  Then I trip on a rock.

  I fall, landing wrists first against the ground. Frost stings my exposed skin and a deep freeze sinks into my bones when the snow wraps around me. As the adrenaline leaves my system, the sweat on my arms brings a chill to my muscles. The silent forest is filled with the clatter of my shivering teeth and the puff of my breath as I blow warm air into my palms. Only then do I realize how cold it is. How lost I am. And how low the sun has begun to hang in the sky.

  Only then do I realize my mistake.

  I turn, but there is nothing but ivory stretching out in every direction. The gently falling snow has begun to pick up. I could follow my footsteps back toward the castle, but I'm not sure if it would be any safer there or if I should take my chances with the wilderness. More so, I'm almost certain my fatigued body would give out before I made it back.

  Survival instincts take over. Magic burns to life in my chest, providing some warmth, but not enough. I focus on the ground below me, forcing flowers to grow through the frozen soil, willing them to lift higher and spread wider until the space beneath my feet is cleared of snow and replaced with a small patch of color. Still shivering, I sit and wrap the cloak tightly around me. It’s warm, but not warm enough to keep the wintry breeze out. So I concentrate on something that might. Bushes spring to life, surrounding me like a wall against the chill. I twist and turn the branches until they meet overhead, blocking out the light but also the wind, leaving me in shadows. Then I hug my knees to my chest, trying to use my breath to keep my frigid body warm.

  For a while, I think it might work.

  Then the wind picks up.

  The flurries turn to icy pellets.

  Freezing water drips through the cracks in the bushes, soaking into my clothes.

  In what little light I have, I notice my fingertips are turning a dangerously pale shade, and I've begun to lose feeling. When I press my hand to my nose, the tip feels like ice. Just when I'm about to shift the plants away, to admit defeat and try to find my way back to the castle, a thunderous voice stops me.

  "Omorose!"

  It’s him. He followed me.

  I hug my knees closer to my chest, as if to hide myself more.

  "I don't want to hurt you!" he shouts. "I'm." He pauses. "I'm sorry. Please, you have to come with me." His voice is getting louder. He's coming closer. "You'll die out here. On a night like this, you'll never survive."

  I know he's telling the truth.

  But I can't fight the fear churning in my gut. It overwhelms me. And when I close my eyes, I don't see a man calling my name. I see a monstrous bear with saliva falling from gleaming teeth. I see my doom.

  "Omorose?"

  This time it is little more than a whisper. He's right next to my hideout. I can hear him breathing. My fingers tremble. Snow crunches as he steps in a circle around me. I'm caught. I'm trapped.

  Then I hear that little girl again.

  Fight! she whispers in the back of my mind. Fight back!

  And I remember that I'm strong.

  I'm powerful.

  And I don't want to run away any longer.

  My magic acts on reflex. One moment I am cowering. And the next, the bushes around me have recoiled and vines are ripping free of the ground, soaring toward the beast, sharp with thorns. He leaps away, quick on his feet. The hood of his cloak falls, but with his back turned to me, I only notice jet-black hair before I sink deeper into the magic, too wrapped up in the power to notice anything else. I am one with those prickly branches lashing out at the beast. More rise from the ground, sprouting from everywhere at once, surrounding him like a spiky cell. They si
nk closer, shrinking around his form until sharp edges press against his skin.

  Have I caught the beast?

  But a howl blasts through the air, loud enough that it seems to vibrate over the mountains. As the sound stretches, it turns into a furious roar. The black cloak ripples, warping and changing, until the same bear from before bursts to life. Claws slash, ripping the vines apart. Thick branches snap like little more than twigs. In seconds, my trap is shredded apart.

  Then the bear turns toward me.

  Breath smokes from his flared nostrils. Deep, gray eyes barrel down on me, storm clouds churning, dark and dangerous.

  He takes a step forward.

  I stumble back. My chest begins to hurt as the cost of my magic slowly takes its toll. Waves of fire and ice roll through me as my life is methodically stripped away by the curse. But I keep the magic burning. I bite back the pain.

  Vines break through snow, stretching into the sky.

  The beast wipes them away easily.

  But I keep throwing them at him. It's the only thing I can think of. My magic is supposed to be beautiful and gentle. It's not made for battle. But he is. Everything about him screams weapon. Blood drips from his limbs and paws as thorns carve into his flesh. Bright red droplets stain the snow. But he continues moving forward, unrelenting.

  I know the exact moment he tires of this game.

  A low growl rumbles from deep in his chest. He pauses for just an instant. Then he leaps across the space between us, opening his jaws wide, as though to swallow me whole.

  Magic surges through me.

  A pine tree erupts from the ground, exploding into the world like a bomb as snow and dirt are sent flying. In less than a second, it stretches fifty feet high, trunk growing thicker and thicker. Time slows. I fall back on the ground, strength depleted.

  A deafening crack fills the air.

  The beast slams into the tree at full force, shattering the sturdy wood. The ground shakes when his heavy form drops down.

  Then silence.

  Long, lingering silence.

  I stand cautiously, peering through the falling snow toward the unmoving body on the ground.

  Is he dead?

  Did I kill him?