Ch. 10

A smile twitched on Jack's face. He couldn't believe the power he was holding in his hands; it was like the sun on his fingertips. He could feel the magic of the dagger piercing Rumpelstiltskin, holding him in place like an invisible wire. It was intoxicating. It was . . . seductive.

"Jack, stop!" Belle cried.

"I command you," Jack said to the beast, "stay where you are."

"Belle, leave," Rumpelstiltskin said. He could still move his mouth and his eyes, but his body was locked in place. "Get out of here."

Belle ran to Jack and pulled on his arm. "Please, stop!"

He batted her away and kept his stance on Rumpel. "This is my fight, Belle!"

"You don't know what you're doing, boy," Rumpelstiltskin said. "That magic you wield is the darkest in the world. You can't handle it—"

"I command you to give up this girl!" Jack yelled.

"She's under no spell," Rumpel said calmly. "You're living in a dream world."

"She's mine! She's mine, and I'm taking her ba—!" Before Jack could finish, he was struck over the head with a large book. Belle was behind him with a heavy leather-bound map of the world. Jack fell to the floor, the dagger shooting out of his hand and skidding across the marble floor.

"Belle, get the dagger!" Rumpelstiltskin said.

Belle made a dash for the weapon, but Jack leapt up behind her and pulled her down. He managed to grab the dagger before her and, when she tried to wrestle it from his hands, Jack took her by the hair and thrashed her head on the hard floor.

"Leave her alone!" Rumpelstiltskin cried.

Jack scrambled to his feet as Belle lay motionless on the floor. She felt blood on her forehead but couldn't move, could barely even tell where she was when the room was spinning and black dots popped before her eyes and—

"My price is her . . ."

A dungeon. A rose. A tumble from a ladder into the arms of a beast.

"You're happy I'm back."

"I'm not unhappy."

A spinning wheel. A single kiss. That brief, magical moment when Rumpelstiltskin was a man and she was a woman and they loved each other—

"Go."

Belle blinked and the world came back into focus. The whole world.

"I remember," she whispered. She sat up, reeling from the rush of memories that had come flooding back. "I remember!"

Jack held the dagger tightly, the black magic consuming his soul. He would make amends to Belle later—yes, that probably was her real name, anyway—but right now he had a mission. The monster was right in front of him, powerless, completely at Jack's mercy.

"Jack, stop!" Belle cried.

The dagger went into Rumpelstiltskin's back. Then out slowly. Blood dripped onto the floor.

"No!"

A white-hot flash of pain shot through Rumpel's back. As he fell to his knees, it was replaced by a different kind of pain, as though his bones were being ripped out from under his skin. He knew the curse was leaving his body—he could already feel the darkness in his soul dissipating.

"No, no!" Belle rushed to his side as he fell on his stomach, then rolled over onto his back. She cradled his head in her arms, tears streaming down her face. "Please, please—"

Rumpelstiltskin reached his now-human hand up and touched Belle's cheek. "Belle . . ." Through his pain, he smiled shakily. He was just as beautiful as a man as he was when he was a monster.

"I remember," Belle whispered. "You can't die! I remember everything!"

"The curse . . . it's broken." Rumpel coughed and a few drops of blood escaped his lips. A black pool of blood stretched around him from his back. He stroked the cut on Belle's forehead from when Jack pushed her down, then touched her hair. "At least we got to dance."

"No! You won't die!" Belle cried. She was sobbing, tears flowing from her eyes like rivers.

"I'm so sorry I turned you away." Rumpelstiltskin's voice was barely a whisper, fading like the light from his eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"Please, please, don't—"

His eyes fluttered to a close—

"Rumpelstiltskin!"

His face went slack—

"I love you!" Belle touched her head to his as she bawled and whispered again, "I love you."

She pressed her lips ever-so-lightly against his. A shot of golden light rippled out from between them. Warmth flooded Belle's veins and poured onto Rumpelstiltskin's lips. When the light had passed, Belle pulled away and Rumpel gasped a breath. His color returned and his eyes snapped open. He was alive. He was alive and he was human. Belle laughed through her tears.

Rumpelstiltskin reached his hand up again and cupped the back of Belle's head. "You saved me," he said.

Belle smiled. "I owed you a favor," she said with a laugh.

Rumpel pulled her into a tight embrace and stroked her long hair. "I love you," he said. "I've always loved you." He pulled back and looked Belle directly in the eyes. "I'm never letting you go again."

Belle laughed again, overcome with joy. She leaned in and kissed him again. When they parted, a pair of hands was applauding them from behind. Belle and Rumpelstiltskin looked towards the doors of the library and saw a figure in black. He had red eyes and a thin, gaunt face, sharp teeth and bony fingers that clutched a jagged dagger. Written on it, dripping with Rumpelstiltskin's blood, was the name 'Jack.'

"Very touching," Jack said. His voice had become deep and rattling, a voice that squeezed the heart from the inside. The curse had been passed on to him, had turned him into a devilish monster. He looked at his hands. "So much power," he said. "So invigorating."

Belle looked at Rumpel and he stared boldly at Jack. "You got what you came for. Your business is done."

A cold, creepy smile slithered across the new Dark One's face. "You know that's not true." He reached out his hand as if grabbing a tree branch and squeezed the air.

Belle gasped and put her hands to her throat, choking. Jack threw his hand back and Belle went flying through the air, landing in front of him on her back. She cried and gulped, her throat tightening with the magic from Jack's fingers.

"Let her go!" Rumpelstiltskin sprang to his feet. He rushed at the Dark One, but Jack held up the dagger and sent him hurdling across the room and into a shelf of books.

Jack pulled Belle to her feet by her hair. He squeezed her close and yelled, "She's mine now, Rumpelstiltskin. You have no power over anyone anymore."

Though his body ached, Rumpel staggered to his feet. "Let her go, Jack! Let her go!"

Jack grinned, baring his sharp, black teeth. "Catch us if you can." He threw his hand down and a puff of black smoke enclosed him and Belle.

"No!"

The smoke collapsed in on itself and disappeared, the sound of Belle screaming echoing through the room. Rumpelstiltskin ran towards the empty space.

"Belle!" He looked around frantically. "Belle!"

She was still shouting, far-off and disappearing like the wind.

"I hear you," Rumpel said. He looked to the ceiling and cried, "I hear you! I'll find you!"

END

To be continued in the sequel, "Heartlines"